[003]

I'm going to be getting an apartment and I want to get some speakers for $500 or less that will not distort and retain good sound quality at high volumes. I currently have the Audioengine A2s and they sound good in a smaller room at low to moderate volume, but if you try and turn them up higher, there is evident distortion.

I'm looking for speakers that have the good sound of the A2s at moderate volume, but at higher volumes, suitable for parties. I also have an Audioengine S8 subwoofer that I would be using with the speakers.

I don't know much about speakers outside of Audioengine. I was looking at the active A5s and the passive P4s. I would not mind passive if I could pair them with a good, inexpensive digital amp. I do notice that the P4s have 5" woofers while the P4s are only 4".

Suggestions?

 

[Ypoknons]

You check the walls are thick enough? When I was in NYC they were basically drywalls and a quiet "cheaayeahh" from late night basketball or a dropped book could be heard from next door. In Hong Kong we have these crazy concrete walls. Nothing gets through.

 

[003]

The walls aren't concrete but they aren't paper either. Being loud won't be a concern, don't worry about that. Any suggestions as to what I should be looking at?

 

[RicHSAD]

If you want something loud I would suggest looking at speakers with high sensitivity. The passive P4 aren't too bad at 88db but I would look for something with bigger woofers anyway.

Klipsch makes high efficiency speakers, good for parties, but their "in your face" sound signature isn't for everyone. They are a little on the expensive side too compared to other models. If you want something more neutral sounding, Energy makes great speakers.

Here are a few models you might want to look into (just a few examples, there are plenty of other good speakers out there):

Klipsch RB-61 (good but not worth the full price imo .. look for deals)
Energy CB-20
Energy RC-10
Axiom M3

 

[003]

Thanks for the suggestions! The RC-10 is too expensive, not to mention I would still need an amp. The RB-61 could be doable, but the price would be slightly more than I am looking to spend. Would the RB-61s be noticeably better than the M3s or CB-20s? If not, I'd like to save the money. I need speakers that can go loud without distorting, particularly if there is heavy bass in the music. If there is a lot of bass, the A2s I have will even distort and what I consider to be moderate volume

I like the price of the M3s and CB-20s, what relatively inexpensive amps should I be looking at? I've heard for budget amps, digital is a very strong contender.

 

[LFF]

JBL 4311

 

[RicHSAD]

Vanns has the black RC-10 for $350 a pair. Not too different than the other speakers. You have to be in the US though.

I have both the RB-61 and the CB-20. It is very hard to say which of the two are the better speakers sound wise as they sound very different. The RB-61s produce more bass on their own as they are quite a lot bigger, but if you pair them with a sub it becomes kind of irrelevant. I love both, but considering that I paid less then $300 CAD for the CB-20 and the RB-61 cost me a little over $400, I think the CB-20 are definitely the better deal.

There is also always a risk when buying Klipsch speakers as some people find them annoyingly bright/harsh. This could be a problem, especially if you plan to drive them at high volume. To be on the safe side and to save a little bit of money in the process, I would suggest that you go for the Energy or the Axiom.

Since you have a subwoofer, I'm guessing you would need an amp with a subwoofer out. Maybe look into a cheap 2.1 receiver. Even better would be a 5.1 Receiver as it would give you more control over the subwoofer (proper crossover settings, phase, etc). I have yet to see a 2 channel receiver with any crossover settings.

 

[003]

The subwoofer is active. Does that mean I can just get an amp for the speakers? I have no idea what's garbage and what isn't. What would be a good amp that could easily power the CB-20s to high volume without any distortion or other problems?

 

[RicHSAD]

Yes the S8 is a powered sub, so you just need an amp for the speakers. How is the subwoofer currently connected to your setup?

 

[003]

The subwoofer connects to the output of the source and the speakers connect to the line out on the subwoofer. So I would connect the line out on the woofer to an integrated amp, and then connect the speakers to the amp? Would an amp like this be a good choice? Anything cheaper that would be just as good?

 

[Lenni]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 003 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm going to be getting an apartment and I want to get some speakers for $500 or less that will not distort and retain good sound quality at high volumes. I currently have the Audioengine A2s and they sound good in a smaller room at low to moderate volume, but if you try and turn them up higher, there is evident distortion. I'm looking for speakers that have the good sound of the A2s at moderate volume, but at higher volumes, suitable for parties. I also have an Audioengine S8 subwoofer that I would be using with the speakers. I don't know much about speakers outside of Audioengine. I was looking at the active A5s and the passive P4s. I would not mind passive if I could pair them with a good, inexpensive digital amp. I do notice that the P4s have 5" woofers while the P4s are only 4". Suggestions?

considering you like the sound of the A2, you will like the A5 even more. the A5 are considerably better than the A2, and will go way louder before distorting. but then I don't listen to loud music, so what's loud to me may be moderate to you. I'm a little concerned about your neighbours.

I'd say the A5 would be the safest, sensible choice considering budget, and you've the S8. if you're going with passive speaker, personally I'd not spend on side-step speakers, but save for something like Paradigm Studio 10v5 or PSB's. they'd be a major upgrade over the A2 and A5. less distortion, if any. but they don't work by themselves, so you wanna think about that, but you already know

 

[RicHSAD]

Hmm the line out on that sub is definitely a handy feature, I think it would work. The amp should do fine I guess .. I don't know much about power amp unfortunately, but from what I've read it seems like a pretty good deal given the price.

If you can, try to buy the speakers at a place where you can easily return them if needed. It is hard not to like Energy speakers, but I have never really pushed them to their limits and I don't know loud you really want them or expect them to be.

Edit: In reply to the above, I'm sure the A5 are great speakers, but there is no way speakers like the Energy CB-20 are just a mere side step to the A2. The difference in size (2.75" vs 6.5" woofer) alone is a pretty major upgrade.

Edit2: A review on the CB-20: http://www.goodsound.com/equipment/energy_cb20.htm

 

[003]

I did kind of an impulse thing and got the RB-61s for $409 shipped, brand new on e-bay. They have the highest sensitivity, and seem more capable than the A5s from everything I've been looking at. Any form of aggressive sound definitely won't be a problem with the kind of music they will be playing.

So now I need a decent integrated amp. I don't want to spend more than $150. If the speakers and amp can be under $600 total including shipping I will be happy

 

[wgb113]

Dang! I just stumbled upon a pair of Quad 12L active speakers on AudioGon fro $650obo. They're active so the amps are built in and they'd trounce the A2 and A5.

Good luck with your purchase!

Bill

 

[diogenes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LFF /img/forum/go_quote.gif JBL 4311

Second this suggestion.