# Speaker Audition - Evaluation Line Up ($1,000/pair max)



## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

I am looking for a pair of "black" (low sheen finish) floorstanding speakers that will be setup for two channel listening in my theater room. I will use them for music listening and then move them out of the way for theater viewing. 

What I have decided to do is attempt to gather up several pairs of speakers to evaluate at the same time. Most of these will have a trial period, so coordinating delivery will be important if I want to give each pair a fair comparison to all the others. Some I will get as review units, while there may be a few that I may purchase with or without a trial period. My goal is to stay at $1,000 or less on my selection for the pair. They can be new or used in MINT condition only, but they cannot exceed $1,000 shipped.

I will be at the Capital Audiofest the weekend of July 27. So I won't say that it is not impossible that I may end up hearing some speakers that I would like to include in the evaluation, although it is not typical to find the lesser expensive speakers at the audio shows.

At this point I do not have an amplifier selected to power them and will use two channels from my Denon 4520 receiver. However, I will likely purchase a two channel tube amp between now and the time I secure all the speakers for evaluation. The source used for listening will be the OPPO BDP-105 that I recently purchased and is currently under review by Wardsweb here at HTS. 

Here is the lineup thus far with the pricing:

*MartinLogan Motion 12* - I have actually already purchased these BNIB from a fellow who use to work for a ML distributor. While the price is not as good at the Newegg deal a while back, it is still a good price... and I can probably get my money back through Audiogon if I decide not to keep them.

*HTD Level THREE* - I have always wanted to hear these. Jim was very impressed with the Level TWO speakers he reviewed.

*Magnepan MG 12/QR* - I was fortunate to get a pair of MINT MG 12's in all black from Alan at Audio Waves in Trinidad, CA., at a really good bargain. Alan was very easy to deal with and they carry a host of quality products there. He got these in on trade and says they are the cleanest he has ever seen used.

*Klipsch RF-62 II* - I have owned the Klipsch Forte's and heard La Scala's a while back, but I have not heard the RF line... and wanted to get a horn speaker in the mix.

*Arx A5* $- Another speaker I have been wanting to hear since we reviewed the A1b's a while back.

*Infinity Primus P363* - Maybe they seem out of place in this audition, but I have read so many good things about these speakers. I want to find out for myself how they stack up for pure music.

*Monitor Audio Bronze BX-6* - Jim recommended a couple of posts below. Seems like they will be worthy of a listen. I had considered them, but did not realize anyone offered them with a 30 day trial.


There will be a few more... maybe.

If you have some other suggestions, please let me know... I may include another pair or two if it makes enough sense. Obviously I am going to be very limited in how many I can choose to evaluate, as well as I prefer to have a free trial period. 

*SPECIAL NOTE*: After all the selections have been made... I will create a new official thread with a poll and allow members to vote on the pair of speakers I will end up keeping.


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## B- one (Jan 13, 2013)

Sounds like a lot of fun.


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

Two more that might be worth looking into are the PSB Image T5 and the Monitor Audio Bronze BX-6. Personally I like the Silver series better but those are at least 50% more than the Bronze are.

Just one note on the Arx... they take a _long_ time to fully break in, so plan accordingly. I suggest a minimum of 50 hours. No kidding.


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

I have previously owned the PSB Image 6T's and while I liked them, I don't think I will include them in this evaluation. 

None of these are going to get a lot of break in time... maybe a few hours each and that is about it. They will have to impress within my time frame of listening or they will be boxed back up. I would be extremely surprised if I were able to hear the difference in break-in time anyway. I am having second thoughts about the Arx because they will cost me the most on the return if I decide I don't like them, so I may decide to take them out. I have to pay shipping to me and shipping back, whereas most of the others include shipping to me and/or the shipping is minimal.

I did add the Monitor Audio BX-6 speakers... and thought about them earlier, but did not realize anyone offered a free trial on them.


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## Peter Loeser (Aug 11, 2012)

B&W 683 or CM8?


Edit: or Def Tech BP-8040 ST?


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

I think all of those are over the $1,000 mark for a pair and/or do not come in non-sheen black.


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## Peter Loeser (Aug 11, 2012)

Ah yes, I was looking at price per speaker. Seemed cheaper than I had remembered...


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## Tonto (Jun 30, 2007)

I wish you would reconside the Arx, I am very curious how those planer/ribbons sound. I may have to drive up & give a listen. Maybe the company could give you a break since they could be in the shootout?


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

Maybe I should talk with Jon and see what he says.

It would be nice to have a couple of folks come visit during the evaluation.

I am trying to negotiate for a pair of Vandersteen 2Ce speakers. These are some that I have longed to hear, although they have been replaced by the 2Ce Signatures with some upgrades.


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

I have spoken with Jon and feel comfortable that we will get a pair of A5's in for the evaluation.

The ML Motion 12's are here.

I have secured a pair of Magnepan MG12's in MINT condition. They should be here in a week or so. Again, I will be at the Capital Audio Fest show next weekend, Lord willing.

I believe I have worked it out to get a tube amp from Jolida. I spoke with Mike Allen today and they are very interested in becoming a sponsor... and will be at Capital Audio Fest as well.


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## Tonto (Jun 30, 2007)

Great news!


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## ousooner2 (Mar 25, 2013)

Not sure on the limits of your needs, but the EMP e55ti should be seriously considered


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

If they made them with a satin or low sheen black, I would consider them, but they don't quite fit the qualifications.


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## cellarnoise (Nov 14, 2012)

While likely not in the same class you are looking at, I once considered getting Bic Formula FH-6Ts for my 2 channel room. The are a narrower tower with a horn quality sound. The highs are something that I tend to focus on.
For my HT I auditioned several mains and was drawn to horn types. I sampled rf62-IIs, pl-76s, and energy cf-50s and two pairs of my older towers. Without an a,d,c type switch it is very hard to do a comparison as moving wires gets old. I did not have measuring equipment besides a friend and my own ears. No real clear winner in my own room even though there was noticeable difference between sets at my local HiFi store...
Ended up going with bic pl92s after borrowing pl-76s a friend has for awhile and use them in my ht. Very affordable setup, but I still need some room treatments.


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

The Acoustech PL-89 II model looks pretty interesting and I may add them since they are only $589/pair, but I need to wait and see what else I may add before committing, as I need to make sure I am not overloaded with too many. Once I find a pair I like, I may later bring in a few more pairs to compare to those.


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

Just saw these on Amazon. Seems like they might be worth considering as well.


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

theJman said:


> Just saw these on Amazon. Seems like they might be worth considering as well.


Definitely second that - I would be interested to see how the inverted dome tweeter compares....


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## tesseract (Aug 9, 2010)

I gotta say, the Bamberg Series 2 TM is pretty exciting for the money. The crossover work is really amazing and the sealed design mates well with subs (in fact, it is designed specifically to be used with subs) adding much to bass articulation.

The enclosure is a beautiful high gloss black, but the front baffle is satin black.


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

Jim, I think the Focal 716V would be more appropriate at $900/pair shipped... and it does appear that ListenUp has a 30 day return guarantee.

Dennis... unfortunately they would not fit the requirements of being a floorstanding speaker in non-sheen black. If I allowed them, then I have to open the door for several more bookshelf type speakers I would like to try. :huh:


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## Picture_Shooter (Dec 23, 2007)

Not sure on price, but i am sure the KEF Q500 or Q700 could be had for less than $1000.00 for the pair.

Other speakers maybe from Emotiva, Paradigm and Axiom


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

I wanted to try out the KEF uniQ model but could find a pair for the right price.


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## fwiler (Mar 5, 2012)

Not towers but I haven't heard anything listed here better than Goldenear Aon 3. A little over budget but the new triton 7 would be a great contender.


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

So you have actually heard all of these setup in your home? 

I think the ML Motion 12 might be similar in the upper range with the folded ribbon tweeter.

The Triton Sevens would be nice to try if I could find a pair used (mint) or B stock, etc. I think they would be under the $1,000 then, but at new, they won't work.

Later on I may do a evaluation with bookshelf speakers if this one goes pretty well... and the Aon 3's would fit in well.


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## Picture_Shooter (Dec 23, 2007)

Sonnie... If you are going to try the golden ears books then ya must get a pair of the B&W 685's


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

Those would definitely be a consideration. I also have considered the 684's for this evaluation, but I just haven't heard good things about these lower end B&W's... they seem to be poorly built in comparison to others in this price range.


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## fwiler (Mar 5, 2012)

I've had the Martinlogan, Klipsch, and Infinity in house.
The Motion 12 will be much harder to drive than the others.
Of the 3, I actually liked the Infinity the best, but sold those after a friend brought over the Aon 3's
Even though they are bookshelf, they play like a full tower. I think there are more differences than similarities in the speakers, so it will come down to personal preference.
I haven't heard the 7's as I guess they are just rolling out, but from the buzz it sounds like the speaker to beat in the price range. I understand capping it at a certain $. Because you can always go, "yeah but for just a little more" But with the 7's you might throw everything out the door once you hear them.


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

Sonnie said:


> The Triton Sevens would be nice to try if I could find a pair used (mint) or B stock, etc. I think they would be under the $1,000 then, but at new, they won't work.


Have you tried contacting Sandy Gross to see if he can assist? I'm not certain that will prove beneficial -- to be honest, I've found him a bit difficult to work with -- but perhaps he would be more amenable to you. Might be worth considering if the Seven's are something that intrigues you.


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

I contacted him a while back and tried to get his subs for us to review/test... and similarly, he was too interested at that time. I think he did however, tell me to get back with at a later day when after he released more subs/speakers... I just can't remember. Either way, for the speaker to qualify for the evaluation, I have to be able to get it like anyone else for $1,000 shipped. If he were to give me a break just so I could get it in the evaluation when they just are not out there to be found at that price, it would not be fair to the other speakers.

What could happen later on is if we decide to evaluate bookshelf speakers and get some in that I really like, it could cause me to purchase the larger towers to see if they were better. This is the same thing that could happen here with this evaluation. I may like a pair so well that I would wonder what their next level up would sound like and end up selling the ones I have and buying a more expensive pair. But initially, $1,000 max is the budget.

Today I nailed down a Rogue Cronus Magnum Integrated Tube Amp, a Jolida Fusion JD-3502BRC Integrated Tube Amp, and a Jolida JD-5T Tube Preamp/Emerald Physics EP100.2 Power Amp combo... all to be used with the evaluation.


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

I don't think the Motion 12's will be that hard to drive at 92db sensitivity... the Magnepans are 86db. :gulp:


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## Picture_Shooter (Dec 23, 2007)

Hey Sonnie - 

Just a little late browsing tonight and saw some other towers to consider that's less than $1K mark.

Over @ Crutchfield I see these: http://www.crutchfield.com/g_12000/Floor-standing-Speakers.html

Also @ Listenup.com they have a few good choices also like the "Focal Chorus 716V & PSB Image T5's".

Over at TheAudioinsider.com they have the ARX A5 (also B-stock for little cheaper)


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## AudiocRaver (Jun 6, 2012)

Are the Vandersteen 2Ce speakers going to be included?


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

Picture_Shooter said:


> Hey Sonnie -
> 
> Just a little late browsing tonight and saw some other towers to consider that's less than $1K mark.
> 
> ...


I have thought about Polk from time to time, but just haven't bit. I may later try them. The plan here was to try unique driver designs instead of the common drivers... other than the Primus 363's, which are only $400/pr. I have had the Image 6T's in the past and thought they were just average speakers. Good, but nothing spectacular... although I know I was mostly using them for home theater back then. They are another one I may try later on.

I plan on getting the Focal Chorus 716V's via Amazon for $899/pr. Listenup has already stated they would pay for return shipping if I did not want to keep them.

The Arx A5 are in the plans... spoke with Jon today. He is trying to get the 3rd generation tweeter in and installed before sending them my way, but not sure if that can be done before we need them, particularly in time for us to break them in good before critical listening.




AudiocRaver said:


> Are the Vandersteen 2Ce speakers going to be included?


They are suppose to be sitting at my office, so yes they will be included. :T


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## Tonto (Jun 30, 2007)

> The Arx A5 are in the plans


Those are the speakers I am looking forward to hearing. I got coverage for my call, so it looks like I'm a go. Looking forward to seeing everybody!


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

Awesome! You still pooling with Leonard?


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## Picture_Shooter (Dec 23, 2007)

I finally got to listen to a pair of Q700's. They sounded very good but a little soft on the highs. A Denon receiver was pushing them. From what I feel is they are worth about $500 range speaker; not $750 though.


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

I almost was able to snag a pair of Q900's for $1,000 shipped. If KEF had not wanted $250 for the boxes, I would have been able to work a deal. It just wasn't meant to be.


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## fwiler (Mar 5, 2012)

Are you going to test these in your dedicated room with treatments? 

I know you may not have time, but it would be nice to hear what you have to say about the speakers in a 'regular' room.

Some of us have to place our speakers in the family room


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

They will be well into the room, so treatments are going to have little effect on them. My room is 19.5' x 23'.

My great room is not really ideal for floorstanding speakers, as I have a huge built in cabinet and no way of setting them up like someone might with a big screen TV or cabinet between them.


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## Infrasonic (Sep 28, 2010)

I'd recommend you audition a Tekton Design speaker like the Lore. At the very least you might want to reach out to them and see if they have anything in your price range ready to ship for the test.

Either way good luck and I look forward to reading your findings!


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

I did speak with Eric, the owner there. He is trying to come up with a speaker that will fit for us at $1,000 shipped. The Lore is $1099 shipped. He wants to try to figure something out to do a little better than the Oriel 10, but we will see. The Lore would be the one to get though.


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## Infrasonic (Sep 28, 2010)

Great! I hope it works out.


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

I am dropping the Monitor Audio Bronze BX-6 from the lineup. Their marketing rep was pretty hyped up about me including them initially. After attending CAF and meeting the sales manager, he wanted to recommend the BX-5's, but then seemed hesitate after I mentioned all the speakers that would be included, as if he was doubtful that they would have a speaker that would compete. I spent quite a bit of time talking with him and really really liked those Platinums we were listening to in their room, but I don't think the Bronze models will even begin to come close. Anyway... I emailed their marketing guy when I got back and told him about meeting their sales manager and the discussion we had... and asked him to please discuss it with him and decide if they wanted to send the 5's or 6's. No response or even any acknowledgement since. I sent another email the other day, still no response. I do not plan on buying any more speakers for the evaluation, if a manufacturer wants them in, they will need to furnish them. I suspect Monitor Audio is not up for it.

I also think I am going to drop the Infinity Primus speakers, unless Harman comes through on sending me a pair. Their marketing rep has also been somewhat reluctant about making a decision and committing. I know they are very inexpensive, but I think I have enough for the evaluation and just don't feel like spending any more funds on it.


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## AudiocRaver (Jun 6, 2012)

We will have no shortage of nice speakers to evaluate.


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## fmw (Aug 11, 2013)

I can recommend the EMP Impressions. They may be a little shiny for you but the value is certainly there. They are the best under $2000 speakers I've heard.  $695 a pair including shipping. Here is a shot of mine.


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

Maybe one day they will make those in satin black... as I would love to give them a spin.


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

Since I have started the The Official $1,000 Speaker Evaluation / Home Audition Event Thread, I will close this one. I also moved it to the Two-Channel area, as this is more about setting up a two-channel system than it is just finding speakers.


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