PSB & Monitor Audio

[mpw]

Hi,

any idea about the performace and prices for the below ;-

Image T45 Towers - PSB
Alpha T1 - Towers - PSB
Image B25 - Bookshelf - PSB
Image B15 - Bookshelf PSB
Monitor Audio BR2 - Bookshelf
Tannoy F1 - Bookshelf
Tannoy F4 - Towers

My AVR is Harman kardon AVR 255

thanks

mpw

 

[magma]

Hi,

any idea about the performace and prices for the below ;-

Image T45 Towers - PSB
Alpha T1 - Towers - PSB
Image B25 - Bookshelf - PSB
Image B15 - Bookshelf PSB
Monitor Audio BR2 - Bookshelf
Tannoy F1 - Bookshelf
Tannoy F4 - Towers

My AVR is Harman kardon AVR 255

thanks
mpw

the prices and performance of all the above speakers would be quite different considering their price ranges are also very differnt
itwould be better you sate you budget so we could strike off some options

in that list the T45 psb towers are super but are also the most expensive.
probably double than the most expensive bookshelf inthe list!

 

[mpw]

budget would be from 15K to 25k for really good bookshelves.

Any other speakers i could consider ?

thank you
mpw

 

[magma]

budget would be from 15K to 25k for really good bookshelves.

Any other speakers i could consider ?

thank you
mpw

for that budget this is your shortlist from the above
Image B25 - Bookshelf - PSB-25k
Image B15 - Bookshelf PSB-20k
Monitor Audio BR2 - Bookshelf-18-20k
Tannoy F1 - Bookshelf-15-18k

all are good choices
its your pick

 

[mpw]

magma,

what about the wharfies 9.1 / 9.2 / 10.1 ?

would the bookshelves mentioed earlier and the wharfies sound good with the HK AVR 255 ?

thanks
mpw

 

[hifipal4all]

If you are looking for front speakers for your AVR ... then I would suggest the Wharfedale Diamond 9.5 OR Mission M34i.

Cheers,
Ramesh @ Bangalore

 

[mpw]

thanks ramesh.. yes i am looking for fronts for my AVR. I would prefer book shelves due to space reasons and toddlers at home.

Preferable i would like to keep the same center channel JBL CONTROL NOW.

any inputs ?

mpw

 

[magma]

thanks ramesh.. yes i am looking for fronts for my AVR. I would prefer book shelves due to space reasons and toddlers at home.

Preferable i would like to keep the same center channel JBL CONTROL NOW.

any inputs ?

mpw

mpw
please note
ramesh has made an good suggestion too.
both those floorstanders are very good for your budget of 25k

now you say space constraints
well- let me ask you a question . where are you going to put your bookshelf speakers?
HAve you already allocated them a place/have a place in mind to place them?

if not and you are looking to buy stands later let me tell you that branded stands can easily cost you 8k plus the bookshelf speaker with a stand takes about the same place as a floorstander.
hope you have taken that into account

if youre buying bookshleves and have already an allocated place without stands then thats ok.or if youre buying bookshleves since you belive they will give you better midrange sq than floorstanders of the same budget then thats a differnt reason too.

but if you are thinking stands+bookshlebves will conserve space then let me tell you that floorstanders will probably take less space!

P.S : in purely my personal opinion and to MY ears the speakers you have listed out in your list are probably better than the warfedales.
go with the shortlist

 

[mpw]

Dear magma,

My existing monitor fronts - i plan to replace them with book shelves ( parallel to my LCD TV ). I plan to make a wooden shelf adjacent to my LCD TV and place them ( The MA BR2 is front ported to that would make it easier ). I do not plan speaker stands at the moment.

I i go in for lets say Mission M34i of Wharfedale 9.5, then their back porting would mean that i would have to leave atleast 8 inches from the wall before i place them. That would be an issue for me.

Therefore i am looking at speakers that are :-

a. Bigger than my current JBL Control One monitor fronts and therefore i can enjoy my music better ( say 3 hours a week + 1 movie a week ). Music tastes vary from dire starits, cold play, to indipop and sometimes bahjans in a devotional mood

b. But smaller than floor standers ( so family members dont complain about space )

hyeah:

thanks for your inputs.. am now seriously looking at the MA BR2 or the PSB Image B15 / B25 / Alpha monitor and would go with front porting. I guess that would put the Wharfies 9.1 in the game too.


regards,
mpw

 

[magma]

mpw

ive heard all the shortlisted speakers and also own one of them

i can assure you that you need 8inches of space even behind a front ported speaker to have it sound right.
but if you hear music 3hrs a week i guess that can be compromised.

however there are some rear ported speakers that sound good close to a wall too.
the PSB's B15 abd B25 on the other hand want at least a 8-12 inches

i would recomend the PSB Alpha B1 though it is rear ported.specially since i know the designer has provided a keyhole slot behind the speaker
there must be at least some kind of testing and logic for that.
This drives me to assume this speaker will sound good even close to the wall.

if you have a sub you can blindly go for this speaker after putting a foam plug in the port

 

[mpw]

Magma,

which are the speakers you own ?

My subwoofer is a JBL CSS 10 - 150W Subwoofer - i am happy with. ( freq 27 Hz to 80 Hz cutout ).

I dearly want to hear the MA BR2 - the dealer quoted 25K on phone - said will discount.

Do you have any comment on if i would have to change my JBL center speaker to timbre match with the potential MA's or PSB's book shelves ?

regards,
mpw

 

[magma]

Magma,

which are the speakers you own ?

My subwoofer is a JBL CSS 10 - 150W Subwoofer - i am happy with. ( freq 27 Hz to 80 Hz cutout ).

I dearly want to hear the MA BR2 - the dealer quoted 25K on phone - said will discount.

Do you have any comment on if i would have to change my JBL center speaker to timbre match with the potential MA's or PSB's book shelves ?

regards,
mpw

people might advice you to have the same centre and fronts.
though that advice is good and mainly for people who are buying all three speakers i would not advice you getting it since you already have a centre and probably surrounds too.

all this timbre matching is only important for really critical listening.
you can use the surrounds and centre and sub that you have.
dont waste too much on them


i own the PSB image B15's ( its not everyones cup of tea though)
MA BR2 is more umm ... popular . a safer bet and also has better resale value

 

[mpw]

thank you magma for this lovely interaction..

Yes - my surrounds are ALSO JBL Control One's.

one final thing.. will my HK AVR 255 do a good job of driving the MA BR2's ? My AVR is rated at 50W RMS, 8 ohms.

Many prople say that Harman Kardon 50 W RMS is equivalent to 90W expressed by guys like Denon & Onkyo...

Is there any such thing as AVR compatibility with the speakers ? many people in this forum have expressed that denon drives so and so well.. maranmtz drives so and so well.. similarly what about HK AVR 255 ? The JBL Es20 / ES 30 bookshelves are not available in India.

BTW, i will also hear the Image B15 & B25 and the MA BR2's and tell you which one i picked..

regards,
mpw

 

[magma]

one final thing.. will my HK AVR 255 do a good job of driving the MA BR2's ? My AVR is rated at 50W RMS, 8 ohms.

Many prople say that Harman Kardon 50 W RMS is equivalent to 90W expressed by guys like Denon & Onkyo...

Is there any such thing as AVR compatibility with the speakers ? many people in this forum have expressed that denon drives so and so well.. maranmtz drives so and so well.. similarly what about HK AVR 255 ? The JBL Es20 / ES 30 bookshelves are not available in India.

BTW, i will also hear the Image B15 & B25 and the MA BR2's and tell you which one i picked..

regards,
mpw

your AVR should drive any of the shortlisted bookshelves well(PSB B15,TannoyF1, PSB alpha and MA BR2)
they are all sensitive enough.(not speaking spec wise only actual hearing wise)

50rms should be good for all purposes

as for how the sound will be you have to hear yourself.

MA is a bit brighter than Tannoy and PSB
it depends on what you like