Ditto what gamalot said!
L100's, HPM100's and the many other "want to be" clones barely classify as a floorstanding speaker, and certainly wouldn't fall under my definition of a BIG speaker.
Now all you L100 and HPM100 owners, please don't take that as a flame, it certainly is not, i cut my audio teeth on 4 L100's and a Marantz 4400, i know what they're all about, what they'll do, and what they won't. They'll shake the bejeeezusss out of a room, while the elders have a tea party in the next room.
Now that i've matured and graduated, i have learned that it's possible to have chest pounding, hair moving, pantleg shaking SPL's with all the fidelity of a recording studio monitor system. Of course i'm an altec fan thru and thru, not because of any printed specs, or any rave reviews by known audio critics, i'm my own best critic and i have to go by what my ears tell me.
I've seen lots of suggestions for many different size and combinations of speakers here but have seen very few address the size of the room the "big speakers" will be used in. If i've followed this thread correctly, i think they intend to use these in a basement, a setting where a "supermarket" box with 12 inch woofer and paper cone tweeter would be an excellent choice, if you just want some background fill music.
The main room of my basement is 24x48, i run 4 altec model 828 A7 voice of the theater cabinets loaded with JBL 2035 bass drivers, 2 511B horns with freshly rebuilt 802-8G drivers, and i fill in the bottom octave with a pair of dual 18 subs loaded with JBL 2241's. The system is active, i actually use a DSP now, The 511/802's are powered with a 250wpc mosfet amp and run from 1000hz up 2nd order. The 4 828 cabinets are powered with a 500wpc mosfet amp and are BW limited from 80hz to 1000hz 2nd order, and the subs are powered with a class AB amp at 1200wpc and very high damping factor, high damping factor is important for controlling the sub drivers. That might sound like a lot of overkill, especially from the output power standpoint. Fact is, it's the best way to ensure that you don't damage drivers or amplifiers as nothing ever has to work at or near it's limitations, overdriven amplifiers are the 1st and foremost cause of speaker failure. You will beg me to turn it down long before any of my amps approach the clipping point, if you don't my neighbors will.
I'm involved in live sound/sound reinforcement, and also build and maintain systems for a couple of local DJ's. Why did i choose 50 year old altecs for the middle and top end of my big home system? It is all about the sound. I have much in the way of pro gear at my disposal, the fact remains that the altecs overall, just sound better. It wasn't about economy, i built my own cabinets at a cost far above what i could have ebayed them for, it was the only way to avoid some of the shortfalls of the vintage cabinets.
As i stated earlier in this thread, for BIG speakers, cornwalls are a good start, particularly where the value/price is concerned. They're not my favorite as the high end tends to fall apart when driven hard, but in a large room like a basement, they are about the minimum to get the job done. and after you hear a pair of altec 19's or VOTT's next to them, the search for your next pair of big speakers will begin.
Now i'll duck too!
Sansui 5000x with original box (hey, it's worth as much as the receiver!!) and a handful of old classical records for a pittance. Don't you just love a happy ending? Agreed, Ken, this is a blast!
Brad