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Best $400 Speakers


Stephen328

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I'm looking for new mains for my system around $400. Both Bookshelf and Floorstanders would work fine, I'd prefer Floorstander though. My music to movie ratio it 70% music 30% movies. Its just that theres so many brands. I've looked at Klipsch SF-1, SF-2, RB-3; JBL ND310, S310, S312; Infinity IL 30; PSB Image 4T, Wharfedale diamond 8.3, used Heresys and they all look good. I have not listened to all of them, but heard and read good things about most of them. In the end I know I sould go with the ones that sound best to me, but a little help narrowing the field and maybe soem new suggestions would be much appreciated.

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Stephen,

In the list you made I would select the PSB Image 4T.Best sounding speakers to my ears.

If you compare prices of new speakers to used the used will always win,you can get speakers costing a few good times more a few years ago.In this case the Dynaudio Audience 40 get my vote,so much more refined.Just need a high quality amp more them most compact monitors.

Full range,any used speakers in the Heritage line would probably sound great and negate the need for any sub for a while.

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I recently went with the SF2's over the SF1's. Both of those sound much fuller to me than the bookshelf models. The price difference was definitely worth it to me for all the reasons Pro DJ listed above. I haven't heard the others in your list, just the Klipsch.

PS, I always read the signature as prodigy too!

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Heck of an endorsement Qman. Sound pretty good huh?

At any rate, folks on a budget should definitely be checking out "used" options. You can really make your money stretch. If you can find some Heresy's locally, or not to far away so shipping doesn't eat away your speaker money -- you should go for it.

www.audiogon.com

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Speakers I have auditioned with serious listening sessions:

Klipsch Khorns, LaScalas, Chorus IIs, Cornwall Is, B&W 801, 802, 803, Martin Logan Prodigy and Statements, Nearfield Pipedreams, Infinity RS 2000, Fulton FM100s, Axiom Audio M3Tis and M80Tis, Omega TS1s and TS2s, Newtronics Skates MK IIs, Coincident Signature Triumphs UHS, Classic Audio Cinema Ensembles, Bose Jewel cubes and Sony ss-U3190. With each model sounding very different from the next.

But I will tell you this, for I am resident of the cheap side of the tracks, the wonderful musical qualities of Klipsch's big old horns can be purchased for the same price as most "beginning to sound good" speakers in the modest price range. I contend that many speakers near the $1,000 price point begin to exhibit much, if not all, of the qualities which distinguish competent performing speakers from the rest of the pack.

Round about one thousand each retail, which means about $500 used, most loudspeakers begin to sound good. They have better drivers, better cones and stiffer, heavier construction. Because of their large size, super sensitivity, bright and revealing nature, Klipsch's big old horns remain outright bargains compared to many traditional loudspeakers. For the money they give lots of loud volume, low power requirements, incredible dynamics, very low distortion, amazingly clear mid-range, highs that ring like metal, fast mid and upper bass, huge soundstage and realistic quickness.

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Dean,

I know, I'm a no good SOB.

I sad before that I bought a pair of KG5.5 speakers on ebay for my parents. To make a long story short, they didn't want them.

When I first hooked them up they made loud clappig type noise. I didn't investagate the problem enought and called Klipsch and ordered new woofers. I thought the woofers were blown.

Turned out that the backs of the cabinets were falling off and making the slapping sound. Ended up taking the boxes half apart and rebuilding them.

Now since I had four new woofers, I called Klipsch again and ordered the High freq. horns and networks. This way I can build a pair and put the new woofers to use.

My college son took the 5.5's to school with him.

I'll put the parts to use by eather building a pair for surround speakers for him when he is ready, or build anyone here a 5.5 center channel speaker like Horn ED did with a KLF-30. This way someone could have a matching center channel.

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> Ckeck out DCM at Circuit City.

> I put them next to a pair of KG5.5 speakers and 3 out of 4 people picked the DCM's . I was one of them.

> Q-Man

I find that really hard to believe, unless:

1) only 1 out of the 4 people were audiophiles.

2) the test wasn't a truly fair comparison -- for instance, maybe some EQ setting on the your pre-amp was optimitzed for the DCMs making them seem to sound better.

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