What speakers should I get?

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  • aramb
    Member
    • Apr 2003
    • 36

    What speakers should I get?

    I recently purchased the RSP-1066/1075/1060 combo. I have looked at a number of speakers including the Kef Reference series and the Monitor Audio Gold Reference series. I am leaning toward the Monitor Audios and was wondering if anyone had suggestions of speakers that work particularly well with the Rotel. My main concern is music. I listen to mostly classical, with an emphasis on classical organ music, as well as a lot of multi-channel music.

    Thanks for your suggestions.
  • george king
    Member
    • Dec 2000
    • 45

    #2
    I used to use Kefs with my Rotel amp. It was a very nice combination. I imagine the new Reference or even XQ line would sound good. What is your budget, and is this for 2 speakers or a full 5.1 or 7.1 setup.

    Others to Consider GR Research (replaced my Kefs) and ACI (Danbry has them, and they sound great).

    Hope this helps.

    Comment

    • Danbry39
      Moderator Emeritus
      • Sep 2002
      • 1584

      #3
      Of course, I'm going to agree with George on both ACI's and GR Research, both online companies. 8)

      What's your price range?

      I was intending to listen to Saint-Saens, Symphony No. 3 for Organ tonight. I'll let you know my impressions with the ACI's and perhaps I'll put on some Ton Koopmen and Virgil Fox as well.




      Keith
      Keith

      Comment

      • xavierzx11
        Junior Member
        • Aug 2003
        • 23

        #4
        I have the 1098, but before that I had the 1066 (twice). I use Conrad-Johnson amps with the 1098 and have Revel speakers. I love the way these speakers sound with the Rotel/Conrad combo.


        Paul




        "Everyone has to have a hobby!"
        "Everyone has to have a hobby!"

        Comment

        • rlin
          Junior Member
          • Aug 2003
          • 24

          #5
          Depends on your budget. I owned Vandersteen 2CE ($1499 pair) and find them great for classical music. If you need deeper bass I would recommend adding a subwoofer (great for home theater too) - I have a Hsu VTF-3 rosewood and it blends beautifully with the Vandersteen. That brings the price up to $2599. Alternatively, you can go for the Vandersteen Model 3 which has better bass than Model 2CE but costs $3699 a pair.

          Rob

          Comment

          • aramb
            Member
            • Apr 2003
            • 36

            #6
            My original budget was about $7000 for the following 5.1 setup...

            Monitor Audio GR60 Mains
            Monitor Audio Gold LCR Center
            Monitor Audio GR10 Surrounds
            Hsu VTF-3 Sub

            However, if I can find a speaker compliment that has as good of sound quality, or better, for less money, I could use the savings for something else.

            Comment

            • dave
              Senior Member
              • Aug 2003
              • 434

              #7
              Aramb, I am using the Vandersteen line also, when listening to straight Stereo my 3s really do a neat job. As I have heard before its your ears that will have to make the final judgment for your own particular tastes. Vandersteens are very laid back sounding I guess thats why I enjoy them so much. If you can try to go out & listen to a wide variety of speakers to get some sort of a bearing on what suits you. My system consists of Rotel RSP1066-RMB1095 combo Vandy 3s front Vandy2s Rear Bose 901 series six Center paired off in series For me it plays everything from Classical To Rock Very Gracefully. GOOD LUCK & HAVE FUN!!! Dave...
              Dave...

              Comment

              • gd
                Senior Member
                • Jan 2003
                • 583

                #8
                $7k is a sweet budget... for that kind of money the best advice I can give is to audition as thoroughly as you can before buying... speakers are the most critical part of the chain, and vary greatly from make to make.

                I really like the Monitor Audio products... try to hear the Silver line alongside the Gold... you may find very little drop in quality for considerably less money.

                The above-mentioned Vandersteen 3 is a glorious speaker.

                But again, grab your favorite music and do some serious exploring... some other makes to consider: Totem, Dali, GR (online), NHT, Vienna Acoustics.

                Lotsa others too... many choices for $5-7k!
                .
                greg (gd to you)
                .
                Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring
                production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid.

                Frank Zappa

                Comment

                • Danbry39
                  Moderator Emeritus
                  • Sep 2002
                  • 1584

                  #9
                  Aram,

                  Here's the link I said I would provide in my email. At 7K, there are so many great choices, but give Mike a call and see if any of their products would be appealing for an audition.

                  Here's your link.




                  Keith
                  Keith

                  Comment

                  • pjdami
                    Junior Member
                    • Jul 2003
                    • 11

                    #10
                    I have the Polk LSi Series for my speakers. I have the LSi 15s for mains. Excellent matchup for Rotel. I use Transparent Musiclink interconnects and Transparent MusicWave Biwire speakerwire. I tried a lot of different wire with the Rotel / LSi combo and the Transparent was magical for me. A full LSi setup with a Hsu sub and some good wire will put you in the $4,500 - $5,000 price range.

                    Comment

                    • jimmyp58
                      Super Senior Member
                      • Aug 2003
                      • 1449

                      #11
                      I've had my Rotel RSP-1098 for a few weeks now and I can't tell you how wonderful my Def Techs sound with this setup. When I purchased my '1098', I upgraded my front Def Tech speakers to their new towers the BP7000SC (MSRP = $5,000/pair U.S.). I have always found Def Tech speakers sounding well with movies and music, particularly DVD-A/SACD; I have not heard them with classical but they do a wonderful job with all variations of jazz, rock, and movies. I use a C/L/R 2300 as my center but will be upgrading to the newer version late next year. I have their new SuperCube Reference sub (MSRP = $1,700 U.S.) and have the BPX's as surrounds. With your $7,000 budget, I am confident you could swing a deal to get a very similar Def Tech setup.

                      If you haven't heard these speakers before, it may well be worth your time to check them out.

                      Hope this helps...

                      Jim
                      jpiscitello@ameritech.net

                      Comment

                      • David Meek
                        Moderator Emeritus
                        • Aug 2000
                        • 8938

                        #12
                        With that budget, I highly recommend looking into the Aerial Acoustics line. I'm the deleriously happy owner of a pair of 7B's and recommend you at least give them a listen. If you'd like more details on them, let me know.




                        David - HTGuide flunky
                        Our "Theater"
                        Our DVDs on DVD Tracker

                        .

                        David - Trigger-happy HTGuide Admin

                        Comment

                        • aramb
                          Member
                          • Apr 2003
                          • 36

                          #13
                          Thanks for the suggestions. Has anyone here tried TRIAD speakers (particular the Gold or Silver series)?

                          Thanks again.

                          Comment

                          • RedStep
                            Senior Member
                            • Sep 2002
                            • 154

                            #14
                            You have got to hear the Radio Shack Optimas, or those Cerwin Vegas with the 18" woooooofer... :-y




                            RedStep
                            We are truly a product of the decisions we make
                            RedStep
                            We are truly a product of the decisions we make

                            Comment

                            • aramb
                              Member
                              • Apr 2003
                              • 36

                              #15
                              Here are the three speaker systems I have narrowed down to with pricing.
                              Anyone that knows anything about any of these, please respond. Thanks.
                              p.s. sorry about the formatting

                              Option A - KEF Reference Series

                              Product
                              Qty Description Price
                              2 KEF Model 201-BA Speakers 3000
                              1 KEF Model 202C-BA Center Speaker 1600
                              1 KEF Model PSW4000 Subwoofer 2000
                              2 Triad Silver InWall/4 Surround Speakers 1040
                              Speaker System Total 7640


                              Option B - TRIAD Series

                              Product
                              Qty Description Price
                              2 Triad Gold InRoom MiniMonitors 2720
                              1 Triad Gold InRoom MiniMonitor (Center) 1360
                              1 Triad Gold InRoom PowerSub w/ Rack Amp 1320
                              2 Triad Silver InWall/4 Surround Speakers 1040
                              Speaker System Total 6440


                              Option C - Monitor Audio Gold Reference Series

                              Product
                              Qty Description Price
                              2 Monitor Audio Gold Reference GR60s 3000
                              1 Monitor Audio Gold Reference LCR 800
                              2 Triad Silver InWall/4 Surround Speakers 1040
                              1 Triad Gold InRoom PowerSub w/ Rack Amp 1320
                              Speaker System Total 6160

                              Comment

                              • george king
                                Member
                                • Dec 2000
                                • 45

                                #16
                                Here is my 2 cents.

                                The Kef 201s are really sweet, so get those with the matching center. Do not get the Kef subwoofer, it is not worth the money. Get a Hsu or SVS, or better yet, contact Brian at www.rutledgeaudiodesign.com and he will build you a custom subwoofer that will probably beat any of them, and look better to boot (Brian is a great guy, and his craftsmanship is out of this world). If you have to go with in-walls for the surrounds, then get the Kef in-walls. Their upscale inwalls sound pretty good.

                                Hope this helps.

                                Comment

                                • Jon SS
                                  Member
                                  • Oct 2002
                                  • 75

                                  #17
                                  I used to have a Rotel stereo system with Monitor Audio MA700 speakers and they sounded and still souund great.

                                  I currently have the Monitor Audio GR 60,10,C and FB212 sub with a Halo C2 and A51 and could not be happier.

                                  Comment

                                  • aramb
                                    Member
                                    • Apr 2003
                                    • 36

                                    #18
                                    Thanks Jon SS and George King. I have decided on the Triad surrounds and Triad InRoom Gold SubWoofer with the external 250watt amp. However, I am undecided for the front speakers. I have narrowed it down a bit though... I will go with either the Kef Reference or the Monitor Audio Gold Reference. I will be placing the order in about 3 weeks, so... I've got to make a decision. I wish there was somewhere nearby where I could hear the GR60s... I have only heard the MA Gold LCR and the Kef speakers so far.

                                    Comment

                                    • Chris D
                                      Moderator Emeritus
                                      • Dec 2000
                                      • 16877

                                      #19
                                      aramb, I would HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY (am I high enough???) recommend that you match your set of speakers if you are going to spend that much on them. I tell people at the entry-level that speaker matching is nice if possible, but they can get away without it if they're just looking for something to get by.

                                      But if you're looking to drop some serious $$$, I think you'll be kicking yourself very soon if you spend a lot of money on great speakers all around, but then find out that the surrounds don't sonically match the front speakers. If you're going to go with the Triad surrounds, I would get Triad fronts as well that match in design and specifications as much as possible.




                                      CHRIS
                                      Luke: "Hey, I'm not such a bad pilot myself, you know"
                                      CHRIS

                                      Well, we're safe for now. Thank goodness we're in a bowling alley.
                                      - Pleasantville

                                      Comment

                                      • aramb
                                        Member
                                        • Apr 2003
                                        • 36

                                        #20
                                        Chris:

                                        Thanks for your suggestion regarding matching all of my speakers. I had thought that myself, except that Paul Scarpelli of Triad said that the most important thing is to match the three front speakers and that the surrounds are more ambient sound and not as important to sonically match. That being said, I had put the Triad Gold MiniMonitors (and possibly the Triad Gold Monitors) on my short list, except I have no place to audition them locally and hate to spend that much money on a speaker that I have never heard (the MiniMonitors are $1700 each and the Monitors are $3200 each - and Paul Scarpelli recommends having all three be the same for the front - that means $5200 - 9600 just on three speakers. This is too rich for my budget).

                                        Has anyone heard the Triad Gold MiniMonitors or Monitors yourself? Just curious of your impressions and how much difference there is between these two cabinets.

                                        Comment

                                        • Ludwig Van Beethoven
                                          Member
                                          • Oct 2003
                                          • 42

                                          #21
                                          Im interested in knowing your guys opinions on Klipsch and if there Reference series speakers are any good for classical? The price point vs. performance on the Klipsch seems outstanding. I currently own the Klipsch RF-3 II's and was wondering if going to another speaker would make any diffrence in quality withing the same price range of the Klipsch which were $626 shipped brand new

                                          Comment

                                          • Chris D
                                            Moderator Emeritus
                                            • Dec 2000
                                            • 16877

                                            #22
                                            aramb, I'd say you're correct in that with speaker matching it IS (much???) more important to match the front three speakers than the surrounds. However, I would NOT say that it is not important to match the surrounds as well. In general, yes, surround channels are SUPPOSED to carry mostly ambient sound. However, the appeal of localizing sound around people is just too great for sound mixers to pass up. You'll hear specific items placed in surround channels (whether 5.1 or 7.1) routinely, and they'll sound different from the fronts if the speakers aren't matched. The most compelling example I always give is when an object is depicted on screen (person, car, airplane, lawn mower, etc) as starting in front of the audience and then moves around the room, especially in a circle, ending back up front. If the speakers aren't matched, the person's voice or sound of the object will stay the same as it moves across the front of the room, but then suddenly change as it slides to the rear. Depending on the speakers, this can be dramatic and distracting sometimes. My speakers are as well matched as they can be for a set, but even still I find myself wishing that they were more exact at times.

                                            Ludwig- I personally own Klipsch, the award winning Legend Series that just predated the Reference series. Personally, I love them, and yes, I would recommend them for classical. Are they as exact in sound replication as some higher priced speakers? Flatly, no. But as you say, for the price, I think they're fantastic.




                                            CHRIS
                                            Luke: "Hey, I'm not such a bad pilot myself, you know"
                                            CHRIS

                                            Well, we're safe for now. Thank goodness we're in a bowling alley.
                                            - Pleasantville

                                            Comment

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