Speaker Upgrade Options

[admin_exported]

Dear all

Options on full size speaker systems seem to change very rarely! You only have to look at the review dates on most of the 5 star speaker systems over £3000 to notice the lack of new guys on the block. (eg Are the B&W 805's etc still competitive?)

As such, I would be grateful for some upgrade suggestions.(existing speakers may be worn out through over use!) I currently have B&W CDMs, ASW, DS9's powered by a Denon A1HD amp. I need L & R fronts to also be hifi capable for connection to Naim amps/cd. I suppose options in the 5k to 7k range (do I need to go further?) would be appropriate and would be much appreciated. Then it will be the almost impossible task of finding somewhere to listen to them all!

 

[caddyhound]

If your room is big enough then PMC 0B1i or PB1i would be well worth auditioning.Certainly no problem for the amp to drive them and lots of dealers.Certainly in this price bracket trying them at home with your music is a given.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks

I will try to audition the OB1i, CB6i, TLE1, with perhaps the TB2i's on the back due to space considerations. Not sure if this mixing will be recommended? The OB1i's should give the hifi more of a lift over the FB1i set. PB1i set is too big and too expensive by the time you add on the price of a new house!

 

[Anonymous]

And the Dali Helicon 400 MkII or perhaps 800 MkII.

Sonus Faber Cremona M and Focal 1027Be were also recommended to me. The PMCs are a must hear.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Will

Will look them up and try to have a listen.

 

[caddyhound]

Mark111:
Thanks

I will try to audition the OB1i, CB6i, TLE1, with perhaps the TB2i's on the back due to space considerations. Not sure if this mixing will be recommended? The OB1i's should give the hifi more of a lift over the FB1i set. PB1i set is too big and too expensive by the time you add on the price of a new house!

The Tb2i's will be fine as rears.Not even sure you will need the TLE1 with the bass of the OB1i but I bet it will sound awesome!!

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks CH! (I can't face calling you by your full user name) It did stike me that the sub might not be needed having read the reviews of the floorstanding models low frequency prowess. (More cash to spend on BD's etc) It has been suggested that PMC speakers are difficult to place and that the bass becomes over-powering unless given lots of space. (The transmission line technology to blame apparently.) I noticed that the review in the mag of the FB1i suggested placement was not a problem. Has this been sorted by the latest (i)ncarnations.

 

[Frank Harvey]

I bet a lot of people would love to be in this predicament

When you said "I need L & R fronts to also be hifi capable", do you mean you're only replacing the fronts? Or did you mean that the L&R in the package you're looking at? Just want to be clear.

Other than the Dali Helicons and PMC's already mentioned, also take a look at the KEF Reference series, the Proac Response series. I would also throw the ATC range into the equation, which are exceptional speakers, but a little inefficient, requiring some amplification who's balls have their own balls. All of these packages will possess their own qualities that will draw people to them, but you'll need to audition to see what appeals to you.

I think to go any further with the speaker package would require an amplifier change, most likely something in pre/power territory. As it stands, you may not quite get the best from one or two of these packages with the A1HD, although they'd be a huge improvement over your CDM's.

 

[Anonymous]

I will be changing the whole lot. Some packages already contain left and right speakers that are, in their own right, excellent 2 channel Hifi speakers. This is what I was getting at. Thanks for suggestions above.

 

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have any views about the B&W 805s, HTM4S, ASW825 package?