Hello I'm looking for an entry-level hifi system consisting of a universal player, an amp and a pair of speakers. By far I've decided for the NAD 320BEE and my concern is the speakers. What would you recommend between the Energy C-300 and the Wharfedale Diamond 8.3?
My living room is about 23sq.m. and I mainly listen to classical and jazz, though I enjoy rock and pop sometimes. I believe that both speakers are ok for the room size, my concern is their performance.(I know I have to listen to both, I just ask for your experience )
I have the discontinued Energy C5 and C3. They are fine, neutral speakers but you really have to listen to both the Energy and Warfedale speakers to make the choice. We'd be interested to read your thoughts concerning the auditions.
Thanks guys! I'll definately listen to both of them tommorow and write my impressions. Initially I was opting for a pair of bookshelf speakers(such as the Mordaunt Short 902), but decided to pay a little more and go for a pair of budget towers. After all, bookshelves would need some extra money spent on stands. I won't let the 902s go off my mind without an audition though...
I finally had the chance for some auditions.Here we go. I first tested the Energy C-100 and Wharfedale 8.1 with a Yamaha AX-496.
Yamaha AX-496+Energy C-100:Suprising sound volume, bright mids and highs, very deep bass for a bookshelf speaker. I think that it's the 91dBs of sensitivity that allow the Yamaha(2x80W) to drive it without excessive effort.
Yamaha AX-496+Wharfedale 8.1: Very good mids and highs, though I couldn't tell any difference compared to the Energy speakers. What made a difference is their much wider soundstage and their shallow bass. The second is a problem if you let it play loud beating drum boots, but won't bother if listening to classical music.
In another store I found a NAD C352 which I asked to test with Wharfedales 9.5. Suprisingly enough, the retailer insisted that the NAD cannot drive the speakers while a Yamaha RX-V656 could. Well... NAD has 2x65 clean watts, the Yamaha has 7x100 NOT so clean ones and "you cannot compare an HT amp to a stereo amp!" as I told him. The NAD, finally, couldn't pair well with the speakers...I don't know why. There was a good soundstage, but no deep bass, dull mids and highs... The Yamaha did drive them but I wasn't impressed with the soundstage at at all.It sounded like...ehm...being in a rock bar where everything that matters is the bass. Sorry for the long post guys. I still have to try the 8.3s and the Mordaunt Shorts. Though I am decided for a NAD, I think I'll give a chance to the Yamaha stereo amps too.
