n.litzow Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 (edited) Hello everyone, I am new to Hi-Fi but am just assembling my first (entry-level) serious system. I just bought a Rotel RA-1520 integrated amplifier and now I am on the lookout for a set of bookshelf speakers that would be a good match. This is for a 10m x 3.6m x 3m quite dead (mostly carpeted) open-plan space. The lady of the house has dictated that floorstanders are not an option. Ultimately I would also be looking to add a subwoofer to the mix to adequately cover the bass. At the moment I am just using a Pro-ject DAC box for input which I will also upgrade down the track. I was thinking to spend $AUD1000-1500 but could stretch to $2000 if there is a significant and justifiable increase in quality. I know that the only way to pick speakers is by auditioning them which I plan to do shortly. However, it would be very helpful to have a list of vetted options on which to focus. There is an incredible number of different options out there. It would also be helpful to get an Australian perspective given the different pricing and availability here. So far I've only listened to the Polk LSiM703 which I thought were excellent. A lot of people talk about B&W being a good match for Rotel (685, CM1, CM5). From other forums, KEF (Q300, R300, R100, LS50), Dynaudio (Excite X12, DM 2/6, DM 2/7), ATC (SCM11) and PMC (DB1i, twenty .21/.22) have also been recommended, though the latter are a little out of my league. If anyone could share their experiences with the above or suggest any other options, it would be very much appreciated. Many thanks in advance. Kind regards, Nick Edited January 9, 2014 by n.litzow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry218 Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 with 60w, looks for higher sens speakers with good impedance and phase plot. ATC is out of question, they need 200w 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n.litzow Posted January 9, 2014 Author Share Posted January 9, 2014 Thanks again, Henry. Above what sensitivity rating would you consider to be "high sensitivity"? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry218 Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 anything above 90db. its rare , to get a good bass with small cones need to be lower sensitivity. u could DIY though . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry218 Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 i would suggest to try usher s520, its a good entry level speakers. sometimes u can find 2nd hand, which sells around 200-250$. if u have sub, it could be a fun system . get 2 svs or rhytmik subs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n.litzow Posted January 9, 2014 Author Share Posted January 9, 2014 Two subs? I always thought it was only necessary to have one subwoofer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry218 Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 to get even bass, usually needs 3. 1 in the front corner, 1 on the farthest spot u can put from the main speaker, prob behind the seats another one is in between. but thats the state of the art , the sub doesnt need to be expensive, as long as can play 105db spl reasonably. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry218 Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 in regards to usher, in my opinion its prob one of the best bargain for budget speakers aside from the infamous pioneer bp s22 of course 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n.litzow Posted January 13, 2014 Author Share Posted January 13, 2014 Many thanks, Henry. I look forward to hunting down a set of s520s to audition. I think that carlton audio visual stock them. http://www.carltonaudiovisual.com.au/?q=node/view/835 For the subwoofer(s), would something like the Rythmik F12 or SVS SB-1000 be reasonable options? I've heard it's better to go for sealed rather than ported subwoofers where music is the primary application. Is that correct? http://www.rythmikaudio.com/F12.html http://www.svsound.com/subwoofers/sealed-box/SB-1000#.UtOBHxYnK-I Cheers, Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n.litzow Posted January 18, 2014 Author Share Posted January 18, 2014 So far I've not been able to track down a set of usher s520s to audition. I found out today that Trevor Lees possibly stock them. My pain tolerance wasn't high enough to visit there today. However, out of everything I've listened to so far, I've found these to be the best (in order of preference, source as I remember it in parentheses). I vastly preferred the few monitor audio speakers I tried in comparison with anything else. I know I should have listened to them all though my amp but I was limited by what the stores were able/willing to provide. 1. Monitor Audio Silver 2 (?same as RX2) (Cambridge Audio Minx XI, streamed audio) 2. Sonus Faber Venere 1.5 (as above) 3. Electrocompaniet ESB1 (small rega amp/rega CD player) 4. Davis Dufy (as above) 5. B&W CM1 (as above) 6. Polk LSiM703 (Rotel RA-1520/Rotel CD player) - found to be a bit muddy Any thoughts on any of the above matching with a Rotel RA-1520? Cheers, Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry218 Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 i think for the next visit to the stores you should bring your amp 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n.litzow Posted January 18, 2014 Author Share Posted January 18, 2014 Hmmm good idea. But then do I bring in my DAC too and risk being THAT customer? Some stores are happy to loan their display speakers for a short period of time. This might be a good option because hopefully they are a little more "broken in" and also I get to hear them in my listening space! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry218 Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Some stores are happy to loan their display speakers for a short period of time. This might be a good option because hopefully they are a little more "broken in" and also I get to hear them in my listening space! best way to do it. although i would look for a speakers with additional woofer or 3way. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n.litzow Posted January 18, 2014 Author Share Posted January 18, 2014 (edited) I've not seen too many three-way bookshelf speakers. So far only the Polk LSiM703 which I wasn't terribly impressed with. Can you recommend any others? Edited January 18, 2014 by n.litzow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anfs Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 https://www.nhtaustralia.com.au/products/NH-CL3BB NHT Threes 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n.litzow Posted January 20, 2014 Author Share Posted January 20, 2014 Thanks anfs, I'll have to track a set of those down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nothing1 Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 i have a rotel pre-amp and power amp and can highly recommend wharfedale speakers they punch well above their weight, i would recommend either the jade 1($1060) or jade 3($1402) i myself will be getting their bigger brother the jade 7 in 4 weeks time, the Rotel and Wharfedales really are a match made in heaven. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n.litzow Posted January 21, 2014 Author Share Posted January 21, 2014 Thanks, nothing1. Yes, I have heard that Rotels pair well with Wharedales. I have heard good things about the diamond series but was not aware of the jades. The jade bookshelves do like like really good options. Many thanks everyone for the great suggestions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n.litzow Posted January 21, 2014 Author Share Posted January 21, 2014 Hmmmm, I notice that the Wharfedale Jades are 6ohm. Does anyone know how the Rotel RA-1520 would go with that? My understanding is that I wouldn't be able to run another set of speakers if one set had that low an impedance... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry218 Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Hmmmm, I notice that the Wharfedale Jades are 6ohm. Does anyone know how the Rotel RA-1520 would go with that? My understanding is that I wouldn't be able to run another set of speakers if one set had that low an impedance... Prob not a good idea to have a good speakers and running it with another one on the same amp , i know thats the usual thing for multi zone, but if you want to listen to it at it's best better just run 1pair. 6ohm is nominal values, i think the rotel should do reasonably well. The Jade 3 is very interesting speakers, i know that the jade 7 was well reviewed in stereophile and the measurements are quite spectacular for its price. Expect some cheap parts on the xover though, but you can always upgrade it with better ones later on. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nothing1 Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 @ Henry218, what would give you the idea that the crossover would contain cheap parts, do you have inside information? have you seen one? if not it would be wise to not just assume things and then say those things out loud, The Jade line of speakers are a reference level speaker and i can be pretty sure Wharfedale would not risk their reputation over a few dollars worth of parts, i mean how much could a highend crossover really cost. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry218 Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 @ Henry218, what would give you the idea that the crossover would contain cheap parts, do you have inside information? have you seen one? if not it would be wise to not just assume things and then say those things out loud, The Jade line of speakers are a reference level speaker and i can be pretty sure Wharfedale would not risk their reputation over a few dollars worth of parts, i mean how much could a highend crossover really cost. i have not heard one, but its a common practice to use electrolytics on big caps, if the spec is right, i would expect elko cap for the midrange hipass @350hz, but if they use plastic caps, good on them 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n.litzow Posted January 22, 2014 Author Share Posted January 22, 2014 (edited) @ Henry218, what would give you the idea that the crossover would contain cheap parts, do you have inside information? have you seen one? if not it would be wise to not just assume things and then say those things out loud, The Jade line of speakers are a reference level speaker and i can be pretty sure Wharfedale would not risk their reputation over a few dollars worth of parts, i mean how much could a highend crossover really cost. Hey nothing1, I don't think Henry was hating on the Jades. I think he's just always thinking of ways things can be improved. Plus, I guess with so much great tech in the Jades, there have to be compromises somewhere. I can't seem find much independent information on the Jade 3 insides but here's a link to the product page if anyone can deduce any further info from that http://www.wharfedale.co.uk/product.php?pid=5 The jade crossovers are at 350Hz and 2.8kHz. Another point, Henry, in reference to your earlier comment about sensitivity... anything above 90db. its rare , to get a good bass with small cones need to be lower sensitivity. u could DIY though . ...almost none of the usual suspect speakers (B&W, KEF, MA, Wharfedale etc) I've seen in the AUD $1-2k have a sensitivity that high. Most are in the 85-87dB range, though the MA Silver 2s are 88dB. Is it another jump up in price for the higher sensitivty or am I just looking at the wrong models? How important is it anyway to get above 90dB for a 60W amp, considering I will also be adding an active sub at some stage? Loving the discussion! Edited January 22, 2014 by n.litzow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry218 Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 having a dedicated midrange and done right usually leads to better speakers overall. choosing $1-2k speakers is hard and i would guess that you wont find many good ones new and having 60W amp also kinda limit your choices. but if u can find speakers with 90db up and relatively good impedance plot, then u will have many options to improve them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n.litzow Posted January 23, 2014 Author Share Posted January 23, 2014 Thanks Henry. You're not making me feel very optimistic though! I was hoping that $3k for amp, DAC, speakers might at least offer some improvement over my $50 second-hand pioneer amp and speakers I found on the street... Today I listened to the KEF LS50, Paradigm Studio 20, B&W CM5, Monitor Audio GX50 and GX100. I loved the KEFs (amazing stereo imaging) but have to say I was fairly blown away by the GX100s. A bit more than I was planning on spending but definitely the best I've heard so far. They are 88dB and ran very well to my ears on the 70W integrated they had in the store. Anyone have any experience with the GX50 or GX100? Thanks for the input as always. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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