Just purchased HK3475 stereo receiver for $299 and am looking for 2 black floor standing speakers (wife requirement is black) to keep budget under $600. Can go a little higher. Suggestions?
There are not a ton of great floorstanders out there for that kind of money as far as I am concerned. The JBL E60 is around $370. If it were my money I might buy the Axiom M3ti for $275 and then go a little over budget to get some black stands. You might get them cheaper if you call to see if they have any in B-stock.
I would look for used speakers if I were you. Actually, look on Audiogon for JBL stuff, they have something on there right now that would be perfect for you. Good luck.
Do they have to be floor standers? IMO bookshelves will give the best value especially at the entry level. The only way to find the right speakers is to go audition EVERY single one you possibly can. I also like to recommend paradigm, especially at the low price ranges. Try to find a dealer (most brands have dealer locators on their websites), and take a listen, along with everything else you possibly can.
Check out the diamond 8.3's. I just picked up the 8.2 bookshelfs to use as a second speaker for music, and after a couple days of burn in, they sound sweet. Very smooth mid and high end. Plenty of bass for such a small speaker.
Also look at B-Stock PSB towers at www.dmc-electronics.com. The cosmetic blems are invisible on the 6T + 8C I got from them 3 weeks ago. (I'm going there today to swap the 8C for a 9C cause he was out of stock when I bought.)
Hello Armant. I bought the Fluance SV-10 floorstanders and they have fit the bill so far. Sound quality is nice. Size-wise, they are slender and unobtrusive. They are three way four driver sets with the option for bi-wiring or bi-amping which sold me on them. I bi-amp my pair using two daisy chained Parasound HCA-1500A amps. The Wharfedale Diamonds have the same capability though it doesn't employ a ten inch side-firing woofer. They are also excellent plus more well known to knowledgeable consumers. If you can audition various makes, I recommend going that route since there are issues that have to be considered in matching them to your reciever as such. Good luck in your search.
back when it cost $600/pair people used to compare them with $2,000/pair speakers and now there half as much as they were so, i dont know. http://www.athenaspeakers.com/modelASF2.htm
i got a pair, basically what i did is i auditioned the JBL's there, and the Klipsch KF-2's or whatever those were called and the Athena's were much better, also went to tweeter and they've got some speakers there that go up to $1,500 or more and i liked the AS-F2's better then them so check them out if you live by a best buy.
i dont know if you want a bookshelf or a loudspeaker but if you want a loudspeaker for $300 this will either be your pick or will come in at a close 2nd, if you go listen to it.
By the way that picture on that site, they make those white bolts stand out they dont really look like that, heck there not even white there black so you cant even see it. Just thought i'd mention that cause that picture bothers me.
The Athena AS-F2 are $300 each ($600 pair) at Best Buy. At this point I am trying to decide between the Wharfedale Diamond 8.3 for $350 or the PSB Alpha T-1 for $400. They also have Polk R50 for $400 this week at CC but I'm leaning towards the Wharfedale's. The Fluance SV-10 are not available in black so they are out. It sucks having to conform to your wifes decorating preferences but some things you just don't argue with.
I demoed PSB Alpha Ts, Mordaunt Shorts and Wharfedale Diamond 8.4s when I was looking at speakers recently. I ended up going for the PSBs because they were a lot more detailed and refined than the rather bland and muddy Wharfedales. It also helped that I had recently picked up an Alpha Center cheap so I could match across the front.
Let me put in a plug for the Dahlquist QX8 floorstander. Our shop has them on at half price right now and only have black finish left. Very refined sounding for their price range and very good bass extension. Regular price was $700.00CAD but are on clearout at $349.00CAD to make room for new versions.