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Speakers to build a $6500 system around

I am frustrated with all the speaker choices available in the $2k range. There's just too many! I listen to all music types but I lean towards jazz, vocals and reggae. I have a bedroom system consisting of an Rega Apollo cd player, Music Angel EL34 integrated pushing an old pair of Energy 4.1e's which I enjoy very much. However, this set-up in my larger tiled family room just doesn't cut it. Can someone recommend a source,full range speaker and integrated combo that can deliver "you are there" kind of sound for around $6500? My room is not ideal. It measures 16' x 20'. One side opens out to a dining area. I have to place these speakers against the long wall. I would really appreciate any opinions on speakers in the $2000 dollar range that I can really build something special upon. Thanks!
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gonglee3
304 posts
 
Speakers are rather personal and subjective, so you might want to visit a few hifi shops and hear many different speakers in your budget - actually if you want to buy them used, you can hear upto two times your budget, and get more quality.

If you consider using the playstation 1 as the source (which can be picked up for a song on Ebay), you will have more left over for the speakers. I would spend the most on speakers if I were you.

If you can place it on the short wall, they would sound better.

gonglee3
304 posts
 
Here is a audiogon thread about Playstation 1, and how good it is.

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?ddgtl&1176210779&read&keyw&zzplaystation+1
gsm18439
895 posts
 
There are a lot of options - especially if you are willing to buy "pre-owned" speakers that are a little cosmetically challenged. For sale on Audiogon right now are a pair of Allison Ones (1000USD) and a pair of Audio Note ANE speakers (1500USD). Both are designed for near wall placement and are not fussy about location.
t_bone
1,182 posts
 
There was just a thread on Audioasylum's High Efficiency (speakers) forum about Altec Model 19s where recent pricing was discussed (and recent offers have been in the $1200-1500 range with no bids). A reasonably well-known audio dealer and speaker specialist once called them one of the best turnkey speakers ever made. They are big, but highly efficient. They like a big room, but can survive in a room like yours. I have mine in similar placement in a slightly smaller room and they are wonderful. They put out a BIIIIG sound with little wattage, sound wonferful with tubes (and should work very well with tubes).

For anyone who can deal with big old boxes (they look OK, especially in walnut, so they have WAF of a certain kind but they are big, which means they could lose WAF points in another way, they are great. I put mine in a summer house music room (you can see it in my "Whiskey Room" system. Every time someone new comes to the house and listens to music, their first reaction is "Whoa, those are big", and their next reaction is "Who that's great-sounding music." The size is completely forgotten and fun is had by all.
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