audiophiles: reccomend speakers for me to buy

[His Honorable Professor Chaos]

OK so I want to buy some nice speakers. I have a nice center already. And I have a good-enough woofer. What I need now are some nice Front Left and Right and Rear Left and Right speakers.

I found a place in Fairfax called Myer-Emco that has a pretty cool deal: you can buy any speakers there and then trade up for new ones within a year of purchase. So basically if I get a decent pair of fronts, I can exchange them for credit towards a nicer pair within the first year. In other words you can upgrade them once a year, pretty cool.

So what I need is a good starter set. Something for say, $500 for a pair. Any suggestions? Help a bruva out.

[Jam Burgler]

Yeah, that's where I got my speakers.

I got definitive technology speakers. I like em just fine. But I bought them mainly on the premise that I was buying a package.

Also check out B&W. They make a really nice set of speakers. I probably would have gotten these if I wanted to throw down a little more loot.

Stay away from Bose. Also stay way from shit you'd see in Best Buy if you can (Sony, etc.) If you're spending $500 on two speakers you can probably get a pair of moderately priced speakers from a high end company that will sound way better than the high end speakers from a shitty company.

The best thing to do is to get a CD you know well, one that has a good range on it (i.e. high highs and low lows). Take that with you into Myer-Emco and listen to it through the different speakers. Trust your ears more than anything else. You know what the fuck sounds good so stick with that. Listen on really crappy speakers (ones you'd never buy), and then listen on really good speakers (ones you can't afford) just to get a feel for what to listen for. Then compare the speakers you're interested in to those. Pick the ones that sound closest to the bomb-ass speakers you can't afford.

Also talk to the sales person. See what he recommends. Make sure the display speakers they're using are "broken in" so that you're getting an accurate estimate of what your speakers will sound like once you've had them (speakers take some good solid use to break in and reach their full potential for sound).

Try to go with a company you want to stick with for a while too because its good if all your speakers are timbre matched. The way I understand it, the best way to make sure they are timbre matched is to buy from the same company. So, when you get a new center, you can buy one that matches your front & rear speakers and it will integrate well into what you already have.

[Professor]

Thanks, Jammy.

[Jam Burgler]

Guest-Professor said:

Thanks, Jammy.

Did you hook those things up last night? I'm jealous.

Is this what you got?

[Jam Burgler]

I want two of these

[Tha Professa]

Yeah, that's what I got (the first one of course). But mine are black.

I didn't hook it. I'll probably wait until I move. No point right now.

[Jam Burgler]

Guest-Tha said:

Yeah, that's what I got (the first one of course). But mine are black.

I didn't hook it. I'll probably wait until I move. No point right now.

Fucking cool man. I want some of those so bad. I was doing some research today and the other speakers I found were some Magnepans (or "Maggies" as the cool kids call em). They looked cool at first, but apparently they have to be placed just right in the room and need certain equipment to sound good. I pretty much came to the conclusion that the Bowers & Wilkins were a better purchase. Now I really want some. Damn you!

[Tha Professa]

Mwahahaaaa!!! Shit, as I recall yours were just fine. Sounds like your fronts will soon be rears.

[His Honorable Professor Chaos]

This is exactly what I got:

www.bwspeakers.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.models/Label/Model%20DM602%20S3