Uninspired by speakers...is there a cheap alternative?

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shooter

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The potential of the Leema has got you thinking, which is a good thing. Keep the money in the pot and save and when you have the cash to spend, go for it.
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Just remember we have a VAT hike coming!!
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T

the record spot

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The Leema Pulse works very well with the Mission 752 and having tried it for a week earlier in the summer, I was impressed with its capabilities. It depends on the other part of your stereo as well of course, but for £150 tops (there's talk of 752s going for £300 which may be the later Freedom model, but the original goes for up to £150 and I picked mine up for £80 a couple of years ago) you'll struggle to better them in your budget.

The 752 benefits from a good powerful amp that can take a grip of the speaker and I found the Leema did this very well. Deep bass without being bloomy - noticeable as my CDP is of the leaner variety, so I had all the clarity, midrange that was always there and the bass that the Marantz has was brought out more. Huge soundstage too. Great for classical, rock, etc. I listen to a very wide range of material and I've yet to find the speaker wanting.

To better them? You're probably spending around £800+ to get that. IMO only but having heard some (then) £900 Dali Ikon 5s the 752 wasn't shamed. 15 years on, it's still a great speaker.
 
T

the record spot

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brittondave:

As for me I have become increasingly annoyed by a fair few forum members on this site and really not sure why I bother contributing any more I really don't enjoy the "constant one up man ship" culture that exists here.

Anyway I do hope you end up finding a good match for the Leema.. I have enjoyed your post's and The Record Spot's the most.

I'm off and won't be contributing anymore..........enjoy yourself

D

Sorry to see you go Dave and thanks for the kind words - is it worth you dropping the moderators an email offline to address your concerns or at least air them maybe?
 

JoelSim

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PP, have you thought about a decent set of standmounts. If you buy on eBay then you can sell on for no net loss later on, much better than buying new or ex demo now and changing in a few months.

Thoughts are:

AVI Neutron

ProAc Tablette Reference 8 Signature

Both of the above would sound sublime with your Leema, I'm pretty sure.
 
JoelSim:

PP, have you thought about a decent set of standmounts. If you buy on eBay then you can sell on for no net loss later on, much better than buying new or ex demo now and changing in a few months.

Thoughts are:

AVI Neutron

ProAc Tablette Reference 8 Signature

Both of the above would sound sublime with your Leema, I'm pretty sure.

Saw some AVI yesterday on ebay. The only snag is aren't they bass light?
 
the record spot:The Leema Pulse works very well with the Mission 752 and having tried it for a week earlier in the summer, I was impressed with its capabilities. It depends on the other part of your stereo as well of course, but for £150 tops (there's talk of 752s going for £300 which may be the later Freedom model, but the original goes for up to £150 and I picked mine up for £80 a couple of years ago) you'll struggle to better them in your budget.

The 752 benefits from a good powerful amp that can take a grip of the speaker and I found the Leema did this very well. Deep bass without being bloomy - noticeable as my CDP is of the leaner variety, so I had all the clarity, midrange that was always there and the bass that the Marantz has was brought out more. Huge soundstage too. Great for classical, rock, etc. I listen to a very wide range of material and I've yet to find the speaker wanting.
To better them? You're probably spending around £800+ to get that. IMO only but having heard some (then) £900 Dali Ikon 5s the 752 wasn't shamed. 15 years on, it's still a great speaker.

Thanks, RS, that's interesting - I'll take a butchers later in the week.
 

scene

Well-known member
vinod_david:brittondave:I'm off and won't be contributing anymore
You'll be missed. Good luck!

Missed this late last night - Sorry to hear this, you'll be missed, I for one have enjoyed reading your contributions
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scene

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plastic penguin:

One thing that surprised me was, contrary to some claims on this forum about the RS6s, the Leema controlled the bass so well; there was no harshness or overplay. Both demonstrated a fast, agile and punchy character with bags of detail. I was also expecting the Leema's presentation to clash with the MAs metal dome tweeter, causing a brittle, tooth-wrenching top end, almost akin to sharp nails squeaking down a blackboard - not so!

In my experience of MAs - both as an owner and someone who's interesting in owning more - the issue is that the metal dome tweeters do sound a bit harsh, but only when the speakers are new. When I got my Silver 8is back home many years ago, I thought I'd made a horrible mistake! They really need a good run in to soften up, but once they do, I've never found them anything but sweet.

I've had demos of kit since, with MA Silver series speakers (in various guises) and I've come to realise that dealers don't always have properly run-in speakers (which is sort of understandable).

The properly run-in Silvers I have heard have all sounded sweet at the top end, if anything, the MA's weakness lies at the bottom end, with a little too much bass on the bigger floorstanders. The RS8, for example, sounds a little to bass-heavy for my liking.

But then again, this is the Monitor Audio "style", a bright (but not painfully so) defined treble, solid bass and a smooth, but lively mid-range.
 

ESP2009

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If you don't care too much about the fuss and faff involved, and enjoy the 'thrill of the hunt' as it were, I reckon Fleabay is always good fun for seeking what you require, armed with the right level of knowledge, of course.

Mind you, it is possible to end up like me - with a large pile of stuff you have purchased and can't seem to bring yourself to put back on auction!
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aliEnRIK

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Id definitely be looking at MA 8is on ebay (Why does everyone on here call it fleabay??)

Theyre head and shoulders above what you have now and as mentioned elsewhere more natural sounding than the later MA range
 

ESP2009

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aliEnRIK:

...on ebay (Why does everyone on here call it fleabay??)

Well, sometimes it is a bit like a fleamarket.
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I still love it though.
 

ESP2009

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...in fact, I do admit to feeling slightly foolish for looking at going out to high street dealers and maybe spending the best part of £2k when I could while away many happy hours checking eBay for bargains (if I knew what I was doing!)
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scene

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ESP2009:...in fact, I do admit to feeling slightly foolish for looking at going out to high street dealers and maybe spending the best part of £2k when I could while away many happy hours checking eBay for bargains (if I knew what I was doing!)
emotion-10.gif

It's not so foolish - you can't demo the kit on eBay...
 

ESP2009

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scene:ESP2009:...in fact, I do admit to feeling slightly foolish for looking at going out to high street dealers and maybe spending the best part of £2k when I could while away many happy hours checking eBay for bargains (if I knew what I was doing!)
emotion-10.gif
It's not so foolish - you can't demo the kit on eBay...

A very valid point (in many cases), but if you are willing to bid yourself a few bargains based on WHF (forum) recommendations and so forth, you can have fun tracking down a suitable pair should you be so inclined. Of course, a lot of sellers offer a demo if you want to pick up, too. However, as you say, demoing a selection at one or more dealerships is eminently sensible, and what I hope to do very soon. Although I can't help but feel the eBay route is more fun and exciting.
emotion-1.gif
 

scene

Well-known member
ESP2009:
scene:ESP2009:...in fact, I do admit to feeling slightly foolish for looking at going out to high street dealers and maybe spending the best part of £2k when I could while away many happy hours checking eBay for bargains (if I knew what I was doing!)
emotion-10.gif
It's not so foolish - you can't demo the kit on eBay...

A very valid point (in many cases), but if you are willing to bid yourself a few bargains based on WHF (forum) recommendations and so forth, you can have fun tracking down a suitable pair should you be so inclined. Of course, a lot of sellers offer a demo if you want to pick up, too. However, as you say, demoing a selection at one or more dealerships is eminently sensible, and what I hope to do very soon. Although I can't help but feel the eBay route is more fun and exciting.
emotion-1.gif


I know what you mean - the thrill of the chase, and all that
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A number of my recent purchases have be auction wins...
 

ESP2009

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scene:ESP2009:

scene:ESP2009:...in fact, I do admit to feeling slightly foolish for looking at going out to high street dealers and maybe spending the best part of £2k when I could while away many happy hours checking eBay for bargains (if I knew what I was doing!)
emotion-10.gif
It's not so foolish - you can't demo the kit on eBay...

A very valid point (in many cases), but if you are willing to bid yourself a few bargains based on WHF (forum) recommendations and so forth, you can have fun tracking down a suitable pair should you be so inclined. Of course, a lot of sellers offer a demo if you want to pick up, too. However, as you say, demoing a selection at one or more dealerships is eminently sensible, and what I hope to do very soon. Although I can't help but feel the eBay route is more fun and exciting.
emotion-1.gif


I know what you mean - the thrill of the chase, and all that
emotion-1.gif

A number of my recent purchases have be auction wins...

Quite! Armed with the right experience and information, I am sure such a source can be very rewarding. I wish I had both. Mind you, the Castle Richmond IIs I bought the other day weren't a bad dabble.
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However, this ain't helping that soggy bird much...
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scene:plastic penguin:

One thing that surprised me was, contrary to some claims on this forum about the RS6s, the Leema controlled the bass so well; there was no harshness or overplay. Both demonstrated a fast, agile and punchy character with bags of detail. I was also expecting the Leema's presentation to clash with the MAs metal dome tweeter, causing a brittle, tooth-wrenching top end, almost akin to sharp nails squeaking down a blackboard - not so!

In my experience of MAs - both as an owner and someone who's interesting in owning more - the issue is that the metal dome tweeters do sound a bit harsh, but only when the speakers are new. When I got my Silver 8is back home many years ago, I thought I'd made a horrible mistake! They really need a good run in to soften up, but once they do, I've never found them anything but sweet.
I've had demos of kit since, with MA Silver series speakers (in various guises) and I've come to realise that dealers don't always have properly run-in speakers (which is sort of understandable).
The properly run-in Silvers I have heard have all sounded sweet at the top end, if anything, the MA's weakness lies at the bottom end, with a little too much bass on the bigger floorstanders. The RS8, for example, sounds a little to bass-heavy for my liking.
But then again, this is the Monitor Audio "style", a bright (but not painfully so) defined treble, solid bass and a smooth, but lively mid-range.

I agree totally. As all-rounders the RS6s outgun the RS8, and sound great on the Leema. Not saying for one moment they are better than PMC and other such protaganists, but in comparison with the Wharfedales it's night and day. However, in isolation the Wharfies sound fine.

I think I may stick until after Xmas - it seems a "fools purchase" to spend £200 or so knowing I'm only going to keep them for 3 or 4 months.

Crikey, sometimes I just wish....(please finish off the sentence).
 
T

the record spot

Guest
plastic penguin:scene:plastic penguin:

One thing that surprised me was, contrary to some claims on this forum about the RS6s, the Leema controlled the bass so well; there was no harshness or overplay. Both demonstrated a fast, agile and punchy character with bags of detail. I was also expecting the Leema's presentation to clash with the MAs metal dome tweeter, causing a brittle, tooth-wrenching top end, almost akin to sharp nails squeaking down a blackboard - not so!

In my experience of MAs - both as an owner and someone who's interesting in owning more - the issue is that the metal dome tweeters do sound a bit harsh, but only when the speakers are new. When I got my Silver 8is back home many years ago, I thought I'd made a horrible mistake! They really need a good run in to soften up, but once they do, I've never found them anything but sweet.
I've had demos of kit since, with MA Silver series speakers (in various guises) and I've come to realise that dealers don't always have properly run-in speakers (which is sort of understandable).
The properly run-in Silvers I have heard have all sounded sweet at the top end, if anything, the MA's weakness lies at the bottom end, with a little too much bass on the bigger floorstanders. The RS8, for example, sounds a little to bass-heavy for my liking.
But then again, this is the Monitor Audio "style", a bright (but not painfully so) defined treble, solid bass and a smooth, but lively mid-range.

I agree totally. As all-rounders the RS6s outgun the RS8, and sound great on the Leema. Not saying for one moment they are better than PMC and other such protaganists, but in comparison with the Wharfedales it's night and day. However, in isolation the Wharfies sound fine.

I think I may stick until after Xmas - it seems a "fools purchase" to spend £200 or so knowing I'm only going to keep them for 3 or 4 months.

Crikey, sometimes I just wish....(please finish off the sentence).

I'll caveat this line of reasoning by saying the 752s are metal dome tweeters, but partnered with the right gear then this is no problem. There's an urban myth out there that says "metal dome tweeters = brash/loud/spitty/hissy/etc" but this needn't be a reason to avoid them if the partnering equipment tempers this.

By extension, you could apply precisely the same logic to Cyrus, Cambridge, the current Q Acoustics 2050 and so on, all of which have been described as being bright in character. This is a non-issue.

As I mentioned before, the Pulse/752 combination works well, tweeters taken into account. The rationale remains the same: it depends on which source you're also using. On its own, it's a non-sequitor.

Re: Joelsim's earlier comment, I'd add the 751 standmount in either the original or Freedom version. Mint examples are yours for about £100-130 or so. Brilliant speaker.
 

ESP2009

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plastic penguin:

Crikey, sometimes I just wish....(please finish off the sentence).

....I'd stuck to my JVC ghetto-blaster.
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A

Anonymous

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JoelSim:maxflinn:
monitor audio rs6..

pick up in london sw9. demo possible if you bring you're own amp..

Max, you're = you are.
ive taken your advice on board, and now i think ive sussed it, you're a good teacher
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the record spot:plastic penguin:scene:plastic penguin:

One thing that surprised me was, contrary to some claims on this forum about the RS6s, the Leema controlled the bass so well; there was no harshness or overplay. Both demonstrated a fast, agile and punchy character with bags of detail. I was also expecting the Leema's presentation to clash with the MAs metal dome tweeter, causing a brittle, tooth-wrenching top end, almost akin to sharp nails squeaking down a blackboard - not so!

In my experience of MAs - both as an owner and someone who's interesting in owning more - the issue is that the metal dome tweeters do sound a bit harsh, but only when the speakers are new. When I got my Silver 8is back home many years ago, I thought I'd made a horrible mistake! They really need a good run in to soften up, but once they do, I've never found them anything but sweet.
I've had demos of kit since, with MA Silver series speakers (in various guises) and I've come to realise that dealers don't always have properly run-in speakers (which is sort of understandable).
The properly run-in Silvers I have heard have all sounded sweet at the top end, if anything, the MA's weakness lies at the bottom end, with a little too much bass on the bigger floorstanders. The RS8, for example, sounds a little to bass-heavy for my liking.
But then again, this is the Monitor Audio "style", a bright (but not painfully so) defined treble, solid bass and a smooth, but lively mid-range.

I agree totally. As all-rounders the RS6s outgun the RS8, and sound great on the Leema. Not saying for one moment they are better than PMC and other such protaganists, but in comparison with the Wharfedales it's night and day. However, in isolation the Wharfies sound fine.

I think I may stick until after Xmas - it seems a "fools purchase" to spend £200 or so knowing I'm only going to keep them for 3 or 4 months.

Crikey, sometimes I just wish....(please finish off the sentence).
I'll caveat this line of reasoning by saying the 752s are metal dome tweeters, but partnered with the right gear then this is no problem. There's an urban myth out there that says "metal dome tweeters = brash/loud/spitty/hissy/etc" but this needn't be a reason to avoid them if the partnering equipment tempers this.

By extension, you could apply precisely the same logic to Cyrus, Cambridge, the current Q Acoustics 2050 and so on, all of which have been described as being bright in character. This is a non-issue.
As I mentioned before, the Pulse/752 combination works well, tweeters taken into account. The rationale remains the same: it depends on which source you're also using. On its own, it's a non-sequitor.
Re: Joelsim's earlier comment, I'd add the 751 standmount in either the original or Freedom version. Mint examples are yours for about £100-130 or so. Brilliant speaker.

I shall definitely check out the Missions at the weekend. Indeed the CD73T help smooth out any nasties, as does the Marantz tuner. In addition we have a room that's pretty forgiving acoustically.

I was astounded how the Leema grips the RS6s bottom end. For the first time the MAs resembled a genuine stand mounter and never does the treble ever feel like it's going to grate.

I'll finish off my own sentence: " I wish I'd never heard the RS6, until that point, I was a contented bunny." Or knowing I have a cracking amp and CDP: "...just wish I could listen to the music and STOP analysing the damn thing."
 
A

Anonymous

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I honestly think you are worth saving your £200 to make it bigger. The Leema is a great amp.
 
A

Anonymous

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pp, fwiw, i think you should buy either some ma silver 8s or the missions reccomended by the rs, you will be able to sell them without much loss, if any, when you're ready.

it sounds like it could be up to 6 months before you'll be ready to get you're new speakers? thats a long time to deprive yourself of the kind of quality sound you splashed out on the leema for?
 

ESP2009

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Max has a point. Who knows how long it may drag on.

On a related point, your quandry is exactly why I have frequently debated with myself the worth (and even sanity) of auditioning a really good setup before you are capable of buying. I feel sure there are moral stories and such, read years ago, in which a glimpse of paradise, snatched away, has caused nothing but ensuing woe...
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