Speaker Replacement/Upgrade?

default -- Sun, 06/07/2009 - 07:46

I own Alon II speakers that I bought new in 1994. The speakers are powered by a VTL IT-85 integrated amplifier. I bought the Alons because I loved the sound staging. I live in a studio apartment currently, and have never lived in anything bigger than a one bedroom, so I realize I am not making optimal use of the speakers. Nonetheless, I still listen to music and feel giddy because I get bass without a subwoofer and the sound is pure. My questions are thus:
- Do I need to replace these speakers because of age?
- If so, what on the market is worth checking out in my price range (no more than $3,000)?
- If not, how long should I realistically expect these speakers to last? Is there anything I can do to extended the life of the speakers (I have never had them "serviced")?
Thank you in advance for your thoughts.

Robert Harley -- Mon, 06/08/2009 - 14:40

The speakers should still perform as intended, and have many years left on them. There's no need to "service" speakers, although you should periodically gently tighten down the screws or bolts holding the drivers to the baffle. Speakers have, however, improved in the past 15 years. But if you like the Alon IIs, you should keep them.

roger_arenas200... -- Tue, 06/09/2009 - 10:23

Since i dont understand how these high end speakers sound because here in saudi arabia we have limited speaker range only jamo and yamaha are the choices and so i nerver had the chance to hear them... i would like to know if i need to change my current speakers which are jamo e855 and sourrounds from the yamaha range. i dont know what is the "big difference in soundstaging or sound quality" as everyone is mentioning. do speakers really differ when it comes to sound? or what matters is the receivers capabilities of giving power. and i have not hear from you guys the jamo range and yamaha range of speakers are they bad sounding speakers? i am a new guy when it comes to this please lighten my queries... thank alot in advance..

Cemil Gandur -- Wed, 06/10/2009 - 03:47

I would be very surprised if there isn't at least one high-end store in Saudi Arabia. Most countries with a reasonable sized middle class and some wealthy individuals would have at least one. These may be hard to find and might not be ground floor 'shops', but located in an appartment in a building.
Your best bet to locate one would be to troll through various manufacturers' web sites looking to see if they have a dealer in Saudi Arabia. It's a bit tedious, but does get you better results than doing a google search or the like. I often do this when travelling to a new location and have the time to visit some dealers. Try the more established manufacturers, as it is likely that the smaller exotic ones would not have local distributors.

Cemil Gandur -- Wed, 06/10/2009 - 03:54

Here's the Krell dealer in Saudi Arabia:
FUTURE ENTERTAINMENT WORKS
21412  Suite #23, 2nd Floor
Al-Jazeera Building, Tahlia Street
Jeddah
TEL +9662-606 3835   FAX +9662-606 2016
EMAIL sales [at] few [dot] tv
Joe  Tecson

I am sure he will be able to point you to others.

roger_arenas200... -- Wed, 06/10/2009 - 12:19

thanks zeb, i am living here in riyadh and it is quite a little bit stricter when it comes to things like that here comparing to jeddah. i have been through the kingdom of riyadh but it seems like things are hidden here. even for a simple audition of speakers and receivers they have to close the shops for you to listen because they are not allowing loud music here. it is a little bit odd but what to do. anyway, thanks for the suggestion i will try to visit jeddah once if i have time..

nycexplorer (not verified) -- Wed, 06/10/2009 - 14:17

Thank you very much, Robert.

Robert Harley -- Tue, 06/09/2009 - 15:10

Speakers sound very different from one another. Although the receiver is important, the speaker is a major factor in the quality of the sound that you hear. We have not reviewed Yamaha speakers, although we reviewed the big Jamo 909 and were favorably impressed.
I suggest that you visit a high-end store if you ever get the opportunity and listen to what a great system sounds like.

roger_arenas200... -- Tue, 06/09/2009 - 15:15

thanks robert...