I STRONGLY second the suggestion of going with Danny Richie's new NEO 2X two-way. Danny has a very strong record of winning shootouts with his prior two-way designs (blind listening panel no less!). This is his latest design and I have yet to hear anything from him that falls short of greatness.
Small room, "budget priced" speaker advice, please
Hi,
I recently sold my dearly beloved, old Vandersteen 2C's here on Audiogon (and I hope SgtPeppers is loving them at this moment!) :-) I did this because in our remodeled house, my new listening room (which will double as a guest room) is just too small for the 2C's. The Spousal Acceptance Factor was just too low. ;-)
I have a PS Audio Elite-Plus integrated amp for power (around 70 W/Ch) and a soon-to-be-shipped-off-for-a-refurb Sota Sapphire for an analog front end (I have "miles" of vinyl)! I will also get a CD player at some point.
For now, I need to find a pair of best-of-breed, truly "budget" speakers. By "budget," I'm talking upper limit of $850/pair. (Gone are my free-spending, single days... I'm a dad now...) :-)
Listening habits: lots of 60's and 70's folk and rock, some jazz, Donald Fagen/Steely Dan, a little classical. Listening volume: not too loud. Sonic preferences: I value transparency and imaging/soundstage. Bass should be accurate above all, as opposed to chest-pounding powerful.
I've looked at Paradigms, which I know are highly regarded at lower price points. Trouble is, our one, local dealer is primarily a TV/home theater outfit, so you're trying to hear them in a showroom crammed with other stuff... you know the drill. I've also hit a high end shop. Listened to a pair of PSB small towers and disliked them; they sounded muddy and veiled to me. Listened to a pair of the smallest Rega's and liked them quite a bit, but would want to go back to listen again. I even wrote to PS Audio for advice; they recommended the "baby" Epos monitors, but they're out of my price range.
Thanks if you've read this far. Knowing how subjective all this is, I'd still welcome any advice you have to offer about what I should try to audition.
I recently sold my dearly beloved, old Vandersteen 2C's here on Audiogon (and I hope SgtPeppers is loving them at this moment!) :-) I did this because in our remodeled house, my new listening room (which will double as a guest room) is just too small for the 2C's. The Spousal Acceptance Factor was just too low. ;-)
I have a PS Audio Elite-Plus integrated amp for power (around 70 W/Ch) and a soon-to-be-shipped-off-for-a-refurb Sota Sapphire for an analog front end (I have "miles" of vinyl)! I will also get a CD player at some point.
For now, I need to find a pair of best-of-breed, truly "budget" speakers. By "budget," I'm talking upper limit of $850/pair. (Gone are my free-spending, single days... I'm a dad now...) :-)
Listening habits: lots of 60's and 70's folk and rock, some jazz, Donald Fagen/Steely Dan, a little classical. Listening volume: not too loud. Sonic preferences: I value transparency and imaging/soundstage. Bass should be accurate above all, as opposed to chest-pounding powerful.
I've looked at Paradigms, which I know are highly regarded at lower price points. Trouble is, our one, local dealer is primarily a TV/home theater outfit, so you're trying to hear them in a showroom crammed with other stuff... you know the drill. I've also hit a high end shop. Listened to a pair of PSB small towers and disliked them; they sounded muddy and veiled to me. Listened to a pair of the smallest Rega's and liked them quite a bit, but would want to go back to listen again. I even wrote to PS Audio for advice; they recommended the "baby" Epos monitors, but they're out of my price range.
Thanks if you've read this far. Knowing how subjective all this is, I'd still welcome any advice you have to offer about what I should try to audition.
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- 205 posts total
Hi Rebbi. The manufacturer is "Triangle". They are a French manufacturer. The model is the "Heliade ES". Here is the link: http://www.upscaleaudio.com/view_category.asp?cat=31 Scroll down for the ad below: PRICE DROP! Triangle Heliade ES (new sealed) - First quality factory sealed A stock. The Heliade is a small floorstanding speaker. Slightly smaller version of the highly regarded Altea. Fits perfectly in a small listening room, or in an office or bedroom system. Retail $1399/pr. Pick yours up today for $979 NOW $699! Full factory warranty. Available finished in your choice of Champagne, Cognac, or Bordeaux. http://www.audiowaveshifi.com/triangle.html Triangle is a very highly respected line. Extremely resolving. Incredible tight, snappy bass response. LONG BREAK-IN PERIOD!! About 200 hours to calm down, but well worth the wait. |
Hi Rebbi: A question to run by the wife ... will these speakers need to be wall or shelf mounted? Often with children and pets, monitors on stands are not always a workable option. If wall or shelf mounting is how it will be, make sure to consider speakers that are acoustic suspension/ sealed box (like the NHT Classic Line) or front ported or designed specifically to be placed near rear walls (like the Rega R1). Regards, Rich |
Hi, Rar1, Tell me more about the Rega R1 or R3. I went to hear the R1 at a local dealer. I liked the way they sounded, but (and I know this is silly) that paper cone midrange driver looked like something out of a 1960's transistor radio. Is the quality really there? I'm definitely thinking sealed box or front-firing port at this point... I am not going to be able to put these speakers far out from the wall. |
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