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My Speaker Journey - ranked

SimpleTheater

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I've owned a lot of speakers over the years, constantly trying to move up in sound quality.

My first pair of speakers were Becker's. Forgot the model #, but there was a Becker speaker factory in Greene County , NY. They manufactured speakers for themselves and for other company's. They had a "b sale" for speakers they couldn't sell due to a finish problem, and you could go and pick them out from their floor. As a 12 yr old, saving his money for two years from his paper route, I picked out a pair of 3 ways with five cool lights in a vertical array that would light up depending on how much power they were receiving (20 watts was the first light / 40 / 60 / 80 / 100). I got them for $100/pr and I had no idea how bad they were because all I wanted to do was see the lights. Powered by my Technics SA-410 (which has to be my favorite receiver I ever owned, not sure why, but I really loved it)

Then I started reading Stereophile and other magazines, and by the time I was 16 I saved up enough money to buy a pair of Klipsch KG4's. At $450/pr I was stepping up to the horn speakers. Coupled with my trusty Carver 900 receiver, this setup lasted me for almost two decades. A lot of my decision making in my youth was based on perception of what others said was "best in my price range", not on actual sound quality.

Then the Home Theater bug bit. I built a dedicated home theater. Two speakers were out, five speakers were in. I picked up an Image 8C center, a pair of Image 4Ts and a pair of Image 1Bs for surround and a Subsonic 6 subwoofer. I started going through A/V receivers like water as every year seemed to bring some new technology that out dated their video inputs, outputs or something. This system didn't last long, maybe five years.

Moving up I decided to go ALL out and grab PSB Platinums. I literally went with this system reviewed in Sound & Vision. M2s, for R/L, C4 center and S2's for surround. The one difference between the S&V system and mine was I got the smaller Subsonic Series 9 subwoofer (just one).

It didn't take long for some review to convince me my PSBs were "mainstream" and true audiophiles loved Totems. So I sold my PSBs and picked up Totem Rainmakers for L/R & Surround (small, but my sub could pick up the lows - and yes my Subsonic Series 9 survived as I was told you can't differentiate below 100 hz. It survives to this day, but that is another story), Rainmaker Center and Dreamcatchers for rear duties. I had now gone 7 channels, so the cost was close to what I paid for the PSB Platinums, but now I was buying an audiophile brand. Wow, is all I can say. Wow, because I was SO disappointed. Sure I had heard these at the dealer showroom, but when pushed to aggressively loud levels (which I didn't do at the dealers) they just bottomed out. I quickly decided to move on.

The good news is that my speakers weren't losing a lot of value. Unlike A/V receivers I wasn't taking a bath selling them, getting close to 80% of what I paid.

So I moved on to Paradigm, because the PSB Platinums were discontinued and I couldn't find them used. Paradigm Studio v5 20's handled L/R, the massive CC-690 took center duty, ADP-590 surrounds and ADP-390's for the rear. I absolutely LOVED this system. They came up a little short in dynamics, but for three years I listened and had no intention of substituting them. Then my center speaker tweeter blew. I replaced it under warranty. Then I blew a driver in the Studio's and replaced that, out of pocket. Not disturbed, I was planning on building my stereo room and ordered direct a pair of Signatures S6 plus a pair of Signature In-Wall LCR 5's for our den. One of the S6's had a blown tweeter on arrival. The LCR 5's were even worse, with a mid range that wasn't working. When the dealer came he opened it up to replace it, and pieces just started falling out of it. I was then told Paradigm was sold to another company and quality control wasn't what it used to be. I sent them all back and was so frustrated with Paradigm that I quickly sold ALL of my Paradigms.

But what to buy next? I was missing the sound quality of the PSB Platinums, frustrated with quality control from Paradigm and I wasn't enamored with the new Imagine speakers from PSB. Without boring you with my three month quest, I was told to keep Home Theater separate from Stereo because I had the new second room. Focus HT on dynamics. So I went with three JBL 3677's, four 8320's for surround. A couple years later I added four Monoprice 8" ceiling speaker for Atmos. This system is shockingly good for home theater. The super sensitive 3677's (99dB) are so easy to drive that my AVR can produce piercing gunshots and music without straining. I can push them as hard as I want and they don't distort and they don't blow.

For Stereo listening, I picked up a pair of Tannoy DC8Ti's. Which I can't listen to as much as I want because they're in the house. Or should I say I can't listen to them as LOUD as I want, so I find myself with headphones most of the time. They are powerful, no problem to drive, and are beautiful to look at (sadly, that matters to me). My HT has a acoustically transparent screen, so I don't see the front 3 speakers).

Ranking is definitely a tough one because I'm not directly comparing ANY of these speakers. Its not just from memory, its from my emotions at the time. Your first pair of speakers, at least for me, is as memorable as my first girlfriend. You may say that is sad, but maybe my first girlfriend wasn't too memorable. That said, here is how I would SUBJECTIVELY rate my speakers, for two-channel use:

1. PSB Platinum M2's
2. Tannoy Definition DC8Ti's
3. Paradigm Studio 20's v5 (might have rated higher if I had the tower versions with more bass, silky smooth midrange)
4. JBL 3677's
5. Klipsch KG4's
6. Becker Model ???
7. Totem Rainmaker
8. PSB Image 4Ts

So that's been my journey so far. I'm now planning on selling my PSB Subsonic 9 subwoofer and getting two Rythmic FV18's. But that's going to be a year before I save up the money for that. My Subsonic 9 doesn't seem to have much value, most people just aren't excited by PSB subs.
 
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Plcamp

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Interesting. I have had many over the years. The best ones were...

Paradigm Studio 100 v5 ... still have these, my upstairs pair. They are very good, need lots of power. I should have these in a bigger room.

Paradigm 11se MK III ... Sold em for twice what I paid...great bass but flattish sounding high end even though they measured spectacularly.

Canton Fonum 200 ... A 3way bookshelf with dome mid, metal tweeter. Have gutted these for the drivers. Power hungry design. The 1” titanium tweeters in these measure unbelievable well off axis, as good as any I’ve seen.

PAP Trio 15 ... My current primary listening system, quite heavily modified and biamped with dsp. Now adding an SB dome tweeter with waveguide (work in progress). Many more changes planned. They are great out of the box, but can be improved quite a bit as well. Good platform to experiment with when coupled with dsp and multi-amps. OB’s give a better experience, but yes that’s just my preference.

I have also owned three flavours of Advents, none of which compare to above IMO. I never had a great quality amp in those days.
 

jcebedo11

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in order of the time i bought it. its not a ranking

1. Yamaha YST-M10 powered computer speakers. I loved the midrange of these 3" computer speakers. I dont know where these speakers went now.

2. Paradigm Mini Monitors (bought new for $300, then sold it) I found the midrange recessed. Good bass, harsh treble.

3. Dynaudio Contour 1.3 (bought used for $1000, then sold it same price) Too expensive for me at the time. Very power hungry. The entire setup was just too expensive for me. I had an adcom gfa 5800 and creek obh 11 with it that i sold later as well. I would say that these were the best speakers and setup I have owned.

4. Sound Dynamics RTS-3. (bought new for $180) I owned these for the longest time. I built a custom box for it that reduced resonance. These are the best cheap speakers I have owned. They are very enjoyable to listen to and doesn't require a huge amp to play loud. I still own these speakers. they act as surrounds in a 5.1 setup.

5. Mackie HR824. (bought used for $600). the best value speakers I have bought. It is already powered so no need for amp, just a preamplifer. I use a benchmark DAC 1 with it. I use an aura bass shaker with it. Its for my desktop computer system. nearfield listening. The Dynaudios I had a long time ago sounded better midrange and up. The Mackies are quite good sounding as well and had extreme low frequency extension to 37hz. Theres no need for a sub with these.

6. Behringer b2030p (bought for $150-200?? brand new) used to use it for home theater system. now in a 2nd desktop computer system in another home. also with svs pb1000 for the low frequency.

I have listened to many systems in different rooms. I learned a long time ago that the room has a huge impact in sound quality. So big that the Sound dynamics RTS-3 ($180) with a modest subwoofer ($500) in a room with really good acoustics will destroy practically any speaker of any price in a room with horrible acoustics. because of that, I advise people to invest money/put more effort in room treatment and proper speaker placement.
 
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Unclevanya

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My very first good speaker experience was a pair of Bose Interaudio model 1's. They had base and the drivers were well integrated. They were ported and likely really didn't go that deep but they were punchy and sounded much better than the Advent speakers they were auditioned against.

At some point I bought a pair of Boston Acoustics A100's. They had a more refined sound I thought, and they were able to be used without a stand.

Infinity reference model RS 1.5's came next, these went much lower and had a great sound on metal stringed instruments. They were a bit silibent.

A pair of Arriston QLN model one Scottish mini monitors and a vmps "smaller" sub made the next system core. I still own the monitors, the sub was rather larger than today's subs, and has long since gone away. The monitors on their own sounded delightful, they still do. The 7" Kevlar woofers really push a lot more air than expected. They were hard to integrate with a passive sub. They honestly sounded better without the sub which was crossed too high. Or they sounded boomy when I ran then full range in parallel with the sub.

Then I got a pair of infinity RS 2.5's. These remain a fond memory. Sadly moving into a smaller space meant selling them on, but I regret that as they were astounding in their day. I ran them full range, single amped. They were occasionally silibent and not perfect, but the dipole radiation pattern always made music sound alive which few systems ever have.

The current speakers are Aliante Linea PF Italian 3 ways with 6th order bass loading. The midrange and tweeter were replaced with paradigm drivers by a previous owner, and they need some dsp to make them sound best but they look fantastic which gives high WAF which is currently important since I have limited options for dedicated listening space.

Favorites:
Infinity 2.5
Arriston QLN
Aliante Linea PF (with adjustments via dsp)
Boston A100 or Bose Interaudio
Infinity 1.5 (these sat too low, probably needed a stand, they're also not mirror imaged and I used them in a suboptimal room)
 
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restorer-john

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I won't bore you guys with my speaker "journey". Suffice it to say, there's 16 pairs in my listening room at the moment and that is just the tip of the iceberg. Too many speakers, not enough time. ;)
 

patoulol

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@SimpleTheater

I came across your post by chance. You may be able to help me. I currently have the Paradigm CC690 and studio 100 v5

I wonder if the JBL 3677s might be a better home theater system. I've already tested the JBL 4673 with a friend but I can't make up my mind.


thx
 
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SimpleTheater

SimpleTheater

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@SimpleTheater

I came across your post by chance. You may be able to help me. I currently have the Paradigm CC690 and studio 100 v5

I wonder if the JBL 3677s might be a better home theater system. I've already tested the JBL 4673 with a friend but I can't make up my mind.


thx
I really liked my Paradigm system. Better for music, just a little tougher to drive with a Yamaha 3600 receiver (during loud movie passages). I would say if you can get a good amp on those Paradigms (assuming you are running them through a receiver now), then the Paradigms are a better choice.
 

Plcamp

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currently have the Paradigm CC690 and studio 100 v5
I also have the 100v5, and power them with an old Adcom 535II (rated 80W/ch).
 

patoulol

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I really liked my Paradigm system. Better for music, just a little tougher to drive with a Yamaha 3600 receiver (during loud movie passages). I would say if you can get a good amp on those Paradigms (assuming you are running them through a receiver now), then the Paradigms are a better choice.
thank you

I have an amp AVC-X3700H Denon

The dialogues on the JBL center speaker are softer on the mids (versus cc690 ) but I'm afraid of getting tired of this JBL sound

In France there is a great "fashion" and "trend" to own JBLs for cinema sound :p

I keep my paradigm

my system
 

patoulol

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I really liked my Paradigm system. Better for music, just a little tougher to drive with a Yamaha 3600 receiver (during loud movie passages). I would say if you can get a good amp on those Paradigms (assuming you are running them through a receiver now), then the Paradigms are a better choice.
I come back to you for details.

What receiver are you talking about to power the Studio100 and CC690? yours was a Yam 3600? I can't find this reference on google? maybe it's 3060?

I think I can have a better rendering than my denon 3700 on paradigm. I tested a Purifi but no audible and measurable difference.

What can you advise me?

Finally (and I'll leave you alone) how was your paradigm better than your JBL3677? more precise ? better dynamic? best mediums?

thx
 
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OldHvyMec

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I started with my dads WE wings and WE valve amps. That is what gave me the funds to start my journey. I sold them for a lot of money in
1970. I bought the kits for Jensen Imperials and Subs. I worked the whole summer putting them together between jobs. The drivers, cross-
overs were at the local Western Auto. I kept them for 15 years BUT Infinity and a small company called VMPS were making some neat speakers.

I think, I tried or heard every speaker they ever made. I stopped cold turkey in 1982. My son was born. LOL Everything was boxed covered and
stored for 18 years. When my daughter was 14-5 we uncovered the stereo gear. IT HAD BEEN STOLEN. Speakers were there the Mcintosh/Thoren
gear was GONE. I had never called the insurance but we had replacement value to my surprise. They wrote me a check for 45K and if I replaced all
the gear they would write another one for difference in depreciation. That was another 52K. 1998-9 was the years of picking up the pieces.

I had made a choice about ribbons and planars in the 70s and I stuck to it. I still use Monsoon neo 8s, BG neo 8, 10s. And AC tweeters.
The cabinets changed, the drivers didn't. I have 8 24" Strathearns stashed somewhere too.

I like the GRs NX series. Though I'm not a big fan of OB, they have some nice OB Servo sub kit.
I have 3 sets of double 12". A pair is perfect with the bass columns and monitors I use. My ears like servos a lot better too.
 
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SimpleTheater

SimpleTheater

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I come back to you for details.

What receiver are you talking about to power the Studio100 and CC690? yours was a Yam 3600? I can't find this reference on google? maybe it's 3060?

I think I can have a better rendering than my denon 3700 on paradigm. I tested a Purifi but no audible and measurable difference.

What can you advise me?

Finally (and I'll leave you alone) how was your paradigm better than your JBL3677? more precise ? better dynamic? best mediums?

thx
Sorry, yes 3060. Denon amps are better than the Yamaha, so I think you’ll be fine with your receiver, as long as your room is less than 3000 cu ft

Dynamics are definitely better on the JBL 3677’s. The Paradigms win on much better’s highs (anything above 10 kHz) a smoother midrange, and if coupled with some good subs, the JBL‘s better low end extension is mitigated.
 

patoulol

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Sorry, yes 3060. Denon amps are better than the Yamaha, so I think you’ll be fine with your receiver, as long as your room is less than 3000 cu ft

Dynamics are definitely better on the JBL 3677’s. The Paradigms win on much better’s highs (anything above 10 kHz) a smoother midrange, and if coupled with some good subs, the JBL‘s better low end extension is mitigated.
THANKS. how did you break (blew) the tweeter on your paradigm unit? sound too loud?
 

jsilvela

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I have owned few speakers; below average for ASR I would imagine. Not a long journey, but instead of describing it all, will do the recent ASR-fueled makeover.

For years I had been using a pair of Ascend Sierra-1’s, plus an Ascend CBM-170SE as center for movies.

After reading Amir’s scathing review of the CBM-170SE, I started doing critical listening, looking at different movie scenes, swapping other speakers etc. Holy hell, Amir is 100% right with:

It sounds “detailed” to be sure but will give you a shave if you let it.

Experiment with / without center, use a spare Yamaha bookshelf that came with a mini-hifi from the early 2000’s. It’s better than the CBM-170 for sure.

I like center over phantom center. I decide to spring for a KEF R2C.
Happy with it. Very happy.
I start re-watching some favorite movies. Ah, ’tis the life of a pirate.

One of them, where the mix is Stereo in the BluRay… I notice the voices sound tinny. The background is screechy. I force the AVR to use center. Tinniness gone, no screech. Huh. I start doing all sorts of tests. The tests are consistent: the KEF has gotten me used to better, I now find the Sierra-1’s over-bright.

I get a pair of Focal Aria 906’s.
Go back to the movie with the Stereo mix. No tinny voices, no screechy background. Ahh, ’tis the life of a pirate.
 
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SimpleTheater

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THANKS. how did you break (blew) the tweeter on your paradigm unit? sound too loud?
I don’t think I was playing them too loud. Paradigm had serious quality control issues about 15 years ago a few years after they were sold to Shoreview ( I got my Studio’s around 2010). Shoreview cut quality control and who knows what else. One friend of mine bought the Signature InWalls, and while we were installing them, we tested before going into the wall. Nothing from the woofers. Paradigm sent another one and when we took it out of the box the tweeter fell out of the enclosure and wasn’t even connected properly (one wire was dangling). They got bought back in 2019 by the original owner, but after my problem I sold them once I got the replacement tweeter - I figured sell them while their name wasn’t soon trashed and they had value.
 
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patoulol

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This is not reassuring! I hope that my tweeter of my cc690 will not explode...

do you regret the sale?
 
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SimpleTheater

SimpleTheater

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This is not reassuring! I hope that my tweeter of my cc690 will not explode...

do you regret the sale?
No, I don’t regret the sale because the JBL’s have the dynamics I look for in a movie and I have a separate setup for 2 channel. I also don’t worry about the JBLs blowing anything as they’re designed for big rooms - mine, at almost 4,000 cu ft are on the small side (maybe too small) of what they can handle. If I had kept the Paradigms I would probably test them prior to every movie/tv I watched from that point on always wondering if it happened again. If my tweeter never blew, I’d probably still have them today.
 

patoulol

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No, I don’t regret the sale because the JBL’s have the dynamics I look for in a movie and I have a separate setup for 2 channel. I also don’t worry about the JBLs blowing anything as they’re designed for big rooms - mine, at almost 4,000 cu ft are on the small side (maybe too small) of what they can handle. If I had kept the Paradigms I would probably test them prior to every movie/tv I watched from that point on always wondering if it happened again. If my tweeter never blew, I’d probably still have them today.
you have the perfect solution: two systems!

thanks again for answering my questions.
 
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