Floor standing speakers- Need suggestions

[srangarajans]

Hello,
I am on the look out for good floor standing speakers. I have auditioned Wharfedale 9.5, Mission M34i, M33i, Tannoy F4 custom, Polk audio Rti series, Kef IQ90, IQ5 etc, B&W.
So far, for the cost vs performance, I feel Mission M34i or M35i is excellent..

Does any one has Mission speakers? Can u pls let me know ur comments?

BTW B & W (specifically DM683) and monitor audio are out of my budget! However if u feel they are exceptional pls throw some light on this

 

[vishanv]

Hello,
I am on the look out for good floor standing speakers. I have auditioned Wharfedale 9.5, Mission M34i, M33i, Tannoy F4 custom, Polk audio Rti series, Kef IQ90, IQ5 etc, B&W.
So far, for the cost vs performance, I feel Mission M34i or M35i is excellent..

Does any one has Mission speakers? Can u pls let me know ur comments?

BTW B & W (specifically DM683) and monitor audio are out of my budget! However if u feel they are exceptional pls throw some light on this

can you let know your maximum budget and listening preference.

I have auditioned B&W 603 & 683 and felt the 603 to be better and balanced. may be you should consider 603 too.

 

[srangarajans]

My budget is max 30K. I have heard DM683. They are very good. but the price is greater than 80K! Do u have the price of Dm603s3?
what is ur opinion on 603S3?

 

[suprateep]

Hello,
I am on the look out for good floor standing speakers. I have auditioned Wharfedale 9.5, Mission M34i, M33i, Tannoy F4 custom, Polk audio Rti series, Kef IQ90, IQ5 etc, B&W.
So far, for the cost vs performance, I feel Mission M34i or M35i is excellent..

Does any one has Mission speakers? Can u pls let me know ur comments?

BTW B & W (specifically DM683) and monitor audio are out of my budget! However if u feel they are exceptional pls throw some light on this

okay what are the specs of the amp?

First step - buy an amp
Second Step - buy speakers to match the amp

I have an onkyo 606 paired for nwo with Mission m35i upfront since I am still in the process of identifying the right stereo amp.

1. Out of the box fresh missions sound bad - takes a long time to break -in. What i can say is that over the last 2 months - a change in speaker wire and source cables and playback (10-15hours an week) the sound is way better - the bass more tight. Midrange was always a highlight of this speaker.
2. Missions tend to be forward hence pairing with the right amp is necessary.
3. M34 is a more VFM choice. For people with subs this is the way to go. I have a sub but since I would like to keep my budget tight and stereo setup separate hence i went for the m35 - am not dissapointed.
4. M35i is an monster. In can shake things up without a sub and reproduces movies sounds pretty nicely out of the box.
5. Musicality is something that comes with time - have to be patient. I had heard a mission m35 2 years back at a friends place in Calcutta - was veery impressed with a 2 year piece there. And he used to play is like 7-8 hours in a day. (boy he is lucky - i hardly get to play anything over the weekdays)

Apart from it i have extensively tested the whardale 9.5/9.6 (9,.6 is different somewhat from the 9.5). Does not pair well with CA amps and CA sources. Felt dead against a CA amp + ms906 combo.

Polk RTI is expensive. I think you meant TSI since it falls in the same price segment of 18-30k. Polk tsi is very forward and should never be paired with Marantz, Onkyo, CA. Goes well with Denon somehow.

For floorstanders on a budget you have my choices.

 

[srangarajans]

Suprateep,
Thanks for the exhaustive comments.
I have a yamaha Rxv350 amp. It is pretty decent with 90Wrms x 5.
Mission M34i- Mid range is excellent as u say.
=> one important thing which I never found in other speakers is the dynamic range - differences in the magnitude of sound for different instruments and the imaging.

Now thinking whether to go for M35i or M34i (considering my amp) or alternately 603 speakers (not auditioned yet, but just thinking that it is from B&W, it should sound better)..

....Guys, ur comments are welcome...

 

[moserw]

First step - buy an amp
Second Step - buy speakers to match the amp

Would disagree here Supra. Speakers last a lot longer and should be more investment heavy. The way video and audio codecs and formats keep changing, its a new AVR every few years. Also in terms of wear and tear speakers fare better than anything else. All other h/w like CDP, DVDP, Amp, AVR, etc. will go for a toss a lot earlier than the speakers.

@srangarajans - Check out Wharfedale 9.6 too. Anything B&W is expensive but they are good too.

 

[srangarajans]

moserw- Thanks for the info...I auditioned the Wharfd 9.6 too. But somehwhat it didnt impress me because, the only significant difference is the looks rather than significant improvement in quality.

 

[suprateep]

Would disagree here Supra. Speakers last a lot longer and should be more investment heavy. The way video and audio codecs and formats keep changing, its a new AVR every few years. Also in terms of wear and tear speakers fare better than anything else. All other h/w like CDP, DVDP, Amp, AVR, etc. will go for a toss a lot earlier than the speakers.

@srangarajans - Check out Wharfedale 9.6 too. Anything B&W is expensive but they are good too.

i meant that speakers should match the amp in question. I assumed that it is a 2 channel amp and that will (it has for long and should) stay and hence matching it with capable speakers is essential.

Wharf 9.6 is better than 9.5 - goes well with Marantz. No go with CA 540/640.
B&W - you pay more for a brand. You can get better for less.

BTW with a budget of 30k why even consider B&W?? Its like wanting a Wagon R and going froth face over a Merc.

Buddy at your budget and equipment look at Wharf 9.6/Mission m34-m35. Get an audition with your equipment and a preferable 2 channel amptoo - in case you upgrade in the future.

 

[moserw]

moserw- Thanks for the info...I auditioned the Wharfd 9.6 too. But somehwhat it didnt impress me because, the only significant difference is the looks rather than significant improvement in quality.

Well the bass is better too. But not an issue if you get a sub.

 

[magma]

for 30k
i cant think of anything better than the Avant 906i
andthe Jamo C405

 

[gobble]

The MS906i is a good start. I auditioned it and liked it and wanted to buy it but the price quoted was too high - 28K. See the screenshot of an article from AV magazine for the 906i launch in India (pdf is too large).

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/6721/ms906i.png

AV magazines usually quote the dealer's dream price ( inflated ) and even then it was @22,577.00 INR. So I was not willing to pay 28K for it even though I could have afforded it.

Cheers

 

[shagun]

Hi Suprateep,
If possible, please elaborate your experience with Wharfedale 9.6 vs Mission 35i.
Thanks.

 

[suprateep]

Hi Suprateep,
If possible, please elaborate your experience with Wharfedale 9.6 vs Mission 35i.
Thanks.

i heard the two separately

Wharf 9.2/9.5/9.6 & MS 906 paired with CA 640 amp + CD player.

CD - Eagles, Pink Floyd

The wharf seemed dull and midrange was muddy according to me (i put great emphasis on midrange and soft treble and hate boomy bass) though it was very musical. The CA seemed better with the ms 906 but here i felt the treble to be sharp though notes were crisp. To me it was a slightly (ever so) forward but very acceptable. But somehow I could not justify a 28-29k price tag for ms906.

I heard 9.5/9.6 again with Norge amps - somehow it seemed better with A.R. Rahman's Dil Se (Jiya Jale) and Eagles Hotel California and came alive with Marantz 6 series amp. Best combo with Wharfdale 9.6 I felt.

Missions have been paired with yamaha 663, AX397, denon 500AE, Onkyo 606 - yet to audition Norge 1000 with it. The M34 closely matches the MS906 in terms of sharpness and very acceptable for great midrange and soft yet distincty treble response. Bass is slightly lacking (but most people say that silver sand put inside - has a cavity at the back - improves it considerably). Price tag at 17-18k is a steal. The M35 is a different baby altogether - no port for silver sand, is a monster in terms of size and weight. Has the soft treble response, bass that gets better with time (out fo the box was boomy - realized that wires needed to be changed - use DAC 14AWG instead of 22AWG that I was using earlier - spacing is important - needs a big room - distance from the wall is important - meet the criteria - it is at ease playing pop/rock/hindi/english classical. Though I am not a Jazz fan - i do feel this is an area where it needs to improve a little bit - but I am willign to give it time. I have used it for 10-15 hours a week at max - for the last 2 months. My experience says - denon 500AE is at least a bad match, so is marantz. Next up is marantz (i do not have expectations from this combo) but NAD 326 yes - the pairing should go well. Ditto for norge 1000 as well.

BTW no fatigue even while listenign to it with the onkyo - only that the volume needs to be turned up to get something out of the speaker. Though it has a high impedance of 91-92 db - i suggest an amp with at least 60-70watts per channel for these babies.

 

[gobble]

My Marantz cdp with nad sounds laid back. But I once swapped ICs for a trial and it started sounding forward and a little "in the face". finding the right IC might do the trick.

Cheers

 

[thevortex]

for 30k
i cant think of anything better than the Avant 906i
andthe Jamo C405

Seriously, if the Jamo C405 is available at that price - it is a drop dead offer! At least here in Chennai you dont get it at that price. It is 40K here. Better luck elsewhere.

To the OP - at the 30K price mark, a floorstander speaker is at best a compromise. I have been through this dilemma myself. A pair of quality bookshelves at around the 30K mark would be a worthwhile investment to go with a sub (which can be bought later). That should cover all frequencies and should give you ample punch and musicality.

In any case if you are comparing Diamond 9.6 with Missions - the diamonds take the cake. They are lovely speakers for the money. Sweet treble. Personally a bit too sweet, but I have noted others liking it. So, mileage may vary. Do give it an audition. I am not aware of the prices on the new Diamond 10 range. Maybe you can look at the equivalent of the Diamond 9.5 in the 10 series. The 9.5 does not lack for bass presence - that is for sure.

 

[magma]

hey vortex
you use the Alphas correct?

do you use just these or you have another set
Also any SUB plans to go with the alphas?

 

[thevortex]

hey vortex
you use the Alphas correct?

do you use just these or you have another set
Also any SUB plans to go with the alphas?

Magma - I have revamped my setup. I currently have a stereo setup powered by the NAD C372 playing through EPOS M12.2 speakers, augmented by an EPOS ELS Sub.

The PSB Alphas and the Marantz - I am keeping on hold for deployment in a second room.

If my budget was a hard and sharp 30,000 and I wanted a subwoofer which would not lag behind or boom incessantly for music while also bringing movies to life with all punch and effects, I would not look beyond the EPOS ELS.

 

[magma]

how much did you get your EPOS 12 for?

im waiting for venkat jis opinion on purely music subs.
i think in another thread he says they are cheaper than movie subs too
im waiting with watering mouth for his options

 

[thevortex]

how much did you get your EPOS 12 for?

im waiting for venkat jis opinion on purely music subs.
i think in another thread he says they are cheaper than movie subs too
im waiting with watering mouth for his options

I got it for 34K, Magma.

Good luck for your subwoofer quest!

 

[anm]

be careful, you may short circuit the sub!

im waiting with watering mouth for his options