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What are some "sleeper" speakers you have owned over the years.
By Sleeper, I mean speakers that for some reason escaped reviews, or the recognition they deserved.
Or speakers that were better for the price, then they had any right to be.
Follow Ups:
Maston Audio was another speaker that unfortunately didn't "catch on". I don't think they lasted more than a couple years in business. They were a satellite & woofer combo, like a "poor man's" WATT/PUPPY system, but I still remember listening to them at a dealer, and thinking they were some of the best imaging speakers I ever heard! That was early '90s, and I've been on the look out for a pair ever since.
These pair very well with my 12W SE tube amp.
They only cost US$199 for a pair.
If you get them from Amazon, free supersaver shipping is included in the price.
These speakers have a very flat frequency response and have accurate and natural tone and also image very well. There is bass at the low end and it is tight and controlled.
Their sonic strengths are comparable with other more expensive speakers in the region of > US$1000 speakers.
It seems as if Klipsch tried to do things slightly differently for a while back in the 1990's. Certain models from the KG, Epic, KLF, and KSP series sound warm and smooth rather than sizzly and rough. They can be bought quite cheaply today, modern upgrades for most of them are available from Crites Speakers.
"He was one of those men who live in poverty so that their lines of questioning may continue." - John Steinbeck
Edits: 06/30/12
I had a pair of Epic CF4's. Kept them for almost ten years. You'd better have a BIG space to really let 'em rip!
I would add to the list below: ESP, Gershman, Edgarhorn,Trenner & Friedl, and Classic Audio. On the extreme fringe (pricewise and difficulty in assembling a "system"), Goto drivers can sound quite exceptional.
Basically most non mainstream speakers that people like would fall into this camp.
The Audio Note K/Spe and AX Two get virtually no press and I find them to be class leaders for their respective room size requirements.
I recently reviewed the Roksan TR-5 speakers and they're fantastic speakers that probably get overlooked because of their other products. (at least in the North American market).
King Sound arguably as well because they're up against more known established makers in Magnepan, Martin Logan, and Quad.
Certain models seem to get most of the press. I remember back in the day the B&W CDM1 and CDM2 speakers. The former got all the press and was the more expensive model but the CDM2 sounded better IMO despite not looking as good or having the tweeter on top.
Perhaps people get tied to a budget and they say "I will buy a $2,000 speaker" and they're convinced that anything less will be worse when sometimes the lower model is better balanced and will actually serve the room dimensions and amplifier better.
I had a pair of Audes, I believe one of their "Excellence" series. It was purely exquisite, the quality of the sound and the build quality seemed to be to cars as Maybach is to Toyota. Audes being the Maybach. Most of the speakers raved about in the audio rags would be Toyota.
Just sayin.
One of the more musical speakers out there for a fraction of the price you would expect for the performance.
Wide bandwidth, very neutral, quite musical and easy to drive.
Everyone knows they are good!
One of Audio's Nice guys
Des
I'd strongly disagree.
In fact, I'd bet 99.99% of the population that doesn't frequent AudioAsylum has never heard of them, much less heard them.
That's probably too bad. Have not heard them myself, but obviously I've heard OF them & wish Duke the best.
-
The best "cheap" speaker I've ever heard in my system.....Klipsch RB-5II. Huge sounding bookshelf/standmounted design that works well with high power or low, solid-state or tubes. I've owned a set for about ten years, and they are competative with anything i've tried in my system.
I agree! I was at the Best Buy some years ago, and I was very impressed with them, almost took them home, but scared my audio snob buddies would disown me!
Outrageously warm, rich, and just plain musical, imaged all over, but you need to keep your head in the waveguide's pattern, sort of.
I had owned model RB 51 II for some time. I compared it with Boston Acoustics A26 extensively at home driven by NAD 325 BEE. I clearly noticed a hollowness for female voices on the Klipsch. Since I listen mostly to female singers I sold it. I dont know if the 51 is the same as the 5 or a changed model. I hve noticed such hollowness on very expensive Horn speakers, even Cassandra Wilson sounding hollow. Perhaps supposed to be solved thru room treatments?
Cheers
Bill
Not the same speaker....The RB-5 uses an 8 inch woofer in a larger box, while the RB-51 uses a 5 inch woofer.
I have not heard the RB-51, but I can assure you the RB-5 does not sound hollow with vocals... it sounds spooky real. For comparison, I have Totem Model 1 Signatures and ProAc Studio 140's, and the Klipsch holds its own against these two in my system. The ProAc has deeper bass, the Totem is a little faster and less colored, but I could easily live with the Klipsch long term.
Best regards...
.
Anything EPI made.. My EPI Model 70 Series III's (made by harman) sound better than many of similar bookshelf speakers I have listened to, and are pretty sensitive and go pretty low for a compact standmount..
My first "good speakers" back in the early 1980's were a pair of Epicure 10's with the inverted "Air Spring Tweeter." They were great. Ah, nostalgia.
...have been the best bang for buck investment I have ever made in audio. I have 2 sets and listen to them in the extreme near-field almost every day -- nothing like taking the room out of the equation (as much as possible) and having the (sub)woofer less than 2' away. Kloss was a genius.
...I don't want to come off sounding like a Fanboy for speakers that I own. But Roy makes good stuff and it continues to fly under the radar. So I would call them "sleeper" speakers.
Oz
Don't worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older, it will avoid you.
- Winston Churchill
If only he made some 'budget' speakers around $650 in a league with the MLore, Gallo classico et al.
Cheers
Bill
.
reelsmith's axiom: Its going to be used equipment when I sell it, so it may as well be used equipment when I buy it.
Norman Labs speakers. Very nice for the time. About 20 years ago.
Bought mine in 1985 during Dali's first shot at entering the US market.
Based on drivers & construction, I'd say they'd run in the $5k to $6k range these days. Full retail (direct, mail order only back in the day) was right around $600.
Woofers need new foam surrounds, but otherwise mine are probably still pretty functional & stored away in a closet. Not giving those away anytime soon!
I remember them!
Still can't find the instruction book or the sales pamphlet showing their other models, but probably have those in a box somewhere too.
I had these for several years back in the early eighties until the late nineies. They replaced B&O M70s and were themselves replaced by PSB strat golds. These were the model 208s which were favorably reviewed by Gordon Holt in Stereophile.
Clements
I second the Rega suggestion, and would add DCM TimeFrame series. Actually, the original TimeWindows were/are also underrated, but the TF700 in particular, were fantastic at their original prices, and a steal used!
Edits: 06/24/12
bought a pair of tf600 for $22 at a thrift last summer - they are really pretty good and now grace my daughter's living room with a nad 7100 and philips ga312
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." -HST
Drug Capital Of The Midwest :)
They were made in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
They made excellent speakers, I owned DCM Time Windows.
According to one of the founders of the company.
I believe it came from a speech Pat Paulsen made when he was running for President or something he said.
Anyway, I don't know what it means.
However, I also owned the Time Windows and I always regretted selling them. They were great sounding speakers and the name was frequently a conversation starter.
That brings back memories. I was highly impressed by the Time Window review in the first issue of TAC and I proceeded to the upstairs shop in Manhattan to listen and buy. I did not like the nice and polite sound. I saw a pair of the highly rated Cizeks in the room which sounded outstanding. It had such good imaging that I couldnt tell the music was coming from the small speakers. Since I was all set on a floorstander, I came off without buying either. A big mistake.
Cheers
Bill
I've heard that one before...
They were practically made in my back yard. As a matter of fact another brand from Michigan, Electo-Voice, made some pretty good home speakers in the eighties under the Interface series banner. A lot of bang for the buck too, especially the little bookshelf 2 way, with passive radiator - I think it was the "Interface C".
AAD Silver Series, had a positive S'phile review, but the brand wasn't around long enough to get traction. Very fine sound across the board- my fave < $2000 speaker, often selling for $5-700 used.
Aurum Cantus Leisure 2 and 3- very musical, smooth, and detailed. Incredible cabinetry. A bit laid back - the 3 has pretty deep but a bit overripe bass, but these are very easy to enjoy for long periods. The sell used for $5-800, and are bargains at that level.
For monkey coffins, the JBL L80T and L100Ts offer old school big speaker power and dynamics and respectably low coloration. $2-300 makes them the best sound per $.
Seriously, these are the "Audiophile Cerwin Vega's". They even have image depth, 2 to 3 feet out from a back wall. I was most impressed with them. So, I went into the midrange chamber, and WTF did I find ? LOL, some Long Fiber Wool in the chamber behind the midrange driver! I was freaking shocked!
They are big, and ugly as home made shit, and a 4 ohm load. Though efficient as all hell, you still need a big high current amp to really make them sing.
Your Kids will love them, because they will also play Rap at house shaking levels all day long, w/o complaint.
Be honest with yourself, if you are a "closet cranker", and mostly listen to Judas Priest and Metallica when your audio snob buddies aren't around, then these may be for you. They can be had used for about 250.00 a pair.
Although this dates back to the 80's.....the JSE Model 1.
...I was going to mention the JSE Model 2.
Now Joseph Audio has the crossover patent and has been using it successfully for the past couple of decades.
Yes, I'd have to agree that he's (Jeff Joseph) done a great job picking up where JSE left off. Very nice fellow as well......met him years ago at one of the Stereophile shows.
Swan D1.1se. These little monitors stand their ground against Totem Model One Signature, B&W CM5, Monitor Audio RX-1 and a few others that I personally compared them to. Plus their Rosewood finish is just beautiful.
Check them out on Audio Insider.
I was just about to list the 2.1's as my choice for sleepers then I read your post. I bought the customs for my HT - but broke them in and listened ofr a few weeks in the main room with Pass/Audio Research gear - amazing 2 way stand mount that for $1150/pair including stands...is one sweet sleeper.
NSM/Role Audio
"Apparently, people now believe that mental telepathy is the foundation of communication and magic is the source of daily events. Consequently, we no longer have to participate in our own lives."
The little Pioneer BS41 bookshelf speakers got some rave reviews, and rightly so. They are much, much better than they should be for $150/pr.
Same goes for the Tekton Design M-Lore towers. Stereomojo.com calls them their budget speaker of the year. Way more speaker than they have a right to be @ $650/pr. I haven't heard better at 3X the price.
I own both :)
Sorry to bother you but could you briefly explain what exactly makes the M Lore sound better? I read the reviews but would like the impression of an Asylum Inmate. There must be something that the designer did which is different from others.
Regards
Bill
My writing skills are not that great and I certainly lack the ability to convey my impressions of audio gear in the manner of a reviewer but I'll give it a try.
The M-Lore seems to be a perfect fit for a small to medium room. Efficient at 95dB they play effortlessly at any volume without the need for mega-watt amps. Very smoth sounding with plenty of bass output I could never imagine the need for a subwoofer in my music room with these speakers for any kind of music. They have, for lack of a better term, what I would call an "old fashioned sound" as opposed to the etched "analytical" sound that you'll hear with many modern speakers.
I attribute at least part of their charm to the lack of a complex crossover. I've always been intrigued by what a properly designed simple full-range speaker, (with a little help on the top end from a civilized soft dome tweeter) would sound like, and this is it. No amplifier power is wasted, no crazy impedence swings (it's pretty much 8 ohms across the spectrum) allow these speakers to play well with almost any amplifier you might match them with from a small SET to a SS behemoth.
I listen to all genres of music: rock, jazz, folk and classical in that order. I'll have to say that they seem to be more in their element with rock and jazz that classical, but that could just my taste coming into play. My wife listens to a lot of unamplified vocal and string music, she's very critical of speakers, and she loves the M-Lore.
I don't know what went into Eric Alexander's design process when he came up with these (perhaps the K.I.S.S. principle), but they sound way better than they have any right to sound for what he's charging for them. I odered mine in gloss "Rosso Corsa" (Ferrari racing red) and with the optional grilles. The finish is superb, like that of a very high priced automoble, and the grilles 'civilize' the speakers for the necessary WAF along with keeping inquisitive fingers away from the soft dome tweeters.
They really must be heard to be believed. If you're ever in the western Colorado area contact me. You're invited to visit my home for a listen.
In closing, I want to stress that I am in no way involved with Tekton Design or its owner, Eric Alexander. There are no ulterior motives here, I'd just like to brag about my new speakers and perhaps get the word out to the rest of the audio community.
abs1, first of all let me state your writing skills are great. Thanks for such a lucid reply.
I get the impression that the Lore does not sound clinical in that it doesnt separate the instuments too much. Perhaps the imaging and the depth may not be that great. A little mixing of various frequencies create a sort of musicality, like the old KLH 6 speaker. I am making all these inferences from various writeups.
Thanks for the invitation to listen to the speakers. If a certain health problem can be resolved, I will be at the RMAF in October.
Best Regards
Bill
Bill, I hope that your health issues are resolved and that you make it to RMAF. I'm not sure that I'm going to make it this year due to a scheduling conflict, but it's early and there's still hope. My invitation to you stands, but realize that I'm located 250 miles west of Denver and across the Continental Divide so it would be quite a side trip for you.
I think that the Lores imaging and depth are more dependent on placement than anything else, although they're not at all picky in that regard. It's interesting that you mentioned the KLH 6. They were my first stereo pair of speakers back in the very early 1960's. I kept mine until 1969 so I have to rely strictly on memory from decades ago, but IIRC these M-Lores are in a diufferent league. The 6's never had this kind of efficiency, dynamic range or 'punch' but that was a long time and many speakers ago.
Take care and best wishes for a speedy recovery,
Alan
Regas.
I remember Herb Reichert telling me about some small standmount Regas that were supposed to work very well with SE tube amps. It was around 1996, so I don't remember the model he referred to at the time.
I should have added "NAOS" to my original post as those are the ones I know.
A transmission line speaker that I still own but packed in their boxes since I moved over three years ago. They sounded wonderful with an ARC VT100 III and a Linn Genki in my previous house.
The red mahogany finish simply doesn't fit with the rest of the stuff in the living room. They were supposed to be black, but the guy called me back to say "sorry, we couldn't find black in the warehouse" and because in my mind I already owned these speakers I said ok for the other finish. I always wondered if it wasn't the old bait and switch scenario.
I should find a spot for them in the house or sell them so someone else could enjoy them.
Their turntables and electronics have always gotten most of the attention in the audio press.
I have no doubt that their bookshelf speakers sound great for the kind of money they go for as Rega as a knack for building great sounding stuff at reasonable prices.
They have a line of equipment at much higher prices now though. A sign of the times I guess.
Outside of some fans over at Audio Circle, I don't think that the SP Tech (now Aether) speakers ever quite got the attention and respect they deserved. My SP Tech Minis are gorgeous 2-way monitors, with a waveguide that crosses over at 800 Hz (!!!). And they go deep into the bass region (-3dB at 40 Hz in anechoic chamber, even lower in a listening room). Beauties to look at too. Stunning standmount monitors all around.
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