Topic: help on speaker brand selection

[iwc2277]

hi,

i was wondering if any of the guru's can suggest what mid level brand i can get for speakers for my front and center (i would like to invest these first then get the surrounds later) i eventually i will be using these for my dedicated ht set up estimated area i am looking at is 25 to 30 sqm., currently i will be using them in my room to watch movies and listen to music. (70% movies 30% music) i have a denon 1803 that will temporarily amplify the speakers but eventually i am looking at getting a NAD 575 receiver. (saving up for that)

i am planning to slowly build up the system in time so there is no rush.

i also heard that if i get speakers that are great for music will surely be great for ht any truth to this saying?

i currently have this set up in my room

wharfedale diamond 7 fronts
opal series center
valdus 100 surround
svs pb12nsd sub (currently dealing with mike c.)
denon 1803

i would like to move up from my wharfedale speaker (don't get me wrong they are good speakers that served me well up to today) but when i talk to other speaker enthusiasts who know what they are talking about they always suggest to me to get better speakers please give speaker brand suggestions i will have to listen to what i like best.

can you suggest also what size of speakers i should get for 25 to 30 sqm.?

thanks for all your help

[audiojunkie]

check Paradigm Studio or Performance Series, SVS or Polk audio... 

 

[Stagea]

If you're going for a NAD AVR, PSB Speakers might be a safe choice.

[pert]

Dynaudio excite series 

[beginner]

PSB would be a good match for a NAD receiver.

[ricky]

hi,

i also heard that if i get speakers that are great for music will surely be great for ht any truth to this saying?

Not necessarily true. For music most would want to have a speaker that is warm sounding, laid back, full rounded lf response WHILE for movies you might enjoy the detailed, bright in your face screaming hf which is good for most demanding effects in a movie.

Anyways it's your Taste that will count a lot so try to audition as much as you can before finally getting thaterfect speaker for you.

Also if I may suggest, based from experience it's better to set up two systems, one specific for music and one specific for movies. With 2 distinct setup, there will be no compromise na, you get the best of both worlds ika nga. Also it's cheaper to have 2 system than 1 system that is good for movie-music.

[at_sunset_blvd]

Plenty of brands out there to choose from, the best possible way to know is to Audition

based from experience it's better to set up two systems, one specific for music and one specific for movies

+1
This is a good suggestion also from Sir Ricky

[Billabong]

+1 on Dynaudio. Love your own!

Pero kanya kanya pa ding preference yan pagdating sa tunog.

Basta dapat adequately powered yung speakers para dynamic sounding and walang compression.

In my opinion, for HT application, malaking factor din yung receiver dahil iba iba ang ginagamit na EQ. For example, Denon, Marantz, NAD and Onkyo use Audyssey (not sure if they all have the same target curve though). Pioneer and Yamaha use their own proprietary calibration softwares. So this means that the post-calibration output of your speakers is usually going to be very different from their original sound and will be highly dependent on the target curve/response of your receiver's EQ software.

So my theory is that by using the same receiver (with a high resolution filter like Audyssey Multi EQ XT / XT32) to drive two different brands of speakers of the same class in the same room, I think more or less the resulting sound after calibration will be quite similar. Pero kung walang EQ, definitely magkaibang-magkaiba yan.

Sa 2-channel audio naman usually hindi ginagamitan ng EQ kaya mas crucial yung synergy ng whole system including the room.

Mas okay talaga kung hiwalay ang audio and HT para walang compromise pero tiyak na mas magastos yan! hehe Pero pwede rin naman pagsabayin sa isang room ang HT and audio with very good results just like sa system nila sir Streetsmart and Nelson de Leon.

[iwc2277]

thank you all for your quick reply i will take into consideration splitting up my listening and ht viewing

any suggestion on what good quality speaker brands i should be looking at if possible no more entry level models? does it really matter sound and quality wise where the speakers are made nowadays from where it was made before? any good or bad experiences? should i still go for the country where they were originally made (sorry for this comment just want to enrich my knowledge regarding speaker quality)

Thanks

[at_sunset_blvd]

thank you all for your quick reply i will take into consideration splitting up my listening and ht viewing

any suggestion on what good quality speaker brands i should be looking at if possible no more entry level models? does it really matter sound and quality wise where the speakers are made nowadays from where it was made before? any good or bad experiences? should i still go for the country where they were originally made (sorry for this comment just want to enrich my knowledge regarding speaker quality)

Thanks

IMHO yes, like the Dyns & Dali the manufacturers really not only take pride w/ the internal construction but also the external cosmetics also are flawless. I'm not saying that the good brands before that are outsource in China right now are not well constructed, they're just a bit like mass-produced. Cheaper labor results in cheaper quality.

Start out to audition w/ DynaAudio sir as Billabong suggested, great SQ but you'll have to take into consideration the pairing equipments also. I hope this helps

[Billabong]

thank you all for your quick reply i will take into consideration splitting up my listening and ht viewing

any suggestion on what good quality speaker brands i should be looking at if possible no more entry level models? does it really matter sound and quality wise where the speakers are made nowadays from where it was made before? any good or bad experiences? should i still go for the country where they were originally made (sorry for this comment just want to enrich my knowledge regarding speaker quality)

Thanks

Anthony Gallo, Aurum Cantus, Dali, Duevel, Dynaudio, Focal, Harbeth, Living Voice, Magnepan, Sonus Faber, Von Schweikert, Wilson Audio and many more.

I suggest you wait for the 2011 November Hi-Fi show as almost all of the locally available brands will be there.

http://philippinehifishow.com/

[avshop]

Acoustic energy will be available this October.

[kinsela]

B&w 685

[deuce]

I suggest you wait for the 2011 November Hi-Fi show as almost all of the locally available brands will be there.

http://philippinehifishow.com/

Great suggestion, since malapit na naman.

Mid-level to high-end speakers cost a lot of money, so it will be nice to be able to compare the sound signatures of different highly regarded speakers before you make your choice.

As a bonus, you will also be be able to compare solid state vs. tube amps, analogue sources (turntables) vs. the new digital (flac/alac) players.

Maybe a solid state setup for HT and a tube setup for pure audio?

[Ms. Tisa]

Try also to audition duevel planets, aurum cantus, and era.

[CeeV]

As always AUDITION should be the main thing.....people have diff taste as many as the population in the world.  Diff hearing preference and subjectivity makes it very hard for us to impose what's good for you.

Pero siempre...I would have to recommend my own preferrence too..based on my hearing taste. Try the Paradigm Monitor 7 ver.6.0  Their not at par with your current selection pricewise ( I think ). During my auditioning...with Monitor Audio Bronze series, Klispch, PSB and Wharfedale..She (Paradigm) stands out amongst them. Before the auditioning I was bent on getting the Monitor Audio as I had listen to them for countless of times in the end the auditioning made my decision. Budgetwise almost same lang sila. Kung bookshelf go for the Atom series.. Dyanudio,Harbeth and the rest are siempre way out of my league..if you have the budget you'll never go wrong with those high ends. In this hobby you have to decide on the budget first then workaround on it  which is the best sounding within it.