===============================www.patreon.com/cheapaudioman -----Tidal Deal bit.ly/3siuqSF Crutchfield shop-links.co/cguPK8XEGmt Best Buy Deals shop-links.co/cf9yDZeYtUH amzn.to/3GkNaop CAM Store (New Products!) bit.ly/30Lgu4K apos.audio?sca_ref=552340.TY98BPcZ6P massdrop.7eer.net/qnOye5 Amazon Unlimited Music and Disney Plus Free Trial amzn.to/3DRAVj9
Many years ago I wanted to purchase a sports car that was $10,000.00, I moved out of my apt. and lived in my VW van for two years until I saved enough. I went to the dealership and test-drove the latest model and as I drove it, I thought about how hard I had worked and the sacrifices that I made to retain that $10,000.00, I left that car lot in my VW van and used that money to put a down payment on a house. Saving cash for something you want gives you a connection to the price of purchase that credit can't.
Funny how hard work and perspective, the perspective of actually holding the desired object, can kick you in the teeth... No different than women. You lust after a girl, feel the "true" love and then go on that first date... And realize, there are ten other guys glad to be rid of her. ;-)
I don't know how old you are but in the 80s and 90s when I was a young man, WE had no choice but to save up for the things we wanted and that made you appreciate it even more.
Lots off good advice there, but! I am old, I have been through $6K speakers, $200 speakers and everything in between. Nowadays I have a very different approach to buying speakers. I pick several of my favorite tracks, not those that sound great, but tracks I respond to emotionally. Tracks that makes me wanna grab my wife and dance, makes me want to get some beers and get drunk, makes me tear up or makes me laugh out loud or relax. I put up the speaker and start playing. If I do not want to dance with my wife, I do not tear up and do not want beer and get drunk: Bad speaker. It might sound crystal clear. I may hear little details and the ambience of the studio, thundering bass and/or smooth accurate treble but I sit there and do not feel what I am supposed to feel. I have a Harman Kardon weird looking Bluetooth speaker with ambient light that makes me wanna dance! So I use it a lot. I also have decent speakers and a sub in my living room that everyone think sounds great including me but I know it's not right. Doesn't put me in the groove. So these days I do not care about price, looks, tech or reviews. I listen to my favorite tracks and after 30 minutes I have a clear yea or nay. I'm a music addict, not an audiophile. My main system these days is amplified by a little Chinese Class D amp with some tubes on it I prefer over my old excellent expensive Cary Audio tube amp simply because it knows how to rock and make Bach sound baroque. I really like cherapaudioman because he clearly loves music. Many audiophiles I know don't.
Well, the older one gets the less a persons frequency response becomes. So, there is that. It's like how the piano man, Billy Joel says, "Don't waste your money on a new set of speakers You get more mileage from a cheap pair of speakers Next phase, new wave, dance craze, anyways It's still rock and roll to me"
Your wife and children should be very proud of you; you are helping a lot of people with those wise and honest advises. With greeting from the Netherlands.
I would add: Don't be afraid to return speakers you don't like after a few days/weeks of listening. If you don't like them already, you won't ever like them. return them when you still have a right to. Don't get stuck with a pair of speakers you aren't going to like listening to just because you thought you would "get used" to them over time. I learned this the hard way BTW.
Robert, agreed....If you don't like them from the Get Go, yes return them. The type of Amps have a bearing on the sound for sure. I have learned that. I don't buy the use of High Priced Speaker cables - the use of a good grade 14 gauge copper cable should suffice in any BUT very High End systems in thousands of $$$$. I learned this lesson as well....KEF Q350s purchased based on UT reviews sounded very good at first, but now sound Muddy to me even on the same stereo equipment. Too late to send back. I have never tried to Sell Used Speakers (or other stuff for that matter) using the typical e-Bay or Craig's List. Any ideas on how to do it?
Be prepared for a open box fee of about 15% though, as a salesman myself you cannot resale the return speakers as brand new therefore you discount them as open box product which can be quite hard to resell unless you offer at least 15% off, it's only fair to the retailer otherwise they would eventually go out of business
Heard LS50 well setup at the store, zero fatigue, it was incredible. Brought them home and fatigue soon after turning them on. Several adjustments later and it's much better, but not as good as the store. I think my room is playing a big role in this.
You have a listen with the same amplifier that you have at home ore from at least from the same brand and from the same period of building. Amplifiers can make a huge difference. In doubt ask if you here them at home. Greetings Ludo
Spot on, since I have been paying attention to your channel and other reviewers and delaying instant gratification, I have made better audio buying decisions. Even if there is a price increase, it’s been better to be sure and save a lot of time, frustration and money buying the wrong product. If 50% off seems great, try 100%. 👍
I’ve owned everything from JbL, Kef , Revel , Klipsch , Polk , Emotiva , Psa, and a few more and now I own ny favorite of all time and that’s the Focal Chora 806. They are absolutely amazing and the soundstage is incredible
That's some very valuable, practical advice, Randy. The temptation to buy heavy, expensive speakers based on reviews and hype is very real. Two additional suggestions if you're in an unhappy relationship with an overweight tower speaker: (1) is for those who already have an AV receiver with a good room correction and haven't yet tested their speakers through that system. Run and test it in a 2ch configuration (2) for those who don't have that option: look up several frequency response curve graphs of your speakers only and try to equalize the source signal to compensate for the known problem areas. You can use a free equalizer app for your phone or easily some software on your PC, streaming into your system. Pretty straight forward. It's likely not going to fix a lack of soundstage or bigger problems in your room-speaker interaction but if your dislike of the speaker is likely related to its response curve in your room, you might be amazed what equalizing can do if you take a bit of time to play around with that.
Got Klipsch Heresy IV two years ago and I love them. My plan is to keep them for a lifetime. I’m not an audiophile but I love music and I’m glad I saved for them. I know they are probably a joke to audiophiles but to me they are awesome.
I really love the Choras, have the 826s in my home for over a year and 1/2… the sparkle and detail on the mids and highs never gets old to my ears… also I don’t find them fatiguing what so ever. Movies really come to life as well with them!
I love audiophile air. If you open the bottle and wave it around your room, I understand the sound waves travel over it cleaner and with less distortion. It's very impactful. Like night and day better.
That's me....the hunt is better than the kill. I love shopping, comparing, and doing the research. Then I usually buy what I first wanted in the first place.
I have been following you for some time now Randy and I love your approach and common sense that you bring to the table. It's almost like Audio Therapy! Cheers 🇨🇦
Trusted reviewers are critical. You listen to the same music I do. I took a chance and bought Jamo C93s based on your review. The review notes you made matched my experience with those speakers. Then I took your recommendation on an SMSL DA9. Your notes were spot on. So now you’ve got my trust and I will take your recommendations.
Great video and advice! I've been through several sets and brands of bookshelf speakers from under $100 to several hundred. I love my Emotiva B1+ but actually love the Neumi BS-5 a bit more! Yes, a $109 speaker that simmers well with my Emotiva TA-100. Cheers!
Good advice. Years of experience have taught me to ask myself what exactly am I hearing when listening to the sparkly stuff. Fact: Tower speakers are a major commitment, unless you're willing to take a bath when you resell them.
I missed a pair of used Whatfedale Evo's ... but wanted to complete my budget system ... so I jumped at some Focal Chorus bookshelfs ... and was lucky not to regret, as I allready have some Wharfedale Denton 80th and now enjoy the different kind of ( great ) sound the Focals give me.
Sometimes “listening fatigue” from speakers can take more than an hour to incur. So best to review speakers on your own time, in your own environment, with your own source material to build an accurate assessment.
Agree. It took me along time to find a combination that I can listen to for long periods I settled on Exposure pre/power amps into Vienna Acoustic Mozarts.
Love going to my dealer. I take my own music, chat to the dealer to check what I need to listen for before he goes off and makes coffee. Check the speakers, drink the coffee, swap speakers and listen again. Spend a morning or afternoon listening. The dealer has three rooms, small, medium and huge. I usually get to listen to some stupidly expensive gear in the huge room once I've finished my listening. The gear he stocks starts quite high up the the CAM range, but I got my Bluesound Node and a pair of Focal Chora 806's, so he can cater for people just stepping up from a Sonos or Bose - he also has £250,000 YG speakers - so you pay your money and you take your choice..
Living at high altitude, Sith Audio's Audiophile Air is an essential product when it comes to the sound quality of my system. It breathes life right into every component.
The money advice is all important! I gotta give up the little luxuries so I can pay off the bills and then save up the HIFi luxuries. Thanks CAM!! All the very best to you and yours.
Thanks Randy for this video. Right on the dot, at least in my opinion. I've made a mistake of purchasing Triangle Borea BR03s - liked them in a showroom connected to a BS Powernode. I guess I succumbed to the hype as well. And the price was right, as well :) But, connected to my Atoll IN100 amp, in my room, they don't sound good. The combination is pretty sharp and forward-sounding. On the other hand, it is very tough to try the gear at home in the countries where things like Amazon and their return policy do not exist. As well, it is hard in many places to get the gear to your home for a try. So, unfortunately, it's gonna be trial-and-error for majority of us living outside US/UK/EU
I drank the cool aid and went full on Zero Fidelity’s Triangle and Iota VX recommendations....and I love it. It works very well across all musical styles. No complaints whatsoever.
Hey Randy, I got the same container (from Amazon) that holds my Oatmeal! Love the channel and informative vlogs. Learned so much from a light hearted way you present them. Cheers, Chris
A good option when buying speakers is to take advantage of vendors such as Crutchfield and Music Direct that offer in home trials. If you don’t like the sound, simply return them. An extended audition in your own space is the optimal scenario, imho.
Absolutely. With Crutchfield I was able to return some 70lb tower speakers for FREE. If they ship UPS Freight, the return trip doesn't cost $75, it's just free! I am beyond relieved I was able to ship them back and only be on the hook for the $12 return of the amp . They have been great so far and with 60 day trials I can really take my time to see if it fits and if actually like it. ☺
The "end game speaker" part is really true. I just recently bought a bookshelf speaker as an upgrade to my PC speakers and was actually disappointed about what I bought. I was given the recommendation and I went to youtube and online reviews to check it out. I was fully conviced that it can be great for me, but when I received it, i was disappointed since I'm looking for a different sound signature. But, I guess I have to cleanse my pallet and try this out. 🙂
@@spamcan9208 I'm at that stage because I spent 1700€ on a pair of bookshelf speakers to replace the Klispch RP600M which I loathed using. It was just an angry purchase. But hey! I'm pretty happy with it.
@@user-xg6zz8qs3q I just bought a second hand pair of mint Mission 782 speakers in beech which now I have modded them slightly by blocking the reflex port with rolled up socks 👍... Now sound pretty dam good... All for £110 😃 Plus if I don't like them... Sell them again...
Better to build your own speakers. I must confess building a lot. My best and last speakers is a rather big 44 element driver system. Mid and tveeter are cloced bass or sub is ported. My speakers is also build in a hexagon shape . I named them lighthouse course the tveet mid and bass is pointing towards the listning ear sitting 4 meters from the scource. By the way the listning room is the most inporten part. If you dont got a 5 by 8 meter room (no wife) to tell what to do you are struggling.
It has taken me a decade to find my so called end game speakers. Klipsch Heresy IV with dual subs in a small room. I listen 70db on average. My other system has Elac and play those loud usually. I agree with the buy what you want and don’t t settle. You end up buying more in the long run.
@@8bitflea I am using Elac Sub 1010 They are integrated well but don’t get very loud. I would recommend something else but know what my next upgrade will be. Probably look into sealed front firing sub next.
You are 100% correct on the showroom experience. Even though my local hi fi shop had an awesome sales rep who told me to call him when done, the space was nothing like my house. It was so irrelevant.
My wife was laughing so hard watching this video and saying to me that Randy is painting a picture of you!.. She thought it was one of your best videos ever! Excellent advice!
I'm in Audio since 1970 and I was lucky always found a good audio dealer(Bahrain, Cairo, Dubai,Singapore,Bangkok,Hongkong, etc .) fFrst they ask the right questions: What type of music you like,how large is your room and what is your budget? They mostly gave me 3 choices of speakers and 3 choices of amps /pre-amp or integrated as system matches can make a huge differnce.I was able to tested in my room environment for a week and if its was not to my liking i could return it. However, it happened only once I returned the speakers. Always had 5 to 6 CDs which I knew very well in acoustic therms, fusion jazz, pop, rock, electronic.,chill out, blues and ambient to test the speakers. Spend at least a half day with a nice Cappuccino and most Dealers had a Speaker switch .Sometimes I choose speakers such as Kappa 9 (at that time I had a large leaving room) the dealer told me right away you have to change your amp as they were very power hungry which was true. What I found out during my journey if you do your homework and have accumulated some general knowledge in regards of Audio most Dealers appreciate that and become more involved. As I'm now 73 years old and had a few systems during my journey I learned one importent point:You need quality recorded music to fully appreciate your system It does not need the latest technology .I have speakers from Dynaudio which are not in production anymore and so what they sound great to me within my room envioroment. Take your time don't buy in a hurry listen to your own ears never mind what your friends or Dealer says trust yourself.
PR600M. Almost killed my ability listen. Steve gave it the kiss of success and I got the smooch. Although, I did get the Elac Unifi, and fell in love. Good on you my friend.
Shout out to Sith Audio's Audiophile Air. I live on a mountain where the air is thin and the sound waves don't propagate well. Listening to music is like having the volume always on low. At least the kid's screams are also muffled. Anyway, thanks to Audiophile Air I can listen to music clearly again - just pour some into the ports before listening sessions and it's like I live by the beach, listening to the Beachboys. Didn't realise until now they sing in falsetto.
Completely agree, I have sold 22 pairs of speakers in the last year . I am torn between Sonus faber lumina ll and Triangle Genesee trio . I have spent time listening to both, and slap me silly, I still don't know which one .
Good advice. I recently purchased the Polk R200s but I wasn't too interested, until I heard it at AXPONA and heard the kind of music I like on them. They sounded great on the OPP Denon Amp they had. I would later buy them a few months later as they priced on sale for $650 when they were $750 at the time I saw them. I figured it was a safe bet. I will tell you about these speakers, they sound great but I knew if I didn't like them, I could sell them. And, I wasn't out all that much in the grand scheme of things. Keep rocking! 🤘
Yes. I got the R200s cause I love the Polk sound! I have the SDA-2 sound bar-woofer for TV. But the ring radiator goes to 50k and apparently the speaker doesn't filter it at 20k. I'm using the exact Denon amp and SACD that was at Axpona 22. But of course the demos were streamed thru perhaps a Dragonfly DAC and cell phone. The inaudible to my old ears super treble caused pain similar to a concussion. After lengthy trials and amp switching I sent them back to Crutchfield. The speakers do come with a printed warning that they can cause hearing damage. I can't listen to ring radiators.
@@johnnyhiett I'll have to revisit the manual as learn more about the ring radiators. I know the Cambridge Amp I have is on the warm side, from what I've been told. I don't consider this pairing a fatiguing setup. But we shall see over time. I'm working on acquiring speaker stands and moving my setup to a larger room to lower reflection points. Then, I'll really know how they sound. ;-)
Focal chorus 816wse and monitor audio silver 50s are my go to at the moment love both never bought new always buy well looked after used for a fraction of the price that way you get better cheap
Things to consider. Preferred sonic signature Music tastes SPL level is most likely Looks- pretty speakers always look cool and make the significant other happy. How long will you keep them Happy hunting after a ton of research and wait a month Good stuff Randy Thank you Yoda
An old friend gave some advice on buying speakers: 1. Don't listen to your own system for a few days after listening to the store speakers (my system really sucked at the time). 2. Do an A versus B test. Go back and forth between your top choice and the next speaker you want to compare it to. Don't do an A, then B, then C, then D... etc. 3. Always bring music you normally listen to and from different genres. It can be on a flash drive, burned cd, cassette tape... whatever your normal listening format is. That way you also know what the music really sounds like. 4. Be willing to walk away without the speaker. Either to take more time to think about it or because it's not quite what you were looking for. He also told me that if I have to ask the price, I couldn't afford it. Pretty much true for the places he shopped at because it was definitely out of my price range.
Taking your time to audition your speakers is the most important thing to me. Before I bought my speakers, I used to follow reviews from actual buyers, online audio websites, electronic shops, RU-vid, spec sheets (terrible idea btw) and the likes. I had put a limited budget of 1k to 1.3k max, and I was obsessing with specs, which I know some things about, but I didn't know anything about cabin or driver materials and how they impact the sound quality. So, on paper, I found the best speaker I can get for way below my budget (almost half!) and I got super excited when I was informed that there was a deal on it, and that I can potentially save even more. I confirmed my interest and told the dealer that I am coming to the shop to purchase the speakers after auditioning them with a selection of 50 of my CDs ranging from exceptional quality mastering to rips of compressed audio files. I had already listened to these speakers in a home theater configuration and they were not bad at all, but I am mostly into music so I needed to test them in that context, and boy was I disappointed! There was no definition in the sound at all and the dynamic range was terrible! Everything I put them through sounded like garbage unless the mastering of the CD was exceptionally good. The audio coming out of them was so compressed, and became extremely messy and distorted when all the instruments and vocals went full on! I was in a purchase mood and really wanted proper speakers as I had been living on earphones and headphones for the better half of almost two decades! Still, I decided to just take more time to look for more options and, as I did so, I came to the conclusion that whatever I had in mind in terms of acceptable dynamic range, fidelity, definition, clarity, and separation was way more expensive than the starting point of my budget. This is when I stopped watching videos and reading reviews and spec sheets altogether, and decided to up my game in terms of budget to the range of $1900-$2700, which meant I needed to pay up to more than double of what I had originally anticipated. There was a significant shift in the way I was auditioning speakers; I started focusing more on targeting specialty audio shops, I had my spindle of 50 CDs with me everywhere I went, and I started by showing my money so they know I am serious then explaining to the audio shop specialists what I listen to and what I care about the most in terms of sound characteristics and asking them about speakers they recommend and have ready for testing within my range (completely brand agnostic). Moreover, I made sure, even though I was buying for a standard stereo setup, that the speakers I was testing are connected to AVRs that are almost identically specced to mine and from models that compete with what I have within the same range and price bracket especially with respect to their power, THD, and SNR. I then asked them to leave me to test to my liking even if it's for a couple of hours and told them not to worry about me until I come back to them for something or the other. Ultimately, I narrowed down my selection to two models from two different brands and did a side-by-side testing on the same AVR as A and B speakers. This is how I got introduced to my current speakers from a brand that I have never even considered before in my life and without knowing anything other than their nominal impedance! When I checked their spec sheet after I had already made my decision to buy them, I was surprised how, at least on paper, I would have totally dismissed them altogether without giving them a single glance had I gone through the spec sheet first! I know this is very lengthy, and I salute anyone who reads the entire thing, but I just felt that I should share my experience with those who are making their purchase decision. It's not something you buy at the grocery shop everyday, so better be judicious!
You've convinced me to look for better speaker stands for my (1990) Celestion DL8, before i consider new smaller speakers and stands. Am happy with the sound but not so much with presence in small city LR with some obstructions in front of them. Poor stands now, these are lightweith, wobbly and too low. The speakers are 10-1/2 d.with grille, x 11 w. x 19-1/2 inches h. and room is 10.5 x 17 ft.
Recently found your channel and have gone through quite a few videos and want to say thank you! I have recently established stable living and have been yearning to use my dads vinyl and me and my brothers CDs but wanted to get good quality that will last, while filling a need for older and newer audio inputs/outputs. Finished my journey by finding Klipsch Five's on the secondary market and connected our old PS1 as the CD player haha I appreciate your thoroughness and saving so much time, being reminded of audio systems, and learning new things along the way. I will definitely be looking at your Patreon.
I am surprised you didn't like the Focal Chora. Top class imaging and details retrieval at this price point. Not boomy and warm at all. The style of those speakers may not be appealing for certain people I understand. I tried Klipsch, Sonus Faber, Elac, Wharfedale, QEF, B&W, Dynaudio, Triangle and Monitor speakers. QEF, B&W and Focal are the best for details but perhaps the worst for warm sound, so those brands are more suited for jazz, classical and vocal music.
Yup... I have the 806 and 826 and they are nowhere near boomy. In fact they have some of most quick and articulate low end Ive ever heard. Detail retrieval, transparency, clarity and dynamics are unrivaled, I mean UNRIVALED. But Randy is talking about fatigue, so there is no comment there because fatigue differs from person to person. Ive had people tell me they had listening fatigue when listening to the Wharfedale 12.2... which is a shocker to me because they are some of the most neutral yet romanticized sounding speakers Ive ever owned. Some people get listening fatigue with Wharfedales but not Klipschs. Weird but true.
Been looking at the focal Chora and trying to decide if they are worth the price tag. From the reviews I read seems like a clear speaker that works well at low volumes which appeals to me as I live in a apartment and front ported since I would place them close to my wall. Do you find this to be accurate in your experience?
@@calebz5890 they are your portal to to what people call 'transparent' sound. You hear everything with ease, there is no need for you to pay attention for that light cymbal hit way at the back, it presents itself to you. Lip smacks and saliva from the singer? Sounds disgusting, but if its there, you will hear it. Listen to Motherless Child by Etta Cameron, every movement of the lips, every stretch of her saliva is heard loud and clear on the Chora, on other speakers you need to turn up the volume real high to even hear some of them. Had the OG LS50s and they are known to be very revealing, the Chora tops that easily. Low volume champs and play very well at VERY high volumes too. All this while objectively measuring commendably neutral, which is even more impressive as it does not rely on any higher mids/treble boost to present such intricate details. If you are into sound like I just described, nothing comes close.
@@AbsoluteFidelity definitely what I am looking for in speakers. I’m new to hifi and listening to flac tracks with cheap iems I have been blown away 🤯at the details that I have never heard before in music. Thanks 🙏 for the feedback! Now I just gotta save up for a pair. Any recommendation on the receivers you pair them with? Maybe something warm so they aren’t too analytical?
@@calebz5890 exactly, these are very earphones-like in terms of detail retrieval, no other speaker Ive heard has this type of characaterstic. Im currently powering the 806 with the Topping LA90, 826 with the Crown XLS2502 (the 826s require very high current to run right as it dips down to mid 2 ohms) and 906 with the Topping PA5. Ive tried plugging the Crown amp to the 806s and bass tightened up right away, indicating that these speakers will improve with more power. If you are a believer that a 'bright' speaker should be paired with a 'rolled off' amp, try Marantz. Im on the other side of the camp that believe you should pair an amp that has the same traits as the speaker to make that trait shine. But you will be fine with almost any amp, the speaker's characteristics wont change much. More power the better.
Great information Randy! Also on the don't buy from A/B in show room as I know from insider information that some audio stores sometimes put a little extra sauce in the background and tend to push the speakers that have a larger profit margin and commission. With used speakers or anything used you need to think in the back of your head if it's really that good way are they selling it. Sometimes not always it might not be as good as you hoped either.
I just bought a a pair of Focal chorus 807v "V Shaped sound" for a great price lol. Then the taxes and shipping sucked that fun away lol. They sound awesome but it made me appreciate my pair of Polk R 200s even more for their neutrality!!
Aw man! That's too bad. French speakers are way overpriced outside of France. If I lived in North America I would definitely get a speaker from Paradigm, PSB or Axiom.
@@user-xg6zz8qs3q I have a pair of Paradigm pdr100 s subwoofer 10 inch that I really like in my setup because of their tone and the way they look. They are just like the Martin logan with a few differences.
Guilty as charged of buying tower speakers blind. But I wanted a pair of ELAC speakers, and the towers and their design made the most sense. Thankfully, after tweaking the room to fix bass issues, they have worked out pretty well.
In 1983 I bought some speakers that I heard at a friends house. They were Acoustic Control Corp 636 from Van Nuys California they sounded fantastic. So I asked where he bought them and the next day at Fred’s Sound of Music in Portland I bought those speakers $500 a side and the Harmon Kardon Amp turntable set up he had and still enjoy them today they have been completely refurbed to new condition. Now with Emotiva power I guess you would say those are pretty much end all speakers!
My dad taught me a lot when I was growing up about audio and how to listen to it and stuff like that and I’ve gotta say those Sony CS fives are pretty amazing. I just hate the fact that they couldn’t last longer than seven years. Which is the reason why I need to replace my fronts on my Soundsystem. Also, I’ve had my surround since about 2007 and they are also not putting out great quality either anymore because only half of them is being utilized and it’s not a result of the receiver. I think it’s just the fact that these are old speakers. So I’m going to use the Polk audio T1 15s for the front because I’ve got a 14 inch woofer on my sub, which is larger than most and that’s because it is a studio monitor sub. And I haven’t decided what I’m gonna use for my back speakers yet.
Almost all my gear is vintage stuff, but it was vintage gear that I had listened to before. Rotel RC-970BX, RB-850, KEF C55 speakers, and the one gamble that I took was a Definitive Technology SuperCube II that I found for 90 bucks at a thrift store. I think I spent 5 or 600 dollars total and it has worked out excellently. Maybe not to *everybody's* liking, but... It's possible!
I admire many of you who can return purchases you don’t like. Here in Singapore, we can only return if an item is faulty on arrival. In some cases, sellers won’t take the return but refer us to authorized service centers instead. So, if I buy an item and didn’t like it, I can only sell it as used and take a loss.
I lusted after the KEF LS50 for 10 years. I bought them and kept them for @ 6 months and sold them because they did not deliver a consistent or enjoyable listening experience. On the contrary I purchase the AJ Pioneer bookshelf speaker and was able to really enjoy that speaker and I still own it and listen to them often. I know they are not the end all in resolution and the tweeter is not the best but they are very easy and enjoyable to listen to.
went got speakers from man up the street sounded great at his took them home took a month before i adjusted and played lots music and loved my new speakers.
The biggest mistake most people make when choosing speakers is factoring in their room and how whatever purchase they make will ultimately sound in there. That, and when tower speakers are involved, amplification. Many do not realize how dramatic the sound sig will change when they give their purchase proper power.
I put all my air in the freezer for a cheapaudioman-like cryogenic treatment. You wouldn't believe the difference it makes inhaling a couple of lung fulls of freezing air vs pedestrian room temp air. As for speakers, I'm seriously considering those Emotiva B2 speakers but am waiting for your review and reading others.
This video was super helpful to someone that is woefully indecisive and gets caught up in the hype and research circles. Unfortunately that often means chasing my own tail a lot. Would you consider doing a video for those that are still figuring out what their preferences in audio presentation are?
It took me a few years to acquire my Epos Epic 2 speakers, and Mission 707 speakers. 2 very delicious speaker recipes. For me!! Right now a little bit of bass is fine. I'm definitely into the British midrange sound. For right now. Also helps if you learn to refoam and use a soldering iron. You can get cheap speakers cause people will get rid of broken stuff alot cheaper!
I have probably the worst room in the world, you have no idea how poorly my speakers are located. In fact, two pairs of speakers, bookshelf placed over floorstanders. The latter got weak heights and upper mids in time (I suspect here the crossovers). Both are wired to a non-premium yet decent amp. bought as new more than two decades ago, together with the floostanders. Each of these speakers output rubbish. But when used together, strangely they get the balance and the sound grow surprisingly well, even they are disastrously located in the room. Nobody can explain why. You know the saying "Two bads don't make it right". I have the exception.
Restaurants: with few exceptions, i strongly agree... music coalescing strikingly all around you n your pals, with yer greasy fingers deep in yer homemade frito pie (baked with help of same friends), so much more worthwhile. Cheers.
Randy, wonderful review…?, advice! I’ve been guilty of almost all of your cautions. Especially when I first jumped in to audio. One thing not mentioned, if all else fails, buy from a dealer that accepts returns! Oh, btw, anyone want to buy a nearly new set of Klipsch Heresy 4s with a sub? Gotta pick them up here in SF 😊
I’ll be saving up a while to get a pair of 1970s Grundig Audioramas 😂 Don’t know if they’re audiophile approved but I can’t stop thinking about them which for me means they’re the ones to beat 😊
Great advice, especially not over extending yourself to buy something. It’s a mistake we’ve all made and one that can cause more regret than buying the wrong thing in the first place. Besides, no one wants to ever have to explain to their significant other why they spent the rent money on speakers. lol
12:09 “showrooms” generally have lots of speakers, every one of which will function as an external passive radiator for the speakers you think you’re listening to.
Thanks for endorsing Sith Audio air. I can’t tell you how much I’ve wasted on competitors like Boost and Oxygen+. I guess those work for altitude sickness but they do nothing to improve musical quality.
I regret throwing away my klipsch tangent 10 speakers. They were 31 years old. I plan on getting the jbl stage 150 speakers. I'm going to get the aiyima a 08 amp. They are both alot lighter and smaller than my old system. Thanks for all of your product reviews Randy. There was alot of stuff I never seen before. My 1st system back in 1989 was a jbl4312 speakers and the technics SUV-85 integrated amplifier. It was awesome.
I guess I am fortunate that with your advice And a bit of luck, I found my 'perfect' speaker, for now. 😂 Thank you as always for your effort, time and advice.
Amazing insight their Randy …can agree I’ve made pretty much every mistake you’ve talked about ….the floorstanding speakers part I’ve done a few times and always tell myself never buy FS again but I do 😂🤷🏻♂️🤡
My latest speaker regret was not jumping on the deal of the century offering from eBay. A pair of Merlin VSM-mme in the upgraded ruby red painted finish sold for $1800 shipped. This is a world class speaker that sold for about $14K new and usually sells for about 1/2 that used. Wanted to be a responsible adult and save to replace leaking roof.Should have bought a $2 HD orange bucket to catch the leak. 😠 BTW I have the little brother, the TWM-MMe. Fantastic speaker, but not in same league as big brother which uses the Esotar 3 tweeter and that famous Scanspeak 7" carbon mid. Both have hi quality x-over components and Bobby's magic great circuit designs. Never find that deal again.
Have you ever checked out whoever came up with the idea of taking a cinder block and making two baffles out of three-quarter inch heavy-duty industrial particleboard? You cut the hole for the woofer, whatever diameter that is, probably 6 1/2" or 5 1/4" and a decent soft on tweeter, and then on the back side install speaker terminals. Find a good two-way crossover and glue it to the rear baffle, throw some of that fuzzy stuff or some used dryer sheets, lots of those, and seal it all up. You got yourself a real decent patio speaker.
Towers? yowswers! I remember buying my AR-9's from another old guy just like me. I could tell instantly that we get each other. But yeah I drag those babies out, and I will have to replace or rebuild every driver because of the surrounds that have become corrupted from time, but when I am finished, I will have a pair of loudspeakers that will be worth so much more! And, I am planning to buy amp these towers.
I feel like if Audio wants to continue, stores are going to have to adopt a Crutchfield strategy. If you don't like it, you pay $12 to ship it back. I listened to the Martin Logan in Best Buy. instantly bought them. got them home. hated them. took back within 4 hours. I bought the Polk R200's. I like them but I am not sure I like the ring radiator tweeter. it sounds good if you are in the exact spot. but when not in the exact spot, there's no treble. Now, I have a pair of Sonus faber Lumia II's on the way from Crutchfield because he said I could return them if I don't like them.
