What speakers for $2,000?

[johnt]

You're welcome. I am sure they are great. I have an 18" sub in one of my systems myself, and I truly love it (though it takes a lot of space). My other systems rely on 10" or 12" units for the most part. 

 

There are many amplifier options. These speakers shouldn't be hard to drive so you can also look at lower power units, as long as they produce clean output (noise in the output can easily be heard with such sensitive speakers). Big power does deliver impressive dynamics with the right material, however (I am a sucker for dynamics... I can make burly power amps clip). 

 

I had a small 10 inch Klipsch for the last ten years and it just wasn't doing it for me anymore. Then I bought a 12 inch Klipsch sub and asked some questions on the Audioholics forum, and they totally attacked that thing. They called it the weakest link in my system. I had no clue what they were talking about. Chuffing? Port noise? Sluggish response? I had no clue what they were on about. I only paid like $250 for the stupid thing, so I sort of started believing what they were saying.

 

I remember I spent a lot of time looking for subs after that. I drove almost 200 miles just to hear SVS because they had a few subs in a "local" Best Buy store. For some reason I really wanted a 15 inch sub... but I almost bought the SVS SB-2000. The salesman made the horrible mistake of letting me hear the SB 13 ultra first. Then he demoed the SB-2000 and some silly Martin Logan sub. He was trying so hard to sell the ML. He went on and on... it's our best seller, it takes up little space, it's very powerful, people come in looking for a ported sub and don't realize how much better a sealed sub can be... I just had to walk away. SVS asks way too much from small drivers.

 

A couple days later I ordered the V1500 on a whim. It was the 15 inch sub that I wanted. It was bass bliss. The response is so tight, and the 4 inch port with a flared end produces nearly no port noise. I should have been happy with it. But the V3600i is relentless. The bass is addicting. It's still quite vibrant even at low volumes.

 

What subs are you using?

[Stagea]

I had a small 10 inch Klipsch for the last ten years and it just wasn't doing it for me anymore. Then I bought a 12 inch Klipsch sub and asked some questions on the Audioholics forum, and they totally attacked that thing. They called it the weakest link in my system. I had no clue what they were talking about. Chuffing? Port noise? Sluggish response? I had no clue what they were on about. I only paid like $250 for the stupid thing, so I sort of started believing what they were saying.

 

I remember I spent a lot of time looking for subs after that. I drove almost 200 miles just to hear SVS because they had a few subs in a "local" Best Buy store. For some reason I really wanted a 15 inch sub... but I almost bought the SVS SB-2000. The salesman made the horrible mistake of letting me hear the SB 13 ultra first. Then he demoed the SB-2000 and some silly Martin Logan sub. He was trying so hard to sell the ML. He went on and on... it's our best seller, it takes up little space, it's very powerful, people come in looking for a ported sub and don't realize how much better a sealed sub can be... I just had to walk away. SVS asks way too much from small drivers.

 

A couple days later I ordered the V1500 on a whim. It was the 15 inch sub that I wanted. It was bass bliss. The response is so tight, and the 4 inch port with a flared end produces nearly no port noise. I should have been happy with it. But the V3600i is relentless. The bass is addicting. It's still quite vibrant even at low volumes.

 

What subs are you using?

 

SVS makes nice subs too, but yes PSA is beating them with louder and deeper output at the same price (thanks to larger drivers). For home theater and general music use, these direct sellers offer the best bang/buck (lots of output and extension for the price).

 

True high end audio subs are impressively clean-sounding (and expensive), however. I can't justify the price for my own consumption, but the Revel Ultima Rhythm 2 is the best sub I've experienced (a couple of this would be great). It is not as loud or as low as many cheaper (and often larger) options, but it delivers sufficient weight and just sounds very natural when configured right. Some of my friends had experienced the Wilson Audio Thor's Hammer and say that it's even better, however.  

 

My 18-incher is a self-made unit. I designed and built the enclosure for a raw driver, tuned to be complementary with my room response (so minimal equalization would be needed). My smaller units are run off the mill PSB, Mirage, and Klipsch units (the Mirage and Klipsch units are tweaked). 

 

I'm more of an amplifier and source guy than a speaker guy though. Most of my budget tends to go to a nice source unit, preamp, crossover and power amps. The speakers that I use are middle of the road B&Ws, PSBs, Polks and Wharfedales. I also introduce as little compensation processing as possible, though I realize that it can do wonders in many cases (especially in environments like car interiors and acoustically-poor rooms).

[johnt]

SVS makes nice subs too, but yes PSA is beating them with louder and deeper output at the same price (thanks to larger drivers). For home theater and general music use, these direct sellers offer the best bang/buck (lots of output and extension for the price).

 

True high end audio subs are impressively clean-sounding (and expensive), however. I can't justify the price for my own consumption, but the Revel Ultima Rhythm 2 is the best sub I've experienced (a couple of this would be great). It is not as loud or as low as many cheaper (and often larger) options, but it delivers sufficient weight and just sounds very natural when configured right. Some of my friends had experienced the Wilson Audio Thor's Hammer and say that it's even better, however.  

 

My 18-incher is a self-made unit. I designed and built the enclosure for a raw driver, tuned to be complementary with my room response (so minimal equalization would be needed). My smaller units are run off the mill PSB, Mirage, and Klipsch units (the Mirage and Klipsch units are tweaked). 

 

I'm more of an amplifier and source guy than a speaker guy though. Most of my budget tends to go to a nice source unit, preamp, crossover and power amps. The speakers that I use are middle of the road B&Ws, PSBs, Polks and Wharfedales. I also introduce as little compensation processing as possible, though I realize that it can do wonders in many cases (especially in environments like car interiors and acoustically-poor rooms).

 

Holy mo mo of God 4 kW to an 18-inch sub??? That Revel sub can't just hit hard, it must take your head off and cut your stomach wide open! Thor's Hammer is big enough to sink the Titanic again. My subs never looked so humble  :rolleyes:

 

Man... if you're running anything like the DDA you recommended in the other thread, I'm not surprised you don't spend more on speakers haha but B&W is pretty nice. And I've hardly heard anything negative about Wharfedales. So you've got good taste, that's for sure.

[Stagea]

Holy mo mo of God 4 kW to an 18-inch sub??? That Revel sub can't just hit hard, it must take your head off and cut your stomach wide open! Thor's Hammer is big enough to sink the Titanic again. My subs never looked so humble  :rolleyes:

 

Man... if you're running anything like the DDA you recommended in the other thread, I'm not surprised you don't spend more on speakers haha but B&W is pretty nice. And I've hardly heard anything negative about Wharfedales. So you've got good taste, that's for sure.

 

The Ultima Rhythm2 is indeed very very nice. The Thor's Hammer is just too expensive, and is passive module (a strong monoblock amp is required to power it).

 

The better Wharfedales are good for the price, but they are very much value choices. I have older systems using "separates" (before the DDA era), separate component for every part (separate transport, separate dac, separate preamp, separate crossover, and separate monoblock amplifiers per channel). Separates were the trend before as having physically, electrically and magnetically isolated components reduced interference and distortion. DDA simplifies things tremendously (and improves power efficiency), as digital signal integrity isn't compromised easily.

 

Example of nice separates...

 

As for speakers, the Focal Grande Utopia remains my favorite (but I can never afford these). I've heard pricier pairs, but the Utopias just sound right to my ears when properly matched and tuned.

[genkifd]

for $2k speakers i would be listening to the KEF LS50 

 

http://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/557-kef-ls50-loudspeakers

 

above - goldmund is for the ultra rich man......

[Stagea]

above - goldmund is for the ultra rich man......

 

It can also be for the man in debt.  :lol:

 

I think Brystons are great value, honestly. Some of the best systems I've heard ran their separates. I consider that level the entry point of high end audio.

[johnt]

The Ultima Rhythm2 is indeed very very nice. The Thor's Hammer is just too expensive, and is passive module (a strong monoblock amp is required to power it).

 

The better Wharfedales are good for the price, but they are very much value choices. I have older systems using "separates" (before the DDA era), separate component for every part (separate transport, separate dac, separate preamp, separate crossover, and separate monoblock amplifiers per channel). Separates were the trend before as having physically, electrically and magnetically isolated components reduced interference and distortion. DDA simplifies things tremendously (and improves power efficiency), as digital signal integrity isn't compromised easily.

 

Example of nice separates...

 

As for speakers, the Focal Grande Utopia remains my favorite (but I can never afford these). I've heard pricier pairs, but the Utopias just sound right to my ears when properly matched and tuned.

 

I didn't realize it was passive. I can just imagine the justification I would need to come up with for my wife to buy into that thing. It would need to have free shipping, someone would have to help me move it (anyone except her), and I would need a finished basement. Which are rare in California. Bummer! 

 

Who has room for all these components? Or money! What am I looking at in this photo... approximately $25,000? But damn they look sexy.

[johnt]

for $2k speakers i would be listening to the KEF LS50 

 

http://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/557-kef-ls50-loudspeakers

 

above - goldmund is for the ultra rich man......

 

I don't know if the LS50's are what I'm looking for. Visually yes... they are so eye catchy. I might buy these one day as like art. And it's amazing they can sound so decent and still look gorgeous.

 

Plus that sensitivity is better suited for a smaller, sealed sub than what I have to put up with 

[Stagea]

I didn't realize it was passive. I can just imagine the justification I would need to come up with for my wife to buy into that thing. It would need to have free shipping, someone would have to help me move it (anyone except her), and I would need a finished basement. Which are rare in California. Bummer! 

 

Who has room for all these components? Or money! What am I looking at in this photo... approximately $25,000? But damn they look sexy.

 

$25,000 will get you a pair of monoblock amps from Bryston, and maybe a preamp to match (not a complete system, if you're going for their true separates). Bryston is an "entry" high end brand; Goldmund is a high end to exotic brand (kind of like MBL or darTZeel).

 

Try this list for Goldmund components...

http://www.hifisentralen.no/forumet/attachments/vennetra-der-hifimerker/136208d1336653679-goldmund-god-som-gull-goldmund-2012.pdf

 

The price list does not include their limited run models that are of course even pricier.

 

Different people have different priorities. I've seen businessmen, top execs, and government officials (possibly corrupt) plop money on similar audio purchases. High end and exotic audio are like premium and exotic cars, most of us won't be buying them (they are made and priced to be exclusive).

[johnt]

$25,000 will get you a pair of monoblock amps from Bryston, and maybe a preamp to match (not a complete system, if you're going for their true separates). Bryston is an "entry" high end brand; Goldmund is a high end to exotic brand.

Try this list for Goldmund components...

http://www.hifisentralen.no/forumet/attachments/vennetra-der-hifimerker/136208d1336653679-goldmund-god-som-gull-goldmund-2012.pdf

The price list does not include their limited run models that are of course even pricier.

Different people have different priorities. I've seen businessmen, top execs, and government officials (possibly corrupt) plop money on similar audio purchases. High end and exotic audio are like premium and exotic cars, most of us won't be buying them (they are made and priced to be exclusive).

Screw it. I'll take two of everything

[spwath]

$25,000 will get you a pair of monoblock amps from Bryston, and maybe a preamp to match (not a complete system, if you're going for their true separates). Bryston is an "entry" high end brand; Goldmund is a high end to exotic brand.

Try this list for Goldmund components...

http://www.hifisentralen.no/forumet/attachments/vennetra-der-hifimerker/136208d1336653679-goldmund-god-som-gull-goldmund-2012.pdf

The price list does not include their limited run models that are of course even pricier.

Different people have different priorities. I've seen businessmen, top execs, and government officials (possibly corrupt) plop money on similar audio purchases. High end and exotic audio are like premium and exotic cars, most of us won't be buying them (they are made and priced to be exclusive).

Wait wait..

1000$ for a cable?

[Stagea]

Screw it. I'll take two of everything

 

Buy me a pair as well.     

 

They are really really nice (and finely crafted), but very expensive. Their big monoblocks (Telos 5000 and 3500+) are like status symbols in nice homes. The cable prices will make many eyes roll.  :lol:

[Stagea]

1000$ for a cable?

 

I was just saying...  :lol:

 

Heard of Siltech? 

http://enjoythemusic.com/superioraudio/equipment/0113/siltech_royal_signature_series.htm

 

There are really people who spend that much on these things.

[spwath]

I was just saying...  :lol:

 

Heard of Siltech? 

http://enjoythemusic.com/superioraudio/equipment/0113/siltech_royal_signature_series.htm

 

There are really people who spend that much on these things.

But cables...

that just wasting your money.

 

Sure, get slightly nice speaker wire, 20-30$ for a big 100-200ft roll.

 

All other cables...

just get cheap ones...

 

spending 62,000$ on a 2.5 meter cable is just plain stupidity

[Stagea]

But cables...

that just wasting your money.

 

Sure, get slightly nice speaker wire, 20-30$ for a big 100-200ft roll.

 

All other cables...

just get cheap ones...

 

spending 62,000$ on a 2.5 meter cable is just plain stupidity

 

We all have different opinions on things. I don't buy exotic cables, though I generally buy decent ones.

 

There are people who don't flinch on buying exotic cables (many of them swear by it); that doesn't mean that they're stupid. They probably just value that item that much (whether it's a value that was developed due to a past experience or through influential marketing, we would not be able to tell). A lot of them were smart enough to make that much money, after all. 

 

There are people who buy $115,000 cigars ($1,150 per stick). What stops them from plopping half as much on a cable?

[spwath]

We all have different opinions on things. I don't buy exotic cables, though I generally buy decent ones.

 

There are people who don't flinch on buying exotic cables (many of them swear by it); that doesn't mean that they're stupid. They probably just value that item that much (whether it's a value that was developed due to a past experience or through influential marketing, we would not be able to tell). A lot of them were smart enough to make that much money, after all. 

 

There are people who buy $115,000 cigars ($1,150 per stick). What stops them from plopping half as much on a cable?

Yeah i guess...

just seems stupid to me to pay that much money for something that wont improve your performance at all 

[Stagea]

Yeah i guess...

just seems stupid to me to pay that much money for something that wont improve your performance at all 

 

Some believe that it enhances their system; others see it as system jewelry (refined bling).

 

Timepiece collectors spend lots of money on grande complication items, when a digital device may be able to do the same thing for a lot less cost.

 

It happens to PC people too. Some buy expensive cases that may not improve the system performance over a decent one that's a lot less expensive.

[spwath]

Some believe that it enhances their system; others see it as system jewelry (refined bling).

It happens to PC people too. Some buy expensive cases that may not improve the system performance over a decent one that's a lot less expensive.

Oh

I bought a 220$ case and 400$ water cooling.

[Stagea]

Oh

I bought a 220$ case and 400$ water cooling.

 

Like exotic cars, exotic audio is part performance and part bling.

 

I'd be happy with a high end system, though even good mainstream ones suit my needs (currently running 2 midlevel HiFi systems, a midlevel HT system, and an entry level HT system).

 

I wouldn't mind Focal SM11-L/C/R/S units for a rig. 

[johnt]

Oh

I bought a 220$ case and 400$ water cooling.

 

What case do you have??? 

[johnt]

Some believe that it enhances their system; others see it as system jewelry (refined bling).

 

Timepiece collectors spend lots of money on grande complication items, when a digital device may be able to do the same thing for a lot less cost.

 

It happens to PC people too. Some buy expensive cases that may not improve the system performance over a decent one that's a lot less expensive.

 

Where would a set up with so much bling be located? I would imagine someone who has so much to look at would want somebody to see it.

[Stagea]

Where would a set up with so much bling be located? I would imagine someone who has so much to look at would want somebody to see it.

 

At home, since these are home systems. Some people just like having nice stuff (like having high end furniture and art collections in a mansion), while others enjoy the attention that they get when entertaining guests.

 

I don't think I'd ever have these things in my lifetime. I don't foresee myself joining the ranks of the upper class.

[johnt]

At home, since these are home systems. Some people just like having nice stuff (like having high end furniture and art collections in a mansion), while others enjoy the attention that they get when entertaining guests.

 

I don't think I'd ever have these things in my lifetime. I don't foresee myself joining the ranks of the upper class.

 

Don't trip. Most upper class don't indulge in these things either.

[xtroria]

Don't trip. Most upper class don't indulge in these things either.

 

I know my family won't spend anything above $5000+ for audio. You could just buy gold tbh

[johnt]

I know my family won't spend anything above $5000+ for audio. You could just buy gold tbh

Is this a complaint? $5,000 is a very healthy budget for a home theater.