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"Warmer" Speaker - $600-1000 Range

I'd like some suggestions for a slightly warmer, fuller, sounding monitor speaker in the $600-1000 range. I currently have a pair of Wharfedale Pacific Evo 8 bookshelf speakers. I like the sound of these speakers, great mids, but the bass is weak and the sound at lower volumes is rather "thin."

Rest of my system - Exposure Super XV integrated amp; Arcam CD73 cdplayer; Music Hall MMF 2.2 turntable.

My listening room is rather small. Approximately 10 ft wide by 20 ft long. My speakers unfortunately are on the short side, so they are only about a foot from the wall and about 5 feet from my listening chair.

Would prefer biwireable speakers. Mostly listen to classic jazz and vocal jazz, along with some classical.

Regards,
David
dmloring
bondmanp
1,465 posts
 
Dmloring: Your amp is indeed powerful enough, provided your room is of modest dimensions. The demo I heard was with a receiver that output around 30 watts/channel.

As for the "fullness" of the minuet's sound, that, IMO, is one of the most surprising aspect of the Minuet. You expect a mini-monitor to have a big soundstage, and the Minuet does, but it also gives off the impression of having a lot of bass output. I doubt it actually extends very deep, probably not much below 60Hz, but I was surprised at how much it sounded like it did indeed go deeper.

I agree it's a leap of faith to buy speakers unheard with no return policy (which is why I had to drop Silverline Audio's Adagio - since discontinued - from my potential upgrade list). That said, most used pairs sold here on the 'gon seem to sell for around $350 or so. So keep that in mind as a way out if you're not happy. Lower priced gear tends to sell fairly quickly if it's in good shape and a current production model.
dmloring OP
34 posts
 
Thx bondmanp. I think I might give them a shot. If I go forward with the purchase I'll followup with a review.
dmloring OP
34 posts
 
As a side note, I presume that no-one hear has had any experience with my Wharfedale Evo speakers (for comparision purposes)?
no_regrets
245 posts
 
Hello Dmloring,

I do not have experience with the Wharfedale Evo, but I do have experience with the Wharfedale W25's. They are a sealed two-way with an 8 inch woofer. Beautiful sounding with classic jazz and vocals as well as classical music...violins, cellos, piano sounds very real. Lots of warmth and natural detail. Very musical. They are of course long out of prodution but can be found on the used market for as little as $40-$60. Beautiful walnut cabinets, solidly built. My main system cost tens of thousands of dollars, but I bought these on a whim to use down in the cabin of my boat and I absolutely love them. I have also used them in my den and bedroom. They are also very easy to drive. I'm using a nice little EL84 tube amp that's putting out 15 watts max and it is lovely.

Try to find a nice little pair of these speakers on ebay or craigslist....they show up from time to time. If you find a pair in excellent condition and don't like them, shoot me an email and I'll buy them from you....that's how confident I am about them.

You may also consider the Wharfedale W60's too. They are a larger bookshelf and came in both a two-way and then latter a three-way(I prefer the two-way version)both using a twelve inch woofer. You can't go wrong with either the W25's or the W60's but the W60's will be from $100-$300 most likely.

Good luck,
No Regrets
tim_j_thomas
43 posts
 
I second the recommendation for Fritz!
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