Gripped By Upgrade Fever

Paul 
I have had quite a bit of experience with speakers and they are really difficult to sort our. One idea that has stuck with me is the thought that companies that make large quantities of models, they might have a line of budget speaker, $500 to $1500 then slightly higher speakers ranging from 2k to 6K then a range that is higher and on and on. I don't think they are really dedicated. Just trying to sell boxes. They have to sell a lot of boxes with the advertising etc. 

So I have looked for companies that are smaller more focused. Companies with a house sound. A couple examples might me ProAc, Larsen is new with a modest production, haven't heard them but heard good things. Go for midrange. No one on these pages even talk about midrange the discussion always goes to the bass.. When I had a shop I had a number of monitors and never once felt the need to hook up a subwoofer.

Thanks for all the good advice, everyone. I appreciate the good intentions.

I’m not doing anything anytime soon. It’s just that the LS50s have given me a sense of what’s possible. Now that I know, I want more! (I’m sure everyone reading any of these forums can identify.) I spent my first week of ownership knocked out, with a stupid grin on my face.

But as soon as I was fully conscious, I was looking for pre-1962 pennies to put under the speaker spikes. (In an earlier post, I acknowledged that all of my tweaking/positioning attempts led nowhere, that the new speakers sound best on the same stands in the same position as the old ones.) And now I’m starting to think about future upgrades.

I have no doubt that my next upgrade will be a sub. If I had any sense, I would take that and these speakers and a sub to my grave. I’m continually surprised by reading reviews of seriously big, seriously expensive (20K+) speakers that the reviewer says sound best with subs. The race for a single, full-range speaker may be a race better not entered.

Did we ever get an answer about RATFLMAO?

I even spent a few quick minutes looking for a cheap sub that I could slide under the couch. After the third time I read that “audiophiles always prefer no sub to a mediocre one,” I gave up that idea.

Tekton is clearly a company that would disagree with my simpler is better idea. Funny, the Mini-Lore was the last speaker in the running before I went KEF. That is essentially one full range driver with a super-tweeter. Still, all of their complexity is supported to pay big dividends. Any problems, MC?

To me, my mild case of audiophilia leaves me with two lasting questions:

1) I think we can all agree that the phrase “it’s all about the music” falls apart in a mild breeze. But what if you were a classical music fan. Supposedly, Dudamel and the LA Phil are doing something quite special these days, a real “once in a generation” moment. Why wouldn’t you treat yourself to a subscription and 20 weekends in Los Angeles instead of a new set of speakers? I know that I prioritize live music—remember live music?—far above these speakers and a prize these speakers a lot.

2) Why don’t most people give the first thought to the quality of the music they listen to? I’m not talking about being an audiophile. The reasons people reject high-end audio are so many and so obvious that I laugh every time I hear someone from Stereophile ask, “Where are the young audiophiles?” (Perhaps they’re driven away by the lunacy that takes a CD player and turns it into two boxes costing twice as much. Could you imagine Apple announcing that the next generation iPhone would now come in two pieces—one for the phone, one for the apps—and cost double?) But the masses settle for so little. Do they like wearing ear pods all day? Don’t they realize what they could hear for no more than the price of a phone? Me and my friends are a little past our yuppie years. Got a few bucks in the bank, staying home most nights. If we aren’t buying stereo gear then no one is. One guy makes an effort, the rest don’t even have an audio source wired to their soundbars. I just don’t get it.

But I shouldn’t stir up trouble in what has been such a lovely thread. I’m just goofing around. You’ll know I’m serious when I start asking for sub advice. Until then, thank you for the thoughts.

Subs with small speakers make sense. Especially if they are preconfigured/sold as a complete speaker system. Those small speakers can't get down to the really low frequencies by themselves.

Subs with floor standers don't, unless you are doing some kind of home theater set up with sound coming from all different places. That's not for pure 2 channel audio. I agree with less crossovers and simplest is best.

Exception is ESLs which are too directional for me. I think some of those come with sub options.

I find that upgrade are not worth it.