2. speakers
  3. 135039-111486

Just confused about where to start

Hello all,

I'm looking to add speakers to my audiophile setup which currently consists of (very high end) headphones. I want speakers for everything the headphones cannot do - simple enough. Problem is, I'm having difficulty deciding which gear I want to buy. I demoed a pair of B&W 705 S2's today and was very impressed. Unfortunately, my budget isn't that high. It's $1500 total, for the speakers and amp combined. Source is a computer. I listened to a cheaper pair of B&W bookshelf speakers (can't remember which, but were around $1200) and was not impressed. I am leaning toward bookshelf speakers but don't know if getting floorstanding at this price point would be a large increase in quality. The room they will be placed in is only 100 square feet. I am willing to buy used.

So, my questions, summed up are:

Is bookshelf a better option than floorstanding?

Is it worth looking at cheaper B&W models, or should I look at other companies altogether?

At least with headphones, I like a pretty neutral sound, if not a tad warm. Are there any companies that predominantly have this sound signature?

How should the room size inform my choice of speakers?



muffinhead123
muffinhead123 OP
35 posts
 
@tls49 the salesman used the same amp and simply swapped out the speakers for me.

The amp was McIntosh’s brand new hybrid model
https://www.mcintoshlabs.com/products/integrated-amplifiers/MA252
Very nice tubey sound with the amp, and quite synergistic with the 705 S2's.

I took a listen to a track I knew well and decided the B&W 707 S2’s weren’t for me.

The 705 S2’s however, were excellent. Imaged very well and had a very spacious sound. Detail was good too. Shame about the $2500 price tag...
jond's avatar
jond
5,663 posts
 
They shouldn't be that hard to drive good watts and a good power supply matters more than the overall wattage number. The integrated I recommended in the same post does the first 15 watts in class A but its 120 watts class AB overall plenty of power for those speakers. Good luck!
muffinhead123 OP
35 posts
 
@jond hmm...so I don't need a beefy 300w power amp then? I'm afraid I'll underpower the speakers so that they can't be cranked when need be.
jond's avatar
jond
5,663 posts
 
Trust me 300 watts are not needed just get the best watts you can on your budget! Look for amps with robust power supplies over bit wattage ratings.
willemj
1,036 posts
 
That room is tiny, so you really do not need massive amplification. Spend as litle as you can on the amplifier (within reason) to have as much budget for speakers.
Can you use your headphone DAC/amplifier as a pre amplifier? If you can, you will only need a (modest) power amplifier.
You do run a risk with second hand speakers. They may have been abused, and they may have degraded. Many do not perform to spec anymore after only 15 years, or less if they have been in the sun in front of a window.
More to discover