Hi there,
I figure this might be a good place to ask for shopping advice, since it's difficult to personally audition all the speakers there are out there in the world.
A few years ago, Amir's review of the LSR305 sealed the deal for me, and I sprang for a pair of the first gen ones, as an experiment. I truly believed I'd hate them, but I wanted to hear what all the fuss was about. Long story short, they're still in my living room. I enjoy them pretty much every day.
I have a small listening room, in an apartment with downstairs neighbors who I actually like, so Klipsch or home theater style SPLs are completely out of the question. I think this is one situation where a pair of very accurate near-field monitors can be a good choice. I listen rather close to the speakers, about 4 to 6 feet away, depending on whether I've moved up close for some 'serious' listening.
I don't need more bass response than what the LSR305s deliver. They make enough bass, for sure, but it's not the tightest, fastest sounding bass I've heard. My room has a bit too much bass reinforcement as it is, and I'm not a 'bass head'. But I don't like a mid-prominent, shrieky sound (Klipsch bookshelf speakers, Lowther).
So, the question: If I want to spend about $1500 for a pair of top flight active near-field monitors that are a noticeable improvement on the LSR305s, what do you think I should listen to? I'm thinking Genelec 8030C would fit the bill. Or is Genelec 8330C better? What about Neumann KH-120? Any others that are highly recommended for home listening?
Or should I save up another $600 or so and get a pair of JBL 705p? JBL 4305P?
Or for home listening would it be better to go the traditional passive speaker route with something like a pair of Revel M16 and $500 for a good amplifier? (Is there a really good stereo amplifier for $500?)
I'm looking for small speakers with accurate frequency response, low distortion, nicely controlled horizontal dispersion, and ASR-approved . I don't need loud, I don't need super-low bass. My room actually sounds OK if I sit close to the speakers, and 'not bad' if I move away from the listening window. But I'm definitely staying near-field for any serious listening.
What's the verdict? Is there a verdict?
Thanks for your opinions, experiences, etc.
--
I figure this might be a good place to ask for shopping advice, since it's difficult to personally audition all the speakers there are out there in the world.
A few years ago, Amir's review of the LSR305 sealed the deal for me, and I sprang for a pair of the first gen ones, as an experiment. I truly believed I'd hate them, but I wanted to hear what all the fuss was about. Long story short, they're still in my living room. I enjoy them pretty much every day.
I have a small listening room, in an apartment with downstairs neighbors who I actually like, so Klipsch or home theater style SPLs are completely out of the question. I think this is one situation where a pair of very accurate near-field monitors can be a good choice. I listen rather close to the speakers, about 4 to 6 feet away, depending on whether I've moved up close for some 'serious' listening.
I don't need more bass response than what the LSR305s deliver. They make enough bass, for sure, but it's not the tightest, fastest sounding bass I've heard. My room has a bit too much bass reinforcement as it is, and I'm not a 'bass head'. But I don't like a mid-prominent, shrieky sound (Klipsch bookshelf speakers, Lowther).
So, the question: If I want to spend about $1500 for a pair of top flight active near-field monitors that are a noticeable improvement on the LSR305s, what do you think I should listen to? I'm thinking Genelec 8030C would fit the bill. Or is Genelec 8330C better? What about Neumann KH-120? Any others that are highly recommended for home listening?
Or should I save up another $600 or so and get a pair of JBL 705p? JBL 4305P?
Or for home listening would it be better to go the traditional passive speaker route with something like a pair of Revel M16 and $500 for a good amplifier? (Is there a really good stereo amplifier for $500?)
I'm looking for small speakers with accurate frequency response, low distortion, nicely controlled horizontal dispersion, and ASR-approved . I don't need loud, I don't need super-low bass. My room actually sounds OK if I sit close to the speakers, and 'not bad' if I move away from the listening window. But I'm definitely staying near-field for any serious listening.
What's the verdict? Is there a verdict?
Thanks for your opinions, experiences, etc.
--