Statement II vs Anthology

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  • MatthewG
    Junior Member
    • Nov 2020
    • 5

    Statement II vs Anthology

    I built a pair of Paul Carmody's S2000s for my home office to listen while I work, and ... realize my living room setup could use some work. I eventually want to go to a HT setup, but I expect that 80% of my listening will be music with 20% home theater, so I want to start with the music setup and build HT later.

    I think either the Statement II or Anthology might be the best option for me, based on all the research thus far, since my primary concern is music reproduction. Nobody seems dissatisfied with them, except maybe that it's a long build. (COVID means that build complexity is maybe not as a big a factor as it otherwise would be, given that I'm not exactly able to leave the house.)

    I don't have a fully dedicated woodworking space or complex tools like a table saw or router, nor I don't have a garage to put a shop in. If possible, I'd like to get a flat pack like I did with the S2000 - I found flatpacks for both the Statement and Anthology at speakerhardware.com, and even better for me, the flatpacks are Baltic birch instead of MDF. (I'd rather stain and polish something that looks like wood than veneer.) I have no idea if they're approved/authorized by the designers, though.

    I think I'm leaning towards the Statement because it's a little more future proof with electronics upgrades, and there's a center channel flatpack available for when I go to my HT setup.

    As far as making the decision between the two: I listen mostly to classical music and jazz, though my classical collection is varied. I started with big orchestral pieces, but have started listening more to smaller ensembles - string quartets, piano sonatas, and the like. I also have a fair amount of early/medieval vocal music (many groups, but the highlight is Anonymous 4, where everything is four pure unaccompanied voices).

    My main source (90+%) is FLAC, so it's faithful to the CD, but original master quality varies widely. I have Glenn Gould's Goldberg variations, and I thought I had a weird problem in my desktop audio chain because there was an odd hum in the 1981 recording. As it turns out, Gould would often drive recording engineers nuts because he'd hum and they'd try to take it out - with the S2000 I was hearing the remnants of his humming. Other recordings are not as good - for example, there is nothing as good as the 1930s Pau Casals recordings of the Bach Cello suites, but they were recorded in mono with the state of the art in the 30s. Yes, they're on CD, but the original masters aren't close to modern quality standards.

    My living room is a 20x20 open-plan room with a vaulted ceiling (and a loft off to one side), so it's not massive but it does take some work to fill.
  • 707kevin
    Member
    • Oct 2010
    • 52

    #2
    Either the Anthology's or Statement IIs will fill that room easily. Very easily.

    I choose Anthology for a more living room friendly size. If you're wearing socks...these will rock them off. Just saying.

    A flatpack is REQUIRED if you don't have a router and all the tools. I have all the tools and I still took 4 months building these working off and on.

    Any of the center channel speakers that will work great with the Statements will also work with the Anthology's. They are 'voiced' the same, same style mid tunnels, etc.

    I don't understand this part: "I'd rather stain and polish something that looks like wood than veneer."
    Wood veneer IS real wood, and the top layer of Baltic birch IS veneer. Good veneer is of amazing quality.

    What Amps / AVR will you be using?
    I'm willing to guess that in your room, you won't be able to tell much of a difference between Anthology vs Statement IIs

    Both should be amazing for movies. The dynamics of the Anthology's are excellent.

    Comment

    • MatthewG
      Junior Member
      • Nov 2020
      • 5

      #3
      I don't have the tools, and more importantly, don't have a place to put the tools to build a cabinet. So yeah, definitely going for a flatpack. It seems like the Speaker Hardware flat pack is pretty well designed - certainly having biscuits would have made it a lot easier to build the my last set of speakers.

      My comment about the veneer wasn't as much about looks as it was about work. Not sure my skills are up to making a veneer look good, matching up the edges, cutting the holes for the drivers, and so on. I suppose I don't need to make that call right away, since I have to build the cabinet before I choose the finish anyway.

      Electronics to drive these are a work in progress - right now I have a NAD326BEE amp that is going to go to the kitchen for a second system when the HT rebuild is complete. The most likely replacement is a DIY Hypex or Purifi power amp, fed by a pre/pro to be named after I do the some research.

      Comment

      • Seattle
        Junior Member
        • Sep 2017
        • 16

        #4
        I’m not 100% certain but I think I saw Jim comment in another thread a long time ago about the flatpacks being OK.

        I haven’t heard either speakers but read every thread for Jim and Curt’s designs starting from the Statements on and no one has ever had a negative word for them.

        Comment

        • rick844
          Senior Member
          • Jun 2019
          • 232

          #5
          Having built the anthology's, I can attest to the amount of value there is in buying a flat pack. I'm still trying to get MDF dust out of places in my garage.

          Can't speak to the statements, but I doubt you would be disappointed with the anthology's.

          That said, for 560 bucks, that is a lot of cheddar. If you are never going to build speakers, it may be worth it, but if you ever plan to build, you would be better offer getting the tooling and building. One kit would pay for the tooling.
          Last edited by rick844; 29 November 2020, 16:06 Sunday. Reason: Additional info

          Comment

          • MatthewG
            Junior Member
            • Nov 2020
            • 5

            #6
            Originally posted by rick844
            That said, for 560 bucks, that is a lot of cheddar. If you are never going to build speakers, it may be worth it, but if you ever plan to build, you would be better offer getting the tooling and building. One kit would pay for the tooling.
            Well, this is the second flat pack I'm looking for in less than a year, so maybe I should consider tools! I don't really have a place to put a wood shop - I don't have a garage, so I'd have to set up in my backyard.

            For making speakers, I'm guessing I need only a few power tools: a circular saw (a table saw is too big), a router, and if they're big cabinets, a sander so I don't have to sand by hand? Then, I'd need a ton of clamps, some sort of saw guide, a work table, and some sacrificial material to go underneath my saw cuts?

            You're right... three power tools at $200 each are basically the cost of a kit. This is why DIY stuff is so complicated! The time-vs-money tradeoff is there for every little decision. (Plus the shipping charges for an anthology-size flat pack vs buying the raw material and bringing it home in my hatchback adds another cost reason to not buy the kit!)

            Comment

            • rick844
              Senior Member
              • Jun 2019
              • 232

              #7
              Sounds like you are struggling with this more then you initially led on. Forget the garage, use the driveway for major cutting and routing. My next project will happen in the driveway to reduce the mdf dust. Don't need a table saw if you use a straight edge and a hand saw. I would buy a router with a good jig as this is critical for speaker building. You can do this on the cheap if you are willing to be handy. Veneering is easy.

              Comment

              • Seattle
                Junior Member
                • Sep 2017
                • 16

                #8
                I built the Aviatrix with a circular saw, 4 clamps, a router, and a router jig. You can lay 2x4 to create a temporary cutting platform on any flat space, just have to bend while cutting. I’m about to purchase a Kreg Rip cutting guide -its not expensive and someone recommended it as accurate.

                If you can, do invest. Strap / band clamps can help reduce clutter. Its been over 2 years and I never veneered them so I suck at that.

                Comment

                • Steve Manning
                  Moderator
                  • Dec 2006
                  • 1879

                  #9
                  Just my two cents worth ...... if you decide to build your own speakers and have plans on other stuff down the road, buy the best tools you can afford. That does not mean the best out there, just what fits into your budget. Going cheap works once in a while and is sometimes completely warranted, but going that route can make a pleasant experience turn very frustrating in a hurry. There's a bunch of talented woodworkers in this group and they can offer up a bunch of good suggestions in the tools department.
                  Hold on to your butts - It's about to get Musical!



                  WEBSITE: http://www.smjaudio.com/

                  Comment

                  • MatthewG
                    Junior Member
                    • Nov 2020
                    • 5

                    #10
                    Thank you for all the advice. I did some quick research this afternoon, and determined that I can more than enough plywood locally for two Anthology cabinets for a bit more than $200, which means I can spend $600 on tools and supplies before it's the same cost as the flat pack; obviously, if I do a second speaker kit the return is even better, and the odds seem very good that I'll do more - DIY speakers completely blow away commercial products at the same price point. (Yes, I'm discounting my labor, but I always liked shop class...)

                    For tools: sadly, I don't have a garage or a basement (the joys of urban dwelling). I can probably do the cutting and routing in the back yard (it's what some of my contractors have done), but there's not a good solution for electrical power so I'm looking at cordless tools. I'm already partly bought into the DeWalt cordless stuff for other tools, so I'll probably stay within their lineup unless it's a terrible idea.

                    Comment

                    • RookieBuilder
                      Member
                      • Feb 2017
                      • 41

                      #11
                      I built my statements with a circular saw, clamp on straight edge, a router, handful of clamps, and box horses. You really dont need much.
                      The clamp on straight edge/circular saw is awesome for breaking down full sheets of plywood, however gets cumbersome for smaller repetitive cuts that are a breeze on a table saw.

                      Comment

                      • MatthewG
                        Junior Member
                        • Nov 2020
                        • 5

                        #12
                        Originally posted by RookieBuilder
                        I built my statements with a circular saw, clamp on straight edge, a router, handful of clamps, and box horses. You really dont need much.
                        The clamp on straight edge/circular saw is awesome for breaking down full sheets of plywood, however gets cumbersome for smaller repetitive cuts that are a breeze on a table saw.
                        At the risk of showing off how little I know about woodworking, what's a box horse? Is that like a saw horse?

                        Comment

                        • RookieBuilder
                          Member
                          • Feb 2017
                          • 41

                          #13
                          Originally posted by MatthewG
                          At the risk of showing off how little I know about woodworking, what's a box horse? Is that like a saw horse?
                          Same thing, or if they aren't then I am using words wrong.

                          Comment

                          • Steve Manning
                            Moderator
                            • Dec 2006
                            • 1879

                            #14
                            I think box horses are used for gymnastics, but pretty much the same shape.
                            Hold on to your butts - It's about to get Musical!



                            WEBSITE: http://www.smjaudio.com/

                            Comment

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