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New member Username: RestlesstimesPost Number: 8 Registered: Mar-06 | I have been shopping for a full range, floor standing speaker option. I LOVE the Totem Acoustic Sttaf but they are $1595. Which got me to thinking, can an entry level audiophile quality speaker be had for under a grand? There are some pretty great bookshelf systems, but then you have to factor in stands. Give me some options for under a grand, if they don't appeal to me, I will save until I can get the Totems. I am using a Rega Mira and Apollo. which took up 2K of my budget. |
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Silver Member Username: Timn8terSeattle, WA USA Post Number: 827 Registered: Dec-03 | http://www.us.alegriaaudio.com/Emma.htm |
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Gold Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 7958 Registered: May-04 | It's doubtful you can get a "great" speaker for under $1k. But that would depend on what you consider "great". You can get a great value which is always good. (On the other hand, great bargains usually don't end up being great values; they just end up being something you got cheap.) Or, you can get a very good (but not great) speaker for under $1k. The Emma's would ba a place to begin listening, they offer very good performance for the money spent. I would say much higher performance that you are likely to find in a more "commercial" product with it's many compromises. Compromises however, are what you will find in any speaker and certainly as the budget drops the decisions the designer must make become more important. You give us no idea what you are stepping from. If you've been listening to $750 speakers, going to $1k isn't likely to do much other than just shift the compromises around unless you chose very poorly when you bought your current speakers. You don't mention why you want to change or what you want to improve so your question is pretty broad. Keep in mind many speaker lines will have similar drivers in their various models from $500 to $1500. Add a woofer or make the enclosure bigger and you have a new, more expensive speaker. But the basic sound should remain the same if the designer is doing their job properly. This should give you a taste of the high end design with a few more concessions to cost. |
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New member Username: RestlesstimesPost Number: 9 Registered: Mar-06 | More Information; I am presently using Cambridge Soundworks Newton Series M60. http://www.cambridgesoundworks.com/store/category.cgi?category=spk_bookshelf%26i tem%3Dc1m60zzzz They are pretty decent sounding to me, but lack a bottom end as their frequency response is rated at 65HZ to 22KHz. I bought them since they were real wood veneer and sounded pretty good at the time. I would love to move up to a floor stander and get rid of stands. I would rather spend the money that I would use on an attractive pair of stands on the speaker itself. What I want is an impressive soundstage that doesn't sound like it is coming from a box. I want a pretty full range, and I would like it in a floor stander. Also, it has to look good in my small but chic condo. I don't want to spend a fortune. These are the models I am considering; Vandersteen 1C and 2CE Totem Arro and Sttaf What is the deal with those Alegria Audio speakers. I am not familar. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 2868 Registered: Feb-05 | I am using a Prima Luna Prologue 2 and Audio Refinement CD Complete Alpha with Paradigm Studio 20v3's and it sounds fabulous. The better the electronics the better the 20's sound. They are sitting on mass loaded Atlantis Pro stands. |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittIrvington, New York USA Post Number: 1029 Registered: May-05 | I don't have any experience with the Mira, but from what I know about it you may have to be very careful with speaker matching. It isn't the most powerful amp out there, therefore you may have some problems driving difficult speakers. The Totems you mention aren't the easiest speakers in the world to drive. If you haven't done so already, you should make it a point to hear the speakers being driven by your Mira. This may be a stupid question, but have you heard/considered Rega speakers? I don't have any experience with these either, but I'd like to think that chances are pretty good that they'll match very well. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 3724 Registered: Mar-05 | TK, I would second the Alegria Emmas if you are looking for huge soundstage and satisfying bass. The Vandersteen 1C is nice too though don't know if it can keep up with those Emmas in the bass department. Another good option to look at are the Ascend 340SEs (ascendacoustics.com) --- like the Emmas these are Internet-direct speakers so for the cost of return shipping (probably around $25) you can listen to them at home for 30 days. I doubt you'd be unhappy with any of these 3 choices. |
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Silver Member Username: Frostyda9Calgary, AB Canada Post Number: 105 Registered: May-05 | If you already like the Totem lineup, why not try out the Arro? Just a little over your budget, but not much. The imaging is great and they can produce more bass than they have any right to, when properly positioned. |
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Silver Member Username: Rysa4Post Number: 423 Registered: Jul-05 | The totem arro is a pretty good speaker at 1200 a pair MSRP, but not a great speaker. But worth an audition. You can get great speakers for under 1000, but usually you would be looking at the used audiophile market at a place like audiogon.com. The stuff there is often times right in line with their rating systems as those guys turn over audio equipment like folks drink a six pack. Usually, you start getting into "great" speakers ( yes an undefined subjective term) at around 1900 MSRP, although many at that point aren't great at all. SO a used great speaker can drop to around 1000 a pair depending on circumstance. But the Totem arro rec is a good one. |
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Bronze Member Username: Cousin_itPost Number: 45 Registered: May-05 | If one really wants floorstanders, I always suggest Ohm MicroWalsh Talls. There is definitely NO boxiness and they have plenty of bass. Also, they fit in very nicely into small spaces (unlike Vandys)! There's a nice review on them at sixmoons.com Otherwise, in that price range I'd go with monitors, as described above. |
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Bronze Member Username: IcebergCalgary, AB Canada Post Number: 45 Registered: Dec-03 | B&W 603 S3. They are great for the budget and you could find them around the 1k mark. I think i saw them on e-bay for like $799. Go audition it. You might like it. Cheers. |
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Silver Member Username: GavincummNew York USA Post Number: 815 Registered: Feb-05 | what type of sound are you looking first, before someone starts making speaker reccomendations? what is importing to you in music? Highs, smooth silky mids, or thunderous deep bass. You can't have it all in this price range. |
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Gold Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 7962 Registered: May-04 | "What is the deal with those Alegria Audio speakers. I am not familar." The "deal" is as presented. They are very good quality speakers (as good as I think anyone can reasonably demand of a under $1k speaker) for a minimum amount of money. They are representative of an start up company that is allowing excellent value to be sold for rock bottom prices in order to gain a foothold in the staggeringly bewildering speaker market within your price range. As you can see from the replies provided, there is no lack of opinion regarding what speakers you should own. With the amount of information provided it is questionable how many of these suggestions are merely a restatement of what the poster already owns or would prefer to own. Either way, the market for affordable speakers is one of the most competitive in all of audio and everyone will have an opinion of what you should own. I would not be in a rush to get to floor standing speakers if I were on a budget. As I stated above, many a company's floorstanding speakers utilize the same drivers found in their upper end monitor line of speakers. With the same drivers (and crossovers) in both cabinets, the difference you hear will ultimately be the result of the dissimilar enclosure. Do you fully understand the benefits and compromises that come with a larger enclosure? Smaller panel dimesnions will result in a stiffer speaker enclosure; in other words, one that is less prone to resonance or, at least, one which better damps the resonance it must have. Due to the resonance characteristics of large panels in floor standing speakers, smaller enclosures are considered superior (particularly when equal money is alloted) in presenting an "impressive soundstage" and they are known for not attracting attention to the speaker's position or resonant character (sounding like it's coming from a box). So, in this case, you're stated desires for the quality of the speaker's performance are at odds with your stated desire for a speaker's appearance. I think it safe to say, should the same amount of money be speant, a smaller emclosure will, all things equal, provide the sound quality you wish with more alacrity than a larger enclosure. If that smaller enclosure is designed well and constructed of sufficiently high quality parts, the difference in bass extension will be difficult to distinguish. https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/products/reviews/186180.html |
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Gold Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 7963 Registered: May-04 | After reading that post once again, I realize I must have more caffiene before attempting any go the keyboard. Espresso pot, here I come. Ciao! |
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Silver Member Username: GavincummNew York USA Post Number: 816 Registered: Feb-05 | spot me some jan! |
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Silver Member Username: DavidpaPortland, Oregon US Post Number: 153 Registered: Nov-05 | Since no-one has mentioned this, I suppose I will. You can purchase what some would consider great speakers if you shop used, and the seller is hard up for cash. Or even from a used audio dealer. Many times you can purchase a speaker at 25% of its original cost, but options would be limited to stock on hand. JMO |
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Silver Member Username: Rysa4Post Number: 424 Registered: Jul-05 | Actually I mentioned this...but no big deal-- a good second reminder... |
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Bronze Member Username: PatrickbatemanMA Post Number: 17 Registered: Oct-05 | Monitor Audio GR10 used off of Audiogon for well under $1000 I have read members here who stated they didnt like MA speakers, but I find the Gold series to really be exceptional |
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Silver Member Username: DavidpaPortland, Oregon US Post Number: 157 Registered: Nov-05 | sorry marc, "audiogon"! pretty self explanitory. Im an idiot, and apparantly cant read. |