Smart Speaker price range for Brio-r?

[admin_exported]

Hi,

First post in this forum 🙂

Very new to the Hi-Fi domain (basic entry level) I’m trying to find what speaker to match with my next buy, the Brio-r. I have been reading a lot on Hi-Fi (and I mean it, a lot). So yes, I understood that at the end it will be my fun factor at my audition test that will drive my choice. (It as to be bookshelf)

But to better understand the Brio-R, I’m trying to find an efficient price range. I guess we all agree that the Brio-r is overkill for 35£ speakers and the opposite, 350000£ speaker are overkill for the Brio-r.

Q: According to you, what can be a good speaker price range to match this amp?

Q: An what could be the average smart price to get most of this amp?

Thank you!!!

mrox

Other info if you feel to comment the big picture:

Source = Cambridge 650BD

Rega DAC to come in the next year or so. (hopefully, I will get a used one).

Need good sound at “low” listening level.

Room: 9’X12’ = 108Feet2 (2.75mx3.65m=10m2). The back of the speaker will be facing the dining room which is the twin of my living room. The rooms are split by an arch, this is where the speakers will stand.

Wood floor, ceiling 8’ (2.45m)

Music: Jazz, Rock, Classic, Ambient, name it all but remove Western style.

Speaker budget hope = 1200$ +- 300$ (775£ +- 200£) (could extend to a very max of 2000$ (1250£) ( if I hear big difference compare to cheaper speakers)

Location: Montrea/Canada

Thinking of, in no specific order: B&W, ProAc, Monitor Audio, EB Acoustic, Vienna Acoustic, Kef, PMC, Sonus faber, Tannoy, Tottem, Dynaudio, Roskan. I’m getting lost…

 

[CnoEvil]

My first port of call would be Rega's own speakers up to the RS3 ( £778 ).

 

[chebby]

Need good sound at “low” listening level.

My first port of call would be Rega's own speakers up to the RS3 ( £778 ).

Yes, keep it to the "one stop shop" and consider Rega's own RS3 compact floorstanders.

They are fine with their backs close to a wall - partly because of front facing ports - and (if the side mounted bass drivers are pointed inwards) they can survive placement quite near corners too. (As close as 12" in my experience of Rega R3s.)

They don't need to be angled inwards ('toed in').

So long as you don't put furniture (or large, tall equipment racks) between them, they will be very tolerant of positioning and are very compact.

They are an easy load to drive at around 90db @ 6ohms and it is true that they really work well with Rega amplification/sources. Individual 4 and 5 star Rega components really do mesh into 5 star systems.

You can get them in real cherry wood veneer or (for a 10 percent premium) in high gloss black or white.

And they sound excellent at lowish - medium volume too. (Or I wouldn't recommend them because that is important to me too.)

 

[altruistic.lemon]

It's a fine amp, nearly up there with my Naiti!

I listened to it the other day with speakers up to £1500 and thought it could still take better. Dynaudio would seem good, or the Dali Mentor, or the Totem range, even though I didn't like them. The Rega speakers are, well, nice, but think you could do better.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the answers.

Problem is that I need bookshelf.

But the price does seems to make sense.

As for the 650BD I'm assuming my next year buy the Rega DAC will fix any bright side.
Thanks again, all comments all welcome!

 

[Anonymous]

Try audition Wharfdale Diamond 10.1. (around $350) it doesn't sound like a cheap speaker at all and it'll give you a reference of where (if) extra cash should be spent on more expensive speakers.

 

[Anonymous]

Anther bookshelf to consider would be the Quad 11L Classic, evenly voiced speaker with amazing standard of finish, shouldn't be too hard to track down a dealer in Montreal that'll give you a demo. The only other high quality bookshelves I can think of would be Proac Tablette, Spendor SA1, and Harbeth HL-P3ESR but all of these would be out of your price range ($2300-$2600).

 

[CnoEvil]

Problem is that I need bookshelf.

Rega RS1 fits the bill.

 

[Anonymous]

hi

i went through the same thing about a month back - knew i wanted the brio and rp3 and my budget was around £500 for speakers - i tried a pair of castle floorstanders (reduced), rega rs1, MA BX2 and B&W865

i felt my previous entry level system provided a rather flat and tight sound and i wanted to feel space in my music

i demoed the same 3 tracks (wall of sound, ambient and a groover) from different lps with all the speakers and got it down to the regas or the B&Ws. i then played a different track (reggae) and sided with the beemers and finally did an electronic track which confirmed my thoughts - they provided the sound i was looking for

the people in audio t brighton gave good advice and were very patient :clap: and after a couple of weeks listening, i am very happy with the results

 

[Anonymous]

This is all very instructive.
And bring me in one aspect of my question.

I know it become subjective quickly but still I'm trying to get a rule of thumb.
-With Brio-r, if we try to put personal taste apart, between a 1200$ speaker and let say 2300$ speaker, do we get a sound quality increase of 10% or more something like 40%?

 

[nopiano]

This is all very instructive. And bring me in one aspect of my question. I know it become subjective quickly but still I'm trying to get a rule of thumb. -With Brio-r, if we try to put personal taste apart, between a 1200$ speaker and let say 2300$ speaker, do we get a sound quality increase of 10% or more something like 40%?

I don't think we can really say. In some ways, a 500GBP stand mount speaker can be as 'accurate' as a 2 or 3 times more expensive speaker. But if the one that is not much more expensive does something that 'clicks' for you, then the double-price one may not be preferable.

Best way to see how you react is to hear something from the same manufacturers range, at three price points (say 500, 1000 and 1500 GBP) in one location. At least you the get an idea where they think the improvements come (whether you agree or not!).

Patience is going to be a virtue, I think.

As to your original point, for a super stand mount, how about Monitor Audio's GX50? I heard their ribbon tweeter in the Platinum series (slightly different) and was very impressed. Also liked some small Elacs recently, again with ribbon tweeters, if you get that range in Montreal. It was model BS244, and they are German made.

 

[CnoEvil]

At the end of the day the Brio is a £480 50W amp, albeit a very good one. As such, it will have its limitations. IMO There is no point in going with speakers that are too expensive, as they will only expose the deficiencies of the amp. The price at which this happens is speaker/model dependant (due to the sensitivity and impedance characterstics).

IMO You should probably keep to £900 or below......but this is just my view.

 

[Anonymous]

At the end of the day the Brio is a £480 50W amp,.... IMO There is no point in going with speakers that are too expensive, as they will only expose the deficiencies of the amp.... IMO You should probably keep to £900 or below......but this is just my view.

This is making full of sense. Thanks.

Best way to see how you react is to hear something from the same manufacturers range, at three price points (say 500, 1000 and 1500 GBP) in one location. At least you the get an idea where they think the improvements come (whether you agree or not!).

Sound like a smart strategy. Thanks. So far I did two store to listen to audio systems and never I have been offered to work that way. I'll make sure to ask for it.

Can anyone who have been shopping for speaker with Brio-r share is shopping experience/strategy/Brand?

Meanwhile I'm picking notes on all the names you are throwing. Thanks for all the guidance!

 

[VinylRush]

Keep your eye out on ebay for some 2nd hand RS3's. For some reason they don't get a lot of love and are often overlooked, so ebay prices are quite low.

I picked up some RS3's off ebay for £300.

They are paired with my Brio-R and I'm extremely happy with the sound.

 

[spockfish]

heard the Brio R (ordered one myself) this weekend with a pair of RS 5's. I was surprised, because my initial reaction was that that maybe a little bit too much for the Brio R. But it handled them perfectly well. Sound was great!

 

[SSM]

The Brio-R certainly impressed me, and that was with the RS1 and ATC SCM7. I reckon having the RS1 in tow with your Brio-R and incoming DAC will provide many months of listening satisfaction whilst giving you more headroom than the inefficient SCM7. You will have plenty of time to grow the budget for a super pair of speakers later on.

Although I have not heard the Brio-R with these, if it were me I would like to mate the Brio-R with a Dynaudio DM 2/6 or B&W CM1. Both have airier trebles than the RS1 or SCM7, and that will provide some aeration for the Brio-R's slightly earthy balance.

cheerSS

 

[bemaniac]

I would put about £350 into a 2nd hand DAC and about £600 into some speakers if I had bought the Brio-r

 

[Anonymous]

The Brio-R certainly impressed me, and that was with the RS1 and ATC SCM7. I reckon having the RS1 in tow with your Brio-R and incoming DAC will provide many months of listening satisfaction whilst giving you more headroom than the inefficient SCM7. You will have plenty of time to grow the budget for a super pair of speakers later on.

Although I have not heard the Brio-R with these, if it were me I would like to mate the Brio-R with a Dynaudio DM 2/6 or B&W CM1. Both have airier trebles than the RS1 or SCM7, and that will provide some aeration for the Brio-R's slightly earthy balance.

Thanks for sharing, really appreciated. I did (long ago) heard small B&W 68? , 5 I guess, with a small NAD amp and Rotel amp. The result was nice, particularly with the Rotel where the soundstage just appeared in front of me.

Also my small experience in audition was a system, Naim 5I amp and Naim CD player, with… unknown floorstand speakers but was probably about 3000$ value with unknown CD country music. I really don’t like country music, but honestly I totally got obsess in my mind with the clarity of the bass for a good 24hrs! (Not kidding!). I could hear the hands moving on the chord with pure sound and feeling. Treble on the other hand was to my hear flat and boring compare to it. God knows why.

So I’m trying to get something that will bring that king of exciting experience. Hoping to build the system with right equipment the first time for 3500$, even though if it means that I’ll wait next year or so to buy the last piece (Rega DAC probably).

Thanks again.