Topic: where to buy and audition mid end speakers..

[MAtZTER]

One thing I observed with mid end speakers is that they are usually harder to drive (translates to more "power hungry") than their entry level counterparts. But when well driven, they sound heavenly.

So dont forget to drive your mid end speakers well with good receivers and amps. I would recommend a minimum of mid end receivers (ranging from P30+k) w/ mid end bookshelves and top mid end models (40+k) even outboard power amps for mid end floorstanders. Floorstander need more power to drive them to their best.

If you are budgeting for mid end speakers, do remember to factor in the mid end AVR or amp budget. Sadly, this is often overlooked.

Yes, maybe an entry level receiver can drive it "sufficiently", but you may not be unleashing the potential of your mid end speakers. Di ba sayang naman?

Its something like a F150 pickup or Expedition fitted w/ a 1.3 liter engine.

It still does the job din naman somehow di ba? The question is, how well? 

just my 2 cents.

[MAtZTER]

For best results, here is my 2 cents recommendation for most speakers in our market (excluding Dynaudio  ):

Entry level bookshelf & small satellite speakers: entry level receiver & up (20k up)
Entry level floorstander: Mid level receiver & up (30k up)

Mid level bookshelf: Mid level receiver & up (30k up)
Mid level floorstander: Top mid level receiver up (40k up) and power amps if possible.

UP means the more powerful AVR, the better. Even better w/ power amps (read PRE OUTS thread, reply#33 in the general HT section).

Bookshelves are the safest, specially if you are more into HT since the subs will handle the LFE.

Floorstanders are good for those who (50/50 music/HT users) like pure 2 channel music w/ no subs (like me). Also for bigger rooms, dont make the mistake of using floorstanders in small rooms or it may become boomy.

If on a budget & you really want FS, try going for those older AVR's in the B/S section. they were kick @$$ P40+k receivers years ago and they will sure beat any entry level AVR's of the same price in terms of SQ, minus the latest fancy new features of course.

Again, just my friendly 2 cents. 

[synchro_01]

actually not all mid to high end speakers are hard to drive. There are models that have 91db and up sens. they can even be driven by as low as 3 watts to 8 watts (tube).  If shopping for speakers make sure you get the specs and from then on you can more or less estimate how much amp power will you need to make those speakers sing. Home audition is best.

[MAtZTER]

Got this from a book a few days ago, I am glad it came from an expert (stereophile consultant) & it reinforces my conclusions. For those wanting to pair entry level electronics with your mid end speakers, read first.

The total system's performance is limited by the resolution of the worst component in the signal path.You may have superb loudspeakers (LS) & source, but they will be wasted w/ a poor quality pre-amp in the signal chain.

Quality matching between components is essential to getting the most sound for your budget.

High-quality LS at the end of a chain containing a bad sounding component can even make the system sound worse than low quality LS. The high resolution speakers reveal all the imperfections of the electronics upstream of them.

I've listened to $400 LS driven by $30,000 worth of electronics & $9000 LS driven by budget integrated amplifiers. I can state categorically that the electronics & source components are every bit as important as - or more important than - the loudspeaker. Although the LS significantly influence the overall sound, high quality source components (TT,CDp's) and good electronics (pre amp & power amp) are essential to realizing a musical high end system.

Robert Harley - Complete Guide to High End Audio
page 16