Choosing Speakers

[Still-One]

After reading the posts in the XR 200 thread I thought I would start a new thread where we could discuss the issues related to selecting speakers for our systems.

I thought some of the last posts touched on a few of the problems we face in finding the a speaker that fulfills the majority of our expectations.
Here is an initial list that I have come up with. Feel free to add your own. Remember not everyone will have to deal with every issue.
1) Does the speaker hit the right buttons when you first hear it?
2) Does it fit into your room?
3) Do you like the way it looks? Does it have WAF?
4) Does it fit you pocket book?
5) even if you have no problem affording the gear, are you willing to pay a lot extra for those small improvements you get for those dollars?
6) Can you take the hit if once you get it into your system and it does not work, then you must sell them?
7) Will your current gear allow you to get the most from your selection?

Here are some of the problems we face in purchasing the best speaker for our needs.
1) Not every speaker we would like to hear is carried by a dealer close to our homes.
2) If you find a dealer who has the speakers, he may be driving them with gear that is very different than what you have in your home?
3) No matter what it sounds like in the showroom, it is going to sound different in your room.
4) It is very difficult although not impossible to get a dealer to allow you to demo the speakers in your home.
5) If is very difficult to A-B two speakers especially when the optimal spot for each speaker is approximately the same.

I think that these are good starting points for discussion. I have some other points but I think they will come out as we proceed.

[80B]

Jim,
You've mentioned all great points. The biggest issues around the problem list revolve around the unique variables of the listening room and the components therein. Short of having a demo of each speaker you're seriously considering in your own room, you'll always ask yourself "is this the best?". That being said, it shouldn't get in the way of enjoying what you've got, whether you're at the beginning of your journey or been at it for decades.

[Dj_AmTraX]

I think if the speakers in question sounds good in a bad room then it should be solid in my room.

[1KW]

Jim,

You have given your post alot of thought, all good points. I don't think you missed anything except sometimes you just want something different

[Still-One]

Originally Posted by 1KW

Jim,

You have given your post alot of thought, all good points. I don't think you missed anything except sometimes you just want something different

You are right sometimes we just want a change.

[schaefer11]

Originally Posted by 1KW

Jim,

You have given your post alot of thought, all good points. I don't think you missed anything except sometimes you just want something different

That is what has driven virtually all of my speaker changes. I had a lot of different speakers, then settled on Klipschorns for 10 years. Had another batch of speakers, then settled on my current LS360's for about 8 years and counting. I find it almost impossible to put into words why I have been unhappy with so many speakers and happy with so few. It is more of a feeling than something easily quantifiable.

[Still-One]

I had a pretty good discussion with one dealer a week ago. My position is that you are probably going to have to select a speaker that you have heard at a dealer, a friends home or at a show without ever having it in your home. If you like the general sound in one of these locations then when you get it home you can begin working with the other gear, your cabling, your room acoustics to get it sounding good. You may have to swap some of those out to get it just where you want it.

[Dj_AmTraX]

I used to have a few pairs of speakers to switch around from time to time but I kept going back to my JM Lab as reference. I still have some bookselfs speakers to fool around with but not big ones. If you can keep two or three pairs around for when you feel like changing things up you can without buying new ones. I do that with amps & pre-amps too.

[Rilands]

Originally Posted by Dj_AmTraX

I used to have a few pairs of speakers to switch around from time to time but I kept going back to my JM Lab as reference. I still have some bookselfs speakers to fool around with but not big ones. If you can keep two or three pairs around for when you feel like changing things up you can without buying new ones. I do that with amps & pre-amps too.

Good point. I have been going back and forth with my Cremonas and VMPS for several months now. It's fun to do this. Each time I switch I decide that the one's I just hooked back up are the ones I need to keep. And then, a few weeks later I switch back and decide these are the better. It's kinda fun. It's like getting something new each time you switch. I know, sounds kinda sick....

I do have a couple of dream speakers in mind though. One pair I was drawn to in a showroom, the other pair I hear so much positive about them on AA that I would like to try those babies in my home too.

I will say that sometimes the new is not always an improvement over the old. And a higher price doesn't seem to always mean better.

[Still-One]

Originally Posted by Rilands

Good point. I have been going back and forth with my Cremonas and VMPS for several months now.

Which of the VMPS speakers do you own? One local dealer used to have the Elixir's set-up. These were very impressive speakers with some of the better bass I have heard.