Putting the finishing touch on my budget $3,000 system. Which speakers?

I’ve learned so much from the threads I’ve started and took input I received to help me make my ultimate buying decision. Not sure but isn’t that the point when looking for suggestions and input? When I was looking for a TT I started modern and almost everyone suggested vintage so I bought vintage. So much so I’ve bought two.
With the speakers, I am experimenting to see if an upgrade would be heard from the Studio 530’s. Just asking for input and suggestions on that topic.
 
To be perfectly candid if I was looking for a bookshelf speaker in the $1200 range, I would look at JBL L112.

These things would blow that sub so far away it would make no sense to even have it around.

OK, so spending less and getting something smaller, JBL L96. Can be had for about $700.

Still blowing the sub away.

What now?

KLH, Advents? Might be a decent match. Way under budget, but thats OK. Might as well just keep the 530s as this isnt really even a significant upgrade from them.

Pioneer HPM150. There we go. Towards the upper end of the budget. They will blow away the sub too though.

There is no reason to go for this upgrade unless you get something that will be replacing both the 530s and the sub. Or else you will need better sub to compliment the upgrade.
 

mon-audio_silver100_01.jpg


Monitor Audio Silver 100

would be on my shortlist

so would the KEF LS50

I want to hear the S-100 8" woofer

have been extremely pleased my S-6 6" mids

(image does not really do justice to fit and finish, btw)
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You could gamble and get a really good deal on some used speakers, which will give you plenty of budget left for a subwoofer upgrade. If you go this route you won't be able to demo what you buy but if you get a good enough deal on them and decide that they aren't to you're liking you could sell them without loosing anything. Since you live in such a small town you won't be able to sell them locally, but if you're willing to deal with online sales (I know, a bit of a PIA) this could work.

Otherwise, just get the speakers that you want and then think about a subwoofer upgrade later. That's the path that I've taken. I bought those Jamos at a great price and then figured that I'd upgrade my little 8" Energy subwoofer at a later time. That sub is definitely not in the same league as my new Jamos but I still enjoy the sound of it running with it more than without. The Energy, as cheap as it is, still is decent enough to add something, it's just when I really crank up very bass heavy music it seems like it struggles to keep up. In these situations I just turn the thing off and though it isn't an ideal solution, it's an OK with me for the time being. For low to moderate volumes though that little sub is always a welcome addition. It's the first sub I ever owned and I was surprised at just how much that little thing adds...

If we get everything we want in our system all at once, then there's nothing to look forward to, right?
 
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I found these as I do like monitor audio as well. I have some really small bookshelves on stands and these floor standers are about the same size foot print. I’m like jazzy I like vintage infinity speakers but like the modern monitor audio as well. I wouldn’t count out SVS or NHT for their larger bookshelf’s if u go that route. Like others have said it’s better to go listen when u can. I’m not sure why the subject of the sub keeps coming up. If u can use it great.

Also keep in mind some speakers may not gel with ur system. Maybe start small and not spend the whole wad. There’s always a buyer for speakers if u don’t like them down the line. My friend bought some focal bookshelves and had them for a year never sound right with his system. He sold them for a little loss and found another brand that sounded great with his system let us know what you land on.

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Bahamayellow said:
I’m not sure why the subject of the sub keeps coming up.
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Well, think about it.

If using a sub, it becomes a pretty big part of the system that must blend well with the full range speakers it is used with. If shopping for replacement full range speakers, their ability to integrate with the sub is fairly critical for the system as a whole to effectively function as one.
 
So I’m making a list of all of the recommendations in this thread and comparing them. I greatly appreciate everyone chiming in.
Many of the suggestions were speakers new to me so always good to research and compare those.
One additional pair a member messaged me on were the Infinity Modulus Monitors. Checking those out too.
 
34dean said:
So I’m making a list of all of the recommendations in this thread and comparing them. I greatly appreciate everyone chiming in.
Many of the suggestions were speakers new to me so always good to research and compare those.
One additional pair a member messaged me on were the Infinity Modulus Monitors. Checking those out too.
Click to expand...
I have a pair, and really like them, HOWEVER.

at low volumes they do not impress at all. Dunno why, but they don't sound good til you turn them up a fair amount.
At low volumes, the KEF sound better. at higher volumes, they (Modulus) beat the KEFs.
 
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Focal, Monitor Audio, B&W, my top 3 choices generally. Especially Focal, they’re very nice.

if you’re in Minneapolis area, there’s a guy on Craigslist selling Sony APM 33’s for $500. I have several pair of vintage Sony APM sets, including 55’s and 2 pair of 33’s that make up my stereo/surround music listening system. Great speakers. If I didn’t have 2 pair (using only 3 actually) I would be trying to get him to ship them to me in NJ.

Hard to beat the 33’s for under $1500 new in my opinion.
 
OK, so after researching today for a few hours, I have fine-tuned my list and broken it down to 3 categories: Budget, Step-up, and Vintage.
The budget options can all be had for less than $500. The Step-ups are $500-1,000. The vintage would need more patience and research but both really have my interest!
I am also including a couple "wild cards" that I want to look into but haven't had the time yet.
Keep in mind, I currently have JBL Studio 530's which I definitely like, but wondering if there are upgrades with the speakers below.

Here they are in some order based on the limited research I have completed:

Budget
1. Elac UB5 ($406) - Have read so many great reviews on these but understand they are power hungry. I should be okay in that department though.
2. Klipsch RP600M ($472) - Great reviews and very efficient but I am concerned they may be too harsh with my critical AP Holman preamp?
2B. Wharfedale Diamond 225 ($300) - I have loved every Wharfedale I have heard through the years and this one seems very well rounded.

Step-ups
1. KEF LS50 ($700) - So unique looking, beautiful. Tons of great reviews. I am very curious to hear these. Smallest of the bunch.
2. Jamo C103 ($750) - Seem to do a lot of things well. Very nice looking to boot.
3. Monitor Audio Silver 100 ($799) - Very solid reviews and absolutely gorgeous. I have heard other MA's and was very impressed.
4. Quad S2 ($705) - Unknown commodity compared to other 3 but reviews I have read are off the charts. I am extremely curious and tempted by these.
5. Revel Concerta2 M16 ($900) - Need to research more but highly acclaimed from the few reviews I have read.

Vintage
1. JBL L112
2. JBL L96
3. ADS L710

The "wild cards" are: Golden Ear Technology Aon 3, Dynaudio (various) and Focal (various). I'd love to hear more about these three, especially the Focals.

Any and all input is appreciated, as always!
 
Two pairs of l112 on ebay right now. Easily restorable as long as you have at least a little diy in you.

Another plus of these vintage speakers is stellar resale value. You could easily get back all you paid for them. And they are appreciating. Resale of the others will be much less than you paid.
 
34dean said:
Budget

2B. Wharfedale Diamond 225 ($300) - I have loved every Wharfedale I have heard through the years and this one seems very well rounded.

Step-ups
2. Jamo C103 ($750) - Seem to do a lot of things well. Very nice looking to boot.
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I had a pair of Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 speakers and I don't know how they compare to the 225s, but though I liked them, I felt that they weren't in the same class as my Elac Debut 6.2 speakers. The Wharfedales were a fair bit smaller and didn't seem to be the kind of thing to fill a big room with sound (I had them as extension speakers in a bedroom though). With smaller woofers though they still had really nice, tight punchy bass and certain things like stand up bass sounded really good through these. I have to say, though it wasn't terrible, I didn't like the treble as much with these speakers, which compared to the Elacs (or the Jamos) was a little bit grainy. I kind of felt that the transition (the crossover) from mid to high wasn't as smooth as my other speakers either. I really liked these things so these are minor criticisms, but I liked my other speakers better. I liked them enough though that I have to wonder about the higher end offerings of the brand, since it sounds like you have far more budget to spend.

Also, the Jamos really do look nice. I lucked out and found a pair in that walnut veneer, which was exactly what I wanted ... and to my taste that version of them looks particular great, though this version is rarer and new I think a few hundred more expensive. Also, I think that you may be able to find a pair for far less than your $750. All that being said, in no way am I trying to sell you on these things because as much as I like them I haven't heard the others and if I had, I might like them even better.

I'm not sure of the Elacs that you're looking at, but I understand that they all tend to have a somewhat similar character. I'd describe it as a really smooth, non fatiguing sound that's nice but lacking a bit of the punch and the high end detail of something like my Jamos. I think that the more expensive UB5s though might have more of this high end detail, if not punchier bass. I'd look at this Debut 6 reference Series (or something like that) which came out recently as well.
 
I had a couple of the Klipsch copper-colored midwoof models, but sold them quickly. I found the mids murky, lacking in resolution compared to any other model on your list, which, otherwise, represents several great choices. While a fan of some of the older Klipsch models, I find their current bookshelf models disappointing. Just my two cents.

Will be interesting to see your choice and hear your opinion of it, whatever you find. Good thread.
 
34dean said:
OK, so after researching today for a few hours, I have fine-tuned my list and broken it down to 3 categories: Budget, Step-up, and Vintage.
The budget options can all be had for less than $500. The Step-ups are $500-1,000. The vintage would need more patience and research but both really have my interest!
I am also including a couple "wild cards" that I want to look into but haven't had the time yet.
Keep in mind, I currently have JBL Studio 530's which I definitely like, but wondering if there are upgrades with the speakers below.

Here they are in some order based on the limited research I have completed:

Budget
1. Elac UB5 ($406) - Have read so many great reviews on these but understand they are power hungry. I should be okay in that department though.
2. Klipsch RP600M ($472) - Great reviews and very efficient but I am concerned they may be too harsh with my critical AP Holman preamp?
2B. Wharfedale Diamond 225 ($300) - I have loved every Wharfedale I have heard through the years and this one seems very well rounded.

Step-ups
1. KEF LS50 ($700) - So unique looking, beautiful. Tons of great reviews. I am very curious to hear these. Smallest of the bunch.
2. Jamo C103 ($750) - Seem to do a lot of things well. Very nice looking to boot.
3. Monitor Audio Silver 100 ($799) - Very solid reviews and absolutely gorgeous. I have heard other MA's and was very impressed.
4. Quad S2 ($705) - Unknown commodity compared to other 3 but reviews I have read are off the charts. I am extremely curious and tempted by these.
5. Revel Concerta2 M16 ($900) - Need to research more but highly acclaimed from the few reviews I have read.

Vintage
1. JBL L112
2. JBL L96
3. ADS L710

The "wild cards" are: Golden Ear Technology Aon 3, Dynaudio (various) and Focal (various). I'd love to hear more about these three, especially the Focals.

Any and all input is appreciated, as always!
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Since you've had good experience with Wharfedale, I'd consider the 225's. They're very balanced and a solid bang-for-the-buck. I've got the 230's, which are essentially the tower match for the 225's, and am completely happy with them.

And not to pile on, but I had that same sub you have. It's not that it sucks, it's just more suited for home theater. It's just too mushy and inarticulate for music, IMO. It now sits in my closet.

So if you go the budget route, with what you save you could put toward a better musical sub, if you still perceive you need one. Good luck, keep us posted.
 
If you like the sound of Wharfedale Speakers, I would put the Wharfedale Denton 80th anniversary on your list. They go for $499 new and about $350 to $375 used. When we were auditioning bookshelf speakers we preferred them to the KEF LS50s. We ended up with Gallo Acoustics Classico 1s which I would highly recommend but they are no longer available and are hard to find used.
 
Adding the Denton 80th to my list and categorizing them into the Budget field. I have heard great things about the Gallo's but they are very hard to find.
Right now i am thinking about demo'ing two pairs... one from the budget field and one from the Step-ups. Knowing I can return them is key for me. I can then cycle through some until I find what I feel sounds best. But, I would like to finalize my list of contenders and then narrow it down.

One thing I need help with is which of my list would match up best with my gear and room. This is an area I am still a novice in so any input would be great.


Room size: 15 X 13, 9 foot ceilings. 3 large windows. Open floor plan with no doors to adjacent rooms, just doorways.
Power Amp: Adcom GFA545II. 100W (8ohm), 150W (4ohm).
Pre Amp: Apt Holman
 
Aperion Verus III Grand Bookshelf speakers. I know them only by reputation. The main reason to suggest them, besides the fact that Aperion is supposed to make very high value speakers, is they have a 60 day, no questions asked return policy with free shipping both ways.

I like the Kef LS50, they are my main speaker. They are also known to be bright, as is common for metal done tweeters, and would probably benefit from warmer sounding equipment. I am not familiar with your pre/amp so I can not comment on how they would pair with the Kef’s.

You definitely need a sub with the Kef’s. The bass they do have is nice, especially for a small cone area, but they don’t go low.

The point others were making about the Polk is not that it is a bad subwoofer, it is that the speakers you are going to match it with are in another league. Maybe you already had the Polk or you got a great deal on it but if you stay with it you will be doing yourself a disservice. If your budget is $1200 for speakers and you end up spending ~$700, I would suggest you consider looking at an SVS or HSU subwoofer. Everything I have read says those are the best subs in that entry level department.

Case in point, I put my system together on a tighter budget than you did and hunted for a decent used sub for over a year before coming in to my Martin Logan Abyss. I don’t think it’s an especially good sub but for what I paid I won’t likely find something better. The Abyss is roughly 10 years old, it was around $1,000 new at the time it was discontinued, and I feel that the LS50’s would benefit from something better. That said, I am content with my setup for now and you might be satisfied with your Polk, but I think you can do better and stay within your budget.
 
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