I am using my HK AVR-240 with some not so popular speakers from my old music systems. I am now trying to get a pair of good value for money floor standers. I am currently eyeing only two channels and would prefer to keep it simple by not adding a sub. I like details but don't like very bright sound. Warm is what I am looking for.
Going by what I have in mind I am considering a Wharfedale Diamond 9.5/9.6 to go with my HK which is a high current amp with rated power of 65 wpc in stereo mode. Do you think I am on the right track? Do these really match? Would it deliver enough punch without a sub? Any one using this combination?
I have the 9.6 now for almost 2 years and love them. I tried many speakers before buying but nothing came close to my taste in this price bracket.
Wharfedale makes excellent products and don't let anyone fool you otherwise. They have a great low end but nothing out performs a good sub so depending on your particular tastes, I would give them a listen.
What receiver you have? Are diamonds too bright? Will you be able to tell how it willl sound with HK? The place where I auditioned it with, they had an Azure CD player with a separate amplifier that I can't recall the name of and the sound seemed a tad bit bright. Last thing I would like to ge is visit the dealer again with my reciever there, so seeking some help here.
I think most Wharfedale speakers use silk dome tweeters that are not classified as 'bright'. I used Diamond 8.3s with a NAD receiver once and the treble was prominent, but not 'metallic'. Also, I have not seen forum members complain about 'bright' sound from HK receivers, so you should be fine. Why are you reluctant to take your receiver to the dealer?
Raydon, I am not a particular fan to the modern Harmon Kardon as I was say 15 years ago so I cannot tell you how they match with that particular brand.
I have a NAD setup consisting of 2 C272's, C162 and C542 CD player. I have one amp running each speaker in bridge mode and use high quality cables. This setup was chosen based on a whole bunch of listening tests and met my needs and taste easily. I have never attempted to replace anything yet as I have not been able to get better unless I paid 3 times the price. I am however, looking at the new Master series someday as I listened and was very impressed.
Wharfedales are not bright at all. They are very smooth and non-tiring for long listening. I do not particularily like metal dome tweeters but my home theatre setup has them and they fit well there but not for music listening.
I am probably going to buy the newer Opus series soon as they are very detailed but expensive. I may be able to get them for 1/2 price so I am waiting.
To me, speakers are the place where you either make or break a good audio system but what is most important is to trust your own judgement. I have listened to 40$$++++ systems that did nothing for me based only on name brand. You have to be very careful of the sales pitch of some high end stores. If you go to one and they start bashing brands such as NAD, Cambridge Audio etc....... stay away as they are probably jelous of how much volume these companies are now selling.
I didn't wanna carry my reciever to the dealer coz i need to undo a lot of wires and take the system out of the furniture etc. I just wanted to avoid the hassle.
Danman, you have a very good system. I do agree with you that good performance not necessarily must come for a price. I know there are any number of good spekaer manufactures out there who produce good speakers for a fraction of a B&W, Dali or DynAudio costs. That's why I am looking around.
I have decided to take my reciever to the dealer along with my two bookshelves and see if it beats my current setup.
I am also considering Jamo as they sounded pretty nice, only price was a tad bit high for my budget. How about JBL? Any ideas how would a JBL Northridge series E80 be for my reciver?
I own an HK AVR 235 (I think it's not too different from... 65W in stereo mode) and a pair of Diamond 9.5. Their sound is nice with jazz / blues and good records in general (but I would like a bit more midrange... maybe you can try the 9.6); basses are deep and clear and you won't miss a sub... battery solos really punch. But I'm not satisfied with many classical and opera records... I miss some dynamics and I have to play with the high freq correction to avoid loosing some details. Actually I think my problems come from the AVR... the same speakers were beautifull when driven by some Audiolab equipment in the shop. Bottom line: I like my loudspeakers more than I like my AVR.
During my audition of the Diamonds I found them a tad bit bright. But I guess that was because it was being driven by a Cambridge Audio Azur CD player. Harman Kardon sound is 'neutral', that's what makes me love it so much. With that I conclude Diamonds should sound right with HK, but I found a problem with the diamonds which bugged me. I didn't find their soundstange to be wide enough. I stood a few ft apart from them and the bass was audible in a limited area, mostly 'in front' of the speakers and not 'off its axis'.
I still haven't made a purchase. I checked the price of Tannoy Mercury series. They are very reasonably priced and as far as I know (correct me if I am wrong) Tannoy loudspeakers are reputed to be in a league of their own. I am waiting for an opportunity to go audition Mercury series sometime.