First, asking to handle 500W is an almost meaningless request, as a 100dB speaker would need 5W to get as loud as an 80dB speaker with 500W. Most all music is mastered with 3-6dB of headroom above their peaks, meaning their peaks should register somewhere around 99-102dB in your listening position (almost nobody listens even close to this loud normally though); if you sit 4 meters away, an 85dB speaker would need around 155W to reach 102dB peaks.
For all the speakers I’ll list, I’ll also state their max peaks (per speaker, +3dB if the sound is coming from both) if sitting 4 meters away (+3dB to +4dB if sitting 2 meters away).
Don’t forget about room treatment, it can add serious improvements.
For all the speakers I’ll list, I’ll also state their max peaks (per speaker, +3dB if the sound is coming from both) if sitting 4 meters away (+3dB to +4dB if sitting 2 meters away).
- Kef Reference 5 (112.1dB), or save up for the Blade 2 (112.1dB)
- Salk SoundScape 12 (103.1dB), long wait time but is custom finished in whatever you want); for this price range I bet you’d be willing to take the trip to listen to these. One of the only speakers you’ll see that is close to full range, no subwoofer(s) needed (still would benefit though).
- Focal Scale V2 Utopia (doesn’t state, it recommends 500W but it likely won’t handle that much, but at 200W it’d be 111dB)
- Revel Studio2 (doesn’t state anything in amplification, but at 100W, playing it safe, it’d be 103.7dB).
- Sell your pre/amp, get a Dutch & Dutch 8c (99dB if not crossed over), and add dual Rythmik FV18’s and crossover (via the 8c’s settings) at like 40Hz. This speaker is truly a marvel of modern engineering, you’ve probably heard of the Kii Three, well this is even better.
Don’t forget about room treatment, it can add serious improvements.