What's your limit on Speakers?

My limit on speakers?

Two.

One left channel.

One right channel.

nooshinjohn wrote: »

Viking64 wrote: »

My limit on speakers?

Two.

One left channel.

One right channel.

It's actually three. You left out one for the pugs to pee on.

Actually 4.

For me: A pair of 2.3TLs.

For the pugs: One Bose to pee on and one Klipsch to **** on.

One of the most difficult lessons I’ve learned in this hobby is that the amount of money spent is NOT directly proportional to sound quality.

Leaving aside for the moment that “sound quality” itself is a moving target from person to person, two brands in particular that are expensive and thus deemed “high quality” left me completely cold - B&W and Wilson Audio. Both brands -Wilson especially- are clearly “high quality”, but neither sound appealing to me. I was looking at a pair of Wilson Sasha speakers on the local classifieds for $6k. That’s a lot of money for me, so I traveled up to Wilson HQ (about 45 minute drive) and spent an afternoon listening to their speakers. They are beautiful, well built, and the folks at Wilson are clearly passionate. But I just didn’t like the sound - they lacked the “goose bump factor”… For me…. Same with B&W - I’ve owned them, and just not my thing. I’m not saying either is a “bad brand” mind you.

The most I've ever spent on a pair of speakers was $3K for a pair of Polk L800s and I don't imagine spending more than that. The next biggest spend was on a new pair of Magnepan 1.7i speakers which are an incredible deal until one considers that the equipment needed to get the best out of them can be expensive!

I'm actually going in the opposite direction with speakers. I've been spending LESS on speakers as I've gotten older as my goals have changed. For example, I got a pair of Polk R100s recently because that was what met my requirements for use in a home gym.

I have a pair of Wharfedale Lintons that I paid $1200 a pair for with the stands and have them in a smallish den. I could get a pair of Wharfedale Dovedales for $7500 to replace them. But, the Lintons have about 90 percent of the performance of the Dovedales and they fit the room better so I have no reason to spend that much for an incremental upgrade. Anyway, I really dig the smooth retro sound from the Lintons.

It's also possible to get great sound from modestly priced bookshelf speakers these days like the Polk Reserve line.

But, if someone has the disposable income to spend $20K on a new pair of speakers I'd encourage them to also spend the money necessary to buy the rest of the system's gear to make them perform as intended. That could easily be an additional $20K to $30K. Buying speakers isn't the end of the expenditure on an audio system.

displayname wrote: »

Given that I almost always buy speakers used, it’s very hard to set a number. But the number dictates the price, not the speaker. I have a very good habit of walking away from things that I can’t afford.

Buying in the used market can be great! I've had a pair of JMlab Electras I got used for $2K in 2005. I think they were around $6K a pair when new when the original owner bought them around 2000. I used them as my main speakers from 2005 until around 2020. Got my use out of those! And, I still have them, although they're not in use right now. I figure a new pair from Focal that's somewhat equivalent in the Kanta line may be between $10K and $15K, although it's hard to make that assessment because Focal has improved their speakers with new drivers and technology over the years. There's no way I'd spend that kind of money on new speakers.

I have learned to just put some money away all year long, that way if something pops up, or it’s something I have been saving for, I can pull the trigger when it’s convenient, and doable..

Also, none of us is taking any of this with us, so remember to live a little as well, I’m not saying break the bank, but enjoy the ride while you’re here..