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Speakers to pair with Arcam A65 plus under $600?

I just picked up my Arcam A65 plus. Its hooked up to Music HAll mmf cd25, and PSB Alphas. Its not broken in yet but so far it sounds a little too dark, with the bass being too emphasized. I stopped by a local dealer and heard the B&W cdm 1nt(too expensive), the 800(way too expensive), and the 604s3(about the right price). The cdm's and 800's sounded so beautiful, alas they are out of my price range but the 602s3 aren't. Im also considering Kef Q1s and Jmlab 706's. I heard the 706's and an acoustic guitar sounded a little harsh. It has great detail and rhythm but...the harshness.I listen to a lot of hip hop,reggae,funk,dance,classic rock and crappy pop(girlfriend). I need something that has the detail to handle classic rock guitars, and the speed and power to handle the dance music.But no harshness or brightness, please. Any suggestions?
bundee1
phasecorrect's avatar
phasecorrect
2,013 posts
 
By this time the Meadowlark Kestrals are long gone...and quite a steal at $695...new in this range I would audition Triangle Titus,Paradigm Studio 20,Krix Equinox,Dynaudio 42,and Energy C-3...good luck!
kotta's avatar
kotta
638 posts
 
Hi Bundee1. The JM Lab 706/707 are quite a bit diferrent. The 707 uses a 7" double coil woofer which gives stronger bass and balances the sound better. The speaker is rather heavy and the cabinet does not resonant at high volume. The sound from these speakers is very source depedent. Some recordings sound absolutely phenomenal. I personally would use mellow source equipment/cables/amps. The reason I purchased this loudspeaker is that it is a very good match with the the Jolida 102B tube int. amp. An excellent loudspeaker for its $600 retail price. The Kef Q1 is also an excellent loudspeaker. Plays loud, has good bass, and the fit and finish is excellent. Bought mine from Greg at www.Kiefsav.com. For their price a steal. How does it compare with the JM Lab? The JM Lab is a much more refined loudspeaker. The mids are better as well as the highs. The JM Labs have an ability to play loud with an certain ease, moreso than the Kef's. The Jm's have very tight bass that is precise. However, I believe for the money the Q1's at a discount are a better buy. Everything is so system/room/personal depedent that you really have to hear for yourself. I think in your case if you want to spend as little as possible and take a chance I'd go with the Kef Q1's. Bookshelve loudspeakers you could always use somewhere. These would be a nice step up from your PSB's.
If you want to spend a little more and buy used look at older Snell J-IV's and D series. Lots of choices! Happy Holidays to all.
cellorover
358 posts
 
Meadowlark Kestrels or Verios. Dynaudio 42s (new or used)or 52s (probably used). Maybe (in your price range) a pair of used Dynaudio Contour 1.3.
curbach
84 posts
 
My local Arcam dealer likes to pair their stuff with Ruark speakers. I've heard that combo and it sounds very good. The Ruark bookshelves (Epilogues?) would be in your price range. They occasionally show up on the 'Gon for much below your price range.
brownie's avatar
brownie
9 posts
 
KEF Q1! Excellent bass response and fills your room with music (especially on a good pair of stands). Very well put together 'bookshelf'.
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