Speakers for Cambridge Audio 740A and 740C

[bay24]

Ok,

I have finaly got some money for speakers to go with my amp and CD player (about £350-£400). I do not mind ging second hand if it will do me better in sound terms. I also will not get away with big floorstanders (but possibly smaller ones) or anything too ugly with the wife. I listen to anything from classical, indie, rock to electronica.

I have seen Epos 12.2 quite cheap second hand but have heard they may not go well with th CA's.

any thoughts would be a great help as there seems to be so much choice at that price range.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi, I recently bought the same amp/cd (due to excellent 'buy one get one' free at RS!) I had spent along time checking out alternatives but nothing did it for me like the CA. The same for speakers I listerned to most around the £300 - £550 range and settled on the Mordaunt short Mezzo 2's. I thought I would end up with the BW685 as many do but they just didnt gel with the CA gear (as others have mentioned on here).

The mezzo's sound really great (using Tannoy F1's proir to these)- quite scary when next door is out but really sing when used low late at night.

Hope this helps

 

[matthewpiano]

My advice would also be to investigate Mordaunt Short's Mezzo 2s. Cambridge and MS are both part of the same group and their products work very well together. When I had my 740C/A combination, MS speakers were the best match I could find and I feel the Mezzo range would suit the 740 series even better than the Avant series speakers that I was using.

 

[Thaiman]

PMC DB1+ (exdem or 2nd hand could be had for max of your budget), Also Sevenoaks in Southamton is selling a pair of Mezzo 6 for £600 which could be a good match.

 

[bay24]

Many thanks for the replies sorry I had not responded earlier but I was in the land of no internet over Xmas, very scary!

Mezzos sound like a good bet although I am always tempted by second hand bargains, do you think that the PMCs would be significantly better if I could find a pair? Would MA RS6 be a good choice? I have seen them around second hand for about my price range.

 

[John Duncan]

bay24:
Many thanks for the replies sorry I had not responded earlier but I was in the land of no internet over Xmas, very scary!

Mezzos sound like a good bet although I am always tempted by second hand bargains, do you think that the PMCs would be significantly better if I could find a pair? Would MA RS6 be a good choice? I have seen them around second hand for about my price range.

I think the PMCs would work very well if you can find a pair (there are some here but the centre is thrown in so you'd have to sell that on). I know there are people here running RS6s and love them but I think that these with the Cambridge pair could be a little too much of a good thing, treble wise. Consider also the AVI Neutron V, which are lovely though may be a bit bass-shy for you.

 

[bay24]

I just saw that pair a little while ago, it isnt a speaker I had concidered before but they will be on my shortlist!

I am not that bothered about big base, the AVIs are quite small aren't they? would they fill a 12 by 13 ft room? I don't listen to my music at very high levels.

 

[John Duncan]

bay24:
I just saw that pair a little while ago, it isnt a speaker I had concidered before but they will be on my shortlist!

I am not that bothered about big base, the AVIs are quite small aren't they? would they fill a 12 by 13 ft room? I don't listen to my music at very high levels.

Well I'm running mine in a room about that size and they're very nice and full (and gorgeous in black

). They benefit from rear wall placement (more so than my PMCs, which are still at the guitarist's house and may not come back if my wife has anythign to do with it) and obviously sturdy stands.

 

[bay24]

I have ben doing some looking around and I think I may go for the AVI's the next problem is stands, as they are quite small I dont realy want anything too big or with a huge base plate, have know idea about stands so any advice wouold be great. I don't realy want to be just plonking them down on my little coffee tables.

Would wall mounting be a big no no? if not are there any good brackets or small shelves that would do the trick?

 

[John Duncan]

They're quite weighty so you'd need something sturdy if you wall mounted them. I have mine on Apollo AZ6 stands, which have a small top plate, not an enormous base plate, and a single slim column so look tidy.

 

[Anonymous]

How about dali ikon 6's ??? Are they ok for CA gear???

 

[vinod_david]

Maciek:How about dali ikon 6's ??? Are they ok for CA gear???

CA and MS are made for each other. But a big NO to Dali with CA.

 

[bay24]

dali 6's are too rich for my blood, not sure if they go with CA kit.

John when you say the AVI's need to be close to a wall how close do you mean, sorry if I am deing dense ( I am new to "proper hifi")but if they were on stands and turned in to the listener would that not mean they would be away from the wall a fair bit?

 

[Anonymous]

I have dali ikon 6's and CA 840A V2 + CA 840C and i like it

 

[Anonymous]

Why is that big NO? Speakers are speakers

 

[Anonymous]

Dali 6's had much better reviews than Mezzo 6's

 

[Anonymous]

Dali Ikon 6's were product of the year twice on whathifi. What is wrong with CA then?

 

[John Duncan]

bay24:
dali 6's are too rich for my blood, not sure if they go with CA kit.

John when you say the AVI's need to be close to a wall how close do you mean, sorry if I am deing dense ( I am new to "proper hifi")but if they were on stands and turned in to the listener would that not mean they would be away from the wall a fair bit?

Mine are in a bay window so basically have nothing behind them which, their being rear ported, robs them of a bit of bass weight. However, they still do well, just not quite as well as my PMCs, which have a different design, and you may not find it an issue - as always, audition and decide for yourself.