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- Newsgroups: rec.audio
- Path: sparky!uunet!brunix!bp
- From: bp@cs.brown.edu (Boris Putanec)
- Subject: Re: Need help on buying Bookshelf Speakers
- In-Reply-To: hedrick@geneva.rutgers.edu's message of 16 Nov 92 10:22:57 GMT
- Message-ID: <BP.92Nov16184443@swamp.cs.brown.edu>
- Sender: news@cs.brown.edu
- Organization: Department of Computer Science, Brown University
- References: <1e4cmfINNnc7@agate.berkeley.edu>
- <Nov.16.05.22.57.1992.24684@geneva.rutgers.edu>
- Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 23:44:43 GMT
- Lines: 46
-
- In article <Nov.16.05.22.57.1992.24684@geneva.rutgers.edu>
- hedrick@geneva.rutgers.edu (Charles Hedrick) writes:
-
- There are now a number of companies that make reasonable speakers
- in the $200/$300 per pair range.
-
- I was just shopping for a $200/pair speakers for surround. However, I
- wanted to get the best possible speaker for the money, something I
- could move into a standlone setup later. And, more and more Dolby
- Surround recording use a full-range on the rear-effects instead of the
- mandated 100Hz+ signal. I.e., I wanted speakers that would at least
- _try_ to give good bass.
-
- There are several companies known for more expensive speakers that
- make some in the price range, but I don't recall hearing any
- reaction to them, e.g. B&W and KEF.
-
- I ended up with B&W 201s. The other speakers I listend to where the
- Paradigm Titan, the Acustic Research M.5 and the Venturi something or
- others (the salescritter really liked them for some reason).
-
- Of the four, the Paradigm and B&W were closest in sound. For the
- midrange, I could not really tell the difference between A/B
- comparisons--we switched a couple of times and I could not figure out
- which speaker was which. However, the B&W's were much better at both
- the high and low ends. I was honestly suprised for the price range. I
- have a pair of pretty expensive Kefs for my fronts and the little
- B&W's honestly tried to keep up with them--not to say they succeded,
- but they got an A for effort.
-
- I feel like Paradigm is going for that "British sound" (Kef, B&W, etc)
- and has gotten the mid-range down pat, but do not have an equally
- accurate full-range like the B&Ws. Look at the other models in the
- 200series, at least the 202s should be in the <$300 range.
-
- Both the ARs and Venturis were to bright for me. Maybe good for the
- occasional effect, but I could not listen to them for long periods of
- time. The ARs imaged like crazy though. I don't think I have ever
- heard speakers that image better--if only I could listen to them for
- long periods of time without feeling nauseous. :)
-
- After a week with the B&Ws I love them. Completely wonderful. The
- Buffalo scene in _Dances with Wolves_ is completely another world with
- bass-capable surround speakers.
-
- boris
-