Speaker Question

T

Tejpal

Guest
Ive just ordered my NAD C370, and i want to replace my old Akai:D speakers, I dont want to spend more than £200-£300.

Im not sure what sort of speakers would suit me, the room is about 5mx15m. And it has a wooden floor with about 1 metre of space under the floor boards(airing space). This space does make the sound different, it almost increases the bass.

Im not sure if I should only go for a bookshelf speakers due to the floor, or some floor standers.

The dilemma is that i have 120+ watts coming into a speaker from my amp, and i want some speakers that will not *blow up* due the sound pressure, (i may have a party soon).

But i also want very good quality sound, as the amp sounds amazing.

so far i have though of:
floorstading:-
MISSION M73/4
WHARFEDALE DIAMOND 8.3
WHARFEDALE DIAMOND 8.4
KEF CRESTA 3
MISSION 773/4
Mordaunt-Short MS904
ACOUSTIC ENERGY AEGIS 2
TANNOY REVOLUTION R2
bookshelf:-
ACOUSTIC ENERGY AEGIS EVO 1
B&W DM303
B&W DM600 S3
B&W DM601 S3
B&W DM602
KEF CODA 70
KEF Q1
LINN KAN IV
Monitor Audio Bronze 2


As you can see, its quite a list !

I would prefer to buy new speakers.

I have not demoed any of these, i really need to find the right one to demo. I havent got any idea what to buy, as they are all great.

Please help
:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:
 
Why have you missed off :-

Heybrook HB1
Tannoy Mercury MX2
JPW 202
Boston Acoustics CR75
Eltax Monitor 7
Infinity Alpha 10
Chario Ref 100
 
Let me re-phrase,

If i gave you a NAD C370 and £300 to spend on a pair of speakers, what would you buy ?
 
A pair of Quad 11L's off me ;)

seriously I have a pair of new quads sitting in boxes doing nothing at the moment, as the missus wont let me put them in the front room. ( we made a deal , i get to convert the loft and the black boxes stay out of the living room )

I have just paid £380 for them with £80 worth of cable 2x 2metres of Chor Rumour II.

I can take them back to sevenoaks and swap them for somthing else but there isn't anything i want from there.

Go and have a lsiten to them against any bookshelf they have up to about £800 and see what you think.

they also look pretty good

awardinbox.jpg




I would rather have £300 cash than a credit note for sevenoaks at the momemt.

they may not sound good with your amp for all i know but it may be worth a try and i bet they sound better than the speakers you have listed.


now that was a sales pitch ;)

review from last months hifi world here
 
Ian J:

Why have you missed off :-

Heybrook HB1
Tannoy Mercury MX2
JPW 202
Boston Acoustics CR75
Eltax Monitor 7
Infinity Alpha 10
Chario Ref 100



:) I like this underlying extraction of the golden water Ian.


Adzman

Tejpal...that is one biiiiiiiggggggggggggggg list mate
 
I'd definitely go for the B&W 602 S3s for £300. No contest really. The Quad 11Ls would probably rival them at £300 but you said that you wanted new speakers and the Quad's cost £379 new.

Also, I don't think that the NAD C370 is a 120 Watt amplifier so you shouldn't have any trouble with your speakers blowing up.
 
I you wanna have home parties, get the B&W 602 S3's - no contest! (like Stu says). Get some solid stands and put them on some concrete blocks to try to minimise interference from hollow floor.
 
KEF Q1 would be my choice here from the list, best I have heard
 
Tested the Q1's at the same time as the 602's and the 601's. They sounded very good, but didn't match the 601's. The 602's are a big improvement over the 601's, especially for the £50 price difference.

You might want to look at the Q3's, but at £400 they are more than you wanted to spend.
 
I think i will try demoing the B&Ws. i wil also try the kefs.

So you all think i should stick to bookshelfers ?


(ps, thx 4 the help so far)
 
Bookshelf speakers will probably have less boom above your hollow floor and you get better components for your money over similarly priced floorstanders - less cabinet=more spend on internals:)
 
Originally posted by Nobber22
you get better components for your money over similarly priced floorstanders - less cabinet=more spend on internals:)

Don't forget to factor in £60 - £100 for decent speaker stands
 
Originally posted by sinister_stu
You might want to look at the Q3's, but at £400 they are more than you wanted to spend.

I would stick with the Q1 bookshelf, bigger is certainly not (necessarily) better here. The larger models in the KEF Q series were not always better, just different. The Q1 with good stands was designed to fit into your budget requests.
 
The 601's have a much fuller sound then the Kef Q1's, IMO, but the Q1's were definitely very good speakers.

Beekeeper: I was suggesting that the Q3's may be a better comparison to the 602's than the Q1's. I haven't actually heard them (Q3's), but judging by the strength of the Q1's midrange and treble I would expect them to be good.
 
I would get the B&B 602's but, i forgot bout the stands.. :(

Do you really think it would make ALOT of difference getting the 601's insteaad of the 602's ?

if it would, i can comprise on some other thing on my system (e.g interconnectors)
 
Any one heard ACOUSTIC ENERGY AEGIS EVO 1. they got a 5 star review on what hifi. But i wouldnt expect them to have the same standerd as B&W or KEF...

I just rang about the B&W stands... £200!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! nearly as expensive as the speaker !!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Go and listen to the 601's and the 602's and decide for yourself whether its worth paying an extra £50 for the 602's. That's what I did. Also, you don't have to buy the B&W stands.

I have my 602's on stools at the moment until I can afford to buy some stands.
 
Originally posted by Tejpal

Do you really think it would make ALOT of difference getting the 601's instead of the 602's ?

No, there is not a LOT of diff. between the speakers. How big is your room? If it is less than medium-sized with few soft furnishings, the 602's have a tendecy to boom.

Actually I don't think I have ever heard anyone complaining that the 601's are not the speaker they hoped it would be and are returning it immediatly for the bigger 602's.......or for any other model either:cool:

Get the 601's and some nice sturdy Atacama stands:) . Don't underspend on the interonnects either. Run them in for a few days, then give them horns :)devil: ) from the NAD! :D
 
Originally posted by sinister_stu
I have my 602's on stools at the moment

They are supposed to be on a solid base and not something squashy.
 
Ill think ill go demo the 601 & 602, my room is big, and they will be use hard. I like my music loud :D (hence the nad c370)

If i get the 601(+plus stands) it will come to £310 (which is stretching my buget!)

I cant afford stands if i bought the 602. I wanted to spend £600 on the Amp+cd+tuner (came to £655) and only 200-300 (£300 very stretch). And about £50-100 on interconnectors. total around £1000(alot of money for me!)

Anyways, enough with the finances... i know your not finantial advisers :D

I will get some nice ATACAMA NEXUS SPEAKER STANDS for £59.99(5 star review)...


But this gets me thinking, if i should get some speakers alittle more more for my buget. I mean, shall i get one of the cheapest B&Ws or the best Missions....

There is only one way to find out... ill have to try them.
 
dont forget to listen to the quads 11Ls if you get a chance :)

i would sel them with the nexus satnds for £325 and throw in the chord rumour II cable (2x2metres £80) for free.


a few weeks old been in boxes mint and cost me £530.

I listened to all the speakers you are talking about and they sonded far better, although you may like the kef q1's.

try and listen on your amp though.
 
Im not that keen on buying 2nd hand equipment.

Im not sure why, but it kidda spoils the fun.

Thx for the offer anywayz. It is a great deal !
 

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