Which Speaker


Hi, I'm building my first set up and need some help deciding on a set of speakers, I don' have a ton of money to spend but I've narrowed it down to some speakers that are in a sale deal so I can get the best ones I can. The main input will be vinyl from a pro-ject debut carbon evo and the amp will probably either be a marantz pm6007 or yamaha As501 depending on the speaker. The options I have: KEF Q550, Q Acoustics 3050i, Fyne Audio F303, Yamaha NS-F350, Wharfedale Diamond 12.4, Dali Oberon 5, Bowers & Wilkins 603 and Monitor Audio 200 or 500.
The website does say I can enquire about others to see if they would do a deal for them, they have many options like KEF 750, Dali Opticon 5,Elac Debut F6.2, Monitor Audio Silver 6, Kudos x2 and Mission QX4 - I dont know if they would allow any of these but I can always ask.
Music wise I tend to listen to indie/rock/metal but also a bit of everything from across the board, good bass is important but I can always add a subwoofer in the future. I know the best thing to do would be to listen in person but with full lockdown due to Covid I cant.
I think thats all the information I can give, I know I've listed quite a lot of speakers but it's my first try I want to do it well, thanks in advance for your thoughts.
oliverben5672
@oliverben5672, speaker tech hasn't changed much in years, excluding powered speakers. You can buy used speakers for 50-60% of MSRP and sell them a year or two later at probably no or minimal loss. That will save you far more than £100s.
Pretend we're talking ice cream. You're asking us to tell you if you will prefer chocolate, strawberry, coffee or pistachio.  There's a good chance we'll get it wrong. 
If you can at least describe what's most important to you in a speaker and perhaps describe any that you've heard & liked and what you liked about that experience. 
e.g. "I often focus on the naturalness of vocals", "My toes tap on their own", "Punchy dynamics give me goosebumps". Any clues help. Cheers,
Spencer
Quality sound on a budget can be surprisingly good, you just have to go about it intelligently. Start by crossing off your list all speakers less than 92dB sensitivity. Because anything much lower than that and you will find it very hard- read EXPENSIVE! - to drive. Above 92dB and just about any amplifier even as low as 20 watts will be fine.

Specifically, check out the Mini-Lore. https://www.tektondesign.com/mini-lore.html Its right in your price range, high sensitivity, stupid good and direct from manufacturer super high value.

The Marantz will then be fine, it is the better of the two. But it does have a DAC and those things are death to good sound. You’re on a budget and this is better than any receiver, and it does have built in phono. Just be aware and on the lookout for an integrated amp without either of those. Or with phono but no DAC. Remember, because you were smart and got high sensitivity speakers you don’t need watts but you do need quality.

Your turntable is a fine source. Don’t skimp on wire. You will hear it. Put it on a heavy platform with some Nobsound springs you will be shocked how good it sounds.

You’re already smart about one thing- holding off on bass for later. By far the greatest expense in speakers is trying to do it all- high dynamics, full extension, deep bass. Speakers at your level that try to do all that are forced to make compromises all over the place. Pay attention to the midrange, because if that is right it will hold your attention you won’t miss the bass, and if the treble rolls off that is less bothersome over time than if its harsh and aggressive. Which budget gear tends to be.

Quality wire will go a long way to making a system that draws you in with lots of fascinating detail. This is the magic of vinyl. Your job is to protect that magic, without going broke in the process. Subs can easily be added later, and when they are it will fill in the picture so much you will understand what a waste it would have been trying to pick speakers with super deep bass. So focus on midrange and a natural detail level of sound.

Other than 92dB you can forget about specs and focus on sound quality. Pay attention to how independent reviewers describe the sound. Nothing else matters. And that’s that. Good luck and happy hunting!
Start by crossing off your list all speakers less than 92dB sensitivity.

My Mirage M3-si speakers have 83dB sensitivity and I drive them just fine with 110 watts. I like my music very loud and of course accurate. The same amp driving the Klipschorns (105.5dB) will easily reach unsafe levels. Either setup is backed up by a 1250 watt 18 inch sub crossed over at 80Hz. 

OP you say that "good bass is important" but I'd say good deep bass is necessary regardless of music choice. The last octave is the most important ;-)

Sometimes I setup the sub with a very small pair of Mission bookshelf speakers to trick people. They are astonished that the sound is not coming from the big speakers and sometimes have to check. So I would say don't make the decision based on mains bass extension, they probably should not be trying to reproduce much under 80Hz. 

Given that you cannot listen to the speakers I agree with others that you should concentrate on reviews from higher end reviewers and ignore speaker specs - most of which are provided by the marketing department.
Dali is good if you're looking for a wide dispersion speaker. You might look at their active line. 
Music wise I tend to listen to indie/rock/metal but also a bit ofeverything from across the board, good bass is important
I’d go with Monitor Audio as they’re good all-around speakers but can also belt out rock when called for, and specifically I’d go with a model like the 300 or 500 with a dedicated midrange driver if possible.  If you tend to like neutrality and more treble detail I’d go with the Yamaha, but if you prefer a warmer, richer sound with a softer treble presentation detail go with the Marantz.  Best of luck.