AVS › AVS Forum › Audio › Speakers › Help me pick a speakers for a 2.1 setup for approx $2k
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Help me pick a speakers for a 2.1 setup for approx $2k

post #1 of 7
8/20/08 at 5:35pm
Thread Starter 
I am thinking of doing a switch from my M&K K7 + K4 5 speakers setup (paired with a Hsu STF-2 sub) to a 2.1 setup. Keeping my Hsu sub and pair with 2 speakers that would be an upgrade from my current M&K setup.

Other info:
  • My listening patterns are 60% surround sound movies, 40% 2 channel music.
  • My receiver is a Pioneer Elite VSX-45TX.
  • Budget is $2100 max with stands
  • I live in a 650 sq foot condo with a 13' x 15' room as my main listening are that adjoins with the kitchen.
  • Due to the small space constraints, I'm prefer bookshelf speakers over floor standing due to the visual size difference.

I was at first afraid of losing the surround sound, but after being at my friend's house, who owns the Sonus Faber Cremona speakers in a 2 channel setup, I was BLOWN AWAY how great they sounded.

There is no way I could afford the Cremona's at $3k each, but listened to a step down in the line at Magnolia Hifi this past weekend. The Sonus Faber Concertino Domus and was really impressed. Brand new they run $2200 with the stands including tax, so it's right in there with the budget.

Reviews are great on the Concertino Domus's, but I realized i am approachign this wrong. Instead of finding out whether the Concertino's are a great speaker, I figured I'd ping the knowledgeable 2-channel enthusiasts here to find out what speakers I should be looking at given my constraints.

I'm not opposed to buying used either from a place like Audiogon, so if you have a reccommendation of speakers that regularly sell for my price range, go for it.

Any other input you might have about (a) someone from from 5.1 to 2.1, (b) my equipment (c) anythign else you want to add, I welcome it!
Reply
Reply

AVS Top Picks

post #2 of 7
9/3/08 at 10:07am
My HT room is only slightly larger than yours. I have the Concertino's as fronts in a 5.1 system. I know the Cremona Auditor's are a step up but for me the price didn't justify it. The Concertino's sound wonderful by themselves in a 2.1 setup. They are sweet and detailed but they need a good high current amp to perform at their best. I don't know anything about the Pioneer Elite VSX-45TX, but it may not be the best solution to drive the Concertino's.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 7
9/3/08 at 1:16pm
It's funny cause I am in almost the exact same position as you except I don't have a preference for floorstanding vs. bookshelf speakers. There are a number of speakers that I have been very fond of so far in or very near that price range:

The Dynaudio Focus 140's are right at the 2K mark. These are very articulate and very accurate although they are a little unforgiving of bad recordings. The bass is good, the mids are smooth, and the highs aren't fatiguing at all. Plus they look good and are very unassuming.

The Totem Model 1 Sig's are slightly above 2K although dealer discount should bring them within 2K. These are a very smooth speaker and they provide a slightly more coherent image than the 140's. The bass is tight but a little lean so they might not be the best strictly 2-channel speaker.

The Triad Silver MiniMonitors are above 2K but a discount should bring them very close to 2K. These use my favorite non-proprietary driver, the ScanSpeak Revelator, and are a blast. They are just flat out good speakers, especially with female vocals. Plus, Paul on the forums should be able to help you out if you need it and you get to choose your own veneer.

Hope this helps in your search.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 7
9/3/08 at 1:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bobby_t1 View Post

Any other input you might have about (a) someone from from 5.1 to 2.1, (b) my equipment (c) anythign else you want to add, I welcome it!

Well, I hope you don't miss the extra channels. Two channel can be very satisfying with good source material, but since you have a lot of HT usage, I would recommend keeping your options open for future growth. Meaning if you ever want to expand back to 5.1, choose a speaker from a line-up that has good matching center channel and surrounds. If you know you're sticking 2CH, this isn't a concern.

I'll throw my front spekers in a a recommendation: Paradigm Studio 40v4; they're a large for a bookshelf, and with the matching stands the MSRP is right around your budget. I didn't cross-shop against a whole lot of other speakers in the price range, however, as I found them up at a store closing sale for 50% and there's nothing comparable new for the price I paid for them, IMHO.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 7
9/3/08 at 1:55pm
I auditioned a pair of NHT Classic Threes for my system a little over a month ago. My room is similar in size to yours and they produce an amazing soundstage. I have run them in the virtual surround setup and they do an admirable job. At about $900 a pair plus stands it's well below your limit. I'm impressed with the depth of the bass without a sub even as they go down to 45 Hz.

They require 50-100 hours of break in to balance out the highs, at first they seemed "screechy" but with a few dozen hours of play they mellowed and are quite realistic at this point.

I have five NHTs in my HT setup and am very happy with them. The threes are surprisingly small for the powerful sound they produce. They are acoustic suspension, so not as efficient as many.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 7
10/18/08 at 8:35pm
There is a nice pair of Focus 140 for sale on Ebay. Check it out. There is supposedly a $200 cashback which makes it even better.
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 7
10/18/08 at 10:40pm
+1 on the Paradigm Studio 40 v4's and the Dynaudio Focus 140's.

Also:

Salk SongSurround II's
Usher Be 718 Tiny Dancer (used)
Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1's

A slender tower would probably take up the same amount of space as a bookshelf speaker with quality stands. Ever think of going that route? If so, check out the Totem Hawk's, Salk SongTower's and Era D14's.

Studio 40 V4's from audiogon
Usher Be-718 (new) from audiogon

Good luck.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Speakers

AVS Top Picks

AVS › AVS Forum › Audio › Speakers › Help me pick a speakers for a 2.1 setup for approx $2k