Best tower speakers with a good center channel for 4-5k maximum?

[alex-z]

If you have good towers you don’t need a subwoofer

Again, makes zero sense. You could have $20000 towers and still need a subwoofer, because bass performance is heavily dependent on room acoustics. The ideal positioning for good bass reproduction is not going to be the same as optimal stereo imaging.

Unless you live in a 7 figure recording studio, you have not eliminated room modes down to 30Hz. Only then would subwoofers actually be redundant.

You can easily test this yourself by placing any speaker or subwoofer in a corner of your room, and playing tones ranging from 20-120Hz. The response will change dramatically as you move around, far more than mere distance would explain. Room modes are the cause.

 

[abdo123]

If you’re in Europe i would consider KEF and not look back.

 

[Ciobi69]

If you’re in Europe i would consider KEF and not look back.

As i saw the r line r3 /R5 paired with a subwoofer are the best of the best

 

[abdo123]

As i saw the r line r3 /R5 paired with a subwoofer are the best of the best

How far do you sit from your TV?

 

[Ciobi69]

How far do you sit from your TV?

I sit 3 meters from the tv

 

[Ciobi69]

My question is ,can they reach good dynamics? At reference volume? I know it isn't a fair comparison but for example the arendal 1723 are massive compared to the kef r line

 

[abdo123]

I sit 3 meters from the tv

If you have the budget for it, try to go for R7 and R2c instead. should perform cleaner for your distances.

 

[abdo123]

My question is ,can they reach good dynamics? At reference volume? I know it isn't a fair comparison but for example the arendal 1723 are massive compared to the kef r line

In terms of output KEF R11 > KEF R7 > KEF R5 = KEF R2c > KEF R3.

Three R2c should do pretty well, or R5 + R2C if you don't want to buy stands. but they're likely to run to their limits right around the reference volume, but you very rarely get close to that with movies.

I gravitate more towards three R2c because its sealed design will make it easier to integrate it with a subwoofer and should provide the most output below 100Hz too.

 

[Ciobi69]

In terms of output KEF R11 > KEF R7 > KEF R5 = KEF R2c > KEF R3.

Three R2c should do pretty well, or R5 + R2C if you don't want to buy stands. but they're likely to run to their limits right around the reference volume, but you very rarely get close to that with movies.

I gravitate more towards three R2c because its sealed design will make it easier to integrate it with a subwoofer and should provide the most output below 100Hz too.

Ok man, basically the biggest one i can afford ,and the r2c is slightly better than the r3,i get it ,i must find them used now, sometimes they comes with great price,i wonder why the R5 got less points than the R3 even if is the bigger model

 

[abdo123]

Ok man, basically the biggest one i can afford ,and the r2c is slightly better than the r3,i get it ,i must find them used now, sometimes they comes with great price,i wonder why the R5 got less points than the R3 even if is the bigger model

Probably the shelving at 100 to 200 Hz is the issue.

 

[Ciobi69]

Probably the shelving at 100 to 200 Hz is the issue.

Ok thanks man,for everything, i Will try to find used reference series too they are pretty expensive i fell in love with ref 5 speakers,but they cost 7k used

 

[Ciobi69]

Ok thanks man,for everything, i Will try to find used reference series too they are pretty expensive i fell in love with ref 5 speakers,but they cost 7k used

I've read that the r11 are very similar and probably more Worth than the prestigious reference series,. Soo i might go for this road

 

[tifune]

Ok man, basically the biggest one i can afford ,and the r2c is slightly better than the r3,i get it ,i must find them used now, sometimes they comes with great price,i wonder why the R5 got less points than the R3 even if is the bigger model

I'm selling my R2c but, I'm in USA. Not sure it's economical to ship that far being Kef is an English company. Because I'm sure some will ask, if your use case is movies it's pretty good. My use case is music, in which case I have to roll it off at 150Hz to make it just kinda-sorta OK. I think that's mostly because IMO the center is overemphasized by upmixers, as well as in discreet musical content. But, it is partially the speaker itself.

For fun I replaced it with a KH310 for a few days and the difference was pretty dramatic - better in every way. This is all obviously in my room, my ears, my musical tastes, my Audyssey curve, etc. I would have kept the 310 in place but low WAF in general, plus "it doesn't match the rest of them." (R5+R3+R11)

On that note, because you're in EU my vote would be 3x KH310 b-stock if you can support the horizontal orientation and potentially off-center center placement. VAT may push it over budget but I've seen pairs on Studiocare for $3300. 3x R3 would probably be equally good; since you have to buy them in pairs you could use the spare as mono surround back? Depends on your source - you mention Dirac, is it miniDSP, HTPC, new Onkyo/Pioneer AVR?

I gravitate more towards three R2c because its sealed design will make it easier to integrate it with a subwoofer and should provide the most output below 100Hz too.

Erin made a video on that, in some small part because I sent him the R2C with that specific use case in mind. IIRC 3x R3 are better in pretty much every way, except of course you can't buy 3. If OP truly wants to hit reference level at 3m, which I agree may not be the case once he (and his neighbors if apartment scenario) hears how loud that really is, R2c below 80Hz will chew up an AVR amp.

Not sure how being sealed helps with sub integration? I've never heard that before; any reading you can recommend on the topic?

 

[abdo123]

except of course you can't buy 3.

To the contrary they're sold per piece so you can definitely buy three.

 

[tifune]

To the contrary they're sold per piece so you can definitely buy three.

Kef r3 sold individually? Do you have a link?

 

[abdo123]

Not sure how being sealed helps with sub integration? I've never heard that before; any reading you can recommend on the topic?

If you open a new thread i would be happy to share more information on this, unless @Ciobi69 doesn't mind?

 

[abdo123]

Kef r3 sold individually? Do you have a link?

Oops i didn't comprehend that properly i thought we're still talking about the R2c.

 

[Ciobi69]

Yes basically i have a nad 758 with Dirac live and i use it as a pre because I have beefy power amplification Soo power is last of the problem, and i don't know if the R3 can support the stress of high volume movies they of course be crossed at least at 80hz and let the sub play under those frequency,but i still don't know , i heard some people that audioned arendals and they told me that they are better at handling higher volume

 

[abdo123]

i heard some people that audioned arendals and they told me that they are better at handling higher volume

Yes that's more or less the case but because their center speakers are not coaxials other people outside the seat right infront of the speaker will experience severe tonality changes. Which is not the compromise you should do to be honest.

 

[Ciobi69]

Yes basically i have a nad 758 with Dirac live and i use it as a pre because I have beefy power amplification Soo power is last of the problem, and i don't know if the R3 can support the stress of high volume movies they of course be crossed at least at 80hz and let the sub play under those frequency,but i still don't know , i heard some people that audioned arendals and they told me that they are better at handling higher volume

And arendals have sti

Yes that's more or less the case but because their center speakers are not coaxials other people outside the seat right infront of the speaker will experience severe tonality changes. Which is not the compromise you should do to be honest.

But in my case if i don't care about that and i am in the center position they should be optimal right?