Best floor-standing speakers for music? Up to 2K

k0tuynh

I know this has probably been discussed at length and I've searched through a handful of threads already. I'm looking to get some new tower speakers for music.

Budget is around 2k for a pair. The pair will be hooked up to Yamaha 863 + Emotiva XPA-2, and SVS PB 10 NDS.

Your recommendations are greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

bluecomet

I have a pair of Lsi25's that I am pleased with but if you want a better experience I would find a pair of SRS 1.2tl's for a two channel rig. I have not sampled other companies top of the line speakers. I personally feel I don't need to. I am more than satisfied with my Polk speakers. Just my opinion.

nooshinjohn

Plus one on the SDA SRS 1.2TL's for two channel. The LSi's are a very good speaker if you are looking new, but they lack the impact of the monoliths. You can find a set of TL's and still have money left over for upgrades to the speakers themselves or other areas of your system. I must caution you however that the WAF factor is not a strong suit of the SDA's. What they lack in that regard is more than made up for by the fact they are still regarded today as the best speaker Polk Audio has ever made.

zingo

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1277309851&/Focal-Jm-Labs-Electra-926-orig

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1277145010&/B-W-703-Rosenut-Finish

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1276822674

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1275166689&/Sonus-Faber-Concerto-Grand-Pia

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1278123383&/Martin-Logan-Ascent-i-beautifu

Tony M

:rolleyes:

I'd like one pr. of each please.....

bopicasso

+1 for zingo's recommendation

k0tuynh

Thanks everyone....I narrow down to 2 brands..

B&W , Dynaudio...please help me to decide

bopicasso

for overall performance with music, I would go with dynaudio.

Litz

k0tuynh wrote: »

Thanks everyone....I narrow down to 2 brands..

B&W , Dynaudio...please help me to decide

B&W have always sounded to me a bit drier...maybe on the analytical side.

Dynaudio has a bit more flavor. BOTH brands need a high current amp to really open up, they suck up power.

I'd have to audition both at length myself before buying.

k0tuynh

Where do i check for dynaudio msrp? they don't list in their website.

Litz

k0tuynh wrote: »

Where do i check for dynaudio msrp? they don't list in their website.

What model(s) of B&W and dynaudio are you considering?

bopicasso

I recommend buying used to get the most for your money. If you look on audiogon and ebay, good deals come up often. I found my dyns on audiogon from a local seller that had a fire sale because he was moving. They were in perfect shape with no scratches or dings. And I paid less than what they are going for today.

k0tuynh

I'm looking for recommendations from all experts here...budget is around 2k..which dynaudio models would fit the bill?

zingo

k0tuynh wrote: »

Thanks everyone....I narrow down to 2 brands..

B&W , Dynaudio...please help me to decide

I've owned B&W and Dynaudio clone speakers, and both were great. B&W are a little more neutral/dry as stated above, but I liked the sound as they they do make "monitors".

k0tuynh

looks like you have some great gears, bopicasso..I'll constantly look for used one on audiogon

cnh

I like Zingo's list above as well, though I have NOT heard everything on it. I can say that I agree with folks above about B&W.....personally I find some of their bookshelves more pleasing...but I'm not a 'fan' in general.

Focals are among my favorite speakers so I have a bias there. I've rarely heard one of their offerings that I don't like. A number of people here have MLs or Maggies so those are worth a listen. As are the Sonus Faber--always a favorite with the so-called 'audiophile'? In any case, seems like plenty to choose from above. Wish I had a couple grand to spend on new towers (used)--lucky devil!

As commonly said, see if you can hear some of these for yourself before you buy. Dynaudio should also be on your short-list!

cnh

Litz

For a quick taste of dynaudio flavor, Guitar center has 2-way dynaudio monitors that will put you into the ballpark. IIRC, they are $800-$900 ish per pair.

k0tuynh

Thanks everyone for your inputs

nooshinjohn

I just re-read your original post.... IMHO, I would look at replacing the Yammi before looking at speakers. I ran one of these and after moving a lot of gear/speakers through my rig, I was suprized to learn the Yammi was the cause of most of my frustration with sound quality. They tend to be overly bright in two channel and to my ear anyway, are not as good as they used to be.

Litz

nooshinjohn wrote: »

I just re-read your original post.... IMHO, I would look at replacing the Yammi before looking at speakers. I ran one of these and after moving a lot of gear/speakers through my rig, I was suprized to learn the Yammi was the cause of most of my frustration with sound quality. They tend to be overly bright in two channel and to my ear anyway, are not as good as they used to be.

Gotta agree: yammie will not drive the B&W nor dynaudio properly. And every flaw will be audible.

concealer404

nooshinjohn wrote: »

I just re-read your original post.... IMHO, I would look at replacing the Yammi before looking at speakers. I ran one of these and after moving a lot of gear/speakers through my rig, I was suprized to learn the Yammi was the cause of most of my frustration with sound quality. They tend to be overly bright in two channel and to my ear anyway, are not as good as they used to be.

This.

concealer404

Litz wrote: »

Gotta agree: yammie will not drive the B&W nor dynaudio properly. And every flaw will be audible.

He's not driving the speakers with the Yammer, driving with an Emo.

Should be enough to make any speaker sound pretty harsh. YMMV.

Litz

concealer404 wrote: »

He's not driving the speakers with the Yammer, driving with an Emo.

Should be enough to make any speaker sound pretty harsh. YMMV.

I read poorly at 4 am...just resigned from a job that had me on grave shift for about a year. I am now adjusting to diurnal life...just a day or two more and I will have to ability to read posts properly...I swear...:p

concealer404

Litz wrote: »

I read poorly at 4 am...just resigned from a job that had me on grave shift for about a year. I am now adjusting to diurnal life...just a day or two more and I will have to ability to read posts properly...I swear...:p

It's cool, i can dig that. I'm up by 4:45am most days, and it sucks. I don't really get "with it" until 8 most days.

cstmar01

concealer404 wrote: »

He's not driving the speakers with the Yammer, driving with an Emo.

Should be enough to make any speaker sound pretty harsh. YMMV.

agreed.

nooshinjohn

I caught that he is using the Emo to drive the speakers, but even using the Yammi as a pre is not a very good idea. They work well for what they are(AVR) but are not very good for two channel listening in any aspect. A separate two channel pre with HT bypass and the Emo may work out well.

Litz

concealer404 wrote: »

It's cool, i can dig that. I'm up by 4:45am most days, and it sucks. I don't really get "with it" until 8 most days.

In my case, I have been just crawling into bed at 8 am for almost a year. It takes a few days for my circaedian rhythm to normalize. I mean hell... 7am was like 7pm to the rest of the people. Except it was time to open a couple beers and watch cartoon network or whatever is on at 7 am...

bopicasso

Emo is not a great amp for audio, I was using one for over a year. I upgraded to the b&k and never looked back. 100 times better!

tonyb

I'll agree that going the used route will grant you more speaker for the money. Towers can get costly new. The older SDA Polks are a safe bet, even the current line of towers can be had in your price range. Aside from that,the possibilities are endless. Dyns, Legacy makes some great towers, Emerald, Def tech...the list can go on and on. Comes down to personal preference. We can no more tell you what you will like than you can guess what car we would like. That Yammie is holding you back some so I would also consider that. Maybe a used pair of older Polks and an upgrade to that yamaha to stay in budget.

bluecomet

I like and use high end Yamaha pre amps from the late eighties to early nineties for 2 channel rigs such as the Yamaha C-85 pre amp. They do an excellent job and can be had at a reasonable price. I think they do a better job than todays Yamaha AVR's as pre amps.
It may be a good match with your Emotiva.

nooshinjohn

Bright + Bright = nails on a chalkboard IMHO. If you want to tame an Emo, you will need an overabundance of TUBES!!!