Speaker suggestions

[Headcoat]

New here so hello to all.

Am happy with my Spendor S5E's but just playing with ideas for the future and was wondering what folk would suggest as best options for speakers with the following criteria and kit;

- Under £500

- Second hand or new

- To be used with NAD C521BEE, Thorens 160 Super, Quad 34 pre & 606-2 power.

- Room approx. 14 x 10 feet

- Music listened to jazz, reggae, blues, punk, rock, sixties, dubby lounge music, country - everything really except pop and classical.

- Good bass essential

- No harshness in mids or highs so being able to flatter poor recordings is a definate preference over detail or imaging etc

Cheers

 

[earl of sodbury]

not the answer you're looking for, but I'd upgrade any of those electronics first - 'specially the CDP (not sure about the deck...)

Oops: and welcome to the forum!

 

[Headcoat]

Thanks EOS, you see the thing is having tried both the 521BEE and a Quad CD66 with this set up I prefer the 521BEE!!! Also prefer it to the Arcam 8SE I used to own.

Surely a more expensive CD player would bring more detail and be more revealing?, which isn't the purpose of considering trying a diff pair of speakers.

 

[Polarbear]

Likewise I would stick with the Spendors, they are capable of so much more. I have heard them on the end of many thosands of pounds of Naim equipment doing a very good job.

Regards and welcome

PB

 

[Guest]

Another vote for a change of cdp. Welcome to the forum

 

[Leonard Smalls]

I think you'll be looking at some older, probably British speakers then...

www.emporiumhifi.co.uk have some Kef 104/2s for £450 (they were about £2.5k new!), and you'd be surprised at the sound quality you'd get from these babies:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/KEF-REFERENCE-SERIES-104-aB-MODIFIED-SPEAKERS-Ex-Cond_W0QQitemZ5866311601QQcategoryZ14993QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

£87! Leaves lots for new music...

 

[Injector]

For under £500 I doubt you'll be able to better your current speakers. They also fit your list of requirements, possibly bass excepted but then again, no speaker ticks all the boxes - certainly not in that price range. Nothing wrong with your cdp as such, it isn't an overtly detailed or harsh player but is a 'budget' element in your system - certainly more so than your speakers.

 

[Leonard Smalls]

Injector wrote:

For under £500 I doubt you'll be able to better your current speakers.

Look at the 2 I suggested!

Both have that lovely British mid range (like the Spendors), but both will do bass much better. For only £87 in the case of the original ref 104s!

 

[hifikrazy]

Source upgrade would seem the best bet, especially as 500 quid wont really buy much of an upgrade to your current speakers. Id be inclined to add a nice dac, and then perhaps get another 606-2 to bi-amp with

. (oh yeh and maybe a set of 104abs as leonard said - tempted myself!)

 

[Injector]

Injector wrote:

For under £500 I doubt you'll be able to better your current speakers.

Look at the 2 I suggested!Both have that lovely British mid range (like the Spendors), but both will do bass much better. For only £87 in the case of the original ref 104s!

Sorry, I should have said new. The auction you have highlighted is at £87 with 4 days left though, I doubt they'll remain at that price. I'd take the S5e's over anything available sub £500 new - and above to be perfectly honest.

 

[earl of sodbury]

Headcoat wrote:

Thanks EOS, you see the thing is having tried both the 521BEE and a Quad CD66 with this set up I prefer the 521BEE!!! Also prefer it to the Arcam 8SE I used to own. Surely a more expensive CD player would bring more detail and be more revealing?, which isn't the purpose of considering trying a diff pair of speakers.

Sorry didn't mean to dis the NAD - it's a great budget player, but like all budget players is unhappiest with keeping bass in order; likewise, the Quads are justly liked, but are, at best, a bit "warm" in the bass...

Given you like the NAD sound, it would be worth looking-out for the previous SilverSeries S500 CDP - it would add a great deal of "reality" to the overall sound,plus improvedbass control, but none of the harsh treble of lesser players. Otherwise valve-hybrids might be worth a demo - Heart and Njoe Tjoeb are both Marantz-based and esteemed; similarly Copland, Unison Research and Audio Analogue are worth a listen.

Reckon Mr. Smalls has hit the speaker nail on the head, but if something more contemporary is preferred, Sonus Fabers are very well-spoken fellows...

good luck, churz, eofs

 

[Headcoat]

Thanks for the replies people.

Those KEF 104.2's look very, very interesting Leonard. I ended up with Quad 405-2 (later 606-2) as record shop I frequent uses the 405-2 and really liked the sound in there. The KEf's actually look like their speakers - no-one in shop knew what make they were and their percheed high up on shelfs so didn't ask someone to look!!! Found some pics on KEF's site but if anyone comes across a pic of the KEF's without grills on post up the link please..

Don't get me wrong on the S5E's they are lovely speakers, just dreaming about a tad more bass. lower mid fullness weighted sound.

 

[Leonard Smalls]

You'll get pretty good bass out of the 104/2s, not the last word, but 35Hzish in room which is OK. They had 2 upward firing 10" (I think) bass drivers inside..

And there's some on eBay - 5 days to go, £102, though emporium's are £450 which is quite a decent price, especially as there's comeback!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/KEF-Reference-104-2-Award-winning-Floorstanders-Superb_W0QQitemZ5866823504QQcategoryZ14993QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I'd be surprised if they were on a shelf, though. They're about 100cm high!

 

[dudywoxer]

just a thougt, but have the quads been serviced?

 

[Headcoat]

Cheers again Leonard.

They look very much like the ones in record shop (must pop in there soon and have another peak), the 5 inch mid drivers in the enclosure sticking out from the main cabinet arre very distinctive, as is the large (in comaprision to visible drivers) bass port. The shelf I mentioned may actually be a raised storage area type thing.

Looking at the E bay add the bass drivers are 8 inch, can't think for the life of me where the bass drivers are though!

Don't think I'll buy a pair right now, unless the E bay pair go cheap but definately one for the future. One concern would be them swamping my room both visibly and sound wise, it's small 14 x 10, then again theree is an opeen doorway of about 5 x 8 feet into a smaller room next door.

 

[Headcoat]

The 34 is very new'ish late model with phono plugs etc and works just fine, I've a 44 as well in a second system which was serviced and the 34 sounds better to me.

The 606 was serviced and upgraded to a 606-2 by Quad back in December.

 

[Leonard Smalls]

Headcoat wrote:

Looking at the E bay add the bass drivers are 8 inch, can't think for the life of me where the bass drivers are though!

Could be 8", but the reason you can't see them is because they're both inside the speaker, both on a vertical metal rod and upward firing... (you can seethe rodin the port)

Worked quite well, and gave realistic bass though not the ultimate in extension (though enough for decent bass guitar - even 5 string -which many modern speakers aren't!).

 

[Headcoat]

Ah the Kef 104/2's well having got a bonus at work I thought i'd see if the Emporium still had them and they did so their now sitting in my music room and marvellous they are too. Far, far more bass, clear detailed highs, lovely mids and supreme overall. At the same time I have repositioned them with the solid flat wall behind and as far away from reflections as possible in a 13 x 9 foot room, breaking all rules they sit about a foot and a half apart but the sound is superb. Stereo image gone but much fuller sounding. They used to back onto the wall with two windows, about 8 feet apart and fire across the 9 foot width.

Still got the SpendorS5E's and can't wait to try these in the new speaker position. Using my 405-2 Quad rather than the 606/2, it seems to have that fuller sound I'm looking for, god knows why...thinking ahead the NAD C521BEE will have to be changed at some point, maybe just with the Quad CD66 in the mini system downstairs.

Many thanks for the tips especially Leonard who suggested the 104/2's - real genuine bargains they are...one day I'll get them serviced by KEF...the bass units appear to have some wear to them, other drivers look as good as new.

 

[Leonard Smalls]

Headcoat wrote:

Ah the Kef 104/2's

Well done sir!

I miss my pair that were burglarised 10 years ago:X