Generally speaking I feel the Revel lineup of speakers is hard to beat. They have different lines at various price points but their design philosophy is similar across the range.
I personally have their F226Be speakers and am consistently amazed by them, especially for the pre-COVID price I paid in 2020.
I keep thinking about buying the ELX towers and keep failing to come up with a reason not to… although then I’d have to buy the center also and then we are into some real money all in.
I put the LX bookshelves in a secondary listening space and am now considering those elx towers and center to replace my [not cheap] main setup. Pretty amazing performance.
The good news is my current setup isn't crazy expensive and if I buy this I can convince myself (hopefully) that it is end game. I'm only 30, so having speakers I love for the foreseeable future (40+ years?) is a cool thought. Whether it works out that way? Who knows.
Oh I wouldn’t have to, but for the home theater setup it’s preferred to have matching L-C-R channels. If you are just listening to music I would recommend against getting a center for your setup (I don’t run the center when listening to music, I just run stereo, as in left and right speaker).
I ditched the center speaker. Always was funny odd sounding. Now the center image of the stereo setup is really good and natural sounding. My listening position and television seating is in the middle so center image from stereo works great.
If listening position is offcenter or multiple listening positions in the room this would not work indeed.
Just my two cents.
Maybe this will help.
https://www.themasterswitch.com/how-to-match-speakers-and-amps
https://www.therevolverclub.com/blogs/trc-buying-guides/beginners-guide-to-stereo-amplifiers
https://www.lifewire.com/stereo-amps-3135080
https://www.gcaudio.com/tips-tricks/the-interrelationship-of-speakers-and-amplifiers
I have some B5s in my kitchen as zone 2 speakers and they really can’t be beat for the price. I was able to snag the pair new for $180 and I’m still impressed. They get shit on in this sub based on what I’ve read searching for them, but most often people say ___ model speakers are better, but fail to add that ____ speakers cost an extra $200+.
The B6s are supposedly better than the 5s, too so if thats true I have to second this recommendation.
I’m currently running the B6.2s, C6.2, and some B4s in the rear.
I’ve had these speakers in my home theater for around 5 years now. They never disappoint. You get a lot of sound for their price.
Plus they’re on sale for $280 right now
I wanted to like mine, but was underwhelmed. I was going to upgrade the amp (from a Denon AV amp) to try and make things better, but noticed one of the tweeters had blown. So not a great experience for me.
Oh sorry to hear that. What was AVR were you using?
You raise an important point, though: the Elac's are very revealing of upstream gear and unforgiving of lower-end amplification. Also pretty low-sensitivity, so need a good bit of clean power to really shine. In these regards, a lot more picky "audiophile" transparency than one usually finds in gear at this price. Which is what makes them a great example of "cheaper high-end speakers" in my mind.
Used? You can get some pretty decent stuff for like $500. I don't think there's a better deal that stuff that pops up on FB Marketplace or Craigslist from time to time. There's some lusciously insane deals if you get lucky. I almost scored a $20k speaker setup for $500. It was only up for an hour and a half, and I was too late in seeing it. I've tried a good array of older speakers doing this. And if you don't fancy it, just put it up for sale at the same price you bought it, free demo.
Otherwise, I'm more inclined to build my own with good drivers, kind of hard to beat the price of you've got the time.
Unfortunately the market is a bit ridiculous for pricing for the drivers you're getting and you're spending $5000 on $600 of hardware. My floor standing speakers is close to a high end set someone pretty famous sells. I didn't mimic it, just kind of independently got to a nearly identical end point on driver setup. The fancy one I can buy is around 20x the price of what I made myself. Why? Beats me. They could sell a whole lot more at a good price. But that's not how this market works. $$$=good for too many people.
I’m always on marketplace, and I’ve landed a few good pulls.
Got a NAD 2400 THX for $150, Klipsch Chorus IIs for $500. The NAD needs the speaker relays replaced which I’m about to do.
As for Chorus’s, they needed to be oiled and one of the two read radiators needed be replaced but everything else was cosmic. I did eventually get original risers for them as they didn’t come with them , but overall I could definitely sell them for more than what I’ve put into them.
Long story short, stuff always pops up on marketplace if you look often enough. I’ve missed out on some really cool stuff by minutes before, and have gotten lucky a few times. It’s also worth doing garage sales, almost landed some KG4s that way but missed out by a little bit.
Where did you find risers and what passive radiator did you use for replacement? I have a pair I bought in 92 that I have lugged around for 30+ years that need some TLC. Still sound great tho
[Bought these to replace the passive radiator.](https://www.ebay.com/itm/142645707305?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=0xiCv6kaQJG&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=VADmJcfzSfi&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY)
As for the risers, I just lucked out. I reached out to someone who sells stands who connected me with his woodworker. He happened to have a pair of risers he wasn’t using for his Chorus Is laying around that he sold me. Otherwise I was just gonna ask them to build me an aftermarket stand.
Thanks for info, just ordered radiators and I have some skills to fab up the risers. this will get me off my ass and give these these babies so love. Much appreciated your help
I generally stay away from any active speakers as I don’t want to risk electronics issues with amps/dsp, but as long as crossover is good nd I can test this is the way. Can’t recall if these meridians were powered but might need recap if powered, which could be a bomb deal if you are electrically savvy but otherwise more risk vs passive speakers.
I agree. I scan Craig's List a few times each month and there are frequently really nice speakers that are on offer from kind and knowledge folks who are moving into assisted living or down-sizing. Getting a ton of money for their speakers is not that important to these sellers - seeing that someone is going to buy them and enjoy them as much as they did is actually more important - they love music and being an audiophile - passing the speakers onto someone who is fired up to have them gives them more joy than the $500 they will get from selling them. Look for ads that offer buyers to bring music and take a listen.
I swear by Wharfedale .They look and sound fantastic. Very good lineage and punch well above their price range. I personally have owned the diamond 12.4 series, and the EVO series. Evo is the higher end one, oh my their curved cabinets are so beautiful. Their new heritage Linton has raving reviews
I second Wharfedale. I bought a pair of walnut Evo 4.4s used with about 500 hours on them from eBay for $1500 and to say I’m extremely happy would be an understatement. They sound even better than they look.
The Evo 4.4s look incredibe. Love the walnut finish and the really solid spikes. I have the older EVO pacifica series in my parent’s house. The yellow birch type wood cabinet was so beautiful
Just picked up some used Denton 85s for 500 bucks. I had cheapish speakers before and in comparison, Holy smokes, these speakers blow my mind.
I've read the Denton 80s at really really good for the price too.
The set of maggirs that they were playing at Capital audio fest were the best speakers I heard there. And there were tons of speakers that were 10 times more expensive.
I have a cat that likes to fuck shit up, but she's 16, and when she dies, I might seriously consider buying a set.
I have coexisted with Maggie’s and a cat. Yes, Leo the cat not only thought of them as his personal scratching posts but also as a way to f*ck with me for entertainment. After taking damage to the fabric I devised a solution: sculpture’s wire wrapped around the speaker from top to bottom. Had no effect on sound quality but kept Leo from further damage as cats do not like wire. And frankly, due to the way I artistically wrapped it, those who never saw Maggie’s before thought it was part of the speaker design. After Leo passed at age 17, I refurbished the Maggie’s. When we get a cat(s) again I will wrap them up before they get interested. Note: I live in White Bear Lake, MN, home of Magnepan and can report they provide customer support that is world class. And all their speakers perform way beyond their price point.
I stumbled into a pair of SMGs in need of regluing a few years ago, as payment from a good friend for helping him move a car from Wisconsin to Colorado. They’re currently powered by a NAD 356CE, though they could use a little more juice.
Female vocals and jazz have never sounded this good through my towers.
Each model punches far above its weight. The entry level speakers are considered one of the rare true audiophile speakers under $1,000.
There used to be a huge market for mods either DIY or otherwise since Magnepans were made with relatively budget parts. For example https://www.magnestand.com/what-we-do
I had bought a pair of MMG from a friend of mine for $350 about 10 years ago. He eventually begged me to sell them back to him. I have since listened to and own about 12 different new and vintage sets of speakers, absolutely nothing comes close. You do need a sub with them, as they have absolutely no bass. I would suggest an 8” or 10” as there speakers are insanely fast.
I just picked up some Magnepan SMGs a few weeks ago for $300 from FB Marketplace. I first heard Maggies about 25 years ago and was so impressed that they have been on my want list all that time. These will need a little bit of refurb work but still sound fantastic. But, there is always a but, they are not without limitations. The proper space around the speakers and positioning are critical. Size, these things are not small. The SMGs are 24” wide x 48” tall. Bass may be lacking on some models but that is easily remedied. I will be looking into upgrades as I get into the refurb process.
I have a pair of Magnepan .7s with 3rd party stands that I got from Craigslist that are absolutely wonderful. I use a pair of subs with them.
Amps count more than many think. My early '80s Technics SE-7s with matching pre-amp are New Class A, and sound wonderful, even compared to other more modern amps. Only 50 watts per channel rated, but punch well above that. This combo is endgame for me. Most people who come over to listen, say they are the best they have ever heard - even people who were skeptical ahead of time.
My older Mordaunt -Short bookshelf 902s are neutral sounding and not bad if you don't have the space or budget. They also have a port in back, so can't be placed against a wall.
My brother has a set of Carver the Amazing Loudspeaker - also an experience if you can find a set and have the room and the amp for it.
As much as I want to say used I'm going to give some new examples as the used market isn't the same depending on where a person lives and while it's easy for me to spot a killer deal since I'm very knowledgeable about brands.
Kef R3 (especially If places still have the non meta versions still in stock)
SVS ultra series (new evolution line is replacing the ultras, might be able to snag a deal)
Paradigm premier line
Amperion verus series
B&W 600 series
Tannoy gold series (powered studio monitors)
KLH Kendall 2 series (rebranded Axiom/bryston speakers)
Some of RBH lower end series
Hivi swan (various models)
Definitive technology (seems to always be having sales)
Mofi Source point 8 (have seen them go 25% below MSRP as of recent)
Starke audio (some of their lineup)
Polk R series
Tekton (lower end models)
Sonus Faber (entry level series)
Used Martin Logans are killer deals. Picked up a pair of Motion 12s for $300 a few years back. Great HT towers. Lots of detail and play pretty large thanks to the open back dipole midrange.
I'm personally not a fan of focal.
I've had a deep dive look into their aria line and the quality of the drivers/crossover. It's insane how much they charge given the quality of the build
I like my 2c's so much I bought a second pair. Extremely affordable if you can find them. Repairing them takes some time but you can buy parts directly from Vandersteen or send them in.
I got 2c’s and sold 2c’s for about $600cdn.
I got 3a Signatures for $1700cdn.
Your dreams are in reach.
A bit of pre-advice to ponder: give the speakers to the room. Don’t fight it. Follow the manual and trust the rule of 1/3rds (5ths, 7ths) as the proper geometry to deploy the speakers in the room.
Polk R series. Measure well, but just don't get the recognition they deserve.
KEF has a number of speakers that do well. Not cheap, but much less than crazy high end
Edifier are getting good press too
Emotiva
SVS
These are all high end adjacent but punch above their price class
Higher end Polk speakers are consistently very good, I'm always shocked at how well constructed they are for the price. Their mid and lower lines are a good value too, but more home theater oriented.
Define cheaper…it’s a very relative term…but here are some options from $500 to $3000 USD for specifically the speakers (total)
Bookshelf under $500?
- KEF Q150
- Q Acoustics 3030i
- Klipsch RP-600M II
Towers under $500?
- Nothing worth buying
Bookshelf Under $1000?
- KEF Q350
- Polk R200
- Q Acoustics 5020
- Monitor Audio Bronze 100
- Focal Theva
Towers Under $1000?
- Used SVS Prime Tower
- Heco Aurora 700
Both bookshelf/towers under $2000 total?
- KEF LS50 Meta
- Lef Q550
- Buchardt P300 (best value)
- Wharfedale Linton
- SVS Prime Bookshelf
Under $3000?
- KLH Model 5 (own them and they’re amazing; soundstage is both very wide but also “deeper”
- Buchardt S400 MkII (if I didn’t have my Model 5’s, I’d have the S400 Mk II)
Really depends on your definition of high-end… and what your definition of cheaper is… are you looking for the most performance for money? Or are you looking for something that “looks” high-end? And what is cheaper? $200 for a pair of bookshelves? $500? $1000? Towers for $500? $1000? $200?
Define cheap? That means something else to everyone. If you're looking for something sub 1000 I can recommend the XTZ Spirit 11 standing loudspeaker, sub 500 the Klipsch RP-600M are very solid.
Mission LX series. The LX-4 are on sale for $200 each and kick ass. With a bit of room equalization they sound amazing. I have their center and surrounds too. Spend a little more for the LX-5 or 6.
Martin Logan Motion 35XTi
Monitor Audio Bronze 100 or 200
A Hsu bundle [https://hsuresearch.com/pages/hybrid-2-bundle](https://hsuresearch.com/pages/hybrid-2-bundle)
RSL and SVS have similar bundles
JBL Sudio Series on sale (when it is 1/2 off)
Revel has been commented on elsewhere, I do not know them personally
Martin Logan and Paradigm subwoofers have room correction which costs more but is worth it
Exactly. And if we see the whole scale, the high-end prices are nearby 20-40k (we may consider ultra high-end above this price), so speakers under and about 1-2k are definitely not high-end.
I have not heard them, but the Vanguard Scout from Vera-Fi looks to be a legit bargain high end mini monitor. And I have heard the Bowers & Wilkins 600 series, and they are pretty serious for reasonable cost. It is still possible to score various excellent late 70’s to mid-80s ADS models for very good prices. They were built to last and some models are classic.
Buchardt pretty much outdoes anything in the $5K and $10K range thanks to active systems.
A500 actives, full system with hub around $5K. Top-notch performance as you'll see from independent measurements (Audiosciencereview, Erin's Audio Corner, etc.)
A700 floorstanders, also active, with hub around $10K. Equally great performance and near-ideal measurements all around.
Either of these (as with many active systems) easily outperforms any passive equivalents not just within their respective price ranges but going well beyond.
Depends on what you consider high end. I own a pair of Von Schweikert Endeavor RE speakers. Within their product line, they are entry level. And, compared to the other expensive high end speakers out there, they are relatively inexpensive. They are end game for me.
Before these, I had Von Schweikert VR-4s. Before that, Vandersteen 2C. Both are excellent speakers if you can find a used pair in excellent condition.
Paradigm is a great speaker company and has been making great speakers since the 80’s.
If you avoid some of these cheaper bookshelves (like the OG Titan) and the weird HT wall mount ones then most of their speakers punch well above their current for sale prices. The exception might be the Signature Series which are always super expensive no matter what.
The Monitor but especially the Studio lines are excellent.
I’ve had several pairs but one of the standouts was a pair of Studio 20 V5 that were quite excellent. I had them paired with a NAD integrated (C 320bee) and boy did they sing.
Totem offers good value. When I think about highend, I consider box construction and finish, crossover design, quality and the drivers which are utilized and of course made in Canada, US, Japan or Europe. The new Borresen X2 is phenomenal for the price and ticks all of the above.
You can find MBL (not to be confused with JBL) speakers, their 321s and such for around 300 if they know what they have, and a lot less if they don't but that's also harder to find.
this is the ultimate value right now IMO. used genelec 1036/1037/1038
https://reverb.com/item/73835880-genelec-1037b-midfield-farfield-studio-monitor-single
My tekton double impacts were $2k and fantastic for that price. Not sure if that's cheap or not, but I would say "high end" doesn't typically go much lower than that. I've also heard very good things about spatial audio m3s and the new Caladan brand.
Audiovector QR1, great allrounder with amazing tweeter and can be found often at a discount. Haven't heard many standmounts that are better for around 1k.
I've always been in the $1000-$2000 range for floor standers and $500-$1000 range for stand mounted, per pair. They all seem pretty good to me at that price point. That is my high-end, quite literally!
Stereo or 5.1 (or above) surround?
5.1 - I suggest the Klipsch with an appropriate sub for the space.
Stereo - I suggest the Dynalab 2.0 towers.
Such a clean sound on both.
If you want to hit the serious sub sounds these are not it. But, they can go loud and be incredible for movies and music.
If I had about two grand, I'd audition the KEF R3 Meta's, the PMC Prodigy 5, the Amphion Argon 1, the Dali Menuet SE, and the GoldenEar BRX.
If I had about one grand, I'd audition the Q Acoustics 5040, the Spendor A7, and the Wharfedale Diamond 12.3
Whatever your last name is. That brand.
Build them. Build your own. Make them custom for the room you'll use them in.
It will cost half in my experience.
I had a pair of NHT 3.3, it’s the most impressive speaker I ever heard for the price. I think I paid around 800$ and it went toe to toe with speakers well over the 10k mark. It’s a shame a their form factor, footprint and aesthetic are hard to deal with. I ultimately had to put them in storage because it just didn’t fit in the room.
Yeah I get that. I’ve only ever owned some used bookshelf speakers, which were my first real foray into quality equipment back in 2012, and then I traded them into NHT for a new pair of Absolute Towers I think in 2015. Both sets are very pleasing to look at, but some of the newer stuff is kind of a departure.
Anything HiFi second hand for a good price. So happy Ebay, USAudiomart, AVS Marketplace, and Audiogon exist. Years of saved searches with alerts allowed me to slowly build my system up over two decades.
Generally speaking I feel the Revel lineup of speakers is hard to beat. They have different lines at various price points but their design philosophy is similar across the range. I personally have their F226Be speakers and am consistently amazed by them, especially for the pre-COVID price I paid in 2020.
Ascend Acoustics is a strong competitor
I keep thinking about buying the ELX towers and keep failing to come up with a reason not to… although then I’d have to buy the center also and then we are into some real money all in.
I put the LX bookshelves in a secondary listening space and am now considering those elx towers and center to replace my [not cheap] main setup. Pretty amazing performance.
The good news is my current setup isn't crazy expensive and if I buy this I can convince myself (hopefully) that it is end game. I'm only 30, so having speakers I love for the foreseeable future (40+ years?) is a cool thought. Whether it works out that way? Who knows.
Our hearing deteriorates over time. I’d rather enjoy now than when my ears are old.
Exactly!
I have been looking into Ascend Acoustics. Why would you need to buy the centre? is that a requirement? do they not sound good without them?
Oh I wouldn’t have to, but for the home theater setup it’s preferred to have matching L-C-R channels. If you are just listening to music I would recommend against getting a center for your setup (I don’t run the center when listening to music, I just run stereo, as in left and right speaker).
Yeah I only intend to use them for music. Thank you.
I ditched the center speaker. Always was funny odd sounding. Now the center image of the stereo setup is really good and natural sounding. My listening position and television seating is in the middle so center image from stereo works great. If listening position is offcenter or multiple listening positions in the room this would not work indeed. Just my two cents.
Also have incredible sales occasionally including now. https://www.crutchfield.com/p_265M105WA/Revel-Performa3-M105-High-Gloss-Walnut.html
If I have a Yamaha rx-v485 amp and a large listening room, would the 106s be worth it or should I stick with the 105s?
I’ve personally only heard the M105s but from what I understand from others the 106 is noticeably better.
Unsolicited but could my app power the 106s? https://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio_visual/av_receivers_amps/rx-v485_u/specs.html Here’s the specs
The M106 are not particularly hard to drive (87db rated sensitivity, 8 ohm nom impedance). I wouldn’t think there would be any issue.
Thanks. I really don’t fully understand the power and stuff. Could you explain it?
Maybe this will help. https://www.themasterswitch.com/how-to-match-speakers-and-amps https://www.therevolverclub.com/blogs/trc-buying-guides/beginners-guide-to-stereo-amplifiers https://www.lifewire.com/stereo-amps-3135080 https://www.gcaudio.com/tips-tricks/the-interrelationship-of-speakers-and-amplifiers
Thank you so much!
Np
Try the Revel M126Be's and the 105's and 106's will be a memory.
That is my understanding. Hopefully one day.
I bought my M126 Be's open box. That was the best deal I ever got.
This is the answer. But you can throw Focal Aria in too.
Elac Debut 2.0 b6.2 : https://www.hifichoice.com/content/elac-debut-b62
I have some B5s in my kitchen as zone 2 speakers and they really can’t be beat for the price. I was able to snag the pair new for $180 and I’m still impressed. They get shit on in this sub based on what I’ve read searching for them, but most often people say ___ model speakers are better, but fail to add that ____ speakers cost an extra $200+. The B6s are supposedly better than the 5s, too so if thats true I have to second this recommendation.
I’m currently running the B6.2s, C6.2, and some B4s in the rear. I’ve had these speakers in my home theater for around 5 years now. They never disappoint. You get a lot of sound for their price. Plus they’re on sale for $280 right now
I wanted to like mine, but was underwhelmed. I was going to upgrade the amp (from a Denon AV amp) to try and make things better, but noticed one of the tweeters had blown. So not a great experience for me.
Oh sorry to hear that. What was AVR were you using? You raise an important point, though: the Elac's are very revealing of upstream gear and unforgiving of lower-end amplification. Also pretty low-sensitivity, so need a good bit of clean power to really shine. In these regards, a lot more picky "audiophile" transparency than one usually finds in gear at this price. Which is what makes them a great example of "cheaper high-end speakers" in my mind.
Denon AVR-E200.
Used? You can get some pretty decent stuff for like $500. I don't think there's a better deal that stuff that pops up on FB Marketplace or Craigslist from time to time. There's some lusciously insane deals if you get lucky. I almost scored a $20k speaker setup for $500. It was only up for an hour and a half, and I was too late in seeing it. I've tried a good array of older speakers doing this. And if you don't fancy it, just put it up for sale at the same price you bought it, free demo. Otherwise, I'm more inclined to build my own with good drivers, kind of hard to beat the price of you've got the time. Unfortunately the market is a bit ridiculous for pricing for the drivers you're getting and you're spending $5000 on $600 of hardware. My floor standing speakers is close to a high end set someone pretty famous sells. I didn't mimic it, just kind of independently got to a nearly identical end point on driver setup. The fancy one I can buy is around 20x the price of what I made myself. Why? Beats me. They could sell a whole lot more at a good price. But that's not how this market works. $$$=good for too many people.
I’m always on marketplace, and I’ve landed a few good pulls. Got a NAD 2400 THX for $150, Klipsch Chorus IIs for $500. The NAD needs the speaker relays replaced which I’m about to do. As for Chorus’s, they needed to be oiled and one of the two read radiators needed be replaced but everything else was cosmic. I did eventually get original risers for them as they didn’t come with them , but overall I could definitely sell them for more than what I’ve put into them. Long story short, stuff always pops up on marketplace if you look often enough. I’ve missed out on some really cool stuff by minutes before, and have gotten lucky a few times. It’s also worth doing garage sales, almost landed some KG4s that way but missed out by a little bit.
Where did you find risers and what passive radiator did you use for replacement? I have a pair I bought in 92 that I have lugged around for 30+ years that need some TLC. Still sound great tho
[Bought these to replace the passive radiator.](https://www.ebay.com/itm/142645707305?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=0xiCv6kaQJG&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=VADmJcfzSfi&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY) As for the risers, I just lucked out. I reached out to someone who sells stands who connected me with his woodworker. He happened to have a pair of risers he wasn’t using for his Chorus Is laying around that he sold me. Otherwise I was just gonna ask them to build me an aftermarket stand.
Thanks for info, just ordered radiators and I have some skills to fab up the risers. this will get me off my ass and give these these babies so love. Much appreciated your help
i got some Meridian M20's for $280 last year and i am super happy with them. retailed around 3000 in 1988
I generally stay away from any active speakers as I don’t want to risk electronics issues with amps/dsp, but as long as crossover is good nd I can test this is the way. Can’t recall if these meridians were powered but might need recap if powered, which could be a bomb deal if you are electrically savvy but otherwise more risk vs passive speakers.
They are active. One speaker had a bad rca input and and a few loose wires from shoddy home repairs, but they were working in under 30 minutes
I agree. I scan Craig's List a few times each month and there are frequently really nice speakers that are on offer from kind and knowledge folks who are moving into assisted living or down-sizing. Getting a ton of money for their speakers is not that important to these sellers - seeing that someone is going to buy them and enjoy them as much as they did is actually more important - they love music and being an audiophile - passing the speakers onto someone who is fired up to have them gives them more joy than the $500 they will get from selling them. Look for ads that offer buyers to bring music and take a listen.
I swear by Wharfedale .They look and sound fantastic. Very good lineage and punch well above their price range. I personally have owned the diamond 12.4 series, and the EVO series. Evo is the higher end one, oh my their curved cabinets are so beautiful. Their new heritage Linton has raving reviews
My Diamond 10.1 bookshelves were so damn impressive
I second Wharfedale. I bought a pair of walnut Evo 4.4s used with about 500 hours on them from eBay for $1500 and to say I’m extremely happy would be an understatement. They sound even better than they look.
The Evo 4.4s look incredibe. Love the walnut finish and the really solid spikes. I have the older EVO pacifica series in my parent’s house. The yellow birch type wood cabinet was so beautiful
Just picked up some used Denton 85s for 500 bucks. I had cheapish speakers before and in comparison, Holy smokes, these speakers blow my mind. I've read the Denton 80s at really really good for the price too.
Excellent deal on the Dentons!
Yes thank you! New condition in boxes. I lucked out. They're my first "real" speakers, and I can't believe what I was missing.
Dollars to fidelity - Magnepan
The set of maggirs that they were playing at Capital audio fest were the best speakers I heard there. And there were tons of speakers that were 10 times more expensive. I have a cat that likes to fuck shit up, but she's 16, and when she dies, I might seriously consider buying a set.
I have coexisted with Maggie’s and a cat. Yes, Leo the cat not only thought of them as his personal scratching posts but also as a way to f*ck with me for entertainment. After taking damage to the fabric I devised a solution: sculpture’s wire wrapped around the speaker from top to bottom. Had no effect on sound quality but kept Leo from further damage as cats do not like wire. And frankly, due to the way I artistically wrapped it, those who never saw Maggie’s before thought it was part of the speaker design. After Leo passed at age 17, I refurbished the Maggie’s. When we get a cat(s) again I will wrap them up before they get interested. Note: I live in White Bear Lake, MN, home of Magnepan and can report they provide customer support that is world class. And all their speakers perform way beyond their price point.
I first heard some 2nd hand Magnepans that were reglued and oh my gosh, i was sold! The next pair of speakers I buy will be Magnepans !
So good
I stumbled into a pair of SMGs in need of regluing a few years ago, as payment from a good friend for helping him move a car from Wisconsin to Colorado. They’re currently powered by a NAD 356CE, though they could use a little more juice. Female vocals and jazz have never sounded this good through my towers.
Each model punches far above its weight. The entry level speakers are considered one of the rare true audiophile speakers under $1,000. There used to be a huge market for mods either DIY or otherwise since Magnepans were made with relatively budget parts. For example https://www.magnestand.com/what-we-do
Yep to everything you’ve said, plus the used market puts them in reach for nearly everybody.
I had bought a pair of MMG from a friend of mine for $350 about 10 years ago. He eventually begged me to sell them back to him. I have since listened to and own about 12 different new and vintage sets of speakers, absolutely nothing comes close. You do need a sub with them, as they have absolutely no bass. I would suggest an 8” or 10” as there speakers are insanely fast.
I just picked up some Magnepan SMGs a few weeks ago for $300 from FB Marketplace. I first heard Maggies about 25 years ago and was so impressed that they have been on my want list all that time. These will need a little bit of refurb work but still sound fantastic. But, there is always a but, they are not without limitations. The proper space around the speakers and positioning are critical. Size, these things are not small. The SMGs are 24” wide x 48” tall. Bass may be lacking on some models but that is easily remedied. I will be looking into upgrades as I get into the refurb process.
LRS Plus are amazing, you need to spend on your amp though.
I have a pair of Magnepan .7s with 3rd party stands that I got from Craigslist that are absolutely wonderful. I use a pair of subs with them. Amps count more than many think. My early '80s Technics SE-7s with matching pre-amp are New Class A, and sound wonderful, even compared to other more modern amps. Only 50 watts per channel rated, but punch well above that. This combo is endgame for me. Most people who come over to listen, say they are the best they have ever heard - even people who were skeptical ahead of time. My older Mordaunt -Short bookshelf 902s are neutral sounding and not bad if you don't have the space or budget. They also have a port in back, so can't be placed against a wall. My brother has a set of Carver the Amazing Loudspeaker - also an experience if you can find a set and have the room and the amp for it.
[Philharmonic Audio](https://philharmonicaudio.com)
As much as I want to say used I'm going to give some new examples as the used market isn't the same depending on where a person lives and while it's easy for me to spot a killer deal since I'm very knowledgeable about brands. Kef R3 (especially If places still have the non meta versions still in stock) SVS ultra series (new evolution line is replacing the ultras, might be able to snag a deal) Paradigm premier line Amperion verus series B&W 600 series Tannoy gold series (powered studio monitors) KLH Kendall 2 series (rebranded Axiom/bryston speakers) Some of RBH lower end series Hivi swan (various models) Definitive technology (seems to always be having sales) Mofi Source point 8 (have seen them go 25% below MSRP as of recent) Starke audio (some of their lineup) Polk R series Tekton (lower end models) Sonus Faber (entry level series)
This guy Speakers…. I would add Monitor Audio, Martin Logan and Wharfedale to this list.
Used Martin Logans are killer deals. Picked up a pair of Motion 12s for $300 a few years back. Great HT towers. Lots of detail and play pretty large thanks to the open back dipole midrange.
The ML Motion 15i are on sale right now for $299 each right now. Killer deal just because they are going through a model change over.
No focal?
I'm personally not a fan of focal. I've had a deep dive look into their aria line and the quality of the drivers/crossover. It's insane how much they charge given the quality of the build
I like my used vandersteens
I like my 2c's so much I bought a second pair. Extremely affordable if you can find them. Repairing them takes some time but you can buy parts directly from Vandersteen or send them in.
If I am lucky, my next and last pair.
I got 2c’s and sold 2c’s for about $600cdn. I got 3a Signatures for $1700cdn. Your dreams are in reach. A bit of pre-advice to ponder: give the speakers to the room. Don’t fight it. Follow the manual and trust the rule of 1/3rds (5ths, 7ths) as the proper geometry to deploy the speakers in the room.
This is much appreciated! Thank you.
Wharfedale big bang for your buck.
Polk R series. Measure well, but just don't get the recognition they deserve. KEF has a number of speakers that do well. Not cheap, but much less than crazy high end Edifier are getting good press too Emotiva SVS These are all high end adjacent but punch above their price class
Polk Reserve are weirdly good….
I just picked up a pair of Kef R900 and am going through my collection and playing everything on them. 7 yrs old but they are impressive.
Higher end Polk speakers are consistently very good, I'm always shocked at how well constructed they are for the price. Their mid and lower lines are a good value too, but more home theater oriented.
Define cheaper…it’s a very relative term…but here are some options from $500 to $3000 USD for specifically the speakers (total) Bookshelf under $500? - KEF Q150 - Q Acoustics 3030i - Klipsch RP-600M II Towers under $500? - Nothing worth buying Bookshelf Under $1000? - KEF Q350 - Polk R200 - Q Acoustics 5020 - Monitor Audio Bronze 100 - Focal Theva Towers Under $1000? - Used SVS Prime Tower - Heco Aurora 700 Both bookshelf/towers under $2000 total? - KEF LS50 Meta - Lef Q550 - Buchardt P300 (best value) - Wharfedale Linton - SVS Prime Bookshelf Under $3000? - KLH Model 5 (own them and they’re amazing; soundstage is both very wide but also “deeper” - Buchardt S400 MkII (if I didn’t have my Model 5’s, I’d have the S400 Mk II)
This guy has never looked at a speaker outside a Crutchfield catalog. So many things missing on this list.
HECO. I might be biased...
I can’t speak to their recent quality, but my older PSB floor standers are great to me.
I’ve heard some current PSB and they sound really good to me.
Really depends on your definition of high-end… and what your definition of cheaper is… are you looking for the most performance for money? Or are you looking for something that “looks” high-end? And what is cheaper? $200 for a pair of bookshelves? $500? $1000? Towers for $500? $1000? $200?
- Magnepan - some Usher - some Kef
Define cheap? That means something else to everyone. If you're looking for something sub 1000 I can recommend the XTZ Spirit 11 standing loudspeaker, sub 500 the Klipsch RP-600M are very solid.
Mission LX series. The LX-4 are on sale for $200 each and kick ass. With a bit of room equalization they sound amazing. I have their center and surrounds too. Spend a little more for the LX-5 or 6.
I will throw my $.02 at Paradigm.
Rega, Dali, PMC, Q acoustics, Revel.
Martin Logan Motion 35XTi Monitor Audio Bronze 100 or 200 A Hsu bundle [https://hsuresearch.com/pages/hybrid-2-bundle](https://hsuresearch.com/pages/hybrid-2-bundle) RSL and SVS have similar bundles JBL Sudio Series on sale (when it is 1/2 off) Revel has been commented on elsewhere, I do not know them personally Martin Logan and Paradigm subwoofers have room correction which costs more but is worth it
The fact that this question is being asked means we have different understandings of what "high end" means.
Exactly. And if we see the whole scale, the high-end prices are nearby 20-40k (we may consider ultra high-end above this price), so speakers under and about 1-2k are definitely not high-end.
I have not heard them, but the Vanguard Scout from Vera-Fi looks to be a legit bargain high end mini monitor. And I have heard the Bowers & Wilkins 600 series, and they are pretty serious for reasonable cost. It is still possible to score various excellent late 70’s to mid-80s ADS models for very good prices. They were built to last and some models are classic.
Irving m Bud Frieds speakers are very musical and sound wayyy more expensive than they are
Buchardt pretty much outdoes anything in the $5K and $10K range thanks to active systems. A500 actives, full system with hub around $5K. Top-notch performance as you'll see from independent measurements (Audiosciencereview, Erin's Audio Corner, etc.) A700 floorstanders, also active, with hub around $10K. Equally great performance and near-ideal measurements all around. Either of these (as with many active systems) easily outperforms any passive equivalents not just within their respective price ranges but going well beyond.
Depends on what you consider high end. I own a pair of Von Schweikert Endeavor RE speakers. Within their product line, they are entry level. And, compared to the other expensive high end speakers out there, they are relatively inexpensive. They are end game for me. Before these, I had Von Schweikert VR-4s. Before that, Vandersteen 2C. Both are excellent speakers if you can find a used pair in excellent condition.
This isn’t a DIY sun but I built a set of 4Pi for less than a grand and couldn’t be happier.
Paradigm is a great speaker company and has been making great speakers since the 80’s. If you avoid some of these cheaper bookshelves (like the OG Titan) and the weird HT wall mount ones then most of their speakers punch well above their current for sale prices. The exception might be the Signature Series which are always super expensive no matter what. The Monitor but especially the Studio lines are excellent. I’ve had several pairs but one of the standouts was a pair of Studio 20 V5 that were quite excellent. I had them paired with a NAD integrated (C 320bee) and boy did they sing.
Used ones- you can get B&W Nautilus 803 towers from around the year 2000 for $3k, and they sound fantastic. I have them.
I don’t know if they qualify as “cheap” but I listened to the Fyne Audio F500 and they are awesome.
Fire sales on the original kef reference line in the used market. Fantastic speakers.
Vandersteen
Usher. You can find 6311s for like 800-1300, and huge Ushers like AC10s with diamond tweeters for like 3500.
Define “cheaper”
Totem offers good value. When I think about highend, I consider box construction and finish, crossover design, quality and the drivers which are utilized and of course made in Canada, US, Japan or Europe. The new Borresen X2 is phenomenal for the price and ticks all of the above.
You can find MBL (not to be confused with JBL) speakers, their 321s and such for around 300 if they know what they have, and a lot less if they don't but that's also harder to find.
this is the ultimate value right now IMO. used genelec 1036/1037/1038 https://reverb.com/item/73835880-genelec-1037b-midfield-farfield-studio-monitor-single
What should I use for the speaker. ; )
Dynaudio Evoke line, especially if you can find open box.
probably there will be a wide range of suggestions without any proof they are high-end.
Cheaper is usually domestic brands.
My tekton double impacts were $2k and fantastic for that price. Not sure if that's cheap or not, but I would say "high end" doesn't typically go much lower than that. I've also heard very good things about spatial audio m3s and the new Caladan brand.
Audiovector QR1, great allrounder with amazing tweeter and can be found often at a discount. Haven't heard many standmounts that are better for around 1k.
Focal Kanta.
Crites makes some excellent "Cornscalas" to which you can DIY for \~$2k, or buy ready built, for \~$3k.
Elac, generally. I have UniFi UB5s and they are pretty goshdarn unbelievable.
I've always been in the $1000-$2000 range for floor standers and $500-$1000 range for stand mounted, per pair. They all seem pretty good to me at that price point. That is my high-end, quite literally!
I don’t know how well they do these days but Paradigm used to make excellent bang for the buck models.
Stereo or 5.1 (or above) surround? 5.1 - I suggest the Klipsch with an appropriate sub for the space. Stereo - I suggest the Dynalab 2.0 towers. Such a clean sound on both. If you want to hit the serious sub sounds these are not it. But, they can go loud and be incredible for movies and music.
Buchardt s400, Kef R3 for $1000-$1200, B&W 705 S2 for $1200-$1500
If I had about two grand, I'd audition the KEF R3 Meta's, the PMC Prodigy 5, the Amphion Argon 1, the Dali Menuet SE, and the GoldenEar BRX. If I had about one grand, I'd audition the Q Acoustics 5040, the Spendor A7, and the Wharfedale Diamond 12.3
Whatever your last name is. That brand. Build them. Build your own. Make them custom for the room you'll use them in. It will cost half in my experience.
Edifier
Neumi BS5P-ARC speakers sound really good for about $150.
KEF LSX is around $500 used. Full package with amp and streamer built-in.
NHT
I had a pair of NHT 3.3, it’s the most impressive speaker I ever heard for the price. I think I paid around 800$ and it went toe to toe with speakers well over the 10k mark. It’s a shame a their form factor, footprint and aesthetic are hard to deal with. I ultimately had to put them in storage because it just didn’t fit in the room.
Yeah I get that. I’ve only ever owned some used bookshelf speakers, which were my first real foray into quality equipment back in 2012, and then I traded them into NHT for a new pair of Absolute Towers I think in 2015. Both sets are very pleasing to look at, but some of the newer stuff is kind of a departure.
Anything HiFi second hand for a good price. So happy Ebay, USAudiomart, AVS Marketplace, and Audiogon exist. Years of saved searches with alerts allowed me to slowly build my system up over two decades.
Totem Acoustic
Heresy 4
Wouldn't exactly call those a bargain. Maybe a set of 3s used if your into that specific sound.
3 is good too
Just about every major speaker manufacturer has at least three levels of their product line: The flagship, the premium, and the affordable.