kjohnsonhp Posted August 28, 2002 Share Posted August 28, 2002 Speaker Options for $1k-$2k/pr (or $3k/pr) - Is Heritage the clear winner (for me)? Or, is the Sonus Faber Concerto the "mouse that roared"? I bought a pair of 1977 Cornwalls as my reference and starting point for building a home theatre/music system. I did this because I had a history with Cornwalls in college about 17 years ago and felt that I needed to revisit those speakers and then be open to alternatives...otherwise I'd always wonder if I should have stuck with the Corns for a lower price than the many new brands recommended by dealers. Once I get a better amp (my old 60watt Hitachi w/the Corns sounds loud and irratating pushing power above 1.5w on the "disco" power meter) I'm going to reaquaint myself with the Corns and then see if I've truely swallowed the "cool-aid" being dispensed on this board. I'm already pretty excited because I temporarily parked the Cornwalls in the family room and watched Star Wars Ep.1 with my Denon AVR-2000 and 50" Pioneer. That along with a quick Horn Concerto, some Chopin piano spanking and some "Comfortably Numb" Pink Floyd have made me optimistic about my decision. Even w/ the Hitachi at low power levels I've been enjoying the Corns. I'm listing some of the alternatives the stores are pushing to see if anyone could describe the differences. I'll be comparing and giving my thoughts as heard w/newbie ears dirtied with years of listening to punk/post-punk/new-wave DIY recordings as a college radio DJ in the 80's--more recently I've been adding CD recommendations from "Classical Music For Dummies" to my portfolio: 1. Sonus Faber Concerto's (list is $1850 but ebay under $1k used). This is a great comparison--kinda like the elephant vs the mouse. The SF Concerto's are smaller than Heresys but the sales rep likes them better than towers in the sub $2k range (ie Klipsch RF7, Mirage, Energy). His recommendation is Concertos or Concertinos and a killer sub for 35Hz and below....little bookshelfs to 35Hz? Wow! I was tempted by the Concerto's at under $1k on ebay and a matching center for $650. They certainly are easier to fit, but I've been skeptical... I'm not a wine tasting audiophile filled with colorful words about classical music or the difference in sound between a Paste and Zilgen--heck I can't even spell those company names. But, I am open minded. 2. Definitive Technology --great advertising and ability to work the a/v rags for ink/awards/ratings. Their product would fit into my room more easily as well--no need to think about inverting 125lbs of yard high furniture above your big screen. Of course the Rep didn't even blink when he recommended the $3k/pr BP2000's and matching $1k center. I'm thinking $1,500 for 2 Corns+3 Heresys. 3. Snell Acoustics - Another attractive looking thin tower with good reviews. Interesting note: Two dealers I visited sell and demo the Klipsch RF7 family. Neither steered me in that direction eventhough I mentioned that I was exposed to Cornwalls in college and had a positive perception and no real experience listening to audiophile equipment. One dealer had the full boat Klipsch reference setup in their monster screen HT which another rep cranked until the walls resonated and cripled my hearing for a few minutes. The speaker rep only mentioned the RF7 when I asked about something cheaper than the DefTech's at $3k/pr. The RF7 was the alternative if I planned on a sub later...which I do. Anyway, I'm going to attempt to compare other speakers to my Corns and see if I'm motivated to switch. I assume someone will quote me the title of another post on this board, "once you go Klipsch, you never go back". This is great with me and but I'm keeping an open mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdm56 Posted August 28, 2002 Share Posted August 28, 2002 Hey, nothing wrong with an open mind. And you are looking at some really nice speakers. I heard a small pair of Sonus Fabers with a sub once that sounded absolutely fantastic. Not sure about the model, but they were a very petite, floor-standing, two-way pair. And the Def-Techs are super speakers for the money - at least the ones I've heard. The last pair I listened to was the BP-2000's, about four years ago. They sounded great, but I ended up buying the klipschorns that were sitting next to them. But I must admit that upon first listen, the D-T's had a smoother, better balanced sound than did the 'horns. At low levels. But, once I started to twist that volume knob clockwise, the story changed rapidly, with the klipsch clarity and low distortion output soon overtaking the Def-Techs. It sounds to me like you have a preference for a narrow-profile floorstander, though. You might consider the RF-3, or RF-5, used with a good sub. It probably wouldn't sound as refined as those sleek little Italian jobs, but they would be mucho cheaper for sure. And more dynamic, too. You may even prefer them, depending upon your personal listening set-up and taste. The cornwalls are hard to beat, though. I had a pair from '85 to '93. Wish I still had'em! ------------------ JDM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougdrake Posted August 28, 2002 Share Posted August 28, 2002 "The speaker rep only mentioned the RF7 when I asked about something cheaper than the DefTech's at $3k/pr. " Hmm, let's see. I'll bet he works on commission. Color me surprised!!! (LOL). Doug ------------------ My System Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjohnsonhp Posted August 28, 2002 Author Share Posted August 28, 2002 Higher price,high commission but selling me on something I can't afford just makes me delay purchase, look for used or give up on expensive speakers all together...much worse than the commission delta between $3,000 and $2,000. On another note I'm finding my 60watt Hitachi just doesn't show off the Cornwalls. When I turn the volume up past 4 out of 10 the highs start to make the sound seem "loud" and unpleasant. The trumpets on Handel's Water Music for exmaple really stand out as "loud" sounding (like a kid cranking the volume beyond the capabilities of the system--like turning a clock radio up too high) for example. I need a better amp before I buy more speakers. This combo isn't satisfying and worth having the speakers. I need a better amp to really hear a significant improvement over my current low dollar speakers. I'm looking forward to enjoying the full dynamics of pieces like Tchaikovsky's symphony number 6 (4th movement especially). Today the volume needs to be turned up on the soft passages and turned down on the loud passages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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