What Are the Best Sounding Speakers UNDER $2,500 that You've Ever Heard.?

[zackthedog]

Several people have recommended the Vandersteen 2Ce IIs but judging from Sphile's measurements these speakers are probably quite bright and forward sounding.

 

 

I wouldn't bother with a listen and perhaps try the 3s instead.

 

R

 

Perhaps, but I've never heard a pair of Vandersteens I didn't find appealing and musical. One of the great buys in audio, along with Maggies and the lower-priced Focal lines.

[zackthedog]

They're very nice and great value. As an alternative, you can still get the LS3/5a for a few hundred less - the latest incarnation from Falcon drew great reviews, e.g. from Stereophile. The BBC minimonitor genre is not for everyone, as none has earth-shaking bass and there are a few colorations that you either find objectionable or wonderful but won't ignore. Some say they don't have any bass at all, but that's a bit of an exaggeration. I nominate the LS3/5a family for inclusion on this list.

 

I agree. Years ago I had a pair of Spendor's version and I'm sorry I ever sold them. I'd also advocate for a pair of used ProAcs in this price range.

[zackthedog]

Unfortunately those comments are only meaningful to you; people liking the sound of speakers or enjoying music reproduced through them doesn't make them universally appealing or more importantly accurate transducers.

People's tastes vary wildly and many audiophiles don't listen to classical music and as such accuracy is often not a requirement.

 

R

 

Well, having been an audiophile for over 40 years, I've observed that a consensus develops among experienced listeners as to what brands or models tend to bring satisfaction to a large number of listeners at a reasonable price over a long period of time--"classics," if you will, that display enduring design and construction quality. I think it helps newcomers or those seeking upgrades to know what those are. That said, I trust that everyone reading this forum knows it's just an opinion, but opinions, in the end, matter a lot more than measurements.

[zackthedog]

Love those Stirling LS3/6's but couldn't find a pair nearly as reasonable as you found! I did however just buy a pair of very late manufacture Spendor BC-1's in mint condition which I believe were very similar in many ways to the Rogers LS3/6 back in the seventies. Of course modern manufacturing, modern materials have improved but they share design principles with each other and I am looking forward to having them play some music for the holidays!

I should receive them today.

 

How nice! You'll get the lovely midrange with some extra extention at the top and bottom. Let us know how you like them.

[zackthedog]

I'm curious about where you would go for a high efficiency loudspeaker? While Maggie's are great they do want gobs of power ($$$) and space.

 

I can attest that if you like a traditional bass reflex speaker, original ProAc Response 2 series works magnificently with SE 300B, as does the Tablette series. Of the newer Response models, I know the Response 1S works fine, the 2S just okay. I have a friend who runs his little Polks with 8 watts. The smaller Spendors are happy with 8 watts. For 6 watts or less you probably need to investigate the high-efficiency speaker like Omega etc. The hard thing is that efficiency ratings don't always tell the story. The Response 2's are rated at 89dB but with the simple 1st order crossover they are a very stable, efficient load. Hope that helps.

[zackthedog]

Very interesting links to some things I'm not familiar with, thanks.

 

Well, that is the question, isn't it? There are quite of few of us fans-of-vintage-tech around (I have a wonderful reel-to-reel player I use almost as much as my turntable), and for those that know, SET amps pretty much are impossible to beat. Given that most new speaker-makers don't bother with high sensitivity, that means that perhaps some dumpster diving is in order. Failing that, some gently used or reconditioned speakers might do you right.

 

I had a pair of Model 17 Altecs, for example, that I had every intention of using with my favorite amp, a 7wpc tube amp from BorderPatrol. But alas and alack, after unpacking them and setting them up, I started sneezing. The sneezing continued every time I entered the room, and I quickly added some uncontrollable eye-watering and a hacking cough. So much for the Altecs. Caveat emptor -- and watch out for mildew.

 

Anyway, I would say that there's probably no need to fuss. Unless you're after a particular sound, most amps pushing more than a handful of watts will probably be just fine for most listening and with most speakers. I've happily said that "you can't have too much power", and I stand by that. The opposite is not true; some speakers need power, and under-powering speakers can be quite bad (and possibly dangerous to the lifespan of the speaker). But since I can still hear, I tend to listen at levels less than 90dB (average), which means that I just don't need 1kW to drive a 86dB speaker along just fine. Not all 86dB speakers are the same, however, and that's why home auditions are important. But, again -- all that said -- the Fritz use a very simple crossover. Reference3A does too. Single-driver speakers use none, obviously. Simplicity here means a higher degree of low-power-friendliness, but as always, YMMV.

 

I say all this not to mansplain or whatever -- I know that posts like these tend to be read by lots of folks, and for quite some time, so I wasn't trying to just skip-to-the-end in case someone was curious. Okay? Okay.

 

So, for me, I'd probably go look at another set of Altecs. Or maybe some Klipsch. But those GoldenEar, with the powered woofer section and overall 90dB sensitivity, will probably do just dandy with a low-powered amp. But if you're looking for jump factor, slam, and dynamic wow, Tekton and Zu top my current list for budget-priced speakers.

 

I do like horns, though. They're really fun, and while they might not be "perfect", they're entertaining. And isn't what this is supposed to be about? Anyway, I like what Volti is doing. Klipsch is really fun. I hear that those old Altecs can get you there, too.

 

But I'm always on the lookout for a great high-sensitivity speaker at a reasonable price. The Auditorium 23 Hommage Cinema is a bit beyond my reach, as is a Volti Vittora. Maybe that new Rival will be the thing.

 

In the meantime, I've been hugely impressed with Joseph Audio and Harbeth and DeVore. They all just sing with 20 watts -- counter-intuitive, perhaps, but true.