[bhs128]

Hello


Some groundwork first- currently I have a Denon 1705 A/V Receiver, which isn't great but I think its not trash either. I have a pair of Bose 201 series IV bookshelves from 9 years ago and a Klipsch RC-10 center. I currently have no surround and am using the Bose as my main L/R.


So that's where I am now. I mainly watch movies (DVD), some tv and video games (Wii). I will also eventually set up my home server to play out flac files over digital coax to the Denon. I guess my DVD-player plays SACD's as well but the only one I have is a Nicklecreek album.


I have always wanted a set of Klipsch RF series and was looking at getting a pair of RF-82, or now perhaps a pair of WF-34. As I researched the Klipsch speakers I found that while mostly positive there's a common sentiment while the horn sounds crisp at first, it gets tiring after a while.


I know that in the end speakers are a very subjective thing and it'll come down to having to try them out and see what I like. But here's where I would like some help- What other front speakers should I consider for around ~$1000 ($500 each)? I would like to be able to eventually flesh-out a complete 5.1 system. I don't care about max-volume as much as I do the clarity of the music/movies.


Also, feel free to let me know if you think I'm going in the wrong direction entirely.


Thanks in advance for any advice.


(This is a (near)mirror of a thread at ArsTechnica)

 

[seagul]

Nicklecreek is a great album. My advice for you is to just go listen to as many speakers as you can. Take your Nicklecreek cd with you since your familiar with it. Not necessarily looking for the best speaker, although you might find that, but the sound characteristics you prefer. You should take people's opinions with a grain of salt, often one of two things are true. They have either never heard the speaker but are going off of what others have said, or they have heard it but in an improper setup. For instance the Klipsch speakers at my Best Buy are set up between two isles. Hardly a fair atmosphere for a listen. Personally having owned Klipsch I find that when set up right they really sing and for movies are just plain hard to beat. With that said I still prefer a more neutral speaker. This is what you need to find out. You probably have a B&W, Klipsch, Paradigm, Polk, PSB, Energy...ect, dealer near you so go take a listen.

 

[bhs128]

I have heard a lot about the Axiom's and the Ascend Sierra's over at ArsTechnica. I wound up ordering both a set of three Sierra-1's as well as the Klipsch WF-24 + center. The Sierra's should arrive tomorrow and am excited to try them out. The Klipsch setup should be in by Friday, so I hope to have some time to put them head-to-head this weekend.


It should be quite interesting to compare these as they are quite different speakers.


Also, my DVD/SACD player is just a Pioneer DV-588A

 

[seagul]

Man definitly post your impressions on what you find. The Sierra 1's are a great speaker that have some of the best imaging I've ever heard. They will also produce a suprising amount of bass. I actually had to stick a sock in the port to cool down the bass a bit. It's smart comparing them side by side, if I did that 5 years ago perhaps I wouldn't have gone through so many brands, doubtful, but maybe.

 

[bhs128]

wow, thanks for the quick reply!


Yeah, all the options are a bit overwhelming-- I'm trying to not get wrapped up in a particular brand, and I'm going into my Klipsch/Ascend tests here assuming I'll return both of them, but we'll see how things go. I'm assuming they'll both be a giant step forward from what I have now.

 

[bhs128]

The sierra-1's arrived yesturday! I was able to spend some time with them last night and a little this morning as well.


They sound pretty good to me, very full and detailed from what i've heard so far. I'm still exploring my Cd collection at this point but i'll definatly write up some more specific findings in the next day or two.


One problem I have is that i'm not used to evaluating speakers- and when i'm critically listening to CD's, I'm not totally certain what's good or bad And even less certain about what component/variable may be responsible.


So i look forward to getting to Klipsch speakers in and set up so I can do some direct comparisons. I would have compared with my 201's but they don't accept the banana plugs on my new speaker wire- although reading my own words here it sounds like i ought to change things around to allow a comparison anyways.


Are there any resources for helping me figure out what to listen for when evaluating audio equipment?

 

[bhs128]

So I'm doing some A/B testing between my Bose 201's and the Sierra's. I used a random classical CD and a Piano Solo CD (George Winston).


It seemed like the Bose were slightly hazy- with noticeably less bass and softer highs. The Sierra-1's were clear with deeper bass and near-piercing highs (some of the high pianos notes).


I could also tell that the Sierra's were harder to drive than the 201's- the Bose being louder at the same volume.


Then again, the Bose were connected with 20' of MonsterXP cable, and the Sierra's with 8' of lord-knows-what from Ascend.

 

[psgcdn]

Wire shouldn't matter as long as gauge is thick enough.

So Klipsch in today as well?

 

[bhs128]

Yep! I just picked them up from the store- now it's just the painful wait for 5:00 pm to roll around...