[rare-air]

I have started looking for replacements for my small Yamaha satellite "NS-A328" front speakers (130hz-27kz, 87db). The more I look the more I feel like someone told me to pick the best wine. It all comes down to what you like and how much money you are willing to spend. And in the end there is no right or wrong answer. This is very frustrating for an engineer who likes to look at specs and be able to judge which is better.


Here is my criteria:

1. Weighted towards HT and some Acoustic/blues/Jazz music.

2. I would like to keep my 8" sub and rear surrounds for now.

3. I would like to keep the cost of the front's mains under 400-500.

4. Only really have room for a book shelf speakers and a center under 7" tall.

5. Currently only have a 80 watt/pc Yamaha HTR-5640 but I do want to better enjoy TrueHD from my HD-A1.

6. Room size is 12x22.

I have looked at some new closeout Creative Newton M80's for $400, but have not been able to listen to them. Any other 'low' cost over achieving speakers one would suggest? I want to find that $20 bottle of wine that you would swear is a $60 bottle.


-Craig

 

[Tom Brennan]

"And in the end there is no right or wrong answer. This is very frustrating for an engineer who likes to look at specs and be able to judge which is better."


Indeed, it's subjective, a matter of taste.


The engineers are little help since they don't even agree on what a speaker should actually do much less make devices that do it.

 

[stevdart]

Um, sort of, but you want to leave out the swishing and spitting it out...


You might consider the D'Appolito-designed Usher 701 kit offered new at Parts Express. http://www.partsexpress.com/projects...r701/index.cfm

You know they come with a pedigree and you can make a little hobby out of it to boot.

 

[ficosucks]

when i drink wine all speakers sound great. depends on how many bottles have been drunk


also the more wine you drink the more they all seem different. same with speakers the more you listen to them the more they sound different. so pick the one you like not the ones others tell you to like.

 

[PULLIAMM]

I greatly prefer beer.

 

[ChrisWiggles]



Quote:
I have started looking for replacements for my small Yamaha satellite "NS-A328" front speakers (130hz-27kz, 87db). The more I look the more I feel like someone told me to pick the best wine. It all comes down to what you like and how much money you are willing to spend. And in the end there is no right or wrong answer. This is very frustrating for an engineer who likes to look at specs and be able to judge which is better.

Well, I think things are subjective, so I don't think the parallel is unfair. But, there is a great deal of engineering that goes into speakers. Really thorough measurements can tell us a lot. But they don't really tell us our preferences. The way I like to think of it is that every speaker designer, at any price, is going to have to make compromises among various things. The choices they make are going to lead to a speaker that may make different choices among these various compromises. Indeed, they may have completely different philosophies about what the "ideal" speaker can be.


An engineer will want a speaker that has very flat frequency response, very little added distortion, etc etc in broad strokes. But that may not actually be what we prefer to listen to, depending. So I think while we can make broad rough statements about wanting an "accurate" speaker, ever speaker is going to have limitations and compromises. At higher budgets often those compromises are much less (although there may be many speakers which deviate strongly from an accurate ideal to sound "different" and draw attention to themselves, which one should be careful of).


Ultimately it's our pleasure when listening which is the goal. The best way to achieve this is to listen widely to speakers and find what sound best to you.

 

[Willd]



Quote:
Originally Posted by stevdart /forum/post/0


Um, sort of, but you want to leave out the swishing and spitting it out...


You might consider the D'Appolito-designed Usher 701 kit offered new at Parts Express. http://www.partsexpress.com/projects...r701/index.cfm

You know they come with a pedigree and you can make a little hobby out of it to boot.

Definitely. That kit looks like a solid choice.

 

[Alimentall]

More like choosing a car. You can derive a lot of things from the design/specs, but until you test drive it and like it............


I chose my Mazda largely on design/specs, then test drove it just to make sure I liked how it worked in reality. In the end, speakers are just tools, much as some people desperately need to have a love affair with them (instead of their music). Every night, Pulliamm makes mad, passionate love to his B&W 705s. And no one hears their cries...........

 

[ChrisWiggles]

John's analogy is a good one.

 

[mltv]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Alimentall /forum/post/0


More like choosing a car. You can derive a lot of things from the design/specs, but until you test drive it and like it............


I chose my Mazda largely on design/specs, then test drove it just to make sure I liked how it worked in reality. In the end, speakers are just tools, much as some people desperately need to have a love affair with them (instead of their music). Every night, Pulliamm makes mad, passionate love to his B&W 705s. And no one hears their cries...........

I hope that's not why they have ported enclosures.

 

[simpleHT]

Just like picking the best girl. Some prefer look, some prefer lush. Some prefer tall, some prefer short. Some prefer white, some prefer black. Then, dating, let go, date another one, let go ... Oh, this one is perfect for my taste, get married ...

 

[rare-air]



Quote:
Originally Posted by simpleHT /forum/post/0


Just like picking the best girl. Some prefer look, some prefer lush. Some prefer tall, some prefer short. Some prefer white, some prefer black. Then, dating, let go, date another one, let go ... Oh, this one is perfect for my taste, get married ...

I just don't want to get 'married' and be reminded every day I listen that I 'married' the wrong girl... I mean speaker.


-Craig

 

[Tex-amp]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Alimentall /forum/post/0


Every night, Pulliamm makes mad, passionate love to his B&W 705s. And no one hears their cries...........

Nooooooooooooo!

That is one of the greatest posts ever on this board.

 

[MusikLvr]

Craig, I'm a bargain hunter myself. The best looking deal I've seen on bookshelf speakers with a pedigree are Celestion AVP-303 (this is the center/2 sattelite combo) that would complete your 5.1 setup. At less than $150, you could try them out and if you don't like them, you won't be out much even if you end up shipping them back. Take a look at the Celestion site, find the best price, and decide for yourself. Then you can spend the rest on fine wine!

 

[PULLIAMM]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Alimentall /forum/post/0


some people desperately need to have a love affair with them (instead of their music).

As consistently off-base as you are about everything, all the time, you have never veered farther from the truth than this statement. The whole point of having fantastic speakers is the music. I am able to be completely absorbed in the music precisely because the speakers have no flaws with which to call attention to themselves.

 

[PULLIAMM]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Tex-amp /forum/post/0


Nooooooooooooo!

That is one of the greatest posts ever on this board.

Not to mention yet another piece of evidence in favor of having Alimentall permanently banned.