What speaker should i buy?

[admin_exported]

Hi everyone,

This is my first post, so have mercy

I wanna buy a new pair of speakers and i was thinking about Spendor A6, ProAc Studio 140 Mk II or ProAc Response D18.

They are all in the same price range, except for the Studio 140s which is a little cheaper but as i read here i think they need a little more space in the living room. Mine is about 20 sqm, so not as big as i would like, but still decent...

I'm thinking of pairing them with a Roksan Kandy K2 or a Cyrus 8XPd integrated amp.

I didn't have the chance to listen to any of the speakers yet, but i would like to hear your oppinion on them. I mostly listen to jazz, rock, classical and hip hop music so I would need a good, all-rounder speaker which can go high and deep. I wouldn't want too much bass either as my neighbours are quite old and always complaining about loud music coming from my flat

Thanks a lot and i look forward to hear your recommandations.

 

[Anonymous]

The speakers you have mentioned are all very good indeed, i would add ATC SCM-40 Loudspeakers to your list as well, they are highly regarded speakers,

i would look at different amplification to get the best out of all your choices.

 

[Anonymous]

I also consider the ATCs, i've only heard good things about them.

can you give some examples of good amps? I'm no expert in hi-fi so any advice is of high value for me.

 

[Singslinger]

Of your shortlist I would pick the ProAc D18s and partner them with a Naim amp since the two brands complement each other.

 

[audioaffair]

Welcome to the forum

Of the speakers you mention, the ProAc D18's should be the best all rounders and are fine for the size of room.

Which specific amp and source do you have and what are you upgrading from?

 

[Anonymous]

I have an old Technics SA-DX 750 surround receiver... i definetely have to chenge that, so i'm looking for a good stereo integrated or power amp that's able to drive these speakers at their full potential. I wanna get the best possible performance and not spend more than 700-1000 quid.

 

[Helmut80]

ultimu_neuron:I have an old Technics SA-DX 750 surround receiver... i definetely have to chenge that, so i'm looking for a good stereo integrated or power amp that's able to drive these speakers at their full potential. I wanna get the best possible performance and not spend more than 700-1000 quid.

£1000 should give you a good ex-dem amp originally in the £1500 range, that you could add a power-amp to later on maybe? (such as Arcam A38, Naim Nait XS, Primare i30, MF M3i, Audiolab 8200 and many more)

 

[Macspur]

Hi there,

I have a Sugden A21 amp hooked up to a pair of ProAc Studio 130 speakers and am very pleased with the sound. Might be worth checking out Ebay for a Sugden, or definitely a thumbs up for the Naim 5XS. As for the speakers, I spoke to a dealer today and he highly recommended the ProAc D18's, so I'll have to get saving!

Keep us informed of your quest.

Sugden A21L amp, Naim CD5XS CDP, Chord Cobra3 i.c. ProAc Studio 130 speakers.

 

[Frank Harvey]

Your budget for the amplifier runs from £750-1500, and your speaker budget runs from £1650-2100. I'd be tempted to reverse that budget to spend more on the amplifier than the speakers. A top notch pair of speakers are not going to be much use if they're not being driven properly.

Which you prefer between ProAc and Spendor really is personal preference, with the Spendors being a little more on the laid back side, and better to position nearer walls thanks to their slot reflex ports, or the perkier sounding ProAcs. Either will suit the styles of music you mention, although with many people, their choice will be more down to how they're used to hearing those genres, or how they want those genres to sound. One thing to note is that there is a difference between the D140.2 and the D18's - the 140's, being one of the more recently developed ProAcs, tends to sound a little more vivid than the D18's - that's not to say the D140's are better, just different. Some have preferred the 140's to the D18's, but those that are drawn to the well known ProAc sound will choose the D18's.

Although a Cyrus 8xp will drive the D18's fine, something with a little more clout is needed - my starting point would be the Naim 152xs/155xs pre/power. Ideally I'd probably look at similar for the Spendors. As mentioned, the Sugden works very well with the ProAcs too.

Noise pollution tends to happen further up the frequency scale rather than in the lower bass - it's more the midrange that's the problem.

 

[jaxwired]

Those are all great speakers indeed. However, if you like a fuller sound with a bit more bass, I would highly recommend you audition the PMC FB1i and the Dynaudio Excite X32. These speakers are in the same league with your other choices, but offer a more balanced sound while still providing bags of detail.

Good luck and welcome