Home audio speakers - Monitor Audio?

[blackmercedes]

Due to some impending home renos, space for my monster tower speakers is about to go bye-bye. I'll need to use bookshelf speakers and a subwoofer set-up.

A friend of mine has a Monitor Audio Bronze set-up, and he really likes them. I haven't had a chance to listen to a set yet, but read a couple good reviews in audiophile magazines. They're really reasonably priced to boot.

Anyone familiar with bookshelf units in this segment? Any other recomendations?

[Kuan]

Those look pretty good and easy to drive as well. Of course I haven't given them a listen yet, so I can't tell how they sound. Other choices include

Triangle Titus xs--$500
Paradigm Reference Studio 20's--$650
PSB Alphas, Mission 731's, NHT super zero's, all under $300.

All in USD

[jcyuhn]

Try hanging around the Mercedesshop of home audio/video - http://www.avscience.com There is a discussion specifically on speakers, as well as others on electronics, room setup, etc. More than you ever really wanted to know, just like this forum

- Jim

[jsmith]

even if you get the bookshelf system don't give up your towers if you can help it. it will cost a fortune to get the same kind of quality in today's market. i went to bookshelfves for my dolby 5.1 setup and i moved my old AR's into the basement. i found out that to get similar quality sound you're talking about $2k speakers and they just don't make em that way anymore. the bookshelves are great for watching movies. if i really want to listen to music i go downstairs. my $.02...

[blackmercedes]

Thanks guys! Unfortunately, there is no way those huge towers of mine are going to stay put. The reno plan has all the back wall of the living room converted to built-in cabinets, and there is just no physical space for the Infinitys. I've got some old Pioneer jobbies in the basement, but they're still too big, and the quality just ain't there. The "Boss" has laid down the law, and there is no way those speakers are resting in front of the new cabinets. Also, there will be a fireplace in one section, meaning no way that the speaker could rest near it, and in the lay out, I'd end up with the two units waaaaay too close together. Imaging gone...

The alternative is to take over the family room for audio, but that has yet to be negotiated...

Hey! Great link. Thanks again!

[Kuan]

It's difficult to lose a lot of money on used audio equipment, given of course that you bought it used in the first place. The value of good audio equipment doesn't drop to nothing like cars. Most good audio stuff from ten years ago might still sell for 40% of the original retail value. This means you could probably buy back your stuff in good condition for a little less than you sold it.

Check out www.audioweb.com or www.audiogon.com

[G-Benz]

I have bookshelves AND towers. Laws of physics dictate that the towers will sound far better in the lower audio spectrum, so you might be disappointed with the bookshelf speakers unless you consider adding a subwoofer to complement the pair. Since you are doing a remodel, consider sending additional cable to one of the cabinets at the floor to conceal a subwoofer behind the cabinet doors.

Your other alternative is studio monitors. They are slightly more expensive than consumer-grade speakers, but sound exceptional. Check out musician outlets for a listen, and as an example go to this link for a peek at what's available...

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/

I have a set of Event studio monitors (in my home recording studio), and they sound far better than my Infinity bookshelf speakers in the family room. But in all fairness for the Infinity pair, I paid twice as much for the monitors...

[jcyuhn]

Kuan's advice is spot on. I use a set of JBL L-166 "bookshelf" (they weigh 60lbs each!) speakers in my home office. These are the direct replacement for the famed L-100 Century loudspeaker. They are almost exact copies of the studio monitor upon which most music was mixed in the 70s, 80s, and into the 90s. Talk about hearing it the way it was meant to sound!

But I ramble. I got a smokin' deal on this slightly used pair in 1984 - $325 is what I recall paying. I regularly see them being sold on E-bay for more than that sum!

BTW, there are some nice sounding, reasonably small bookshelf speakers out there. I looked at several when shopping for my media room last fall. Ultimately I went for towers because I would rather spend the money on speakers than stands, and room was not an issue. But a good set of bookshelves w/ a sub stashed in the corner can be a very satisfying setup.

- Jim

I have a pair of MK S85 and a VX-7 MkII sub
and very happy with it,but of course,my ears are not trained like Kuan's

[mikemover]

G-Benz is right about the studio monitors...Genelec, JBL, and KRK make some very nice self-powered monitors of various sizes that, paired with a nice subwoofer, will offer excellent, accurate sound. If you're looking for hi-fi in a small package, you should look into them.


Mike