Build Me a System (Also Need Your Opinions) - Page 2

I preordered the Outlaw RR2150 when it was first introduced. It is an awesome music machine. I have Vandersteen 1 speakers and they are amazing but expensive but I think that Vandersteen 2c will fit your budget. My cd player is a Shanling tube player, not sure of the model. This is my dedicated music system and completely blows away my Home theater for music.

You can objectively rule out speakers based on measurements, but in the end what matters is how they sound in your room. So yes, it is highly subjective.

Okay, when you first start looking for speakers, it seems pretty simple. We are so used to thinking in terms of good, better, best. Hyundai, Toyota, Lexus, Bentley... You get what I mean. But speakers are different because there are so many types: monitors, floorstanders, planars... There's all sorts of drivers, materials, manufacturers... It can make you nauseous!

If I was setting up a 2-channel, I would go for the Outlaw I mentioned and some B&W Nautilus 805 monitor speakers. Add to that a nice sub and you'll have some real enjoyment.

Good luck!

Nope. People vote in polls for what they like, and so you'll get a popularity vote that will not necessarily be a fit for you.

The best thing you can do is spend a day and visit some high end audio stores. Listen to some speakers and find out what you like.

You would still be stuck on a merry-go-round.

Half a meter each from the front L/R? Is that right? Tower speakers aren't going to work well at that close a distance.

Then it seems like you would be safe going with many of the towers mentioned here that were previously described as not sensitive enough. If you are sitting 8 or 10 feet away, something like the Kef Q900 or Ascend Acoustics Sierra 1 Tower should have plenty of output.

If you couple speakers like that with the HK 3490 or Outlaw RR2150 and later decide you need more power, you can always use that unit as a pre-amp and add a separate power amp.

Soundfield Monitor 1's are definitely worth a look. It beats out some very high end stuff for me, and uses a KEF Coax, which is very room friendly. I agree with going for the best 2 channel you can afford now, I have a multichannel system, but the heart and soul are the fronts, and I listen 2 channel mostly. Get the fronts right, and the rest will come. If I didn't go down this road then Duke's stuff over at Audiokinesis would have been a go to. I also am giving away my preference, it's very interesting to compare point source/controlled directivity speakers, with standard cone and dome/ribbon. I wish I would have made this comparison earlier myself and saved some money.

^ Good recommendation. The designer of those speakers is offering a tour right now. If you sign up the speakers will be shipped to you to evaluate in your own home; then you pay to ship them to the next individual on the tour list. I was on the list, but I realized I didn't have $90 to throw away on shipping costs (those suckers are heavy), so I passed for now. Perhaps this Fall...

Hey Nuance. If I remember right you may be a part of the of the SE WI crew. I almost came up with my scan raal monitors a couple years ago, anyhow I have the soundfields now too. If you do the monitor thing this year let me know. The only thing scaring me was word of the spl's of the tower group. But that gtg looked to be very cool. Anyhow I am mostly an AC person, and am not too active here.

Yup, that's me. We did listen pretty loud at the GTG, plus we had a failing left channel monoblock (unknown at the time), but it was still fun. We'd love to have you join us for the next event.