Struggling with speaker reviews - difficult to audition

[Geoff52]

I am British and live in France. Very few HiFi shops here allow sensible auditioning unless you have 4000 to spend !

System Linn Karik CD, Wakonda pre amp and LK100 power amp - I currently am in a very small room and mostly listen on AKG K550 headphone but I also have PSB Imagine Mini speakers - I am moving to a much larger room and can accomodate much larger speakers . The PSB minis were audtioned against the Q A 3020is which may tell you something about what I like

I listen to mostly large scale orchestral music ( Mahler as an example) . opera and Cathedral organ music with occasional forays into Led Zeppelin and similar .

Review are great but everytime I find what I think is the answer a review turns up which confuses me ! But I am 71 ha ha. A good example is the Fyne F302s - I was almost there then I saw a review which said "not very good at separating instruments in an orchestra " - aarrggh !

My requirements are being able to convey orchestral complexity , low pedal notes (20hz) on organ music. I prefer neutrality over a speakers adding anything

For different reasons I have looked at and admired Q Acoustics Concept 20 (available here at 349 euros incl stands) ; Elac Debut 2.0 6.2 and F6.2; (350-550); Q Acoustics 3050i; Fyne F302

Any suggestions please colleagues if you have similar musical tastes to me ( there must be somebody!) My current favourite is the Concept 20s plus a decent sub for the low bass . Budget under 600 if possible . Thank you in advance

 

[daytona600]

Lots of local french brands Focal , Elipson , Davis , Cabasse etc
flat to 20hz for organ for 6,000 not 600

 

[Cork]

Axiom (Canada) makes very neutral speakers. I love the M5 but in your range the M2 is also awesome. (I listen to classical, jazz, blues, and classic rock.) Don't be put off by the size.

How's this for neutral:

M2 Bookshelf Speakers

Celebrated detailed nuanced sound in our most compact bookshelf speaker.

www.axiomaudio.com

You're not going to get anything close to 20 Hz in a bookshelf. Even good towers have a hard time below 25.

 

[matthewpianist]

Acoustic Energy AE109 Mk2 are a good bet - nice and balanced, and without over prominence of any part of the frequency range. The Monitor Audio Bronze 200 are also excellent, with a similarly well judged balance.

 

[abacus]

If there is no way you can audition speakers, look at what types of music the reviewers like, and which is closest to yours, then take the average results from them, (Make up a chart so that you can see the differences visually) and go from there.
Bear in mind that everybody's ears and perception is different, so you will not get an exact match.

Bill