Best speakers for 2500....thump included

The Hales Revelation 3 is an example of a speaker which cannot produce a 30hz tone. It is typical of many speakers today which "pretend" through their specifications that they can but when put to the test, clearly cannot. A 30hz tone is more felt than heard. It should set things vibrating in the room, like the windows and the floors, if reproduced with authority. If you put on the second track of Sarah Mc Lachlan's "Surfacing" CD on a Vandersteen and then the Hales Rev 3, you will hear the difference. Only one of these speakers will produce a true 30hz tone and afterwards you will know which one. Also the Hales has a rather peaky, harsh upper midrange region. Not a bad speaker for the money, but one with at least one obvious flaw and one which, despite advertising claims, is not full range. Of course, I could say the same thing about other speakers recommended here for their low frequency capability like B &W (all speakers except possibly the 801 don't have the ability to reproduce deep bass). Some of the biggest lies in audio are told in the advertising of speakers frequency response capabilities.

Paragon Acoustics Radiant ($2950), down to 40Hz, and then use the powered subwoofer of your choice (a VERY powerful one if you have a large room). Then you'd have perhaps 15 Hz extension, and more dynamic capability in the bass than any "full range" speaker (with correct placement, the bottom octave extension of the system in the room, is much more fully realized/effieciently loaded with a good powered sub, than with "full range" speaker which must be necessarily placed well away from the wall behind it...if one is to resolve the ambient detail on the recording occuring from the mids on down...even with tubetraps). If you don't believe me, come hear mine in my 4200 cubic foot concrete room. Hearing is believing...I can get 100 dB peaks with music at 11 feet from each speaker with my Krell amp (and SPL meter), and the bass is unbelievably deep, fast, punchy, and perfectly blended in time (and the sub is "not sonically present"). But if you don't have a dedicated and fully treated listening room, I wouldn't bother anyway...maybe that's just me.

My amp is a perreaux. Have a look at them on http://www.aslgroup.com/audsys/perreaux/perreaux.htm I think they sound just as good as the plinius amps. They have immense power, and cost next to nothing compared to other brands for me, as they are made in new zealand, my home country. If any of you can show me a better looking amp ill be surprised as well! Anyway, the revelation 3 "sounds" to be the best one for the job, but as always ill listen to as many as possible. What do you guys think of B&W??

Okay, I couldn't resist responding to Rayhall. I actually heard comments like his before. They came from the local Thiel Dealer when I told him I was considering buying the Hales Rev3. He seemed irritated as if he had lost customers to Hales before. The funny thing about it is he is now a Hales Dealer. Couldn't beat them so he joined up. Rayhall are you a Vandersteen Dealer? Kidding aside, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I will agree with Rayhall that Vandersteen is worth an audition and another great value(3A is in the price limit). Man that 30Hz note the Hales "pretends" to play "feels" good. Happy listening....LR

Hi Laker, I am not a Vandersteen dealer, but I did audition it and the Hales in pursuit of speakers in this price range. If you A/B both with the right music, which is hard to find, you will hear the difference in the low end. As I said earlier, the Hales is a good speaker particularly when you consider its rock bottom price, but it certainly doesn't deliver close to an ultimate bottom end, nor are the upper mids as smooth as one would like. If you should decide to audition, take along the CD I recommended and be sure to listen with a high current solid state amp like Pass, Krell, Levinson, Plinius etc. After auditioning both speakers, then tell me that that 30hz note on the Hales "feels" good!