Suggestion pls! Floorstand speakers for Pop/Rock Music
default -- Fri, 07/17/2009 - 22:14
I had my Rega Apollo CDP and NAD 355BEE Amplifier for a few months, and would like to upgrade for better speakers. I am in 15 x 10 room and mainly want good vocal sound. I listen to 80/90s pop/rock songs. No classical, no jazz.
I have audition for a few speakers but hard to choose.
1. Focus Audio FC7 - Canadian made speakers, was impressed with the clarity sound except it is a little thin.
2. Rega R5 (not the new RS5) - ugly look, but impressive sound especially vocal. Too bad that Rega web site never provide me with details (e.g. frequency response) cannot compare.
3. Focal JMlab Chorus 836V - the most expensive of all. Like the richness of the sound, comes in different layers. Feels that the vocal is on top.
One concern is that my NAD355BEE integrated Amp only offer 80W x 2 Continuous Power into 8 ohms.
I am purely using this set of speakers for music. Please give some opinions. Thanks!
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pls suggest
I would suggest to go listen to paradigm signature or studio 100 speakers...
HI. I've owned both the NAD C370(120 watts)and the C325(50watts). I have used Paradigms, Polk and PSB minimonitors with good results. I now own Magnepan MMGs and drive them with my C325. I use them on my medium sized living room. I have never heard better sound than with MMGs and their in the bottom of the heap. I have no problems driving them to loud levels. The bass is a little thin, mostly when using my Rega P3, which has a tubed phono stage. That being said I love the sound. Pop and Rock on CD have good bass authority but not as good as the Paradigm Studio 20's. GiveMagnepans a try and your C355 is pretty powerful. Spend some money on the sources. My two cents.
I just bought my Klipsch speakers and they sound great. I know they are not on your list but the new Palladium series is really impressive. I bought the P-37F and they are 96db sensitivity so you would have no problem running your NAD.
Bill
Living Voice Auditoriums. 93dB and an amp friendly 6 ohm load. Will complement the Rega CDP player well as both excel in PRaT and coherence.
It is fast, dynamic and can play loud with little effort or strain. Does not lose its composure as the decibels climb. Look at the Auditorium and if budget allows, the Avatar 2.
Maggies.
Sheepherder
Shenandoah Valley, VA
I listen to a lot of rock and highly processed music. Most speakers I have auditioned either don't deal with distorted guitars well or don't have the oomph needed to get my pulse racing on these tracks. The best speakers I've heard for this have been (in ascending price order)
Mordaunt Short 906 (£300)
Monitor Audio GR60 (£2400)
Cyrus Icon (£2700) very good for pop, but get a bit lost with distorted guitars
Pro-ac D80R (£9500 - 10,000) so so so soooo sweeeeeet!
Tag McLaren CD20R
Tag 60iRv (pre amp)
Tag 5x100 (used as four monoblocks for 2 speakers)
Monitor audio GR60
I generaloly prefer speakers that have fairly high sensitivity for a good amplifier interface. Coincident Technologies make very good speakers, but my new fave is the Vaughn Cabernet at $8,495. It has a great ceramic midrange and is a wonderfully dynamic full-range speaker. One should read the review at StereoMojo and some other comments on the Vaughn site. It is a very revealing speaker whether played softly or loudly. It is superior to any speaker I've heard under $20,000 and superior to quite a few over that price.
Greg
Have you listened to the PSB Synchrony Ones? They are a full range speaker that are able to completely "rock out" with great dynamics and fantastic bass but are also great in the mid-range for vocals and synths!
They only have a sensitivity rating of 88 but they are a 4 ohm speaker which, according to the NAD website, will up your NAD's output to 240 W (NAD provides a 2 ohm wattage rating of 270 W for the 355BEE on its website, so I believe it can handle the Synchrony's 4 ohm load). However, I know the PSB's like wattage, so definitely try to listen to them first with your amp (or a similar wattage amp) to see how they fare.
I didnt' break out the Depeche Mode for my audition of the Synchrony Ones but now I'm kind of wishing I had!
I'll second the PSB Synchrony Ones, and agree that they have a great mid-range. They sounded fabulous with Naim 152xs/155xs/FlatCap xs and CD5 xs.
-- Daniel
I forgot to mention that, when I auditioned the Synchrony Ones, they were being driven by a NAD M5 SACD player and a NAD BEE integrated amplifier (not sure if it was the C 355 or C375, though). I thought the Synchronys sounded fantastic with the NAD source and amplification.
I would vote for any of the Zu series of speakers. Very dynamic... I play a lot of rock, pop and electronic (highly process stuff, in other words) on Zu Druids, and they sound terrific.
Conversely, I would NOT recommend Maggies. I have owned Maggies, and you will find them lacking "punch" for most pop/rock music. They are quite detailed and transparent, but not much "fun," in comparison (even with a sub, which you will likely have a devil of a time integrating).