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New member Username: Black_octagonUnited Kingdom Post Number: 1 Registered: Oct-06 | Hi guys this is my first post so please be patient. After some basic research I have finally bought the folling items: CD Player: Cambridge Azur 640C V2 Amp: NAD C320BEE Headphones: Audio Technica ATH-AD900 One thing I'm only just starting to think about now is speakers. I really have no idea where to start. Can anyone suggest some ideal models that would suit this CD player and amp? I'm interested in a fairly broad budget range, from US$150 to US$750. Thanks guys |
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Silver Member Username: ExerciseguyBrooklyn, NY USA Post Number: 518 Registered: Oct-04 | This is an old list of bookshelf speakers under $500 I complied with some old prices. 1. Wharfedale Diamond 9.2/$499 2. Monitor Audio Silver S2/$499 3. Totem Dreamcatchers/$450 4. B&W DM601 S3/$450 5. PSB Image B25/$449 6. Monitor Audio Silver S2/$399 7. Alegria Audio Ling/$389 8. B&W DM600 S3/$350 9. Wharfedale Diamond 9.1/$349 10. PSB Image B15/$349 11. Monitor Audio Radius R90/$329 12. Alegria Audio Ling Single/$369 13. Ascend Acoustics CBM-170/$328 14. B&W DM303/$300 15. Epos ELS-3/$296 I would add: Alegria Audio Emma Paradigm Reference Studio 20 Epos M5 AV123 Onix X-LS This should help you narrow it down a bit. |
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New member Username: Black_octagonUnited Kingdom Post Number: 2 Registered: Oct-06 | Hey thanks a lot Christopher! I'm going to pick up the CD Player and Amp from the same store in Wales next weekend, and they have most of those speakers in stock. What I'll do is have a listen to them with my music and see which ones I like the most. One small question though. The Alegria Audio Emmas seem to have a lot of praise, especially around here. Do you think there's any sense in which the NAD C320BEE might be a little underpowered for these, or any of the others? It is, after all, still a budget amp. Then again, I really am a news so I'm probably wrong. Thanks again. |
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Silver Member Username: ExerciseguyBrooklyn, NY USA Post Number: 519 Registered: Oct-04 | NADs are under rated & very efficient. I have a C740 receiver that has a very similar amp section. You should have no problem at all driving any of the speakers, even the 6-Ohm Wharfedales. Are you limiting your choices to bookshelf speakers? What kind of music do you listen to? How large is your room? |
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New member Username: Black_octagonUnited Kingdom Post Number: 3 Registered: Oct-06 | I am in a University residence, so am confined to a small rectangular bedroom. I think bookshelf speakers will be enough for now. I listen to a whole variety of music, though heavy metal and textured electronica do get a lot of attention. Having said that, I've become much more concerned about sound quality than roaring volumes in recent years, which is why I'm only now starting to dedicate more of my budget to my source rather than the speakers. Would I be right in assuming that this CD Player and Amp configuration could handle stronger speakers in the future, but that for as long as I'm in Uni accommodation the bookshelf speakers will be fine? Unless there are any compelling reasons to get non-bookshelf speakers I'll probably just stick with these. By the way, if I did get something like the Wharfedales, can you recommend any particular model of speaker stand? Most manufacturer's web sites have recommended putting their bookshelf speakers on stands and I have little idea what constitutes a 'quality' stand. Thanks |
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Silver Member Username: ExerciseguyBrooklyn, NY USA Post Number: 522 Registered: Oct-04 | Yes, your set-up is one that you will be able to grow into. As for stands, I'm not sure what's available on your side of the pond. But in general you want a solid stand that's heavy, spiked, and puts the tweeter roughly at listening hight. I'm not sure if they're still available in the UK, but I own & love a pair of Mission M32i that I picked up on sale at Amazon.com for $175(US) last year. They blend wonderfully with my NAD, I would look into them if I were you. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 4617 Registered: Mar-05 | Oliver, the NAD 320bee is no slouch but it ain't no powerhouse either---as much as I like the Wharfedales, I'd probably go with a smaller, higher efficiency 8 ohm bookshelf like the Ascend 170. It's got the most accurate mids and highs of any speaker under $500 I've ever heard, really superb SQ, very balanced. If you decide that you want extra bass just add a $300 ($250 shipped b-stock) Hsu STF-1 and you'll be set. |
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Silver Member Username: ExerciseguyBrooklyn, NY USA Post Number: 525 Registered: Oct-04 | Edster (as usual) makes some good points. The Ascend 170 has an excellent reputation. You may save a few bucks if you call Ascend and ask for a pair of B-stock speakers. |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittIrvington, New York USA Post Number: 1478 Registered: May-05 | Keep in mind that Oliver is in the UK. Those prices may sky-rocket with shipping and taxes/duties. I have no idea of the availability in the UK, but PSB mate great with NAD, in addition to the ones listed above. Also, don't get too hung up on the power figures and speaker specs. While a higher rated NAD will put out more and better power, my 320BEE hasn't had any problems keeping up with lower impedence speakers. |
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Silver Member Username: GamerdudeOntario Canada Post Number: 206 Registered: Apr-06 | Athena f1.1 or f2.2 or Klipsch f1 or f2 |
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Silver Member Username: ExerciseguyBrooklyn, NY USA Post Number: 528 Registered: Oct-04 | Consider these FloorStanding bargains: Wharfedale Diamond 8.3 @ Amazon.com for $199/Pair http://www.amazon.com/Wharfedale-Diamond-Floorstanding-Loudspeakers-Black/dp/B00005IA32 Wharfedate Crystal 30 @ STO Sound & Vision for $109/Pair http://www.tsto.com/cgi-bin/TSTO.storefront/452c1aa3004684242740ac10034105e4/Pro duct/View/2099&2D2 KEF Coda 9.2 (NOS) @ uBID.com for $49/Each http://www.ubid.com/KEF_Coda_9.2__2-Way__Floorstanding_Speaker_(Each)/a10814729.html |
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New member Username: Black_octagonUnited Kingdom Post Number: 4 Registered: Oct-06 | Thanks for all the help guys, you're awesome. I ended up buying a pair of speaker stands the other night. They're called Atacama Nexus 7. 70cm tall, spiked, and very heavy. I even filled them with a bucket load of Atabites, which made them REALLY heavy. I don't think those vibrations are going to be doing anything that oughtn't. The stands with the atabites cost the equivalent of US$150. The amp and source should be here before the weekend. We'll see about the speaker situation when I visit the store in Cardiff this weekend. They have about half the models recommended here, all of which are burned in and available for listening tests. I'll spend a good hour or two there and just choose whichever one sounds most like the ideal speaker in my mind. The only limitation is that the speakers will have to be bookshelves, now that I have the stands set up. Will keep you up to date. How crap will bookshelf speakers sound before I burn them in? I've never had to do it before and my brain is gets particularly irritated by 'off' sounds. |
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New member Username: Black_octagonUnited Kingdom Post Number: 5 Registered: Oct-06 | Hi guys, So I went to the store and after an hour of listening was pretty much completely seduced by the Wharfedale 9.2s. I've just finished breaking in my new pair and all in all the system is amazing (compared to anything I've had in the past) I'm very satisfied. Thank you all. |
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Silver Member Username: ExerciseguyBrooklyn, NY USA Post Number: 552 Registered: Oct-04 | I thought you might like them, they were number 1 on my list. |
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Gold Member Username: T_bomb25Dayton, Ohio United States Post Number: 1384 Registered: Jun-05 | Like Stu said,I would try the PSB B25s,a great speaker with a huge soundstage and tremendous bass with great scale,and they go very well together. |
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New member Username: Black_octagonUnited Kingdom Post Number: 8 Registered: Oct-06 | Yeah thanks heaps Christopher M. Your finger was on the pulse, i'll tell you! This is incredible. How have I gone through the last 22 years using a stereo of any less quality than this? I fear I may have opened a Pandora's Box here... |
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Silver Member Username: ExerciseguyBrooklyn, NY USA Post Number: 563 Registered: Oct-04 | Oliver, 2-years ago I knew less than s**t about any of this stuff. I had bought a plasma tv, and was considering a HTIB for $200, then I walked into Harvey Electronics on a whim for a listen, and I was fatefully introduced to NAD, Marantz, Monitor Audio & Paradigm (I still can't get those damn Studio 20s out of my head). It's been an interesting ride ever since (see my profile). Basically, I'm a very frugal guy who loves a bargain, and am continually discovering how much I love music. I've spent a lot of time on this board, sat back & read, made a few acquaintances, and listened to & tinkered with a lot of bargain basement quasi-audiophile equipment. I don't know anything as compared to some of the regulars on this board, but I'd like to think that I'm learning and can be of some help from time to time. |