Picked these up for AUD 400, could have got them a bit cheaper but the circumstances dictated a soft bargaining approach (I still reckon I did OK regardless). All my other speakers are Mission or Boston Acoustics from the 90s/00s and are ported 2 ways. I was curious to see what an enclosed 3 way would sound like in comparison. How did I do?
Im looking to buy my first set of bookshelf speakers and I’m trying to decide between the ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2 and Polk Signature Elite ES15.
I primarily care about music quality and want the overall better speaker for a first-time setup. I also don’t plan on adding a subwoofer anytime soon, so I’d like whichever speaker gives me the better full-range experience on its own.
Not sure if this changes the recommendation, but I’m also going to be streaming music for my phone. And I live in an apartment.
For anyone who has heard both, which would you recommend and why? Thanks!
Kenwood 4070 with Yamaha eq550 into technics sb cr77. Definitely nicer than my other jank setups that have been just sending music into guitar/bass amplifiers with their respective cabinets. Will piece stuff together, gunna find a turntable rn it's just Bluetooth receiver input.
I see a lot of old multichannel receivers with old surround (prologic) going cheap on the second hand market.
Are these not desirable to use for music or are they okay? Some can be decently specified in terms of watts as well.
I have an old Kenwood KR5570 and it performs nice, i suspect perhaps the phono-amp is not the best, but I dont use it so much for playing records... What I really like are the tactile buttons and knobs... It seems to be reduced this on some newer equipment.
Speakers: Mission 753
Amplifier: Arcam Alpha 8R
CD Player: Arcam Alpha 7
Turntable: Technics SL-100C
I've had the speakers and amp for about 10 years - picked the amp up for an unbelievable £50 without remote (£650 new on release in 1996) and the speakers for £200 (£800 in 1993). The CD player I got 6 years ago for £125 (also £650 in 1996) with a remote that works on the amplifier... so £375 on what would have been a pretty nice midrange system in the late 90s!
The turntable was a bit of an impulse buy, £699 on offer last year, budget for Technics but not really what I'd consider budget for me. It's my first turntable and I've quickly realised how expensive a hobby this is. No regrets yet though :)
I honestly can't really fault the sound. The warmth of the Arcam mellows what I've heard can be a mildly harsh top end on the Missions. I think the bass is pretty good for 5 and a quarter inch drivers, getting down to 45hz and sounding tight and controlled. Mid range in general and particularly vocals sound amazing. Treble is clear and detailed. I actually can't really imagine replacing any component. I love this setup.
I have never seen these before, but I like them alot.
I replaced my Arcam AVR400 with a dedicated stereo amp after getting a great deal on a showroom model with a full warranty for only €600.
Strangely enough, after replacing the amp, my DALI Spektor 2s—which had always sounded remarkably good for their size—suddenly seemed to be lacking something.
Then I got a great deal on a pair of DALI Rubicon 2s. I thought it was a no-brainer: audio heaven, here I come.
Well... not quite.
Once I installed them, the mid-highs seemed recessed and the whole presentation sounded flatter than before. At one point, I was seriously considering trading them for a pair of Audiovector QR1s plus some cash. Luckily, I listened to the QR1s first. To my ears, they sounded like PC speakers, so that idea disappeared pretty quickly.
Instead, I decided to work on the room and setup.
I was hearing quite a bit of ringing, so I experimented with the DAC filters on the Arcam and built some acoustic panels using Rockwool. That helped. Then I started experimenting with speaker positioning, the air gap between the panels and the wall, and the distance between the speakers and the rear wall. After all, no room is perfect—you just try to make the most of what you have.
Then I noticed that my speakers were leaning slightly backwards. I adjusted the stands to get them perfectly level, and the improvement was immediately noticeable. Still, those mid-high notes remained slightly recessed, and overall I couldn't honestly say that the system sounded better than my old setup.
I was almost ready to accept my fate, while still looking for a way out. Should I replace the amp? The speakers? I even started shopping for a Hegel amp.
Then I had one last thought: what if I filled the speaker stands?
I bought some silver sand, dried it thoroughly, and filled one stand about two-thirds of the way. Before doing the other one, I did an A/B comparison.
Wow. This actually seemed to work.
I filled the second stand as well, and suddenly the soundstage changed completely. I pulled the speakers slightly further forward and...
Bingo.
I'm genuinely happy with the system now. I'm not selling anything. This is going to be my forever setup—or at least my "forever for the next five years" setup. ;)
I can't overstate how much I'm enjoying music now. Nothing feels missing anymore.
And perhaps that's the best sign of all:
I've stopped analysing the system and started listening to the music.
I wanted to share this to make the point that good gear can be bad with inproper placement and you should look into getting the most out of your gear itll give you even more joy when you fix it, also im just so happy 😂
Now i only can find a new house im never leaving home again btw the panels are hanging from a thread until i know for sure on what hight to place them and drill holes in the wall
Arcam sa20
Dali rubicon2
Bluesound node i130
Milestone #1 was 500 speakers; this week we crossed #2: 750 speakers.
It was a huge week for active & studio monitors. And for Monitor Audio followers who got to see the new Silver 8G lineup.
New brands:
Also added (existing brands):
750 speakers you can now compare at true scale.
On to milestone #3 👀
Feedback and requests welcome 🙌
I’m no expert, just wanted to share that these speakers, especially paired with a beefy A/B amp, are an absolute pleasure to listen to. I believe it’s because the ferrofluid in these tweeters has dried at this point, which has probably happened with all examples by now, but i find they are not clinical, harsh, or otherwise fatiguing whatsoever. Even without a working sub, they produce enough low end on their own to make me question if i even need one. My only complaint is the narrow sweet spot, which is pretty normal for a ‘90s studio monitor; regardless, they don’t read as studio monitors at all. Anyway, anyone with 60$ to spare and a working amp, if you find a pair of these in good condition, I urge you to take a chance on them. You won’t regret it.
This thing slaps
Hi everyone, I own an AT-LP120XBT record player, and I was wondering which speakers to pair it with. In your opinion, are active or passive speakers better? If so, I'd like to know which speakers faithfully reproduce the sound as it was recorded on vinyl, meaning without built-in bass (unless there's a crank to boost it). Please recommend any budget options, from €100 to €500. Any advice is always welcome! I saw the Edifier S1000MKII, what do you think?
Budget setup - marantz mcr610 (£150 from eBay) running into acoustic energy ae109 floorstanders (1996 models, £50 for the pair on eBay, cabinet was in shoddy condition and needed repainting) and an orb audio super eight subwoofer (£90 from eBay many years ago). Picked up the 4k projector off a mate moving abroad and run that into the amp for hole cinema, speaker cables running under rigs to the other side of the room
Hi!
Just found out about this sub and i wanted to share my setup.
So far i got:
- Record player (Sony PS-LX50 ): was stored in my grandmas attic full of dust. I dissambled, cleaned it and changed the broken stylus for a new Audio Technica one for 15€.
- CD player (Pioneer PD-M603): a 6cd changer. It was stored next to the record player, surprinsingly, everything worked and just had to clean the exterior.
- Tape deck (Marantz SD285): just picked it up in the morning for 10€ second hand. Seller stated volume was too low and muffled and that a button was missing. Cleaned the heads and mechanism and now its working! Now Ill have to 3d print the missing pause button.
- Phono preamp (Aliexpress special): it works, for 10€ cant ask for more (yes, it is noisy, I have added a small capacitor on the input jack, it has improved the noise a tiny bit).
- RCA selector: its for video but im just ignoring the yellow ports. 7€, it does its job.
- Mini system: just using it for the amplifier for now. Was in my girlfriends parents house in storage.
Couldn't attach the picture but im using a pair of Pioneer CS 301 for speakers, found them next to a dumpster. Cleaned and painted them, now they are working beautifully.
So, in total, including cables, about 60€
I made a post about getting some speakers earlier this week, but unfortunately that seller was very flakey and my gut said no. Luckily these Fluance XL7Fs popped up in my area for about $300, a deal I think was good considering what I found they are worth about $400. The guy barely used them and they look and sound absolutely amazing. A nice step up from my old vintage Kenwoods.
Have had these speakers for a while and wonder if it’s worth selling and getting something more recent. Just bought a WiiM ultra and Viblink and loving that, so that’s what I’m working with. I have the B&Ws on stands on the side of my desk, so maybe it’s too much? I don’t know if I really have a better reason, maybe just wondering what else is out there. This is in a bedroom (now office) that’s about 11‘ x 12‘. I’d prefer not to buy a subwoofer if possible.
***Message me if you want them. This is the last time I'm checking comments. First come, first serve in messages. Legends are pending pickup.***
Giving these away. Pickup only. Chicagoland (in the city, west side).
Perfectly functional. I also have a crossover upgrade kit for the Legends that I never installed. Plus a whole mess of speaker wire you can have.
I just don’t care to try selling them and having to ship.
The front room at my new house has a large built in on the wall I have to use for my setup. What type of speakers/configuration should I be looking for to maximize the sound quality with this setup requirement? I have a baby who will be walking soon so towers or stands out in the room are a no go. The shelf is fairly deep, so I can likely pull the speakers forward somewhat so they aren’t smack against the wall.
I am trying some Heresy 1’s my dad wasn’t using but I’m not wild about the sound. I will need a new amp anyway so I’ll probably get that first and test them again since this amp is quite old and likely not doing them any favors.
Gear recommendations welcome. Total budget for speakers and amp (and possibly subwoofer) is $1.5-2k. I like speakers with clarity as well as tight bass. My turntable is a pro-ject debut carbon evo with the Sumiko Ranier. I was previously using powered speakers that I’d like to move on from.
Also fyi I will be moving the seats to the correct position for listening and hanging curtains soon.
So I was at my local salvation army and they have these looks like 33 a speaker or is it some white van speakers I took off the grills it looks like it has something like b&w drivers well maybe it's the look with it's yellow cone and phase plug . They look a bit beaten up on the bottom but it won't affect the sound any thoughts on this I didn't get them and I don't need them but if it's actually worth picking up then it would hurt but I wouldn't know where to put them thanks in advance for any advice
Price was total around: 320 euro (approx: 375 dollars)
(some stuff not accounted for because it doesn't work or needs replacing - cd and streamer)
What I bought:
- Cabasse Sloop M5 = 107 euro (pristine condition, only 1 former owner)
- NAD C352 = 67 euro
- Stands = 53 euro
- Monster RCA Cable = 13 euro
- IKEA Fjällbo Storrage = 73 euro
What I had:
- Foam panels
- Carpet
- Speaker wire (Argon Audio Blue Edition SC1)
- RCA to Jack (AudioQuest Evergreen)
- Power cables etc.
What I listen to:
Everything except death metal etc.
Where the speakers really shine / what I listen too:
Soundtracks, rap, RnB, rock, pop, house and everything else
Next upgrade:
Maybe a Luxman L-120A or a pair of lower and more stables stands