What budget speakers you like to see reviewed?

[mhardy6647]

I reviewed a Polk already: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/polk-t15-bookshelf-speaker-review.11720/

Yeah, but it would be nice to see a compreshensive assessment of a nice Polk product!

DSC_6911 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

DSC_6912 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

Personally, I'd be happy just to see the impedance curve on these (L200 model)!

 

[amirm]

Personally, I'd be happy just to see the impedance curve on these (L200 model)!

That's not a budget speaker though.

 

[amirm]

I'd like to read a review of cheap studio monitors like krk rp5 g2 / g3 / g4 or presonus eris e5 / xt5.

I have an e5 that I purchased to review.

 

[mhardy6647]

That's not a budget speaker though.

Not hardly

I actually hadn't noticed that post was in the budget speakers thread, sorry!
Still love to see the L100 or L200 put through its paces...

 

[Incursio]

I have an e5 that I purchased to review.

I second the Presonus E5.

I'd also be interested in seeing reviews of the Edifier R1280T and R1700BT.

 

[Vindermere]

XTZ spirit series. Very good reviews and cheap.

 

[geoemm]

Fyne Audio F302, a tower for that price is impressive

 

[Zensō]

Sonos One SL (stereo pair)

 

[dorirod]

Any chance something like JBL Charge 3 (or other popular, portable Bluetooth speakers) would get measured? Can they even be measured with this system?

 

[richard12511]

I have an e5 that I purchased to review.

https://www.amazon.com/MTX-TFE60-B-Classic-TimeFrame-Bookshelf/dp/B002D9O3N6

Those have a big thread on the AVS forums. Multiple people have replaced $500-$1,000 speakers and hearing improvement. Would be interested to see how "real" those reviews are.

Also, does Salon 2 count as budget since you already have them? I know they're heavy and it's tough to get them down to the Klippel, but I think lots folks really, really want to see how they stack up. They're currently on my short list for end game music speakers, and love to see how they stack up against the Genelec. My guess is they're not quite as linear, and thus might have a lower "score", but I'm also guessing they have a bit wider horizontal dispersion(which I think I prefer), and of course they can get way louder.

 

[taisho]

The more I look into budget speaker measurements on ASR, the more obvious it becomes that passive speakers at about $200 a pair are a waste of money. It's mostly 4'' woofer stuff with weak bass reproduction and they are not a standalone product. I also need a DAC, an amp and possibly a subwoofer. The tests so far seem to confirm that a high no-sub preference score for 4'' speakers is impossible. As an off-topic, the super-jump with pref score while using a sub looks like a $10 000 sub in an equation.

Pairing it with a budget good quality DAC Topping D10 at $70 (which I already have) and SMSL SA-98E at $130 as an amp (a choice based only on the customer reviews which aren't even all-so-positive, there are no good budget amps in ASR tests). It makes the setup $200 speakers + $200 other + optional subwoofer.

My point is that setting a tight budget for passive speakers + an amp is not a good idea when you can instead buy active ones, JBL 305 for example. Less research, less risk (unless the hiss kills you haha!), less money. Also, the less you pay, the more you need to add a sub to your shopping list. Even in a second-world country where I live, audio enthusiasts will easily spend $300-500 on speakers as long as there is evidence that they perform significantly better than the $200 ones and better than many $1000 speakers. Gamers, on the other hand, won't even type "passive speakers" in Google. It's all about headphones for them. While scientifically it's a good idea to test various speakers at different price points and see how their performance is correlated with price, I would advise testing only a few that are really popular and recommended, to have some point of reference.

Recently ELAC DBR-62 scored pretty well, so possibly ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2 at $360 could do quite well. It has great availability in Europe. I'm a bit skeptical about them, however, as the reviewers claimed that they are relatively bright and discover a lot of badness in the recordings. I had AKG K240 Studio headphones once and there was too much badness in the long run for my taste.

@amirm - how many devices approximately do You have stockpiled and waiting for tests if it's not a secret? Did this pile get smaller at all over the last month or new shipments with return deadlines effectively keep it constant/make it grow?

 

[sejarzo]

https://www.amazon.com/MTX-TFE60-B-Classic-TimeFrame-Bookshelf/dp/B002D9O3N6

Those have a big thread on the AVS forums. Multiple people have replaced $500-$1,000 speakers and hearing improvement. Would be interested to see how "real" those reviews are...

$200 a pair if purchased from that same seller but via eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/c/1136290251

I had the original "real" DCM Time Windows from 1980-1986 then the TF700s from 1986-2003. I wonder how many times that brand name has been bought and sold over the years.

I am kind of intrigued by this TFE60 because it seems to do a lot wrong with the metal grille, the top molding, and whatever you call it on the bottom (port extension?) when it comes to diffraction.

 

[mhardy6647]

$200 a pair if purchased from that same seller but via eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/c/1136290251

I had the original "real" DCM Time Windows from 1980-1986 then the TF700s from 1986-2003. I wonder how many times that brand name has been bought and sold over the years.

DCM was DCM well into the 1990s, at least. The loudspeakers changed quite a bit, but AFAIK the company was at related to the original (from Ann Arbor, MI). Indeed, the DCM timwindow (7) was available at least into the late 1990s. More recently, I cannot say.

My credentials on DCM are pretty limited though. I've been a 'fan' since I first heard timewindows (at a snooty hifi store in northeast Baltimore called The Discerning Ear, ca. 1977). Today, I am the proud owner of what I am sure are the world's ugliest pair of original series DCM timewindows -- they still sound wonderful, though -- and I paid $10 for them at a charity fleamarket. I should really try to rehab them someday... that's been on my to-do list for nearly 20 years (got them in May 2002).

timewindow by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

PS Please don't judge me vis-a-vis that horrific lovely charming bordello red carpet! It was a leftover from remodeling (gutting) a 'bonus room' in our old house in Massachusetts. It was in good shape, so I put it in the basement -- which is where the photo above was taken. The timewindows are still every bit as ugly, but they live in the hifi loft in our current house, and do get a chance to sing once in a while. They're easy to drive and very tolerant of even the kind of amplifiers I am partial to. The carpet is long gone!

 

[ezra_s]

I'd like these to be reviewed, they are fairly cheap in price. Wharfedale Diamond 225.

edit: but I found some measures here: https://www.stereophile.com/content/wharfedale-diamond-225-loudspeaker-measurements

 

[geoemm]

I'd like these to be reviewed, they are fairly cheap in price. Wharfedale Diamond 225.

Yup, wharfdale deserves some love, 11.1 and 11.2 also can be had for very good price

 

[Bijuuka]

Presonus Eris E5 (Not the new XT) would be exceptionally nice.

 

[Colonel7]

The more I look into budget speaker measurements on ASR, the more obvious it becomes that passive speakers at about $200 a pair are a waste of money. It's mostly 4'' woofer stuff with weak bass reproduction and they are not a standalone product. I also need a DAC, an amp and possibly a subwoofer. The tests so far seem to confirm that a high no-sub preference score for 4'' speakers is impossible. As an off-topic, the super-jump with pref score while using a sub looks like a $10 000 sub in an equation.

I agree on the 4" and somewhat on the $200 range but there are speakers that are not junk. $300 is more realistic but when we get down to it most widely available speakers go on sale every 3-6 months so $400-450 MSRP. That puts 5-6.5" like the Elac b6.2 you mentioned, the Wharfedale 225, Polk S15, Monitor Audio Bronze, and KEF 150, and a host of others that are not starving student type speakers like Miccas, the el cheapo Pioneers, and the Polk T15 (3 gens of polks ago) for testing. The 6.5 s" I mentioned can all be had for sub $200-300. Some of these may test poorly but some may surprise. Amir can only test what he is sent though

 

[maxxevv]

The more I look into budget speaker measurements on ASR, the more obvious it becomes that passive speakers at about $200 a pair are a waste of money. It's mostly 4'' woofer stuff with weak bass reproduction and they are not a standalone product. I also need a DAC, an amp and possibly a subwoofer. The tests so far seem to confirm that a high no-sub preference score for 4'' speakers is impossible. As an off-topic, the super-jump with pref score while using a sub looks like a $10 000 sub in an equation.

I agree on the 4" and somewhat on the $200 range but there are speakers that are not junk. $300 is more realistic but when we get down to it most widely available speakers go on sale every 3-6 months so $400-450 MSRP. That puts 5-6.5" like the Elac b6.2 you mentioned, the Wharfedale 225, Polk S15, Monitor Audio Bronze, and KEF 150, and a host of others that are not starving student type speakers like Miccas, the el cheapo Pioneers, and the Polk T15 (3 gens of polks ago) for testing. The 6.5 s" I mentioned can all be had for sub $200-300. Some of these may test poorly but some may surprise. Amir can only test what he is sent though

There are plenty of speakers out there that have not been tested yet. So, it takes a while.

I have the JBL 306P MkII, and they cost me US$172/ pair, shipped, when there was a major discount sale late last year. Its not quite clear whether it measures as well as its smaller sibling, the 305P MkII, but it definitely doesn't sound like a small speaker (its quite a bit larger in size compared to the 305P MkII) and directivity seems pretty good from what I can subjectively assess. Some online measuresments suggest that they have a frequency dip but, from what I have experienced subjectively, its not affecting my music listening as clearly as it should. (I honestly don't pick that up in use).

There are others like the well regarded Kali LP-6, which cost under US$300/pair too.

It wil take a while, but eventually ASR will get there with a catalogue of well measuring and well priced speakers.

 

[Get a hearing test]

So what is "in" these days as far as budget speakers? I am thinking under $200 for a pair.

Edifier stuff. Theyre cheap but relatively popular in eu shops as theyre constantly sold out at the time of purchase which was years ago. The model i have Edifier R2800. Its around 200 eur and are powered. Theyre way bigger than in the pictures. Sounds good to me however theyre my only reference so *hands in the air*

 

[pavuol]

I've compared some smaller studio monitors recently, specwise these look interesting and were not mentioned yet :

Monkey Banana Gibbon 5 (german company, probably limited availability in US..)
M-Audio BX8 D3 -although BX5 already mentioned, this bigger sibling goes for "most power for bucks approach", feaure 8"woofer and 150W power for a price typical for smaller models from competition (downside - limited EQ shelving = LF only)
RCF Ayra Pro 6 - interesting italian company, one of the cheapest featuring DSP, they also provide some measurement in their datasheet
lastly, Fluid Audio FX50 was mentioned already, but its bigger brother FX80 seems to have better market availability