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Speakers

bmwuk

Well-Known Member
If i were to put a list of speakers (5 of them - l-r-c-rr-rl) to look at as a longer term savings goal, say $5k-$6k, which ones are worth a listen? I glanced at Paradigm Reference to start. Anyone have experience with them?

Other ones worth checking out?
 
My first 5.1 system was Paradigm Reference 60's, 20's and CC. I still have the 60's in our Den.

LOVE THEM!!
 
So many choices, and middle-class speakers are generally very good these days. Look for the style you like and then listen. If you like them before you buy them, chances are good you will like them for a long time.
 
For what its worth (and everyone's ears are different) I spent a weekend auditioning speakers around SLC when I upgraded 7 years ago. I liked a model of the Paradigms (don't remember the #) right off the bat, and it seems every shop had them, plus another two or three brands, so I had sort of a reference to compare everything (and I realize the listening rooms were all completely different, as were the fatigue condition of my ears as the days went on). There were a couple models that I could've lived with (NHT and another name I can't recall, NAMM? NOM?) but it wasn't until the last shop that I got to hear the Paradigms against some Monitor Audio Silvers. Those things made a saxophone sound like a saxophone (the Paradigms sounded nasal) and the detail (squeek from a piano damper pedal, fingering noise on a standup bass) made my decision for me. I A/B'd them (just the stereo towers) against my 30-year-old Advents when I got home, in my own room. I was frankly amazed at how close they sounded to each other, and felt I made the right decision.
The "Silver" level MA's have been redesigned at least once since then, but they're right in your price range so I humbly submit you give them a try if possible. FWIW.
 
Shameless plug.....Dynaudio's new Contour 20 bookshelves should fall in that range too.
I don't think I could spend that much cash on bookshelf speakers. This of course flies in the face of what I know and heard when listening to dynaudios at your house. Crazy good.
 
I missed the "5 of them" part in the OP anyway. That pretty much blows that out of the water....
 
Yeah look at PSA. I just noticed there MT110SR (for surrounds) with downward-angled drivers. That would be great in my room (if I didn't already have something I'm not planning to change, that is) to avoid having to mount extra brackets, although you're still limited in angling left/right... Anyway, I thought that was a cool feature, something I hadn't seen before.
 
I missed the "5 of them" part in the OP anyway. That pretty much blows that out of the water....
All good. Actually I might push things a bit. Meaning start with front soundstage then go floorstandings and move bookshelves to rear. So possibly...
 
I've read a ton of glowing reviews on Golden Ear speakers. I first heard them at a shop in Dallas alongside much more expensive brands. I was pretty impressed. Bateman may be able to chime in as he was there too. You can find them in Houston at All Star Audio.
 
IIRC the folks heading up GoldenEar also were involved with Polk Audio (?) and Definitive Technology. So there's your pedigree. Really small subs that didn't go very deep, however.
 
What's the deal one golden ear? They've shown up in my absence for the past 5 years or so. Any info on them in terms of who and where?
I have a good friend who has the Golden Ear Titon 2+ ( https://www.goldenear.com/products/triton-series ). I think they are good bang for you buck. They are crisp and clean with very good imaging. The bass is good for him but I'm used to 15' woofers and dual subs in my system, so you could say I like more bass.
 
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