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Floorstanding recommendations, $800/pair

post #1 of 7
6/22/12 at 7:32am
Thread Starter 
I live in Sweden so the $800 is somewhat of an estimate (I hope it's somewhat accurate), here's a list of the ones that are available and within budget, please have a look:
http://www.prisjakt.nu/kategori.php?l=s89259086&o=tillv_pop&cols=#prodlista

I've heard good things about the Canton Gle 490 and JBL Studio 180, thoughts?
The Polk audio TSi 300 is within budget and available as well but isn't on the list for some reason.

I'd rather not go all the way up to my max budget but if there's good reason to do so then I will.
I will buy a Denon AVR 1612 to hook them up to (together with my PS3, Xbox360 and laptop). The speakers will be used mainly for (3D and/or bluray) movies or series streamed from my laptop, gaming secondary and lastly electronic music.

I live in a rather small flat and will sit 8-10 feet away from them. Since it's a flat I'm not gonna play them very loudly. I'm not an audiophile either, these are my first "real" speakers. At first I was just thinking of buying some desktop speakers and hooking them up to my TV but even I can hear the difference so I decided to get decent ones instead. Just doesn't need to be state of the art.

Right now my place is a rental but in a year or 2 I'll buy my own flat and likely am gonna add some satellites and a central speaker for an all surround setup. I'm not exactly sure yet but I thought it was worth mentioning.

Suggestions are more than welcome! And if I missed some crucial info, let me know! smile.gif
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post #2 of 7
6/22/12 at 8:14am
$800 us is apparently 5600k, correct?

My first choice from that list might be the DALI Zensor 7, which is an excellent speaker. It is rather expensive in the USA, but if the price you seem to be looking at is around 5600k, it looks like the price is fairly attractive for you.

My second choice would be the KEF C7, and my 3rd choice would be the Wharfedale Diamond 9.6.

The price of the KEF C7 seems amazingly low compared to the others, at only 3000k, and that is another nice speaker at a very attractive price for you. Given that the price is so nice, that might be your best bet. You should also have no problem getting KEF speakers in the future to expand the system.

I have no experience with Canton speakers, so I do not know how they compare.

I spent a few days in Stockholm a few years ago before going on a cruise, and loved it. I want to go back...lol. Take me to the Pawnshop.
Edited by commsysman - 6/22/12 at 8:33am
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post #3 of 7
6/22/12 at 8:31am
Sounds like your usage doesn't require critical performance.

But if you are looking to get the most from your purchase, along with the choices you have mentioned, I see they still offer the Wharfedale Emerald 97 Mk IV in your price range. I own 2 pair (one in storage) and still use a pair of these speakers for my mains. Bought mine in 2002 and they remain a remarkable buy for the money. If you can find an online copy or back issue of the Swedish Hi-FI & Musik magazine featuring them (http://www.hifi-musik.se/), you can read the review where they rated them speaker of the year some time back. Also an excellent review in the Australian magazine Audio & Video Lifestyle issue #107 (www.avlmagazine.com)

Good Luck.
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post #4 of 7
6/23/12 at 8:05pm
What about the XTZ 80.1 or 89?
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post #5 of 7
6/26/12 at 4:20am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for all the suggestions!

I looked around for reviews and opinions and then finally went to the store for an audition. They only had the Dali's though, guess they wanted to promote Scandinavian brands or something... Or perhaps it was only that particular store.

I was curious what the difference between the Zensor 5´s and 7´s was so I had them compared. Really big difference in my opinion, the 7's were way better defined, clearer sound... Or whatever the terms are smile.gif Even at a low volume they sticked out quite a bit, which is the level I'm gonna have them at 90% of the time. Not a real shocker, but I found it worthwhile to check out anyhow.

So the Dali Zensor 7's it is, I was really pleased with them. Too bad I couldn't compare them to the Wharfedales but I'd rather choose something I heard than blind picking.

Might update later when I have them at my place and checked out some movies/music smile.gif
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post #6 of 7
6/26/12 at 4:51am
Energy RC70s. They're on sale right now for your amount.
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post #7 of 7
6/26/12 at 5:31am
Congratulations on a fine speaker choice. By spending at or even a little over your budget, you will reward yourself with better sound quality. The Zensor 7 design has front porting, the same as the Emerald 97 previously suggested, for easier room placement. The 97 is a 2 1/2 way with the upper 6.7" driver a mid/woofer. Not sure about the Zensor 7 but I suspect it is the same approach. The speaker specifications profile is almost identical. The topmost tweeter placement at that height should make for a much better soundstage. Enjoy!
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