looking for good speakers to go with Rotel gears.

[audiofan]

Hi,
I'm pretty happy with axiom speakers i have now. However, i eventually move up to the dedicated 2-channel stereo (my gears: denon avr-3805, rotel rb-1080, rcd-1072). Therefore, i start looking at good musical speakers . I see that most of rotel owners here own B&W. I was just wondering there are any other good speakers that work well with Rotel gears? I heard Totem and B&W, but they are expensive....

Any idea, opion greatly appreciated.

thanks.

[will1066]

Before the moderators move this post, Paradigm is relatively more affordable and generally praised.

[Foxman]

Speakers are so suggestive and vary in price a great deal. So, probably the best thing I would suggest to do it go out and demo a wide ranging variety of brands and prices to determine what sound you prefer regardless of price. Then when you have collected all of that info you can drill down on the particular speaker you want to own. I use Klipsch speakers and really like them a lot, if you could find a Klipsch heritage dealer I would recommend checking that series as well as their reference series. Will1066 is exactly right about the Paradigm's as they do get a lot of deserved praise for their smooth sound.

Have fun & good luck.

[soundhound]

I 2nd Foxman's sentiment on Klipsch, I use their Reference series and to me it just doesn't get any better. I would shy away from listening to them at mass marketing stores, (Best Buy, Ultimate, etc...) as I have heard them there and yuk, made me want to run. What they are driven with is probably their best and worst attribute, and after that enviroment plays a big role in the way they sound. If you scroll through the various threads in this forum only, you can see people loving or hating the way their Rotel gear sounds based on speaker choice. Comments like, bright, thin, no bass, etc....Lots of wich has been attributed to speakers. Find some high end stores, demo, demo, demo, and many times you can buy a high end company's lesser valued speakers for = to or < what you would pay for chain stores "best thing since sliced bread" version.

[audiofan]

I'm also looking at Swan speaker too, but it has so many models. Apreion also catches my attention.

thanks.

[Lefteris]

I believe that klipsch speakers are too harsh to use with rotel gear.
I would definately demo the JM Lab Electra series, and if that's too expensive, try cobalt.
JM Lab speakers are among the most musical speakers around.
I believe that their Utopia series is better than B&W Nautilus, by far!
Whichever the case, don't buy anything until you've heard at least 10 different speakers.

Cheers!

[jimmyp58]

Audiofan....what is your budget?

Jim

[aud19]

Audiofan....what is your budget?

Jim

I agree, budget is needed :yesnod:

I'm sure you can tell from my Avatar what my recommendation is... :B
Totem's are nice too, though as you mentioned... expensive... Try Energy's, they make great speakers for the $$$.

But really, there's so many brands out there and so many people that will recommend them all that the best solution is for you to go listen with your own ears and see which ones YOU like best

[Foxman]

I believe that klipsch speakers are too harsh to use with rotel gear.
Cheers!

Thats a matter of opinion that many do not share, myself included. FWIW.

[jimmyp58]

While it is possible to purchase speakers on the recommendations of others without ever listening to them and be very content, it is truly ALWAYS best to go for a demo to hear them for yourself as buying without listening and being happy is clearly the exception rather than the rule.

Not to knock Klipsch but for me, I cannot stand them. But that clearly doesn't mean they are a bad speaker. Not in the least. In fact for probably 95% of the people that have them or have listened to them, they are the cat's a*^ as far as they are concerned. But if someone would take my advice, that would be clearly unfair and they more than likely could be missing out on some great sounding speakers.

My suggestion, determine your budget (if you haven't already), perhaps get some ideas of what some speakers could be had for the $$$ you have set aside, then go for a critical listening demo. Then, make your decision (or at least narrow it down to a couple then revisit).

Jim

[mitch57]

I own Def Techs and I like the way they sound with my Rotel gear. They have a wide range of speakers and I'm sure you can find some within your price range. But as everyone else has pointed out the best thing to do is demo, demo and demo some more!

[Al Garay]

You should consider DIY (such as some of the many Jon Marsh designs that are in the DIY section of this forum) or semi-DIY where you can buy a kit or buy a finished product:

* http://bamberglab.com/index.shtml
a set of the BESL System 2.5 L/R/C with surrounds of the System 2
* http://www.selahaudio.com/
* http://www.gr-research.com/
* http://www.av123.com/
* http://www.ellisaudio.com/

You can contact them and see if there is a person near you who has a set for you to audition.

Al

[audiofan]

I plan to spend around 1,500 to 1,800 for speakers. I just read some review about Aperion Tower Power speaker. Has anyone tried it yet? Aperion offers 30 days try out. Very neat design .

thanks.

[Kevin P]

Aperions have a smooth, natural sound, and their speakers are well matched for use in HT. Their highs are rolled off somewhat, which depending on your tastes is a good or a bad thing. Those used to brighter speakers may find the Aperions a little dull, but you'll never get a hint of harshness or fatigue from listening to them. This is likely due to a combination of their patented Diaural crossover design and the use of silk dome tweeters.

Note that the speakers I'm most familar with are the Intimus 522D-LR bookshelf (the 522D-C center channel is the same speaker but with a horizontal orientation). We've installed the 522D-PT Powered Towers in one home and they sounded great as well, though I'm not as intimately familiar with them as the bookshelves which we've installed in several homes.

Their subs are awesome, especially for the money. You'll be pleasantly surprised at the amount of clean, low bass you'll get from them. They're not quite up to SVS levels but they're great subs (and speakers) for the money.

If you're in the market for mid-range speakers the Aperions are definitely a winner.

[Kevin97225]

:E
No "Lefteris", Klipsch is not harsh with Rotel. I am running Rotel gear
with my Klipsch RF-7 speakers and the sound is very stunning together!
It doesn't get any better than this! I used to have B&W N803 speakers
and Rotel goes well with them too, but I do prefer the Klipsch RF-7 even
to it from the stunning sound that Rotel & Klipsch combo gives in a huge
wow factor way that can only be heard to believe. Rotel gives to Klipsch
just what it needs and wants and if it were harsh in anyway, I would
not be running this combo. It is true that some cheap amps can sound
harsh with Klipsch but certainly not Rotel. I highly recommend the
Rotel and Klipsch combo! It's as if they were made for each other for
the amazing sound quality the two produce together.

Your comment on this "Lefteris", leaves me to believe that you definitely
have not heard Klipsch and Rotel together. Horns are never bright and
harsh unless you put such equipment with them to cause this, whereas Rotel
does not cause this effect.

[whoaru99]

My brother recently got a pair of the Aperion powered towers. I listened to them a couple of weeks ago and I was fairly impressed with the sound. They did sound smooth and perhaps just a little laid back, but I would not describe them as dull. I thought they had pretty good low end too.

He was using JBL 4408's with a sub and was looking for something a little less forward and I'd say he succeded. The soft dome tweeter in the Aperions really smoothed out the sound vs. the JBL titanium tweeter. I think the 4408's are already sold...

He's using a Denon 2900, Marantz pre/pro (not sure the model) and a Carver (AV-705??) amp for electronics

[audiofan]

by reading posts in Aperion forum, i heard that Power Tower is a bit tricky on speaker placement since the subwoofer is built in.

[hired goon]

G'day,

No "Lefteris", Klipsch is not harsh with Rotel. I am running Rotel gear with my Klipsch RF-7 speakers and the sound is very stunning together!

I've heard Klipsch RF-7s driven by a Rotel RB-1090. The sound was smooth, not harsh, but far too forward for my taste -- it seemed like the Klipsch were shouting at me, and the music was losing front and back soundstage.

Switching the Klipsch for Sonus Faber brought back the 3-dimensionality of the music.

--Geoff

[StillLearnin']

I do not know if you can get your hands on a pair of Radia Z-7s, but I eneded up buying the Z-1s for my HT setup. I did compare them with "equivalent" B&Ws - the 600s I think and the B&Ws sounded muddy compared to these little beauts.

Ther are only sold through pro dealers, but are a great value and well below your $1.5K price range. Check these out at Bohleneder - Graebener.

I do agree with jimmyp58. The best thing to do is take a select number of discs and listen to them. The only judge of a good speaker that matters is your ear.

Good luck! :T

[DrJRapp]

:E
No "Lefteris", Klipsch is not harsh with Rotel. I am running Rotel gear
with my Klipsch RF-7 speakers and the sound is very stunning together!

I've got to back that comment. I purchased my Rotel gear to compliment my Klipsch Reference 7 series gear. After listening to about every combination out there the Klipsch Rotel was a perfect match.

I've also recently encouraged an associate to purchase Reference 35 series and a RSX 1056 receiver. That combination is working well.

I don't necessarily feel the same about the Heritage series of Klipsch. I have a pair of Chorus IIs that sound thin and bright when driven by my RB1050 (70 wpc) off zone 2 of my 1098, yet in the same position in the same room are full bodied and articulate when driven with a Cambridge Audio 65 wpc integrated, which has that warm tube like and often referred to as "British" sound . I've also listened to KHorns with my Rotel and thought they were a bit edgey, yet heard the KHorns with a old 35 wpc Dynaco tube amp and preamp sound fabulous. The Older design Klipsch seem to work better with gear designed from it's era, while the latest Klipsch designs go well with modern gear.

[Lefteris]

I don't know whether the brackets on my name were used ironicly, all I know is that I've heared RF-7s with an RMB-1095, playing Lee Morgan's "sidewinder" from a musical fidelity cd player. They sounded harsh. They were typical american-sounding speakers, complementing the highest and lowest registers of the recording, and just reproducing the mid-frequencies. Maybe they weren't broken-in, but I got the same impression on an exposition a couple of weeks later. All I say is that klipsch works well with movies, but my ears were extremely fatigued after 10 minutes of listening. If my opinion insults someone on this forum, through their choice in speakers, it shouldn't because I only have a point of view from what I've heard. It's ALWAYS subjective, so if someone is offended, I'd say maybe they're having second thoughts about their choice.

[Foxman]

I don't know whether the brackets on my name were used ironicly, all I know is that I've heared RF-7s with an RMB-1095, playing Lee Morgan's "sidewinder" from a musical fidelity cd player. They sounded harsh. They were typical american-sounding speakers, complementing the highest and lowest registers of the recording, and just reproducing the mid-frequencies. Maybe they weren't broken-in, but I got the same impression on an exposition a couple of weeks later. All I say is that klipsch works well with movies, but my ears were extremely fatigued after 10 minutes of listening. If my opinion insults someone on this forum, through their choice in speakers, it shouldn't because I only have a point of view from what I've heard. It's ALWAYS subjective, so if someone is offended, I'd say maybe they're having second thoughts about their choice.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I wasnt offended, I just wanted to make a clarification to your original post. In your original post you were matter of fact about your statement and when dealing with someone that you don't know about such a subjective subject as speaker sound I just wanted the original author of the question not to be disuaded from purchasing Klipsch because of one persons opinion. I find that what sounds good to other sounds like crap to me sometimes and visa versa as in this case. No harm no foul
:T

[Kevin97225]

Lefteris,

In no way do I have second thoughts about my choice with the Klipsch
speakers, or even the Rotel/Klipsch combo. Every day that I sit down to listen
to these Klipsch speakers, I am amazed! Not just I, but anyone visiting that
hears them. I've had some family members and friends actually have me help them
set up the same setup after having to have it after hearing mine. It just gets
really old to hear someone say this about Klipsch speakers when it's not accurate,
maybe for your setup, possibly, but I can gaurantee you that if you listen to
my setup, you would not be saying that. I can listen to music for many hours
and get no ear fatigue at all. In fact, it is now going to be very difficult
for me to ever leave horns.

Am I insulted by your comments, not really! I felt I should clear up that
it's not harsh for every one though.

I do understand that you have your own opinion but not all systems
are equal and we can't all expect the same results. It just really does get old
when you hear someone saying that Klipsch speakers are too harsh to listen to
when you know that just isn't true, especially the Rotel and Klipsch combo that
you said was too harsh together comment. When I hear such a comment, I have to
let others know that the combo does go well together. The only reason I did end
up with Rotel gear with Klipsch is from all the recommendations for it from the
Klipsch forum that was very helpful to me before my Rotel purchase for the
Klipsch speakers.

Brackets on your name were not meant to be ironical in any way, many do it that way
here to only refer to the person they are talking to, I have left it off this time
so you won't feel it questionable.


hired goon,

I admit that I do tend to like more forward than too laid back speakers.
Klipsch is going to be more forward, after all they are horns. I like that very
real live BIG sound that it produces. If you don't care for that, I can see how
you might not like them. I don't think they are far too forward though, and definitely
not shouting at me but to your ears they may be, just as I can't stand too laid back sounding speakers, just come across as too dull and un-involving to me. So in cases like that, one wouldn't like the same things. That's quite understandable.

As far as the soundstage goes, it's HUGE on my RB-1090 from front, back, and L&R sides.
The RB-1090 has one of the largest soundstage that I've heard and couple of reviews also
said that's one of the RB-1090's forte. You and I have a difference of opinion on the
RB-1090 all together. I still feel something may be wrong with yours, being bought used.
The way you descibe it just isn't how the RB-1090 is for me and I have two of them.
Again, could be just a difference of opinion and our ears hearing different things!

DrJRapp,

You make a good point about the Klipsch Heritage speakers and Rotel, thanks for sharing that, it's a good thing to keep in mind.