Contentious and Pointless

[admin_exported]

I don't think we've had a good old forum throwdown in a while and it's about time.

In lieu of opening up the cable debate again I've decided to ask the forum what it's favourite speaker maker is. Not individual speaker, but which manufacturerdo you reckon "brings it."

I for one likes me some PMC. The DB, FB and OB are all peaches. The FB or OB are my eventual target speaker at present. And the other day I heard the EB1i. As far as I'm concerned there's no better use of fifteen thousand dollars.

 

[Ajani]

Monitor Audio... Excellent speakers from entry level right up to expensive... I especially love the GS20s and the more affordably priced RS6s....

 

[coolaboola]

I can concur with Ajani.M.A depth of range hits the button every time.Every budget should have a pair of m.a on its shortlist.Wharfedale is a brand I would love to love as it put me on the path of real hi fi with its diamond range.I look at them as the 'gateway drug' of speakers.

 

[Messiah]

I would agree with the Monitor Audio shout. I like PMC too although I heard the MB2 XBD the other day and was not blown away......

 

[coolaboola]

Thread deviation I know.Mr messiah how do those rs 1's sound on dreadnoughts and would it be a worthwhile upgrade from my mission stancette's?(only in your honest humble opinion of course)

 

[Messiah]

I went from being firmly in the Mission camp for years over to Monitor Audio. I have found the RS1's to give me just the sound I was after.

Much clearer!

 

[Anonymous]

I have to say that if I ever saw a deal on piano black gs20's I'd forget PMC and take it. Just don't know if they're quite worth the 3500 some odd dollars.

 

[coolaboola]

this is turning into the M,A appreciation society.Tomorrow I guarantee will see a wave of begrudgers cribbin about how the m.a metal tweeters are harsh and bass is sloppy,yadda yadda yadda.One thing I love about this website is it don't lack on the opinion or on the experience side.

 

[Anonymous]

I do have to say find the Silver series highs to be a bit grating. It's not bad, just makes them very sensitive to speaker pairings. RS6 with Cambridge is too harsh for my taste. The goldson the other hand... perfect.

 

[Messiah]

Many say that Cyrus and MA don't do but I have only had an issue with 1 album. Everything else sounds great!!

 

[coolaboola]

in my best austin powers accent' throw me a fricken bone here ' what 1 album was that?

 

[Messiah]

Ha Ha....Bon Jovi - Crossroads

 

[Ajani]

Messiah:
I went from being firmly in the Mission camp for years over to Monitor Audio. I have found the RS1's to give me just the sound I was after.

Much clearer!

Interestingly, I was a Mission fan too before switching to Monitor Audio...

This thread really has turned into a Monitor Audio fan club... Maybe tomorrow the flames will rise...

 

[Ajani]

raypalmer:I have to say that if I ever saw a deal on piano black gs20's I'd forget PMC and take it. Just don't know if they're quite worth the 3500 some odd dollars.

I would say Yes they are... They just won a sub 2k floorstanders shootout in another major UK publication... The shootout was between:

Monitor Audio GS20

PMC FB1i

Dynaudio Excite X36

KEF XQ40

Totem Hawk

Dali Mentor 6

 

[Andrew Everard]

Ajani:...in another major UK publication...

Is there such a thing...?

 

[Ajani]

Andrew Everard:
Ajani:...in another major UK publication...

Is there such a thing...?

There are rumours....

 

[Anonymous]

Ehhh, to my taste the FB1i is better. But it's highly subjective. The Hawk is a close one.. I think I like the GS more than it tho...

As for DALI, just try to find it in Canada. Like Unicorns I swear, they really really need to chuck their current distributor.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Ajani:
There are rumours....

Publications, yes, but major...?

 

[Anonymous]

Difficult question to answer for all the obvious reasons, but throwing them aside I'd probably have to pick between PMC, Spendor and Sonus Faber. Yes, a small world I belong to but I like speakers from each of these for different things. The SF went best with tubes, giving a sublime midrange. The Spendor give me the overall tonal balance for the money I want to spend, working with my surroundings quite well. The PMCs are just hugely fun and quite a stunning range of speakers. I have a soft spot for transmission line designs so I'm going to plunge for PMC as the favorite general speaker, although I've yet to hear the new additions from Spendor so it may swing.

Lots of MA love on here. I've had a pair of RS1s and loved them a lot for a few years. For the money I thought they were superb but their treble started to shred my eardrums once I moved outof a heavily damped room. After auditioning better speakers I soon found that the bass was a bit poor too.

I heard thee GS60s with the Primare I30 but found it to be all a bit too airy and toppy. Hey, superb speakers though...

 

[the record spot]

If we were back in the 90s, I'd hae said Mission at the drop of a hat. The 75 series (had the 751 Freedoms 15 years back) and the 733i (floorstanders I still have) along with the 752 and 753 Freedoms were all superb examples of the craft from £300 to about £800 - lost their way a bit recently by all accounts, but for a while they were the firm to beat.

 

[Anonymous]

Ive not heard anything within my budget to tempt me away from my quad12l's yet! although i did rather take a fancy to some dynaudios i heard a while back but they where just too darnd expensive for me!

 

[Anonymous]

Have just been through this debate myself, and, based on available budget, ended up going for ProAc Studio 110's. Honourable mentions though to PMC and Totem.

 

[Messiah]

the record spot:If we were back in the 90s, I'd hae said Mission at the drop of a hat. The 75 series (had the 751 Freedoms 15 years back) and the 733i (floorstanders I still have) along with the 752 and 753 Freedoms were all superb examples of the craft from £300 to about £800 - lost their way a bit recently by all accounts, but for a while they were the firm to beat.

Certainly agree about the Mission love back then. I think at some point me or my house mate must have gone through the entire range. We sort of upgraded at the same times, not wanting to be outdone!, and when he had the 732 I had the 734, then I had the 752F and he had the 753F and then I got the 754F and some 750LE for the bedroom (which I still Have) and we both had the 75C (again, I still have) We also purchased the 78DS when they came out and other mate went through the 78 range (although I had moved onto Cyrus by then) but we loved all of them!!

 

[chebby]

With the exception of the trade/professional contributors, all I can say is that some of you must spend an awful lot of time in hifi showrooms on a very regular basis to be able to answer so comprehensively.

I listen to maybe 4 or 5 sets of 'speakers in my price range about twice a decade on average. (Sometimes longer.)

The last time I did this (earlier this year) I listened to three pairs only until I found ones I really liked. I liked them so much I did not see the point in auditioning any more. The idea of spending valuable free time trawling around endless dealers trying to hear everything would be a nightmare for me.

I am a simple soul. Find something I like (and can afford) then buy it and enjoy it. I expect there are better speakers - for the same money - out there somewhere. This does not trouble me. The ones I have now have so much potential that they will survive the next few upgrades of sources and/or amp.

 

[Messiah]

Yeah but for me it's one of my main interests and I enjoy listening to different items. To be fair, back when we were buying all the Missions we all worked about 5 minutes from the dealers shop so were always in there.

For those that just buy a HiFi and go home and enjoy it that is fair enough. I do that to but with some of my other time (lunch breaks etc) spent with the local dealer or on here