I need some help picking some speakers... (Q Acoustic 3050i, Dali Oberon 5)

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by PinkIsTheSky, Jul 31, 2019.

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  1. PinkIsTheSky

    PinkIsTheSky Old Blues Man Thread Starter

    Location:
    Michigan
    Good evening everybody,

    I have become a bit stuck on my journey. I am moving into my own house, finally, and I am looking to get myself a nice housewarming gift.

    So far my set-up has all been hand-me downs, or purchased off craigslist, however nothing spent over say, $300. Now I feel it is time to finally enter the big leagues.

    There are two speakers I am primarily looking at right now, and I am open to any other suggestions.

    The two are the Dali Oberon 5 speakers or the Q Acoustic 3050i. I am not aware, and upon first glance couldn't find any shops near me (Detroit MI) where I can actually audition Hi-Fi speakers, so I am a bit blind here.

    Now I know there is a bit of a price difference here, but I am willing to spend the extra dough for a better product, as I am not looking to purchase speakers again for some time.

    I suppose I will use these for movies, but my primary use will be music, and I am a vinyl head.

    The amp I will be using to start off is an old Pioneer SA-1000. This will likely be updated in time, but for now it is perfect for me.

    My turntable is a Pro-Ject Essential 3 with a 2m Blue cartridge.

    For anyone interested, my current speakers are a pair of Interaudio SA 200 speakers on top of a pair of KLH Model Six speakers with an Epiphany Sub for the low end. I always run all four speakers at the same time, and these two actually mesh together pretty well.

    I mostly listen to Blues, R&B, Jazz, and Classic Rock, with some heavy stuff thrown on every now and then.

    I really wouldn't want to ship anything back after the initial purchase, so I am looking for the most solid contender. The reviews on both are great, but I am looking to you guys for some personal accounts.

    Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
     
  2. noway

    noway Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    For new floorstanding speakers I would look for something heavily discounted such as Polk LSiM-series or Emotiva Airmotiv T-series and keep in mind a new amp might be necessary.
     
  3. bluenosens

    bluenosens Forum Resident

    Location:
    malagash centre
    Just a suggestion. Can you wait until you move into your new digs? Set up the current system, crack open a brew and listen. You'll be experiencing a new room. Try to hear what the new room brings to your old system first and than bring home a new speaker. This will give you more of what they bring to the "new" room. Just a suggestion. Cheers and happy listening.
     
    dasacco and TGH7 like this.
  4. PinkIsTheSky

    PinkIsTheSky Old Blues Man Thread Starter

    Location:
    Michigan
    Those polks do look nice, and I am not opposed to upgrading my amp, but I do want to get a nice set of speakers first.

    Why would you suggest those polks over say the Oberon?
     
  5. PinkIsTheSky

    PinkIsTheSky Old Blues Man Thread Starter

    Location:
    Michigan
    I will definitely be setting up my current system in the new house, I don't plan on getting a new set of speakers until the end of the month, I will be moved into my place in about a week or so.

    However I know for a fact that although my system can sound pretty decent, it is definitely fatiguing on the ears.
     
  6. PinkIsTheSky

    PinkIsTheSky Old Blues Man Thread Starter

    Location:
    Michigan
    Man this is hard. I know that whatever I get will likely be a vast improvement to anything I've heard at this point, but I am fairly young, and dishing out a good chunk of change like this is something I don't do very often.

    I will be testing these speakers with some Zepp, Floyd, Primus, Rush, Hendrix and Doors, if that matters at all.
     
  7. sotosound

    sotosound Forum Resident

    All of that music is from the rock genre. What about blues, jazz and R&B? You really need to hear it all.

    Having heard neither speaker I can't say much, although the reviews that I've read seem to indicate that the Dalis will sound a bit brighter than the 3050is, with a touch more bite to the upper mid-range and treble.

    Some might want this and others might not.

    If the reviews are to be believed, however, either speaker should be worth auditioning.

    You'll need to work out which one will be the best for extended listening and several years of ownership.
     
  8. PinkIsTheSky

    PinkIsTheSky Old Blues Man Thread Starter

    Location:
    Michigan
    Thats the hard part, as far as Jazz, it would be primarily Coltrane, Jazz Crusaders, Weather Report,

    Blues: Robert Johnson, Otis, BB, Albert,

    For R&B: I love some Aretha, Marvin Gaye, Temptations, Smokey.

    What do you think about the speakers listed above? The Polk LSiM707 or Emotiva Airmotiv T2.

    I contacted a variety of stores around me that used to do auditioning, but apparently that's not very popular with customers anymore, and they don't do that. I definitely don't have the cash to get two pairs at once.
     
  9. sotosound

    sotosound Forum Resident

    I have no experience of either, but the review that I've just read for the Emotiva speakers wasn't one that would make me want to audition them. The Polks are at a very different price level ($3,999) and appear to be well reviewed, but they might also reveal shortcomings elsewhere in your system and force you to start spending cash on upgrading other components.

    Q Acoustics and Dali come from this side of the pond, and that's probably why I can comment on those. I have some Q Acoustics 2020i speakers in my second system and I know that they're great for the price. They're musical and communicative and I just end up listening to and enjoying the music instead of listening to the speakers. That's what you probably need to aspire to. Obviously, the 3050i will outshine the 2020i.
     
    leonafonte and PinkIsTheSky like this.
  10. Firehead

    Firehead Forum Resident

    Location:
    HTX
    I own a pair of the Q Acoustic 3050i in the wood finish option. They are definitely pretty speakers but they are manufactured in China.
    They sound fantastic to me. I am running a Regar Planar 3 into a Mofi studio preamp to my Onkyo A-9010 integrated amp. The Onkyo has enough power to drive the speakers sufficiently.
    I love the sound they are producing. Perhaps at times or depending on the music choice the bass is lacking a tiny bit but its nothing to turn me off.
    I listen to a lot of modern rock to classic rock with genres in between. I got these speakers based on the many positive reviews. I dont regret it. :agree:
     
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  11. PinkIsTheSky

    PinkIsTheSky Old Blues Man Thread Starter

    Location:
    Michigan
    The 3050i was actually what inspired me to begin looking into speakers, I almost bought those outright, but then I started digging around, and I am sure you know how that goes lol.

    I wont mind upgrading more components down the line, it seems a price cut from $1,999 to$ 999 might lend to some good or great things.

    But I was reading that they can be a bit of a hassle to setup properly, and I am still fairly new to the game.

    Edit: I just realized those Polk speakers are $1000 each, so forget about that. Lol
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2019
  12. PinkIsTheSky

    PinkIsTheSky Old Blues Man Thread Starter

    Location:
    Michigan
    Those 3050i's seem to be calling my name, and I might have to bite the bullet on those, now I know there is some debate about things manufactured in China, what does this mean for me exactly? Are they known to produce lemons often?

    The thing is whatever I choose in this range is gonna really blow my mind, as I have not experienced speakers in this range anywhere.

    But I'd like to build up the rest of my system around the speakers.
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2019
  13. KT88

    KT88 Senior Member

    I have heard the older Dali Zensor range, and they sound nice enough for the money. By the specs and what I know of speaker design, my guess is that they will go deeper than the QA speakers and thus be a better replacement for the KLH model Six, which do a very good job of that. In fact, it might be a better idea to get a new amplifier first.

    The only way to really get to know a speaker is to listen to it. Seeing them in person should also provide greater insight into how well they are constructed. trying to read about and order blindly on-line is the worst possible way to buy something of any size or value. You are really relying on a lot of luck there. The reason most small audio shops don't have a lot of inventory now is due to consumers ordering on-line. People just use them for info and then try to find the lowest price on that or something similar. It would be worth your time to find a dealer within driving distance and listen to some speakers. By supporting them with your purchase, you are helping to insure that they will continue to have products there for you to hear, and you will have their support for any future needs.
    -Bill
     
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  14. PinkIsTheSky

    PinkIsTheSky Old Blues Man Thread Starter

    Location:
    Michigan

    I really would like to check these out in person, but in my area, there are no dealers that have any of the speakers I am interested in. I definitely have a few different ones in mind, but I really can't find any within an hour or so away.

    I also heard the Zensor speakers were a bit bright, what is the main difference between those and the Oberon series?
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2019
  15. noway

    noway Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2019
  16. Litejazz53

    Litejazz53 Perfect Sound Through Crystal Clear Digital

    As others have said, you cannot beat the Polk LSiM 703 (Huge Bookshelf Speaker), LSiM 705 (Floorstander), or LSiM 707 (Magnum Floorstander) and they are all on BIG SALE, not any 15 or 20%, BIG SALE! 102 Lbs Ea.

    [​IMG]
     
  17. Helom

    Helom Forum member

    Location:
    U.S.
  18. PinkIsTheSky

    PinkIsTheSky Old Blues Man Thread Starter

    Location:
    Michigan
  19. PinkIsTheSky

    PinkIsTheSky Old Blues Man Thread Starter

    Location:
    Michigan
    Is that the 707 or 705?

    Is it truly worth the some 1400?


    I've never made such a hard decision lmao
     
  20. t3chnobrat

    t3chnobrat Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida

    Paradigm will give you a lot of bang for the buck and keep you on budget. Check Audiogon. There's a couple pairs of V3 Studio 60's for sale. I had Studio 20 V3's for a few years until I got out of apartments & condo's and bought my own home and upgraded to towers. I thought they rocked. Also, they're made in Canada.
     
  21. Helom

    Helom Forum member

    Location:
    U.S.
    I haven't heard the Polks so can't comment on those.

    What I can tell you is that I've had many speakers come through my door over the last couple years, ranging from hundred$ to $6K/pair, and the 1Cis were one of the best. In fact, I much prefer the 1Cis to the Vandersteen 2CE Signature IIs ($3k/pair).

    Strengths:
    - A midrange quality that rivals that of $3/$4K speakers.

    -Neutral tone and timbre. They don't attempt to wow the listener with an artificially boosted bass or treble.

    -Bass that really does extend into the high 20Hz range - no need for a sub, depending on room size and preference, of course.

    - Note decay that rivals that of six-figure megabuck speakers (if placed properly). This refers to how long a note takes to completely diffuse out of the room. Strum on a guitar, strike a key on an acoustic piano and note how long the sound hangs around in the air - much longer than what you typically hear on a hi-fi system. Vandy 1Cis go very far in closing that gap. You'll hear trailing edges of notes in familiar recordings you never knew were there. Unfortunately, I couldn't duplicate the same in their pricier 2CEs, so this is not a universal trait of Vandersteens it seems.

    - High freqs are very respectable for a $1500 (retail) speaker - not the best I've heard but far from the worst.

    - They perform the disappearing act better than most at their retail price. You hardly notice that sound is emanating from two boxes. That is not the case with most "budget" (<$3K) floorstanders, which typically have resonant cabinets that make their presence obvious.

    Weaknesses (any speaker has them)

    -They don't have the smoothest treble, so they don't go far in masking poor recordings. This is mostly recording dependant, however, it can still reveal weaknesses in upstream gear. Regardless, it's still pretty good as far as $1500 speakers go.

    -The midbass is not as dynamic and "punchy" as some speakers. If EDM were your favorite genre, I wouldn't recommend them. What they do produce in bass is appropriate for most types of music, but it will never rearrange your insides. If that's your thing, you should be looking towards the big Klipsch floorstanders. The Vandys are not speakers for bassheads who like to make their poor neighbors miserable. The bass isn't bombastic and boomy.

    They're not the fastest presentation out there, but not the slowest either. It's plenty good for blues and jazz. If you want lightning-fast transients, you'll want a speaker of higher efficiency, like Klipsch Heresy.

    Phew....that was long-winded. In sum, the 1Cis are the best overall value I've encountered among many, many new models. For $1500 (new price) you get a speaker that shames some $4K+ speakers in many regards. And no, that used-market price is good but not too-good-to-be-true. They're probably just priced for a quick sale. That one can buy them pre-owned for $600 makes them a steal, IMO.
     
    Last edited: Aug 1, 2019
  22. Litejazz53

    Litejazz53 Perfect Sound Through Crystal Clear Digital

    The 707 is the one I mentioned, the largest one, and because they are so darn cheap right now, I would get the 707, but if it's too large the 705 would be great. If you don't buy the 707 or 705 at the prices they are now, and ONLY because they are being discontinued after a long run (Polk's Flagship Speaker), you will be making a BIG mistake, beautifully constructed, heavy and fantastic. I will mention this, I owned the Vandersteen 3A Signatures for about 4 years. I called Vandersteen and spoke to Richard and I just asked him right out, Richard, why do the 3A Signature's have such anemic bass, his response, "what did you expect out of a $3,500.00 speaker" ? The passive radiator in the 3A Signatures was truly worthless, it did virtually nothing. At that time, the only thing they had above my 3A Signatures was the model 5, and that was an entirely different ballgame, it was brilliant in every way, better than my Aerial 10T's, however I could not afford the model 5, so I bought the Aerial 10T, the runner up!

    You need to get the Polk LSiM 707 and NEVER LOOK BACK, YOU WON'T REGRET IT!

    I can promise you this, comparing the LSiM 707 Polk to my Vandersteen 3A Signatures, there is no comparison, you will be in a different dimension with the LSiM series by Polk. Oh, I see it is showing the 707s at $1995.00 at Adorama, offer them $1,000.00 each, they will take it!

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Aug 1, 2019
  23. PinkIsTheSky

    PinkIsTheSky Old Blues Man Thread Starter

    Location:
    Michigan
    You guys are both pushing me here!

    It is now definitely between these two.

    I don't think I can pull off the 707 right now, though I would like to, but if you say the 705 is also just as good, well.

    That might be worth something.

    Im gonna think about this, I found a set of 707s for $1,199 in Texas, if my brother can get those for me, then I will likely get those.

    I apperciate all the help, and am still open to replies.

    Also I suppose I will be needing a new amp down the line, again I'm primarily a vinyl head, but I will probably have it hooked into my TV as well.

    What would be a decently priced amp?
     
    Litejazz53 likes this.
  24. Helom

    Helom Forum member

    Location:
    U.S.
    All I can say about the Vandys is that the 1Cis are not 3A Sigs. And I haven't read of anyone else finding them lacking in the bass, despite perusing countless forums and posts on their sound. You can see in the measurement graph here: Vandersteen Audio 3A loudspeaker Sidebar 3: Measurements page 2
    that they produce flat bass response all the way down to 30Hz, with useful bass well into 20Hz. If Vandersteens are bass-anemic, then so are countless other speakers, and further, the ones that aren't have an elevated response, probably intended to impress during short auditions.

    Vandys have pair-matched drivers to within 0.1db. You're not going to find that level of precision in any Polks or any other mass-produced speaker for that matter. For example, with Monitor Audio speakers, I happen to know they don't start matching drivers to within 1db until one gets into their Gold range. That means $2K for their smallest floorstanders, and they only then match to within 1db.
    Vandys are the types of speakers you hand down to your future generations.

    You might call John Rutan at Audio Connection and get his take. He sells Vandersteens but many other lines as well. Even if you can't afford to buy from him, he'll offer plenty of insight on the level at which the 1Cis compete.

    Anyhow, like many things in life, speakers are a matter of taste. There is no one-type-fits-all solution. All designs have compromises. Personally, unless one has a huge room and listens at far distances, I think the Vandy 1Cis are about as close as it gets to an ideal set of compromises, given the budget constraints of mere mortals.
     
    Litejazz53 likes this.
  25. Helom

    Helom Forum member

    Location:
    U.S.
    As for amps. I got excellent results driving the 1Cis with my Yamaha A-S500. They made for a better-performing match than some far more expensive gear I've had in house.
     
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