Pioneer SP-BS21-LR by high end designer

saemark30

Hearing good things about these cheap Pioneer speakers by Andrew Jones.
Might be worth a look and listen!

Joe08867

More entry level than audiophile imho.

They look good and are cheap. 100 for the bookies and 400 for a surround setup.

saemark30

The Pioneer SP-FS51-LR floorstanding Speakers for 199 look better than the entry.
5 way binding posts and multi-component crossovers are sure better than my EPI100V maybe more like the Polk 5B.

heiney9

I wouldn't count on it being anything like a 5B. But get a pair and try them.

H9

nooshinjohn

I'll pass.

Joe08867

I would rather have these.

saemark30

I rather upgrade my Monitor 7 to a higher level or would they be considered entry?

heiney9

The Monitor 7's are 10 times the speaker that line of Pioneer is. Upgrade the 7's unless they are too big.

You realize that the 5B's in 1985 retailed for about $450/pr and the 7's closer to $500+. Even with lower cost components nowdays a $99/pr of speakers just won't compare. Many even prefer the original Monitor series to Polk's own RTiA speakers of today. The RTiA speakers are certainly much better sounding and much more accurate than the Pioneer line you are talking about.

Dollar vs. performance no one can really touch Polk products, IMO. They have always maintained the performance/dollar ratio on at atleast a couple different levels. There are a lot of great speakers out there, but I don't feel but a handful of other speaker only manufacturer's come close to offering the performance per dollar Polk Audio does.

H9

saemark30

I have to agree H9, of course no one can touch the old Polk monitors for quality and value.
Just wondering what the fuss is with the Pioneers.

heiney9

saemark30 wrote: »

I have to agree H9, of course no one can touch the old Polk monitors for quality and value.
Just wondering what the fuss is with the Pioneers.

It'd be interesting. I just went to BB website and they sell them for $99/pr. Every $99/pr of speakers I've heard have been seriously lacking, these being only 84dB efficient just won't cut it for any application I might have.

H9

Joe08867

As far back as I can remember Pioneer was never known for there Home Stereo Speakers. Am I wrong and there is some beacon of hope I missed?

They competed with Technics and the like back in the day. Now they compete with Onkyo and the like. Last time I checked neither of them put out any stellar speakers either.

One constant in the audio universe has been Polk. Dollar for dollar one of the best bangs for the buck.

saemark30

The Pioneer speakers with the 5.25" woofers might be very competitive amongst smaller speakers, just not against the larger Polk monitors. The 5Bs were always a best buy and amazing bass in spite of their size.

heiney9

saemark30 wrote: »

The Pioneer speakers with the 5.25" woofers might be very competitive amongst smaller speakers, just not against the larger Polk monitors. The 5Bs were always a best buy and amazing bass in spite of their size.

Even if Pioneer made a comparable sized speaker to the 5B, the 5B would win hands down. $99/pr for speakers isn't a lot and I'm sure most people's expectations would be pretty low. There are some stellar bookies that size that would trounce the Pioneers but they obviously would cost more.

One that comes to mind is the superb EPOS ELS-3. At twice the price used of the Pioneer's, it's not even a contest............EPOS every time.

H9

xoaphexox

Hell yeah! HPM-100 all the way!! I run a stacked pair here at home

cnh

I missed out on a pair of HPM-100s (local) for $40? But, then again, I've never heard them.

I have demoed the Pioneer 99 dollar BB speakers (out of curiosity) against Polk's TSI-100s and the 100s smoked the Pioneer. Same with the cheaper Pioneer towers vs. the TSI-300s. No contest...Polk..hands down. And these are entry level Polks!

I also own Monitor 5s and I wouldn't even bother demoing the cheaper Pioneers against them. The Monitors are a very nice bookshelf (well, they are a bit 'big' for a bookshelf...but they're not Monitor 10s after all)!

From what I gather, though, there is a Higher Priced line of Pioneers that might be OK designed by this same guy, can't remember the name. I mean 'how' can you produce a quality speaker much cheaper than a set of Polk TSIs??

cnh

BlueFox

saemark30 wrote: »

Hearing good things about these cheap Pioneer speakers by Andrew Jones. Might be worth a look and listen!

The September 2011 issue of stereophile has a review of the SP-BS41-LR at $150 a pair. Read the review for the details, but they are impressed with the sound from $150 speakers. They mention that Andrew Jones feels speakers in this price range range are geared towards people who are more interested in cosmetics, not sound.

Anyway, he concentrated on good drivers and cross-overs instead of cosmetics, and, apparently, has a pair of average looking speakers that sound great. At least according to the review.

cnh

I have to admit I haven't heard the 41s. BB does not sell those. But I have heard the 21s and the 51s and if any reviewers think those are 'good' speakers--I say they're smoking something.

Now the:

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Home/Speakers/Home+Theater+Speakers/S-31B-LR-K

At $349 (designed by this same Andrew Jones); there's a price point where you just might be able to produce something.

cnh

Tony M

xoaphexox wrote: »

Hell yeah! HPM-100 all the way!! I run a stacked pair here at home

That's got to be a beautiful sound.
I once owned the HPM-100...200watt models and was amazed at their efficiency and ease at which they performed.


People don't realize just how HUGE these things are. The pictures don't do them justice. Trying to move them, I got a friend to help me one time. HEAVY and AWKWARD comes to mind. Their sound reminded me of the ADS L710's in clarity. That says alot right there!