Any Athena AS-B2 or AS-F2 owners ... need opinions ... (1 Viewer)

[Jason Hammerly]

Looking at the AS-B2's or the AS-f2's for my fronts. Can't decide. The AS-fs's are enormous, but sound very good. I'm like a 70/30 HT to Music guy. Any preference from users that have tried both. I've heard them both at Worstbuy and I'm up in the air. I can get the AS-f2 for 350/pair from audioadvisor and the AS-b2 for $145/pair from Amazon. thanks

Jason

 

[Chris Quinn]

Check the AS-F2 price at onecall. http://ww3.onecall.com/PID_15542.htm

 

[Jack Gilvey]

If you can fit the F2, I would (and did) go for them without a second thought.

 

[Chris Quinn]

Oops! I just noticed that one call has $110 shipping.

 

[Jason Hammerly]

Brought the AS-F2's home tonight and unboxed them and hooked them up. They RAWK. Only problem is they are just so huge. I think I'm going to take them back and get some F1's and try them. Even with no break in, they were awesome. Even look more enourmous next to my little Rocket Tykes. I do like the sound of the Athena towers after listening to them at best buy. Do the AS-B2's sound a lot better at home? They sounded rather compressed at best buy. Course the best buy employee came over and was surprised when I had the Athena display working. He said it hasn't worked right since a lightning stike two weeks ago. Boy are they on top of things. That was maybe why the B2's sounded kinda crappy. I'm just trying to decide if I should foot it for the f1's for right at $302 or get the B2's for $145 shipped. Decisions decisions. Later guys.


Jason

 

[Dennis Tester]

Hey Jason keep the F2's they are a much better speaker than the f1's. You will be glad you did. They really take up the same floor space.The height difference is not that big of a deal. Even if you buy some bookshelves you have to put them on stands..Is it the wife saying that the speakers are to big ?

 

[Jason Hammerly]

Actually she said to keep them. THey are just too big for me. They look ridiculous next to my 36" TV. : ) I'm going to try the F1's. Perhaps they won't seem as immense. I'm taking the f2's back tomorrow and picking up the F1's to try them at home. This is one time that it's kinda nice to have bought something at Best Buy. If they don't do it for me I'll probably get the AS-B2's as it's easier to sell and ship bookshelfs as I invariably change speakers every 6 months it seems. It's a disease I tell you. The F2's are awesome though. I can almost look past the massive size beacause of how they sound. I think the F1's may be keepers. I'll let you guys know. Later.

Jason

 

[Dom P]

I'm looking into getting AS-B2s as I see some great deals on them. What kind of speaker stands are good for them?

 

[Jason Hammerly]

I was thinking these if I got the AS-B2's. Only problem is that then you are close to the cost of the AF-1's. YOu could get something like these medium mass stands. I actually made some for my last bookshelfs from some MDF and some 4" PVC. They turned out decent and weren't very hard to make. You'll probably want about a 24" stand to bring the tweeter up to about ear level. Later.

Jason

 

[jad]

Jason, those are the stands I have for the AS-b2's and have them filled with sand. Haven't had them for long but the midrange seems a little better than the floorstanders but won't give you the deep bass. I personally like the looks of floorstanders better but always come back to bookshelves as they especially seems to serve music a little better in this price range.

 

[Jason Hammerly]

You have the high mass stands?

 

[jad]

Yes they are the high mass and when sand-filled are quite heavy and rigid and look pretty decent.

 

[Jason Hammerly]

Got the f1's up and running and am quite impressed. I don't feel like they give up a whole lot to the F2's I took back. I'm so impressed with the F1's I ordered the AS-B2's to give them a shot. I'm thinking whichever I liked the best I'd keep and the others would go back. I really, really like the sound of the Athena speakers. With no break in, I can tell you that I like them better than the JBL Northridge(N38's, N26's and nsp), Velodyne CHT's (wish I never sold these), Paradigm Monitors (7's and cc370 ver 3), Infinity Entra's, Rocket Tykes, Paradigm Titans/Atoms, Klipsch Synergy's, B&W 3 series, ONKYO htib, and Energy take 5's that I've had over the years. I think I've finnally found the speakers that are right for my ears. It's only taken 4 or 5 years. I dare say I may actually keep these for 4-5 years once I decide which ones to keep. SCARY. Who am I kidding! .... I'll be trying something else in 6 months. :b Later ... off to sit on the couch and listen to some more DMB. RAWK on!!

Jason