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Speaker advice

Ok... so I am pretty new to the whole high end audio setup and had a couple questions. Please keep in mind that my budget is fairly limited and my expertise is on the elemetary end. So, I'm looking to you guys for help.

It appears that each time a friend or relative gets new speakers/surround sound, it sounds more amazing than the last person's. For instance, My uncle has a Klipsch RF-82 setup with surround sound etc. I thought it sounded absolutely amazing. My buddy is rocking Focal Electra 927 limited edition... which are awesome. My questions is, with my budget of about a thousand dollars, am I better off with low end Klipsch (RF-35) or saving up a little more and trying to score a used set of Focals (obviously not 927's)? My absolute max would be around $1200 as I can't justify any more spending... not having a great familiarity of what I'm buying (opposed to what I'm hearing). Any advice would be appreciated and sorry about the wordy post.
FYI... this would be for music (jazz, classical, rock) and home theatre, as well. I would pick up the remaining surround sound components as my budget allows.

Thanks...
big10purdue
macdadtexas
1,794 posts
 
Vandy's also won't play very loudly. They are a wonderful speaker, but my guess is that if our friend from Indiana is looking for something with more slam, that is not Vandy's. I have had them, they are great, I would go as far as to say the 5a is the best speaker I have ever heard, but if he wants to rock out, they are not the best solution, especially in a big room. With his budget I would reiterate the Def Tech suggestion, and maybe add the Paradigm 100's.
martykl
3,578 posts
 
I'll second the sub/sat approach. SVS sells a sub for $600 that -on paper- provides astonishing performance. The informed sub crowd on this forum, Bob Reynolds, Shadome and Drew Eckhart among others can provide more detail if you decide to go this route. Bob, in particular, is a fan of SVS.

One main speaker to consider is the small Magnepan MMG ($600). Like the SVS sub, it's sold factory direct with a money back offer. I sometimes use an MMG/sub set-up, and can assure you that at $1200 this combo offers terrific performance. As Blindjim noted, it allows HT in the future. It will also allow you to add a Velodyne SMS-1 sub controller in the future. This device allows you to analyze your room, and optimize the bass - it's very effective for app $500-$600.

Good Luck

Marty
rebbi
1,326 posts
 
I don't know how powerful your amplifier is, but for $1000 plus shipping you could audition a brand new pair of Ohm Micro Walsh Tall speakers. They're omni-directional, throw a huge soundstage, and produce amazingly robust bass. They're a time-honored brand that now sells only direct, and you get a 120-day, money-back home trial. http://www.ohmspeakers.com . John Strohbeen, the President, answers the phone and will be glad to give you personal advice.
dave_b's avatar
dave_b
3,159 posts
 
Kef IQ9's from audio advisor on blowout for less than $800/pair...read the reviews, especially Hi Fi + product of the year issue! You will have serious sound on a budget.
veroman's avatar
veroman
298 posts
 
if HT is definitely in your future, i second the advice about monitors and sub. get them used and 1200$ will get you a very nice set up with plenty of slam for rock and movies. advice... shy away from monitors that rely too heavily on sub for normal deep bass reproduction. sub is best used for deep deep bass and harmonics or it gets tricky to fine tune. jmo. dont forget the room treatments or it is all a waste of effort!
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