I wouldn't doubt that at all. I thought my 22's sounded just a bit better without the grills as well.
Pioneer SP-BS22-LR, the real deal or hype?
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I wouldn't doubt that at all. I thought my 22's sounded just a bit better without the grills as well.
MCM_Fan
AK Subscriber
Been wanting to try these for a while in my bedroom system. I haven't been in any hurry as I already have a set of speakers I really like (3D Acoustics The Cube and Definitive Technology ProSub 800) in that system (listening to it right now).
I listened to the Pioneers at Best Buy last week when they were on sale for $90.99, but the environment was horrible. Well, amazon.com has them on sale again for $79.99 with free shipping. Best Buy claims they will price match amazon. So, I think I may swing my my local Best Buy tonight and pick up a set.
I listened to the Pioneers at Best Buy last week when they were on sale for $90.99, but the environment was horrible. Well, amazon.com has them on sale again for $79.99 with free shipping. Best Buy claims they will price match amazon. So, I think I may swing my my local Best Buy tonight and pick up a set.
MCM_Fan
AK Subscriber
Good to know on both counts. I also have the 3D6 satellites and 3D10B bass module. I actually prefer the sound of The Cubes when paired with the little Definitive Technology ProSub 800 (that I recently picked up at Goodwill for $9.99). Plus, the smaller sub is a better fit in my bedroom system.
Yeah, I didn't expect much in the store - lousy environment and lousy source material. I look forward to comparing the BS-22-LRs to The Cubes, with, and without, the subwoofer.
Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
Definitely the real deal.
MCM_Fan
AK Subscriber
OK, picked up a pair last night. And yes, Best Buy priced matched amazon. So, $79.99 out the door.
Immediately hooked them up to my bedroom system (Sansui AU-717, Sansui TU-919, Sony DVP-S7000 and Bang and Olufsen Beogram 3400). Tried them briefly without the sub and then added the Definitive Audio ProSub 800 into the mix.
Initial impressions: First, who are they trying to kid calling those 5-way binding posts. They do NOT accept banana plugs (my favorite). I suppose they have to cut corners someplace to keep the price so incredibly low. Has anyone replaced the factory binding posts with something that accepts banana plugs? OK, that's a bit of a nit to pick about a pair of new speakers that cost less than 80 bucks.
Onto the important stuff - how do they sound? So far, so good. I haven't done any really critical listening tests, just a few hours casual listening last night and again this morning while I did my morning workout. They are definitely less efficient than my 3D Acoustics The Cubes, but that's not a big deal. I had to play around with the gain on the subwoofer to get it to blend better with the Pioneers, but once it was set, they played very well together. Also, with a Sansui AU-717, I have more than enough clean power to drive these little guys to high volume levels in my medium size bedroom. It's a bit hard to find the efficiency spec on these speakers, but I finally tracked it down and it's 85dB/2.83V/m. A bit low, but again the trade off is a truly excellent sounding speaker for under 80 bucks a pair. I can live with that.
In limited listening, they definitely sound very good. Great imaging, effortless mids and surprising bass from those little 4" woofers. I prefer to pair them with a subwoofer, but in a small room or near field set up, they would do very, very well on their own. I didn't do a side-by-side A/B type comparison with the 3D Acoustic The Cubes, but that's up next. Without a side-by-side comparisons, my general impression is The Cubes have slightly brighter, warmer highs, but I want to give the Pioneers some break in time and then do a true A/B comparison. I also have a few other bookshelf speakers I've previously compared to The Cubes (Linn Index, Monitor Audio B1, Polk RTi28, Optimus Pro LX4, Boston Acoustics HD5 and HD8, etc.). These are all very good sounding, small, inexpensive speakers, but since I've already done A/B comparisons between them and The Cubes, I'm not sure if it would be worth the time and effort to do direct A/B comparisons between them and the Pioneers.
Even without those comparisons, I'm confident in saying these little Pioneer SB-BS22-LR speakers are the best speakers currently available for less than $80/pair new. Highly recommended at this price.
Immediately hooked them up to my bedroom system (Sansui AU-717, Sansui TU-919, Sony DVP-S7000 and Bang and Olufsen Beogram 3400). Tried them briefly without the sub and then added the Definitive Audio ProSub 800 into the mix.
Initial impressions: First, who are they trying to kid calling those 5-way binding posts. They do NOT accept banana plugs (my favorite). I suppose they have to cut corners someplace to keep the price so incredibly low. Has anyone replaced the factory binding posts with something that accepts banana plugs? OK, that's a bit of a nit to pick about a pair of new speakers that cost less than 80 bucks.
Onto the important stuff - how do they sound? So far, so good. I haven't done any really critical listening tests, just a few hours casual listening last night and again this morning while I did my morning workout. They are definitely less efficient than my 3D Acoustics The Cubes, but that's not a big deal. I had to play around with the gain on the subwoofer to get it to blend better with the Pioneers, but once it was set, they played very well together. Also, with a Sansui AU-717, I have more than enough clean power to drive these little guys to high volume levels in my medium size bedroom. It's a bit hard to find the efficiency spec on these speakers, but I finally tracked it down and it's 85dB/2.83V/m. A bit low, but again the trade off is a truly excellent sounding speaker for under 80 bucks a pair. I can live with that.
In limited listening, they definitely sound very good. Great imaging, effortless mids and surprising bass from those little 4" woofers. I prefer to pair them with a subwoofer, but in a small room or near field set up, they would do very, very well on their own. I didn't do a side-by-side A/B type comparison with the 3D Acoustic The Cubes, but that's up next. Without a side-by-side comparisons, my general impression is The Cubes have slightly brighter, warmer highs, but I want to give the Pioneers some break in time and then do a true A/B comparison. I also have a few other bookshelf speakers I've previously compared to The Cubes (Linn Index, Monitor Audio B1, Polk RTi28, Optimus Pro LX4, Boston Acoustics HD5 and HD8, etc.). These are all very good sounding, small, inexpensive speakers, but since I've already done A/B comparisons between them and The Cubes, I'm not sure if it would be worth the time and effort to do direct A/B comparisons between them and the Pioneers.
Even without those comparisons, I'm confident in saying these little Pioneer SB-BS22-LR speakers are the best speakers currently available for less than $80/pair new. Highly recommended at this price.
MCM_Fan
AK Subscriber
OK, laughing at myself for not thinking of that. I've had many sets of speakers that come with the plastic plugs, but none before this that required removal of the binding posts to pop out the plastic plugs. I'll give that a try when I get home so I can use my favored banana plugs with my new speakers. Thanks for the heads up.
lico
Super Member
At $79 a pop on Amazon guess I'll have to try the BS22s just based on the hype. I am a budget speaker kind of guy. That's the cost of a mediocre night out in some circles.
Last time I listened to newer Pioneers (in the store - different model perhaps but still Andrew Jones designed) was not impressed.
Some of the hype on how good these sound I am sure is well deserved such as how they compare to some $1K speakers. I imagine that has more to do with what the particular $1K speakers sound like (and cost) than these do.
Any time I see a speaker designer posting in a forum about his speakers then one has to like it. Company has him working off hours
Or it's designer pride. Have seen that before with Infinity Primus, also a good budget speaker as well.
When I can A/B these directly against my Monitor Audios I will know. Hoping for the best!
Last time I listened to newer Pioneers (in the store - different model perhaps but still Andrew Jones designed) was not impressed.
Some of the hype on how good these sound I am sure is well deserved such as how they compare to some $1K speakers. I imagine that has more to do with what the particular $1K speakers sound like (and cost) than these do.
Any time I see a speaker designer posting in a forum about his speakers then one has to like it. Company has him working off hours
Or it's designer pride. Have seen that before with Infinity Primus, also a good budget speaker as well.When I can A/B these directly against my Monitor Audios I will know. Hoping for the best!
J English
Super Member
Stopped by today at BB to listen to the 22's. They sounded very good even in-store, especially compared to the $99 Polks beside them. They sounded unbalanced and boomy next to the Pioneers. I like the design of the 22 front grill better than the 21s. Will probably get a pair of these eventually. The price was back up to $130 so I decided to wait as I just ordered a new set of speaker cables that I want to try with my current equipment. Currently back listening to my office system using Polk M3s, which I do really like, very well balanced sound and perfect for my small office size.
MCM_Fan
AK Subscriber
Just a brief update:
First, these are no longer on sale at amazon.com. I checked late last night and they were listed at $129.99. Checked again, just now and they are $126.99. Hopefully, they will go on sale again sometime soon. At $79.99 they were an absolute steal.
I listened to these speakers a LOT over the 3-day weekend. I listened using vinyl (B&O Beogram TT), redbook CDs (Sony DVP-S7000) and a lot of FM (Sansui TU-919) and these speakers definitely live up to the hype. I never thought a pair of $80 speakers could sound this good.
I will admit that they sound even better when paired with a subwoofer to fill out the bottom end. They do surprisingly well on their own, but that little 4" woofer does have its limits. Still without the sub, they would do fine in a near field set-up, or in a small room, or if your source material doesn't have a lot of bass below the rated 55Hz.
As mentioned previously, I have them paired with a Definitive Audio ProSub 800 that I picked up at GW for $9.99. It was very easy to get them to blend well with the sub and I can't believe the full range sound quality I am getting from my less than $90.00 speaker system.
After a few hours of break in, the highs are excellent, very natural sounding and not strained or strident. A very good stereo image. I think the upper midrange is where these speakers really shine (which isn't always the case in 2-way systems). Vocals, both male and female sound incredibly good. Piano also sounds great, with excellent definition.
These speakers provide an very enjoyable listening experience. I listened to them for hours on end, with out the slightest hint of listening fatigue. I still can't believe they were less than 80 bucks new for the pair.
I like them so much, I finally picked up an SACD player over the weekend. It's a Pioneer Elite DV-45A. I got it off craigslist for 20 bucks. I wasn't able to find any SACDs I wanted to buy locally, so I ordered 4 from amazon.com and 3 more from elusivedisc.com. The ones from amazon should be here tomorrow. I can't wait to give them a listen on these Pioneers. I'll report back after I do.
First, these are no longer on sale at amazon.com. I checked late last night and they were listed at $129.99. Checked again, just now and they are $126.99. Hopefully, they will go on sale again sometime soon. At $79.99 they were an absolute steal.
I listened to these speakers a LOT over the 3-day weekend. I listened using vinyl (B&O Beogram TT), redbook CDs (Sony DVP-S7000) and a lot of FM (Sansui TU-919) and these speakers definitely live up to the hype. I never thought a pair of $80 speakers could sound this good.
I will admit that they sound even better when paired with a subwoofer to fill out the bottom end. They do surprisingly well on their own, but that little 4" woofer does have its limits. Still without the sub, they would do fine in a near field set-up, or in a small room, or if your source material doesn't have a lot of bass below the rated 55Hz.
As mentioned previously, I have them paired with a Definitive Audio ProSub 800 that I picked up at GW for $9.99. It was very easy to get them to blend well with the sub and I can't believe the full range sound quality I am getting from my less than $90.00 speaker system.
After a few hours of break in, the highs are excellent, very natural sounding and not strained or strident. A very good stereo image. I think the upper midrange is where these speakers really shine (which isn't always the case in 2-way systems). Vocals, both male and female sound incredibly good. Piano also sounds great, with excellent definition.
These speakers provide an very enjoyable listening experience. I listened to them for hours on end, with out the slightest hint of listening fatigue. I still can't believe they were less than 80 bucks new for the pair.
I like them so much, I finally picked up an SACD player over the weekend. It's a Pioneer Elite DV-45A. I got it off craigslist for 20 bucks. I wasn't able to find any SACDs I wanted to buy locally, so I ordered 4 from amazon.com and 3 more from elusivedisc.com. The ones from amazon should be here tomorrow. I can't wait to give them a listen on these Pioneers. I'll report back after I do.
tiga
Super Member
Just curious has anyone eve compared these to a pair of Epi 100's? I have a mint restored pair of 100M's (with the inverted dome tweeter) that I really enjoy. Listening to them now actually. I've thought about picking up these Pioneers a few times and I was wondering how they would compare. Thanks!
i can see the EPIs providing a more satisfying experience. "better" is certainly in the eye of the beholder. if you forget about the bass weight, however, the Pioneers are very natural sounding and image quite well. i think i may throw a few bucks into upgrading the caps. for one thing, a decent film cap for the woofer might snag me an extra dB in woofer output along with more linearity, which wouldn't be a BAD thing...:scratch2: an inexpensive polyproplyene (i'm thinking an EPCOS or Panasonic from Mouser) to replace the 2.2uF polyester might be worth the small cost as well -- might also help balance out the decrease in the woofer cap ESR.
Tom Bombadil
AK Member
While I do not trust Stereophile, or most of the other audio mags, on many of their equipment reviews, as they are subject to so much of the magic snake oil of the audio kingdom, I do put some faith in their speaker reviews. I've listened to speakers which have gotten good reviews there and found them to be generally on target.
Thus as they have praised both the earlier BS21 and the current BS22, I do put some stock in that. They wouldn't praise such a low priced product unless it sounded surprisingly good for the money.
Almost makes me want to pick up a pair. Except that I would have absolutely no use for them.
Thus as they have praised both the earlier BS21 and the current BS22, I do put some stock in that. They wouldn't praise such a low priced product unless it sounded surprisingly good for the money.
Almost makes me want to pick up a pair. Except that I would have absolutely no use for them.
atarione
Super Member
i need to hear a pair of these set up properly I listened a pair at best buy and thought "really????"... but reading this apparently that may not have been giving them a fair shake..
what I heard at bb didn't make me think my polk monitor 30s i had at the time had anything to fear.
what I heard at bb didn't make me think my polk monitor 30s i had at the time had anything to fear.
cipriano
Well-Known Member
That entire EPI line (50, 70, 100, 110) has much better bass, a richer sound, higher sensitivity, and that amazing midrange which swells out of the speakers. Not in an obnoxious, forward manner, but in one that says "Yeah, this is how the female voice should be heard". Or strings, trumpet, what have you. The EPI midrange has that "it" factor. Also, I can't imagine the BS22's taking the power that EPI's handle with aplomb. As you push them hard the midrange sounds better and better.
It's cool the Pioneer line-up exists. No doubt. Gives folks an entryway into proper audio for a reasonable price and some people just don't want to deal with vintage. But if you already have a set of EPI's...
