Dark Blade,
Thanks for your general guidance on the speaker brands - can i push you a little further on this.
I, too have a new SR 606 and based on reviews in the print media I am inclined to buy the Mission M3i (M34i floor standers + M3C2i + M31i + M3AS). But I do not if this speaker system is best suited to the AVR.
Would appreciate advise - or should i be looking at some other speakers from Mission / Wharfdale !!
Cheers,
BDS,
As has been mentioned many times here, the best way to make a decision is to audition (hear for yourself) the speakers you shortlist. and then buy them. If you can power the speakers with a 606, it will be excellent, as that will be the exact sound you will get at home. If not, ask the dealer if he has any Onkyo receiver and use that.
Don't decide based upon one audition. Listen to the Mission, the Wharfedale, and a few more available with dealers near your house. Use the same DVD and music CDs to understand the difference. If after listening to a few, your heart tell you speaker X is good, go back to that listen to it again, and then only cut your cheque. As you are listening, make notes. Here are some very general guidelines for speaker auditioning:
1. Knock on the speaker with your knuckles. If you hear a hollow sound, the speaker bracing is not good. Well built speakers should make noise like hitting hard wood.
2. Look at the back and see what kind of connectors are provided. Gold plated banana connectors are generally better than clips.
3. Look at the specs. Match the power capability of the speaker as close to your amp as possible. In your case, look for speaker that can handle 100 watts. Do not go too high.
4. Play music or the movies at low volumes.
5. Ask the dealer to keep all features of the AVR or amplifier flat. In other word he must not increase the base or treble.
6. Walk around the room as the music is playing and see if you get the same response across the room.
7. Listen to at least two kinds of music. First - an Hindustani or Carnatic with a lead singer and one or two instruments. When this is playing can you hear the tanpura? Can you hear all the instruments clearly? Can you place the seating arrangement of the players in your mind? You can also use a film song CD. In English there are a number of solo singers accompanied by just a guitar.
Second - use a music that has lots of singers and instruments and played at slightly high volume. Again can you hear and understand the words of the singer? Can you hear and recognise all the instruments. Do the drums overwhelm the other instruments and the singer?
8. If a movie is playing, close your eyes and listen. Are the dialogues clear? Can you hear the bullets flying? Can you imaging the atmosphere. If there is rain, can you feel the wetness? Is the music harsh or pleasant to your ears? What happens when there is a big boom? Is there an echo, a reverberation? Do you feel pressure in your chest?
As you are listening to a few speaker sets, note these points, and make a mental note. I use a voice recorder and immediately dictate what I liked and disliked about a speakers set. Then I move on to the next set.
Once you have gone through this exercise, your heart will lean you towards a particular brand. THAT is what you have to buy. All we can do in this forum is guide you to certain brands and models which generally deliver good speakers.
It helps a lot if you use a music CD you have heard a number of times before and a DVD that you watched and know the scenes and the sound that comes next. That way if a note is missing, you will be aware of something lacking in the speaker.
Cheers