Have a pair of JBL L7 speakers for about 10 years. I have NAD C272 amp, T752 receiver doing duty as a pre-amp & a C542 CD player. This combo sounds great for music. Very detailed, highs are very good, the mids great and the base very deep and clean. Problem is my wife thinks they are too big and does not complement her newly renovated living room. Want to upgrade the speakers possibly with smaller ones. Have been listening to other speakers in the $1000 - $2000 range and failed to find anything that sounds substantially better than my L7 s even though they are 10 years old . Could you recommend some speakers within the above mentioned price range that I would listen to that you think will sound better. I've listened to PSB Image T55, Kef iq9, Klipsch rf35ch, Paradigm studio60. Even though these speakers sounds very good, none of them made me want to get rid of my L7s. Room size is about 20' x 15' . with 8' ceiling. I listen to almost all kinds of music. Thank you for any recommendations.
My first post! i do not have a wife however, my Martin-Logans are big yet they are interesting enough looking (more like art work/sculpture people ask how do they sound? This may be a differant angle to include her to your hobby, imagine the bridge-club gossip, bring your fav. CD. I am a newbie to your site, so is it the size really? or how they look? Peace, Craig
Just do what I do, as a well trained, tactically oriented army officer, I retreated from all rooms in the house except one (garage notwithstanding). She then gets complete dominion over all the other rooms, but I get my way in the den.
Have a look at the Totem line. Hawks or Forests (depending on price) will surprise you with the size of their sound from very small floorstanders. They're discreet looking speakers and will fill that room easily with that power you have.
I had a little wifely resistance to getting Quad ESL 63 speakers. It all dispersed when she heard them. Mrs A re-watches movies like I re-listen to music, and invariably comments that the speakers are the best thing she's ever heard, familar movies are transformed, how pleased she is to hear every nuance of dialogue at last, didn't know what she was missing etc. The final seal of approval was her spending a week back in our old place, with 5.1, center speaker etc. Still nowhere near as good, she said. With really good imaging you get surround sound from stereo, anyway. Probably movie watchers will notice that more easily than people who only listen to music.
I'm not married yet, but engaged so i have SOME experience. Fortunately for me my gf's family has high quality speakers (b&w 801's) so she's ok with the obsession.
My reccomendation is to find speakers that you like or out perform your jbl's, regardless of price. Then tell her it's ok to change them but the cost is $... (whatever it is to make you happy). If she says ok then you upgrade and get a better speaker, and if she says no because of the cost then just explain that why spend money to get less performance.
If she doesn't get that, then suggest that her wedding ring makes her hand look too small or it doesn't match something and suggest getting a new one for her but find some cz or a tiny diamond for a replacement. Explain thats the same thing she wants you to do with the speakers. (On a few occasions i have suggested we trade out her ring to get her a smaller rock. I usually get my way with that one but it could really piss her off so use your discression).
Just some suggestions that I have made to gf when she had problems with me spending money on audio items.
I have the C272/C162/C542 with B&W 602S3's which I consider a wonderful combination (though I know Frank A disagrees). I previously had JBLXTi60 floorstanders which were nearly twice the price of the 602's and though rated to cope with more power, quite frankly can't light a candle to them. On decent stands they are a decent, though unassuming looking speaker and in our 22x24 room with its high raked ceiling one third of the volume knob and I worry the neighbours will call the police.
Oh, and as magic as John A's ESL 63's may be, no pair of stereo speakers will provide real surround sound for movies like a correct 5.1 (6.1) set up though I don't believe you were considering multi channel sound anyway. Sorry John, but I'll eat the paper you can print this on if you can prove to me otherwise.