Where do you stop?

[admin_exported]

... or rather - Where do you start?

At first I considered the Tannoy Merc F1's and the Q Accoustics 1020's (ie around about the £100 mark) For a reasonable, but never the less, budget system

Then I saw some places discounting the MordauntShort 902is down to £100 (is this model shortly to be discontinued?)

When I take a look at them - I think - they are a bit cheap looking - what else is around.

MA BR2's for £200 (havent seen/heard them yet) get great reviews / recommendations

Quad 11L2's discounted from way over my budget to approx £250 (look the Bee's Knee's to me)

then I think - "Hang on a minute, I started with 100 notes and am now in the 250 bracket. Where are the extra 150 notes coming from? - Banks are a bit iffy at lending dosh out at the moment"

So while I sit back and ponder.

A question for you:-

Is there a BIG BIG difference in sound from MS 902i's Vs MA BR's Vs Quad 11l2's?

I want to have at least an modicum of knowledge behind me before I pester the local HiFi shop (and am considered a nutter!!!)

Cheers

Serenity

What goes up must

..

..

..

go somewhere.

 

[Anonymous]

You have my sympathy!!!

All I would say is that speakers are the most important part of your system so you need to get a pair that you can be comfortable with. I am not allowed stands which are deemed to be ugly so I had to buy floorstanders and they had to look OK - hence my choice. That said I have no regrets as they are great and subsequently a lot of folks have confirmed my thoughts that at sub £1000 for a starter system then you should be thinking of up to 50% of budget for speakers.

 

[Anonymous]

The original Quad 11L are £150 delivered at Moorgate Acoustics* and considering your budget and your understandable concern about moving too far from this, seem a very good deal.

*I have no affiliation with this store, but can vouch for their service

 

[Anonymous]

You think that's bad? Try going into a booked demo with a budget in mind then hearing one or two products just outside budget. When I had a budget of c.£800 for new speakers I came home with £1,100 Spendors!

The Quad 11Ls are great speakers and I doubt you'd regret buying them over £100 speakers.

Good luck!

 

[Anonymous]

Going into a demo room, you ALWAYS spend a lot more than you had initially budgeted - that's the danger with these. You have to have nerves of steel when it comes to disciplined and not be easily swayed by the salesman that wants to push the product that gives him/her the higher commission.

That's when I stopped completely with demos and did my own demos in my own home via E-Bay - a fantastic decision!

 

[Anonymous]

EvilWolf:

That's when I stopped completely with demos and did my own demos in my own home via E-Bay - a fantastic decision!

...but time consuming and expensive unless you get it right first time. I really thought the item I was going to buy would hit the spot but a quick listen made me realise more cash was necessary! I've bought a few key pieces of hifi on ebay but I soon got fed up never getting the sound I was after. But you're right, demo rooms are dangerous places to visit!

 

[Anonymous]

Hiya mate. I've been able to test out many, many items that I purchased on E-Bay at very good prices. I kept them for as long as I wanted and tested these against each other in my own listening room - nothing beats that!

After I was done with them, I sold these off, again, on E-Bay for a profit and the proceeds of these went into buying my system new.

It was enjoyable. I miss it now.

 

[Anonymous]

Good work 🙂

 

[Anonymous]

Buy the quads, the origanl 11l are suposed to be slightly better than the new versions, if you can get a pair for 150 pounds your getting a bargin, i had a pair, many moons ago. When does it stop? er, i dont think it does....

 

[Anonymous]

Don't buy a pair of speakers just because of the discount on offer, buy the speakers which SOUND the best to you, and remember speakers are for life not just Christmas.

 

[neil fd2]

Where do you start?, that`s the easy bit, with whatever suits your ears & your budget. Where do you stop? That`s the killer. If you get hooked, you don`t! There`s always going to be something out there better than what you have & you`ll want it. Short of becoming bankrupt, running out of organs to sell to raise funds or the wife kicking you out, there`s no escape! That aside i`d try the Quads. The finish would shame many a much more expensive design & they sound the part too. Usher s520`S might be worth a listen. You might be able to track down a 2nd hand pair close to budget. Never heard them myself , quite highly regarded though.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks to one and all.

I've much to ponder (and listen too).

I'm going to have to have to have nerves of STEEL, and a tight grip on my wallet!

;-o

Serenity

 

[Anonymous]

An update (but you have to promise you wont laugh!)

Having "Hummed" and "Errred" after listening, I took the drastic step of taking my "better half" along to compare speakers from the budget end of the spectrum. After all I'm only 50% of the equation arent I?

After listening to the Q Acoustics 1020i, the Tannoy Merc F1 Custom, the Mordaunt Short 902i and getting the reaction "I suppose any would do, they all sound the same to me". The next boxes to listen to were the MA BR2's.

Sounded spot on to me, but I was beginning to get a little nervous, and one or two of my nails were bitten. The "better half" didn't think they were all that special, I could see the question forming "Are they worth the extra cost - I don't hear a big difference". So, throwing caution to the wind, I said to the assistant, "Have you any Quad 11L2's left?
"Yes, would you like to listen"
"Might as well while we are hear" I said, not daring to glance at the other half.

The assistant had only got one connected, when I heard the words that will (for me) be ever associated with those speakers:

"Bl***y H**l, they look gorgeous!"

And that was it, the auditioning was a formality.
Yes, I know the Quads aren't what you call budget speakers.
Yes I know, there are better speakers out there
But:-
- I liked the sound right from the first time I heard them, so I was happy.

- They come with a beautiful finish that puts speakers costing twice as much to shame. And with the current discounts - a decent price.

-Having a set of speakers, that the other half doesn't say "cant we move these out the way", is worth an awful lot.

Hence two happy bunnys, digging out old cds that haven't been aired for years and saying "ooh I wonder what THIS sounds like now"

;-)

Serenity

 

[Anonymous]

Good to hear. I bought the gorgeous Spendor SA1s but the other half still complained. PMC FB1s next time...

 

[JoelSim]

It would all be too easy without women, they are put there to act as your conscience, rather like a bloody handbag at £400 which looks exactly the same as one at £40

 

[Anonymous]

and some speakers that at 1400, sound more or less the same to ones at 400 eh?

ÿall depends on your pov

for me it has been camera lensesÿ

 

[batonwielder]

Congratulations. Can't go wrong with the original 11L's.