Looking for advice/speaker recommendations & opinions

[stukaville]

Current setup

Yamaha Receiver RX-A860
Yamaha Amp A-S500

Speakers MS Avant 906 for Left and right.
MS centre speaker, unsure of model but looks the same as the fronts.
Surrounds Cambride Audio Minx mini 22
MS subwoofer, big silver thing.

Hello.

I'm happy with the sound I get on films but looking for something much more impressive for audio. I play my music using the receiver to browse a NAS drive and the receiver is wired to the AS-500 via the preouts. The existance of preouts on the RX-A860 was one of the main reasons i chose that model as i wanted to use the AS-500 for music.

Ive spoken to a friend who also appriciates fine audio and he has urged me to go and listen to some Tannoy speakers, model number XT6F. I'm considering contacting Richer Sounds and booking myself in for a listening. Not sure if they have the AS-500 or AS-501. ive seen one of them in there recently. My main question is as follows....

Ive been reading something ive never heard about before, that is equipment needing to be paired. I understand it requires a listening but can anyone tell me if there is any reason why the Tannoy speakers my friend recommends wont suit my Yamaha AMP?

Thanks for your time and looking forward to reading what people think.

 

[seemorebtts]

Yes tannoys are good and a demo is best.take your hifi with you when you go for a demo.the best way is to take them for home demo so try looking for a dealer near you that does this.richer sounds will let you take them home but will charge you 10% if you don't like

 

[insider9]

I would personally avoid Tannoy with Yamaha but RS should have both in store to demo. If it's too bright you'll now within minutes.

 

[Andrewjvt]

Most of them(not all) do not have suitable demo room.

Its quite hard to evaluate equipment. Normally there is a lots of background noise also and the speakers/amps are not set up very well.

So just bare that in mind when you go

 

[Andrewjvt]

Most of them(not all) do not have suitable demo room.

Its quite hard to evaluate equipment. Normally there is a lots of background noise also and the speakers/amps are not set up very well.

So just bare that in mind when you go

 

[seemorebtts]

Most of them(not all) do not have suitable demo room.

Its quite hard to evaluate equipment. Normally there is a lots of background noise also and the speakers/amps are not set up very well.

So just bare that in mind when you go

i totally agree Andrewjvt i hate there listening rooms.

 

[nopiano]

I would suggest not limiting yourself to one model or brand, just because someone has recommended it. By all means start there, however. Then hear a few around similar price/size to suit your budget/room. Then go to another dealer and try it again!

As to 'pairing', this is essentially about ensuring the sound of your electronics complements the speakers, so that (for example) you don't pair a mellow amplifier with mellow speakers, and end up with muddy sound. More often called 'matching' in this context.

Good luck!

 

[stukaville]

Hi all..

Thanks for all your replies.

I went to my local Richer Sounds in Stockport and spent 4 hours listening to some of my CDs and a few high bitrate MP3 and flac files. I started off listening to the Tannoys through a Yamaha AS-501, which is basically the same as my amp plus bluetooth from what I can see. Alongside the Tannoys were another set of speakers called Monitor Audio Silver 8's. Both speakers were ready wired up to the amp and the guy a Richer said his staff actually preferred the silver 8's to the Tannoys. I began to listen to both pairs listening to everything from MIchael Jackson's off the wall, Van Halen, David Bowlie's Earthling etc.

I was abit underwhelmed by both speakers at first, but then realised 'pure direct' was selected. I realise this is supposed to be the done thing but If i'm honest i do like a sound with plenty of brightness/treble. Once I have enabled the adjustable loundness button and tweaked the bass both speakers started to sound more like what I was after.

I spent about 4 hours listening in total, and 20 minutes in I found I had a preference for the Silver 8's. To my ear, they had more mid range, a richer bass and a more entertaining sound. Music was becoming fun again.

It looks like I will be spending a good deal more than planned and ive already told the wife a little white lie on the speaker price so if she asks you, yes the Silver 8's are £400 a pair (she thought that was too much)

I was going to hang on to the MS centre, but during the Yamaha's YPAO setup i noticed the 'squeeks' on the sound test sounded much brighter on the front left and right than the centre, so it looks like I will need to replace the centre adding another £370 ish to my bill.

The Silver 8's have been paid for but I'm currently giving them a listen in my own home for 3 or 4 days to be sure. Ive got the demo room ones so no need to 'run in'. My friend has advised giving the Tannoy's a home try again, stressing that the concentrics will need a few hours for my brain to adjust to the way they produce their sound. I don't know though, the Silver 8's sound stonking in my room, so much so i was playing music until 5am (idiot, now im shattered).

Will update you all once it's a certainty but atm it's looking like the Silver 8's, but I will order in Teak, not keen on the light colour.

 

[Andrewjvt]

we are all different but id take the new tannoy over the silver 8s everyday

To me monitor audio do not sound natural when comparing against other speakers like kef, tannoy etc

they have detail but no ommph - they to me always sound restricted

 

[gasolin]

Hi all..

Thanks for all your replies.

I went to my local Richer Sounds in Stockport and spent 4 hours listening to some of my CDs and a few high bitrate MP3 and flac files. I started off listening to the Tannoys through a Yamaha AS-501, which is basically the same as my amp plus bluetooth from what I can see. Alongside the Tannoys were another set of speakers called Monitor Audio Silver 8's. Both speakers were ready wired up to the amp and the guy a Richer said his staff actually preferred the silver 8's to the Tannoys. I began to listen to both pairs listening to everything from MIchael Jackson's off the wall, Van Halen, David Bowlie's Earthling etc.

I was abit underwhelmed by both speakers at first, but then realised 'pure direct' was selected. I realise this is supposed to be the done thing but If i'm honest i do like a sound with plenty of brightness/treble. Once I have enabled the adjustable loundness button and tweaked the bass both speakers started to sound more like what I was after.

I spent about 4 hours listening in total, and 20 minutes in I found I had a preference for the Silver 8's. To my ear, they had more mid range, a richer bass and a more entertaining sound. Music was becoming fun again.

It looks like I will be spending a good deal more than planned and ive already told the wife a little white lie on the speaker price so if she asks you, yes the Silver 8's are £400 a pair (she thought that was too much)

I was going to hang on to the MS centre, but during the Yamaha's YPAO setup i noticed the 'squeeks' on the sound test sounded much brighter on the front left and right than the centre, so it looks like I will need to replace the centre adding another £370 ish to my bill.

The Silver 8's have been paid for but I'm currently giving them a listen in my own home for 3 or 4 days to be sure. Ive got the demo room ones so no need to 'run in'. My friend has advised giving the Tannoy's a home try again, stressing that the concentrics will need a few hours for my brain to adjust to the way they produce their sound. I don't know though, the Silver 8's sound stonking in my room, so much so i was playing music until 5am (idiot, now im shattered).

Will update you all once it's a certainty but atm it's looking like the Silver 8's, but I will order in Teak, not keen on the light colour.

No way £400 for a pair ?

They cost over £1000 for a pair, you can't even get a pair of Bronze 5's for £400 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Monitor-Audio-Silver-8-Black-Gloss/dp/B015L2TWM8/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1490922240&sr=1-1&keywords=Monitor+audio+silver+8

 

[seemorebtts]

Hi all..

Thanks for all your replies.

I went to my local Richer Sounds in Stockport and spent 4 hours listening to some of my CDs and a few high bitrate MP3 and flac files. I started off listening to the Tannoys through a Yamaha AS-501, which is basically the same as my amp plus bluetooth from what I can see. Alongside the Tannoys were another set of speakers called Monitor Audio Silver 8's. Both speakers were ready wired up to the amp and the guy a Richer said his staff actually preferred the silver 8's  to the Tannoys.  I began to listen to both pairs listening to everything from MIchael Jackson's off the wall, Van Halen, David Bowlie's Earthling etc.

I was abit underwhelmed by both speakers at first, but then realised 'pure direct' was selected. I realise this is supposed to be the done thing but If i'm honest i do like a sound with plenty of brightness/treble. Once I have enabled the adjustable loundness button and tweaked the bass both speakers started to sound more like what I was after.

I spent about 4 hours listening in total, and 20 minutes in I found I had a preference for the Silver 8's.  To my ear, they had more mid range, a richer bass and a more entertaining sound. Music was becoming fun again.

It looks like I will be spending a good deal more than planned and ive already told the wife a little white lie on the speaker price so if she asks you, yes the Silver 8's are £400 a pair (she thought that was too much)

I was going to hang on to the MS centre, but during the Yamaha's YPAO setup i noticed the 'squeeks' on the sound test sounded much brighter on the front left and right than the centre, so it looks like I will need to replace the centre adding another £370 ish to my bill.

The Silver 8's have been paid for but I'm currently giving them a listen in my own home for 3 or 4 days to be sure. Ive got the demo room ones so no need to 'run in'. My friend has advised giving the Tannoy's a home try again, stressing that the concentrics will need a few hours for my brain to adjust to the way they produce their sound.  I don't know though, the Silver 8's sound stonking in my room, so much so i was playing music until 5am (idiot, now im shattered).

Will update you all once it's a certainty but atm it's looking like the Silver 8's, but I will order in Teak, not keen on the light colour.

 

No way £400 for a pair ?

They cost over £1000 for a pair, you can't even get a pair of Bronze 5's for £400  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Monitor-Audio-Silver-8-Black-Gloss/dp/B015L2TWM8/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1490922240&sr=1-1&keywords=Monitor+audio+silver+8  

he's lying to the missus as this works for me all the time ;-)