I will only warn Vandersteen wont play loud so not sure if that is your goal for dynamics. My father has the Quatro wood signature model and they are 90% of a 5A.
Speaker Question...first post on the gon
Hello. I'm wanting to put together a dedicated 2 channel system that is capable of simulating a "live" performance with blues, jazz and rock. With that being said, I value dynamics secondary to soundstage/imaging. I haven't had the opportunity to audition any speakers worth mentioning. Unfortunately, with work and other activities and a lack of dealers in my area, auditioning speakers is not even a viable option so I am hoping to make informed decisions in the used market, and with any luck find what I'm looking for the first go around. Currently the speakers in my hd (a/v?) uh, the room with my tv lol, have been pulling double duty with music. I have a Definitive setup with BP7001SC for L/R and BP3000 center and some smaller Definitive towers for rear. After much work with placement and a pair of Parasound HCA1500's bridged mono to the fronts with a small tube buffer between the amps and an H/K reciever I'm using as a pre/pro, I've managed to achieve pretty decent and dynamic soundstaging with 2 channel, for the types of music I listen to, or a decent improvement at least. I have a Parasound 5250 amp that can handle all 5 channels for movies, so for now I'm wanting to start with the 2 HCA1500's I have which are 630w at 8ohm bridged mono and use these for amplification. What speakers in the used market for $5000 or less, (preferably less :) will give me the bottom octaves at least on par with what I'm used to from my powered towers, tight/snappy midbass and a remaining audio spectrum that is musically dynamic but not fatiguing and with the ability to achieve focal imaging that essentially eliminates the sense of speakers as the source? I'm currently lookin on the gon at a pair of Vandersteen 5's (not 5a...not sure how different) and a pair of Vandersteen Quatros, mostly because I'm fairly confident that they will not disappoint in the lower octaves. Any opinions on these as well as any other speaker recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
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- 24 posts total
It sounds like you know what you want, and that's a good start. Based on your criteria, look for sealed speakers, powered woofer, soft dome tweeters and a 3-way design. All these things are needed for the well defined bass (sealed), good dynamics (powered woofer, 3-way), and non-fatigueing (low THD, flat treble, soft dome) sound you want to hear. For "disappearing speakers" look for wide dispersion and a good polar & power response; this will also reward you with good casual listening outside of the sweet-spot. Good luck with a "first go around." |
If you can stretch your budget, I highly recommend the used pair of Wilson Sophias on the Gon. This recommendation comes with the provision that you have the room and patience to set them up properly. They are not a "plug 'n play" purchase. However, once set up properly in your room, you will experience dynamics and deep bass definition that will be several levels above your current DT setup. I recently bought a pair of Sophias with the thought that they may be the last pair of speakers I own. Or at the very least, take me through for the next five or so years. And I have a strong feeling that they may do just that. After having owned 25 different speakers in the last 10 years, that's no small feat. Shakey |
Used Zu Defs for sure - sealed, plus 4 10" powered subs. I've seen them used for sale for around $5k. http://www.zuaudio.com/images/stories/product_specs_pdf/def2_specs.pdf |
With the specs you are looking at the only speaker I can think of would be Klipch but I am not familiar with their lineup as to which model;I have always liked the cornwalls and forte's though;you might want to check out their products for yourself. You might want to also consider dunlavy and merlin; as these are excellant performers but I don't know about the live performance spec you mention;I had a pair of dunlavy scIII's and always considered them to be one of the best speakers I have owned;Merlins speak for themselves and I have never seen a bad word on any of their products. |
- 24 posts total