Loudspeaker suggestions

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Wooguy, Sep 12, 2020.

  1. SandAndGlass

    SandAndGlass Twilight Forum Resident

    I have to say that the first time I encountered them was years ago, when those large box rear screen TV sets were popular.

    It was set up in a a separate closed off living room arrangement.

    I had to admit, that the audio was clear and at a significant volume for normal listening.

    It was a surprise to see that sound was coming from those little two cube pairs.

    Another thing that I thought Bose did right was to eliminate critical sweet spot listening.

    It was a good idea to design a system that disappeared in a normal living room environment and was a simple one box purchase solution.
     
  2. Kal Rubinson

    Kal Rubinson Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    I recently inserted the new NAD M28 amp into the system with the MA Silver8s, et al., and the speakers sound notably better. A very cheering event.
     
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  3. Wooguy

    Wooguy Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Wooster Ohio
    At this point I’m leaning toward the Monitor 300s. I also am curious about the 200s. In my small, plaster walled, tile and wood floored living room I’m just a little concerned whether the 300s may be too much, but also not sure that the 200s will be enough in the bass region. I believe my PS Audio Stellar amp should have enough power for either set.

    Any thoughts?
     
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  4. SandAndGlass

    SandAndGlass Twilight Forum Resident

    Filling a room with more bass is what larger model speakers are basically for.

    There is not that much difference in size between the 200 and the 300, where the 300 would over power your room.

    I have never had a problem using larger speakers in a decent size room.

    I think more people have problems when they use larger speakers in much smaller rooms than would be called for.
     
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  5. Calvin_and_Hobbes

    Calvin_and_Hobbes Music Lover

    Location:
    Seattle, WA
    If you've decided on one of the two Monitor Audio speakers, maybe see if the store will consider an in-home demo? It's possible that you might like the 200 more than the 300.
     
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  6. Wooguy

    Wooguy Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Wooster Ohio
    Thank you - that helps!
     
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  7. Kal Rubinson

    Kal Rubinson Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    Sure but the really significant difference between them is that the 200 is a 2-way (or 2.5-way) system while the 300 is a 3-way with a real midrange driver.
     
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  8. Wooguy

    Wooguy Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Wooster Ohio
    Good idea - I’ll check out some return policies.
    The other models of speakers suggested are all great, But reasonably locating them, auditioning them, and possibly returning them become real issues.
     
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  9. Wooguy

    Wooguy Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Wooster Ohio
    That’s exactly what I was thinking about in regards to those two models. Stereophile (and yourself:)) seem to think highly of Monitor Audio designs, so that as well as ease of procurement steered me in their direction.
     
  10. displayname

    displayname Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dallas
    I totally agree with this. I went smaller when moving and getting a smaller, but dedicated space. And I'm having no regrets so far. Nice and balanced sound.
     
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  11. head_unit

    head_unit Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles CA USA
    Speakers are not "too big" for a room just due to size, it is their tuning, combined with random luck (or lack thereof) of placement. Granted I was listening to the MA 300s in a large room, but their bass did not seem prominenet at all.
    This! Which means the 200 is NOT just a smaller version with the same sound. And by the time you are dialing down to 5" woofers, well, what was the point of getting towers? Especially if you don't have a sub.
     
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  12. SandAndGlass

    SandAndGlass Twilight Forum Resident

    Thst is my point, the 300 is an upgrade.

    The 300 is an upgrade in the midrange driver but that improves the mids without overloading the room with bass.

    Quite the point. Having larger towers not only gives you a speaker that has the ability to play lower, it also affords the ability to play with more authority.

    With some speaker lines, like the Polk RTi and LSiM, the top of each line is a larger cabinet.

    While this does lower the -3 dB. Point a bit, what it does is to give you another bass driver, which helps to more effectively pressurize the bass in larger rooms.

    If you compare the mid driver and tweeter, they are mostly the same on the slightly smaller model down from the top (the LSiM707 and the RTiA9).

    Otherwise the sound signatures are mostly the same.

    Having a larger listening room of about 450 sw. ft., I opted for the larger model.

    But then, I am a self confessed "bigger is better" kind of guy when it comes to speakers.

    I also look at speakers as something that I consider to be a long time purchase that you can take with you and adapt to different size rooms.
     
    Last edited: Sep 16, 2020
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  13. Wooguy

    Wooguy Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Wooster Ohio
    Excellent points - thank you.
     
  14. Wooguy

    Wooguy Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Wooster Ohio
    All great things to consider - thank you very much for your thoughts!

    I think I will try to get both and give them some time in my room to hear how things play out :)
     
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  15. SandAndGlass

    SandAndGlass Twilight Forum Resident

    Everyone has their favorite audio components. With me, that would be speakers.

    My reasoning is too fold. No matter what the upstream components happen to be, what you hear is ultimately decided by the speakers you choose.

    If you audition several different audio components of the same type, the biggest difference in sound is going to come from the speakers.

    I don't know of anyone who has regretted buying better speakers.
     
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  16. Wooguy

    Wooguy Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Wooster Ohio
    I have change several things in my system during the last decade, but the constant has been my Paradigm Studio 20s. I have been mostly pleased with them; they offer decent low end for their size (a little bloated at times, but they are small), they sound wonderful when reproducing certain instruments (piano for instance), but there are certainly things about them that I do not care for (certain recordings with alto sax/upper range tenor sax can sound a bit strong - Miles' muted trumpet).

    After reading many reviews from trusted sources regarding the Monitor Audio towers, I'm looking forward to hearing them for myself in my home.

    My initial thought was the 300s, but then I possibly started to overthink the situation. I'll still try to get the 200s in to listen as well, but I sure would love to have a 3-way speaker and call it done:)
     
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  17. Kal Rubinson

    Kal Rubinson Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    I would rather say that the 300 improves the mids because the midrange driver is not being overtasked with bass.
     
  18. SandAndGlass

    SandAndGlass Twilight Forum Resident

    Perhaps...

    I would have to have both speakers to evaluate them myself before I might come to that conclusion.

    But certainly, if we have a midrange driver that is dedicated to the midrange, it stands to reason that it would do a better job.

    The weakness in modern tower speakers to me, is that they place emphasis on bass and high frequencies and sacrifice natural sounding midrange in the process.

    But this is the type of sound that the general public has been conditioned to over the years and has come to expect.

    A demo in a big box store is usually very quick and centered around bringing out the dynamics of a speaker to a perspective client.

    Salesman to client: Just listen to those highs and feel that tight bass...

    Just the way things are today.
     
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  19. Kal Rubinson

    Kal Rubinson Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    I do not agree about this as there are many floorstanders that have balanced FR and still others with emphasized midrange. What you describe is not generic.
    A demo in a big box store is as informative as is visual observation.
     
  20. cliff_forster

    cliff_forster Crabby Dad Tech

    Location:
    Baltimore Hon
    All I can tell you is that if you like a Mid Rich presentation, I have the Wharfedale Linton 85th anniversary and while not the last word in upper frequency refinement or bass slam, it has this beautiful silky textured mid range that I love.
    Wharfedale Linton Heritage Speakers - 703341497163
     
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  21. highendlover

    highendlover Well-Known Member

    Location:
    USA
    Last edited: Sep 16, 2020
  22. SandAndGlass

    SandAndGlass Twilight Forum Resident

    I seem to have missed these somehow in the tower speakers I have listened to.

    But a demo in a big box store is how most people buy speakers and other A/V gear today.
     
  23. Kal Rubinson

    Kal Rubinson Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    I know that but it is unfortunate.
     
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  24. SandAndGlass

    SandAndGlass Twilight Forum Resident

    I have three sets of vintage 1960's era. They are the W60's, W70's and W90's.

    They all used smoth sounding paper cone tweeters, something that you don't see today.

    The bass went up with the cabinet size. The bass of all of them was fairly strong. But with the W70's and as specially the W90's, who had the largest cabinets, the bass is so deep and natural sounding.

    But the Wharfedales have always had that nice midrange that British speakers are known for. The "W" series were manufactured in the U.S. for the U.S. market.

    Though the Wharfedale's today are different than the vintage ones, I like them because they have a nice midrange.

    On top of that, the highs are silky smooth and don't have that harsh edge. The bass is fundamentally different on today's models due to their smaller drivers. But the bass is also smoother and more relaxed than many of the pistonic sounding bass drivers on the market.
     
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  25. Helom

    Helom Forum member

    Location:
    U.S.
    3-ways in this price class often lack coherency. I wouldn't assume a preference for the 300s over the 200s unless you plan to listen at high to very high SPLs. There exist many a 2-way that can school many a 3-way in midrange quality.
     
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