[tennisets]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cotdt http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=139204 avoid single-driver sets because they sound nasty!

Well that's certainly one of the most ignorant and unqualified statements I've read in a while. First of all, what does that thread have to do with single driver speakers? Even if some of the monitors listed have single drivers (which strikes me as unlikely), they're powere speakers meant for studio monitoring. Home audio speakers (for the most part), and all high end single driver speakers are passive, and built for a different purpose. Single driver designs aren't meant to be particularly neutral, but they can sound very, very good.

Let me put this question to you: what single driver speakers have you heard? Let's say you have heard high end single driver speakers. You think they sound "nasty." Does that mean everyone else will think they sound bad? Of course not! My point is, if you're going to say why you don't like something, or why you do like something, at least try to support your statement with the reasons you do or do not like it. Unsupported statements are pretty much worthless to everyone. Unfortunately, there are way too many of them on Head-Fi and in other audio forums. But I've found it's especially bad here.

Edit: Oh, and here are some examples of single driver speakers:
Omega
Zu Cable Those are super-tweeters by the way, the main drivers are actually full range.
Cain & Cain
Rethm
Avantgarde
The Horn Shoppe
Beauhorn
Carfrae

And there are more, but it's pretty pointless to list most of them anyway since single driver speaker manufacturers are mostly extremely small scale operations anyway (think 1-5 people for most of them).

 

[tennisets]

Oh, I guess I should also say that I really don't know what speakers to recommend for you since you haven't given any sonic preferences. Also because normally I'd tell you to watch Audiogon since some great deals can be had there, but you're based in the UK so that makes things a little more difficult. I'd check out some ProAcs though, they sound pretty good. They're the only British speaker I've every heard that I like. Look for the Tablette Reference 8s.

And don't buy anything you've never heard, if at all possible. Too often that leads to dissappointing results. The best way to decide what you want is to go to a shop and listen to speakers and amps. Buy what you think sounds best.

 

[hackeron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tennisets Oh, I guess I should also say that I really don't know what speakers to recommend for you since you haven't given any sonic preferences. Also because normally I'd tell you to watch Audiogon since some great deals can be had there, but you're based in the UK so that makes things a little more difficult. I'd check out some ProAcs though, they sound pretty good. They're the only British speaker I've every heard that I like. Look for the Tablette Reference 8s. And don't buy anything you've never heard, if at all possible. Too often that leads to dissappointing results. The best way to decide what you want is to go to a shop and listen to speakers and amps. Buy what you think sounds best.

Oh, my bad. I guess I mostly listen to Classical, we're talking piano concetos and symphonies and I like laid back sound.

Sometimes also listen to RnB, and jazz like Everette Harp but I'm not really looking for something boomy, I just want a good pair of speakers to listen at a close distance on quite low volumes so I dont have to always have my headphones on, and so I dont have a share a headphone when showing a friend a new clip and what not

 

[tennisets]

You should definitely check out ProAc then, they fit the description of what you're describing pretty closely and their monitors work well for nearfield listening. They should be pretty easy to find in London being a British brand and all. Try to find a shop that carries ProAc and give 'em a listen. You'll need an amp too, but you should be fine with something like the NAD C321BEE, which is only $300 here in the States. Good luck on your speaker search.