$2,000-3,000 Tower speaker comparison: Need help picking the contenders for a shootout - Page 8

You should also check out Soundfield Audio

http://www.soundfieldaudio.net/

Your above description fits them perfectly. I have a pair of the Monitor 1 (discontinued) that put out an amazing soundstage and easily disappear.

My advice is probably worth just what you're paying for it. Nevertheless, I'll opine here for you.

I've auditioned models from all the manufacturers that interest you (plus many more in-house, e.g. Aerial Acoustics, ACI, JBL, Selah, Usher, etc.), though not necessarily all of the specific floorstanding models that interest you. You will not hear a day and night difference amongst them. They're all fine speakers, and they all do what quality speakers are supposed to do. However, there will be audible differences and music-specific influences that you could detect using the A/B method of comparing models.

Let's agree that your own ears and serious (A/B) auditioning on your part is the only way to cleanly answer your dilemma. That said, I believe that the Phils come closest to "disappearing", probably due to the open back/bipolar design of the mid/tweeter section. You can tune them to your specific tastes and setup. And if by "heavier music" you mean the salsa, fusion, jazz, and refined rock...yep, the Phils will do it for you. If you want production of hard rock, loud and party-style speakers, stick with Cerwin Vega or some such.

Finally, note that I could be a fanboy for RAAL tweeters. I've had a love affair with them since they first came out. For my ears, there is no cleaner, more effortless tweeter in existence. But again, that's JMO, FWIW.

And I think the search for the speakers you really want to spend your hard earned cash on is the exciting part of this hobby. Each new speaker heard is filling with anticipation and a challenge in discovery. So enjoy the ride.

Those Monitor 2s look real interesting. I'd love to hear them. This is AJ's company? Will he be at RMAF?

Yes, its AJ.

Not sure if he will be at RMAF. I'm hoping he will be at CAF so I can hear the Monitor 2.

@Mudslide- I appreciate the info and FWIW it helps along the way of the undecidedness of this sport? I currently am running the B&W CM5 with the Centre and although, I am not impressed with the center at all, I do enjoy the CM5's although I have been wanting to upgrade to towers. Now I sent pics of the phils to the boss (wife) and her reaction was, and I'll quote "WTF is THAT? You have been online reading about speakers again haven't you? Over my dead body will you be putting THOSE in our living room" So I supposed Phil's are out of the question LOL

Living in Los Angeles should give me the upper hand in availability of hearing other speakers from fellow AVS'rs and hell, I am even considering taking a ride down to ascend to meet dave and crew. In fact, I KNOW I am going to do this after hearing some rave reviews of his Horizon center but, I will still check out soundfield audio's website as well..

Please note a slimmer version of the Phils in standard tower form (the Phil Slims) should be hitting the market soon, so if the Phil 2 or 3 don't get your wife's approval, the Slims should have no problem doing so.

How soon is soon?

Here is a pic of the new Philharmonic offering. Definitely NOT a "WTF it THAT" moment.

Definitely recommended, but if you can't get down to the factory I'm in the Valley and can demo the Horizon and Towers for you.

We anxiously await pricing, but hopefully in the coming weeks.

I'm still hammering out details, but the plan is to offer a version with decent fit and finish equivalent to the Phil 3's for around $2,800/pr, and one with world-class finish for $500 more. I think you can understand that it simply isn't possible to provide a 100% domestically fabricated 3-way speaker with a Scan Revelator woofer, a RAAL tweeter, and a no-holds-barred crossover for less than that. I'll have final word in a couple of days.

What valley Holt? San Fernando I hope!! I'm in northridge.

"Oooh that looks delicious!!! I wonder is Murphy is gonna offer that in a piano black to match my kuro."




If you mean "I can see myself in the mirror-grade black glossy finish", the answer is noooooooooo--a thousand times nooooooooooooooo. Unless you want to pay something like $1200 for hand polishing.

Dually noted Sir Dennis and personally I'd rather put fourth that 1200 towards more gear and ask the wife for the hand polishing !!!!

Yes the hot, crappy, porn capital of the world San Fernando Valley. I'm 10-15 minutes away from Northridge-PM me if you're interested.

Dennis, just starting my hunt for some full range towers. Any ideas on the low end extension limits of your new speaker? Looks great by the way.

Are you looking for a 2 channel setup or are these speakers for music and HT? If you are using a projector and screen, you may want to reconsider the piano black look. When I was auditioning the B&W CM9 and CMC2 in piano black, while I liked the high gloss look, they were quite distracting with the reflections off my projector screen.

That's what I'm talkin bout!

I think I've posted on that above. But for the record, the towers are pretty much flat down to 35 Hz, but they can't really put out a true-blue 32 Hz pedal tone without a lot of port noise and distortion. I have other speakers that can, but not in WAF-form.

Yes, I am looking for HT use even though with the birth of my son who I am convinced is possessed by the devil is in bed by 7 so I've been listening to more 2 channel than anything however, I want my HT when I need to convince the wife that by affording these finer things in life that each time we avoid the movies that we save $40. 40xavg theater dates = $2800 towers

I am running a pioneer elite so no reflections in my end and she lobes the piano glass but my sunfire subs are just black grain so it would still work.

I think the Phil 3's are gorgeous.

^^^ Me too Both in appearance and performance!

My wife likes the look of my Phils better than the litany of standard nondescript towers I marched through our house for audition over the past 4 months. But then again I have the Phils in our theater room and not her beloved living room.

Thanks for the positive reinforcement. I must say, however, that if I had $100 for every Phil 3 and Phil 2 I didn't sell because of a spousal veto, I could afford to retire and sell speakers.

Introducing....the game-changing Phil Slims.

My CEO likes the Phil 2's in our living room better than the Aerial Acoustic 7B's in cheery cherry. So there. A woman with good taste!

As long as I'm happy my wife is happy. I got lucky.

We've decorated ours to accentuate what was described by another viewer as being something like a church steeple:




Your philosophy may vary, of course.

Happy?! LOL, obviously your wife hasn't achieved menopause yet.

Hey, apparently my missus enjoys a completely different type of creature on board our Phils. I wonder if Dennis specifically designed these dudes as figurine stands. Hmmm.....