Need some help choosing speakers for a marantz pm5004

[vantudor]

This is my first post on this forum, so hello everybody!

I recently bought my first serious sound setup (i had a nad 3020 and some reasonable russian speakers before, but let's just say they weren't really waterproof ) but i haven't managed to settle upon the speakers.

So far i bought a marantz pm5004 amp, a musical fidelity v90 dac and a pair of akg 272hd. I'm very fond of the sound they produce, although i kinda miss the warmth the nad used to give me. Anyways, there are a lot of price cuts in Romania right now and since i still have some money saved, i figured i should add some nice speakers to my system, too.

After extensive readings (i don't have a serious hifi store on a 250 km range around my town, so actually listening to the equipment i'm willing to buy is out of discussion) i've narrowed down to three options:

1. Dali zensor 3 290Eur
2. Q Acoustics 2020i 260Eur
3. Magnat monitor supreme 1000 270Eur

I have to confess that i would like a slightly bassy sound, although i wouldn't sacrifice alot of sound clarity for that. So what do you think? I'm currently leaning towards the 2020is (i've heard them like 6 months ago on a nad 316bee and the sound was really nice; also they're the best-looking from the list imho ) I'm open to new suggestions. My budget is around 250 eur, with 300 being the absolute stretch.

Also, are the cables really that important for an entry level setup like mine? I'm thinking of buying some gold plated hama (usb, rca and speaker) cables from a local store. Should i go for ofc cables or other fancy stuff like that? I'm asking, because i haven't really seen/heard any oppinions on hama cables from audiophiles.

Thanks in advance.

 

[dheerajin]

only audition of speakers will help you with taking your amp to the audition. No one can decide on your behalf, which speaker to go for.
Cables -only audio grade OFC cables will do..no need to go for fancy cable.

 

[vantudor]

Thanks for the reply, although i was hoping for some recommendations. I just want to hear some opinions and different thoughts or experiences that any of you had with this combination of pm5004 and any of the above mentioned speakers.

 

[dheerajin]

see..music is related to environment mainly..it depend upon synergy between system and you...there are many factors..CD, DAC, interconnect,amplifier, speakers and many other factors..like mood swings..

so you have to decide which one is better..take your time have patience..and choose the best , which sounds good to your ears..your ears can tell you the best..
experience says that..one day your hear the system and next day you dont like it..why..because its mood..so have an extensive audition.. and choose the best with your personal CDs..

cheers
Dheeraj

 

[mpw]

vantudor,

while what dheerajin says is correct..but.. it is understandable to look for opinions when audition is not an easy option.

The dali zensor 3 has a slightly larger woofer and i guess since you mention a touch bassy sound.. it should fit your bill.

with standmounts do budget for a pair of stands for them.. preferably sand fillable.. they will sound even better.

a few folks on this forum like the Boston Acoustics A26 or A25 with the Marantz as well.

regarding cables.. do go for some simple stuff initially and then when you have some more funds try the mogami interconnects and speaker cables from USA . They make nice stuff and so do Blue jeans cable ( they will ship to you as well )

but again..YMMV !!

I hope you find a good match and enjoi the music !!

mpw

 

[Essarr]

Marantz PM5004 is quite an articulate 35-watter (for the price). Though it can sound clean and open with a wide sound-stage, by design it has a somewhat forward (colder) presence than the classic NAD 3020. So, ideally one should be looking at speakers that sound warm and a tad laid back to balance out the act. Any wrong pairing here (like a bright and forward sounding pair) would lead to eventual disuse of the system. I have seen this happen. Also, it is a rather difficult for someone to recommend something without knowing your preference for music (other than you like bass - is that church organ levels or a Pastorius fan?). Neither does anyone know about your room size and its acoustic response. Speakers, by far, is the most difficult item to recommend in the audio chain. So, more input is needed.

Tough luck that you live far away from any decent hi-fi dealers, and your delimma is clearly understood. But, as others here say, there cannot be anything better than auditioning speakers yourself first-hand, and at best, if you can do it in your own environement. I don't know if the any on-line vendor will allow you to purchase a pair and return them within a said period for a full refund if you don't like it (I am not suggesting that you do this, but the problem is, one does not have sufficient time to burn-in the units, unless they are ex-demo units).

The PM5004 is a high-current A/B amp that is capable of driving speaker with sensitivity figures as low as 86dB at 6 or 8 ohm ratings. Without knowing your music preferences, any of the speakers you mention (Dali z3, QA I would take Concept 20 over 2020i) , plus bookshelf's from B&W 602-series, Wharfedale Diamonds, Monitor Audio Bronze, may all fit the bill. They are mostly warm sounding - but big bass from small bookshelf speakers always raises a question. One thing I recall from a past experience is an earlier Marantz stereo amp (don't know the model, but around 40/45 watt rating) driving a pair of smallish NHT SuperZero and a NHT Super8 active-sub - the sound was astoundingly unnerving. It was capable of reproducing a philharmonic orchestra at full scale, and in a somewhat large (American) room. I do believe NHT (in the US) sells Marantz amps and CD players packaged with their speakers. Worth looking into.

As for speaker cables, it is best left to the last, that is, after deciding on the speakers. IMO, QED Performance series are good value for money and they 'sound' clean and open.

All the best!

 

[vantudor]

Thank's a lot for the responses. The room dimensions are approx. 5x4 meters, with no kind of audio enhancements. As for my musical tastes, i enjoy acid and cafe jazz, progressive and stoner metal, psychedelic rock (thinking of ozric tentacles, pink floyd, jefferson airplane, cream) and as well as all kinds of electronic music (jungle, psytrance and goa especially).

@Essar. Buying and returning is not really an option as online vendors over here are not that serious and it is not uncommon for them to refuse returns/refunds for reasons other than malfunctions.

As for the rca cables, i bought those gold-plated, ofc hamas and i'm pleased with them (10 euros bought me a slight increase in quality). The akgs sound really good with the marantz and the v90.