Recommendation for Speakers up to 1000GBP (1500 Euro)

[wytco0]

I have just spent a few hours looking at DIY speaker sites and I am confused !!!

There are a lot of nice looking kits around but I cant find any comparisons, I am guessing that DIY Speakers might be the most risky bit of DIY Hi-Fi but it also looks as though some there are some fine speakers around.

I am looking for a pair of speakers to replace my Ruark Prolog 1's, I mostly play Rock and Jazz (I never play classical), I am after something that looks good and sounds good, it need to have better bass that the Ruarks but I don't want them to be too big. Accuracy and imaging are important.

I would like to have the option of making the speakers Active if possible but that is not essential.

Any recommendations and information gratefully received

My absolute maximum budget is £1000 (1000GBP) Completed.

[FrancoB]

Check

www.northcreekmusic.com

or

http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthr...6&page=1&pp=35 .

or

http://www.geocities.com/kreskovs/NaO.html

[Vikash]

DIY Speakers might be the most risky bit of DIY Hi-Fi

How about the SE kits. I'm sure you'll find lots of people who have built/have experience with these kits and sure you can't go wrong with them: https://secure.wilmslow-audio.co.uk/...r_kits_93.html

More kits: https://secure.wilmslow-audio.co.uk/...Systems_1.html

[Mark25]

The wilmslow recomendation is a good one IMO. I have 2 of their kits! I think the effort in going to their demo room would be well spent, it's up north tho. IPL is another kit co, which maybe closer to you. I think all these kits will impress wrt conventional hifi, you just need to check the imaging abilities meet your requirments. You may well find you requirments/objectives change if you go and listen, mine did!
Good Luck.
Mark.

[wytco0]

Thanks for the links, I have looked at most of them already what would be really useful is any recommendations of specific models.

I had forgotten that its possible to visit Wilmslow for demos.

Mark25, which speakers did you buy?

PS I shoudl have said in my original post that I am very happy to spend far less than the £1000 max price indicated. The main thing is that they are superior to the Ruarks.

[tktran]

After experimenting with various speakers in different rooms I've found that the acoustic environment is, IMHO, the most important factor to consider when buying or building.

What is the size of your room?
Do you have other requirements eg. close wall placement/aesthetic/size considerations?

How loud do you listen to your music and how much clean power can your amplifier deliver?

The recently reviewedRuark Talisman III is a 2 way compact floorstander utilizing Seas drivers. And it costs 1500 GBP (~USD1900)

Many of the 2 way designs readily available on the net are far cheaper, well thought out designs and some are very well documented for beginners.

But if you have the space I think larger MTM or 3 ways will ease some of that upgraditis.

Some to consider:

John Krujke's XG18/TDFC (7" MTM)

MBOW1 3-Way (10"+5"+3/4")/

Seas Thor (7" MTM)

BESL Series 5 MTM + 10" XLS/PR

Troels Gravesen's Acapella SE (passive hybrid dipole)

John K's NaO (active/passive Dipole)

As a reference my first DIY speakers is a modified version of the DIY ProAc Response 2.5 Clone which incidentally cost about the same to build as the first two speakers I mention.

The commercial speaker was $2,700 GBP. Replacement cost of the recently revised Reponse D25 is 3000GBP. Like many people who dabbled in DIY speaker building, quickly sold their commercial speakers to make room for builing more.

Next is NaO... (coming soon)

[Mark25]

Originally posted by wytco0
Mark25, which speakers did you buy?

I have the Home studio monitor and the duet (sealed 7L, monacor sph 135c and SS 2905/9500). I got to commercial speakers of 2k in the hifi shops before deciding things were getting silly, the HSM cost my £500 and i'm still happy 5 years on.
Mark

EDIT: my mate got the prestige at the same time, he is also still happy!

[wytco0]

Tktran, many thanks for the info and links. Room placement is a bit of a problem as one speaker needs to be about 1 meter from the back wall and the other one about .5 meters. I am very fond of the Ruarks but they are a bit bass light and I am not convinced that their midrange is brilliant either. They are about 7 years old.

I don't play my music very loudly, not soft either sort of middle loudness, depends on whether the neighbours are in or not ;-)

I don't want huge ugly speakers the wife wont put up with them, my amp is currently 180 Wrms based on Hypex UCD180 modules. I will probably be changing this for 400 Wrms versions of the Hypex modules, which would leave me with the UCD180's spare which is why I wanted to consider the active options using the 400's for bass and the 180's for tweeters, but as mentioned above this is not a requirement.

Mark25, thanks.

[foo]

You can use accuton C23 + C94.
The price including Xover and enclosure is around 1500EU here in Taiwan.
It's also what i am planning to do .

[tktran]

wytco0,

If size or WAF is an issue I think the 7" MTM speakers will be more in line with the size of your Ruark Prolog 1.

The ProAc 2.5 and clone, IMHO, is reknowned for its bass and dazzling or 'interesting' treble, and would be an upgrade from a quality point of view (resolution, imaging etc). But the tradeoff for the low bass is low sensitivity (~82-83 dB/W/m), and unlikely to play as loudly as your Prolog.

I run with 90W/8ohm amplifiers, and the speaker starts to run out of steam as amplifier is turned up high.

With rock or jazz I like playing at LIVE levels. Your amplifiers seem up to the task, so I think a floorstanding version of John Krujke's XG18/27TDFC MTM will be better upgrade. And very good value. John's very helpful and the project is well documented.

Building a Thor would be step up, but the cost really jumps. The BESL MTM/XLS+PR takes it to the limit whilst still maintaining your size contraints.

The 3 ways I previously mentioned use 8, 10 or 12" woofers, making probably too large.