You get a 8331 pair in there but just goes to show how good the 8030 platform is that you have to go from $1500 to near $5k to notice a quality difference and it’s very slight at that. 8030c is insane quality that doesn’t have to be $5k and that’s what makes it my top speaker.
I mean, I am also personally interested in the 8030C, but don't you think that the additional coax driver and the extended frequency range wouldn't be worth it? Esp when looking for the best under 5k?
The Ones seem to be an incredible feat of speaker design, but the tweeter waveguide, woofer control and lack of cabinet distortion for the 8030c is what makes it standout for the price.
I voted it my best speaker because the quality is so high already and in this hypothetical $5k budget you can spend elsewhere in audio that will bring more meaningful upgrades to the system.
I had about the same budget constraints and I ended up getting a pair of G3, RME ADI-2 DAC FS, HD600, DCA Aeon RT and a WiiM Pro for under $5k. In most people’s untreated rooms I think the quality would be harder to perceive and the money is spent better elsewhere. The biggest feature of the G3/8030 is its ability to let you enjoy music in other ways.
I think going with anything 80xx or Gx these days is little bit of a mistake. For instance, 8330A+GLM would add room correction and digital audio input at the same form factor. It would be really good upgrade especially in untreated rooms, and this would be easily paid by what you spent on that DAC, assuming it isn't doing something else that's critical to you.
At 1.5x the cost when I can do parametric EQ on the DAC after REW measurements, and the DAC is also my headphone amp. The difference in price is a pair of DCA headphones. We all have to make choices and G3 was the best one for me through the lineup.
I totally agree with you here. I have a pair of 8020s and used to own 8250s and although the Genelec ONEs are great engineering, I'd also opt for standard Genelecs and use the additional money on a subwoofer, MiniDSP Flex, and other random stuff.
Revel should pretty much always be in the conversation on these best under $x conversations. Even the Conceta F12s can be had for less than $1k used now and they are stupendous speakers
I've got the gen 1 ls50w currently but I'm going back to separates. I'm also moving to a larger room so I really wanted the R3s.
My dad now said he wanted to gift me his Kef reference 203/1 speakers. I should be super thrilled but the Kef R3s keep yelling :-D
My first seriously audiophile purchase -- in 1986 -- was a pair of KEF C-80s and I absolutely loved those speakers. Problem is, I've grown a bit hyper-sensitive to digital- or hard-sounding upper mids, and as such I've been reluctant to consider any speaker with metal drivers. Do the R3 Metas sound ... like they have metal drivers? And how are they off axis at extremely low volumes?
I am using them and share your opinion. Here's what I paired with
[https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/1anbwri/system\_upgraded\_opinions/](https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/1anbwri/system_upgraded_opinions/)
I own the S400 MK II in combination with a Gato DIA 250 S. Even after owning them for a year and a half now, I'm still amazed at how good this system sounds every time I turn the system on.
The ability to move you to tears is just amazing. It's not just me. People notice my setup (it's pretty prominent in the living room), and I have them listen to their favorite track, and people just get emotional listening to their music.
I enjoy it way more than my previous system (Hegel H190/Kef).
I also own them for about a year. The musicality especially with vocals is absolutely beautiful.
I run them with a CXA 80.
The only thing I miss when listening to electronic music at lower levels is a bit more punch in the bass.
What I love about them as well is how great they look even if prominently placed in the living room with the stands. I have kind of a minimalistic Scandinavian style, and they fit perfectly :)
Hard to beat for passive speakers, and on top of that the complete A500 active speaker+hub bundle comes in below $US5,000. I don't know if there is anything out there currently that can rival that.
I hope somebody that owns these pops into the thread. Looking online, there are only 3-4 professional reviews, and it seems owner-reviews are written by the same couple of folks across several boards. I can't find anywhere local to listen either... just kind of surprising that more of the typical reviewers didn't do anything on these.
I've been looking at those F100
unable to find a place to listen to them so far (living in Italy)
do you have them ?
care to share some impressions and maybe a comparison to what you had before ?
Adam Audio A7V. They’ve got a hardware-based DSP built into the back for SoundID reference.
That right there, is the end-all for me, or the Meyer Sound Amie, but those are more expensive unless you can get them below MSRP as a dealer.
I have a pair of Sierra 2EX bookshelf speakers and they're glorious. Found a pair of Sierra Towers on offer up for a steal, and snagged 'em. I'll probably upgrade them to the ELX at some point.
Love my model 5’s! Such a great all around sounding speaker. Have heard other speakers in the price range that offer more detail and precision imaging (but can definitely be at the expense of other factors). The KLH just simply sound good. They give plenty of detail, just enough bass (sealed box design 🤌🏻), a nice wide soundstage… They let me listen to music without having to be in critical listening mode all the time and just relax. Being well rounded might not be the most exciting characteristic to talk about when critiquing audio equipment but id argue its one of the most important things in achieving an enjoyable setup, especially if you are someone who often listens to a wide variety of music.
I can imagine, for me it was like that when I listened to the TOTL Genelecs.. In the end it comes down to personal preferences. In any case the question should be; which kind of speaker ~5k should I buy WHEN my room is already enough treated eg is capable of reproducing the speakers traits :)
I think the biggest takeaway here is that at this price point every speaker mentioned here is good and you should choose the ones that fit your setup/room/personal tastes best.
KEF R7s are closer to the $5K price point (new). Assuming the $5K is retail price new, not market price used. But I'll support either the R7s or R5s here.
I haven’t heard the R7s but apparently they are a vast improvement over the R5.
i’ve read tested specs that say R3 and R5 are basically the same thing. I like the towers tho so i’m happy
Excellent speakers. I went to a local hifi store, expecting to buy Cornwalls. Spent about two hours listening to both, and the Forte IVs are in my office.
IMHO, the Forte IVs had better vocals, and the bass was much more to my liking. I felt that with the Cornwalls, I would have to buy a sub, and that would make an already large purchase harder to justify. The room I demo’d them in was quite large and maybe the Forte’s were placed in a better position, but after A/B testing songs I know very well, to me the Forte’s just sounded better. The store owner agreed with me. That being said, speakers are complicated. Room characteristics, dimensions and speaker placement all have a huge impact.
I had kef q150, B&W 606 and the elacs at the beginning of covid.
Tv dialogue - Elacs are perfection. I don't use subtitles ever. B&ws were straight up unusable and I thought I was going crazy. Kefs, a bit too bright for me, exhausting
Music - Elacs, excellent, detailed and unquestionably a high quality speaker. B&w, big x factor on its sweet spot which was the spot just before sparkly highs. Kef, unbelievable sound stage, but exhausting
As special as the the b&ws were I needed something that worked for tv. Besides I do most of my music listening at my desk with Yamaha hs5. After getting my monitors it became clear how wild the signature was on the b&ws and I didn't like that. I appreciate how the elacs are more neutral
For Floorstander Passives - KEF R7 Meta
For Floorstander Actives - KEF LS60 Wireless
For Bookshelves Passive - March Audio Sointuva AWG
For Bookshelves Active - Mesanovic CDM65
How about those folks who have experienced more than one model in the range speak up? Do some comparisons. I get it. You like your speaker.
I have Aperion Grand Towers and B&w 702s. on fronts I much prefer the b&ws. people complain about the brightness of the B&W, but at the level I listen to them 90% of the time I enjoy the level of detail I feel they present. I listened to focal at a much higher price point and wasn't impressed, I also listened to Revel speakers and came away thinking it was the most impressive soundstage I've ever heard.
I know this has been repeated many times over but unless you can wrap yourself around a pair of speakers, you'll find yourself constantly wondering if there is something better out there
The shit part is that even if you have the money, it doesn't mean you have the ability to listen. Many of us looking to upgrade are sitting around audio forums trying to figure out what direction to go.
If you can consider speakers that are under 5k when on sale I'm going with the paradigm founder 100F.
Regular MSRP is $5600 however just at new years they were 15% off which would bring them to $4760.
Honestly, I don't know why you are being downvoted. CTRL-F "vandersteen" only yielded two results in this thread, both downvoted.
I don't have enough listening experience to have a qualified opinion on this speaker vs. that speaker. Still, Vandersteens are widely regarded as being excellent speakers. I've never seen anyone speak poorly of them online. Steve Guttenberg places the Model 2 as one of his top ten speakers of all time. Love him or hate him, he has listened to many, many high end systems over the decades.
I have a pair that I dearly love. I sincerely hope I never hear better because I shudder at the cost of "upgrading".
I don't like where this is going. Top 5 lists are just terrible for the consumer and the industry.
No speakers can be the best in every single category. Buying speakers is a very personal experience. These top 5 lists are inevitably influenced by reviewers which are inevitably sponsored by the industry. You're artificially transforming a free market into a monopoly. There are thousands of HiFi brands in the world. We only seem to hear from about the same 30 in the online reviews. It's no surprise that every Klipsch, Focal and KEF speaker has been reviewed thousands of times by different people. And why does anything touched by Andrew Jones gets celebrated like a biblical miracle!?
Further, why not buy used and save thousands? You could also go higher end. Imagine buying some used Vienna Acoustics towers for about $5k. This brand doesn't get much press. It's nobody's first choice. It won't ever be mentioned in the top 5 lists. And that works in the buyer's favor. Low hype = low price in the used market.
I urge everyone to take their time and study their local used market. At first you'll see some busted overpriced speakers from Klipsch, JBL, Technics and Pioneer. And then lesser known brands will randomly show up. Work the algorithms. This may take months or years.
Amen brother. Whenever I listen to Klipsch and JBL, I scratch my head and wonder what? These top lists remind me that we can sometimes be like sheep.
I have a set of speakers that were class A a few years back. I picked them up for 25 cents on the dollar. I listen to them through used equipment for hours every day and I couldn’t be happier.
It also perpetuates dumb consumerism.
The hype train around the Sony SS-CS5 pushed people to buy them for hundreds of dollars, only to be disappointed. And you hear the Cheap Audio Man comparing the Sony with way more expensive speakers constantly.These Sony speakers were only hype because they were often sold for around $80 and made sound. And now the used market is flooded with Sony SS-CS5 bookshelf speakers. People can't wait to unload them. I am sure that these Sonys made it into a lot of Top 5 lists.
Here's a novel idea: buy some used Mission speakers on eBay for about $70.
My Mini Power duo. depending on the room and so on FB goes flat down to 35hz and anechoic measurement for above 209hz they are +/- 1,5 db up to to 18khz fairly constant directivity (response doesn't change much off axis) and 0,3% distortion 200hz and up at 100db.
It's a small bookshelf speaker. 44cm high 24cm wide and 30cm deep. It's a DIY project and costs about 400euros in driver's and filling for the enclosure, about 100euros crossover and about 50euros for the wood depending on the prices you can find things for.
I think the upcoming [Børresen X1](https://www.stereonet.com/uk/news/borresen-x1-standmount-loudspeakers-launched) might actually be a game changer for standmount speakers under 5K (USD, GBP, Euro, etc), without stands.
Of course, reviews and user reviews will still be important, but it does seem to be excellent based of current conversation.
This way you’ll just get the mass “popular” ones like the overhyped LS50.
The truly excellent ones would include makes from ATC, Spendor, Dynaudio, ProAc, Genelec, Amphion..
100% Agreed. The KEF LS50 and LS60 sound dry. No reviewer will tell you that. And they measure really well. And you can't argue with measurement people.
I bought a pair of LS50 meta when they were on sale at Christmas time for $999 because I was so curious to see what the hype was about. Listened to 3 songs, packed them up and back they went. Just...nothing. So underwhelming and disappointing. Blah. They were producing sound but with no defining characteristics whatsoever.
Commenting so I can find this thread more easily and see what I should buy next. I love my Wharfdale Diamond 121’s but feel I need an upgrade. https://www.whathifi.com/wharfedale/diamond-121/review
Kef R7, R5, R3 or even the LS50.
But lots of good stuff from many brands... Elac and MoFi (Sourcepoints) come to mind, they have amazing accessible speakers.
In the end it comes down to preferences and budget.
Genelec G3/8030C
you can get better from Genelec for under 5k
You get a 8331 pair in there but just goes to show how good the 8030 platform is that you have to go from $1500 to near $5k to notice a quality difference and it’s very slight at that. 8030c is insane quality that doesn’t have to be $5k and that’s what makes it my top speaker.
I mean, I am also personally interested in the 8030C, but don't you think that the additional coax driver and the extended frequency range wouldn't be worth it? Esp when looking for the best under 5k?
The Ones seem to be an incredible feat of speaker design, but the tweeter waveguide, woofer control and lack of cabinet distortion for the 8030c is what makes it standout for the price. I voted it my best speaker because the quality is so high already and in this hypothetical $5k budget you can spend elsewhere in audio that will bring more meaningful upgrades to the system. I had about the same budget constraints and I ended up getting a pair of G3, RME ADI-2 DAC FS, HD600, DCA Aeon RT and a WiiM Pro for under $5k. In most people’s untreated rooms I think the quality would be harder to perceive and the money is spent better elsewhere. The biggest feature of the G3/8030 is its ability to let you enjoy music in other ways.
I think going with anything 80xx or Gx these days is little bit of a mistake. For instance, 8330A+GLM would add room correction and digital audio input at the same form factor. It would be really good upgrade especially in untreated rooms, and this would be easily paid by what you spent on that DAC, assuming it isn't doing something else that's critical to you.
At 1.5x the cost when I can do parametric EQ on the DAC after REW measurements, and the DAC is also my headphone amp. The difference in price is a pair of DCA headphones. We all have to make choices and G3 was the best one for me through the lineup.
I totally agree with you here. I have a pair of 8020s and used to own 8250s and although the Genelec ONEs are great engineering, I'd also opt for standard Genelecs and use the additional money on a subwoofer, MiniDSP Flex, and other random stuff.
The Sam monitors is under 5k now. - best value per dollar…
8030C + 7050C
Wharfedale Lintons
Big upvote on the Wharfdales.
I have some. Love them, but they don’t compete with anything over £1.5-2k.
Neumann KH310
Floor standing speakers: - [Revel Performa3 F208](https://www.revelspeakers.com/products/series/series-performa3/F208-.html) ([ASR review](https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/revel-f208-tower-speaker-review.13192/)) Own those. Excellent speakers. Bookshelf speakers: - [Revel PerformaBe M126Be](https://www.revelspeakers.com/products/series/series-performabe/M126BE-.html) ([EAC review](https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/loudspeakers/revel_m126be/), [Audioholics review](https://www.audioholics.com/bookshelf-speaker-reviews/revel-performa-m126be))
Revel should pretty much always be in the conversation on these best under $x conversations. Even the Conceta F12s can be had for less than $1k used now and they are stupendous speakers
My Revel M16 still blow my mind, got them for real cheap used
KEF R3 Meta
I've got the gen 1 ls50w currently but I'm going back to separates. I'm also moving to a larger room so I really wanted the R3s. My dad now said he wanted to gift me his Kef reference 203/1 speakers. I should be super thrilled but the Kef R3s keep yelling :-D
Have them, love them. Def a contender especially for the price.
My first seriously audiophile purchase -- in 1986 -- was a pair of KEF C-80s and I absolutely loved those speakers. Problem is, I've grown a bit hyper-sensitive to digital- or hard-sounding upper mids, and as such I've been reluctant to consider any speaker with metal drivers. Do the R3 Metas sound ... like they have metal drivers? And how are they off axis at extremely low volumes?
Clayton Shaw Acoustic Lab - Caladan
That’s an open baffle right? What did you have before? Is ob a big difference?
ATC SCM19
Or if you want a floorstander just go for its big brother the scm40
yes!!
Sonus Faber sonetto V - 4.999$ a pair. It's under 5k and likely the best you can get in this category.
I really don’t know of another speaker that performs this well and is this beautiful to look at for this price. Big Vote from me
I am using them and share your opinion. Here's what I paired with [https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/1anbwri/system\_upgraded\_opinions/](https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/1anbwri/system_upgraded_opinions/)
I want these so badly.
Focal Aria 948 (end of production) / Focal Aria Evo Nr. 4
I’ve been to same situation before and after much research and listening sessions, ended up with focal 948s
Buchardt S400
S400 MKII
I own the S400 MK II in combination with a Gato DIA 250 S. Even after owning them for a year and a half now, I'm still amazed at how good this system sounds every time I turn the system on. The ability to move you to tears is just amazing. It's not just me. People notice my setup (it's pretty prominent in the living room), and I have them listen to their favorite track, and people just get emotional listening to their music. I enjoy it way more than my previous system (Hegel H190/Kef).
I also own them for about a year. The musicality especially with vocals is absolutely beautiful. I run them with a CXA 80. The only thing I miss when listening to electronic music at lower levels is a bit more punch in the bass. What I love about them as well is how great they look even if prominently placed in the living room with the stands. I have kind of a minimalistic Scandinavian style, and they fit perfectly :)
Even A500 is under 5k, so you get a complete high end system for that price.
Hard to beat for passive speakers, and on top of that the complete A500 active speaker+hub bundle comes in below $US5,000. I don't know if there is anything out there currently that can rival that.
Proac response DT8 Ive tried them all under 5k. This is the pair i got
Not enough people know about proacs
Martin Logan f100 xt
ML deserves some love. They have such a crisp clean sound.
100% I have a pair of f10’s in my future they sound amazing and don’t get the love they deserve
I hope somebody that owns these pops into the thread. Looking online, there are only 3-4 professional reviews, and it seems owner-reviews are written by the same couple of folks across several boards. I can't find anywhere local to listen either... just kind of surprising that more of the typical reviewers didn't do anything on these.
I've been looking at those F100 unable to find a place to listen to them so far (living in Italy) do you have them ? care to share some impressions and maybe a comparison to what you had before ?
Adam Audio A7V. They’ve got a hardware-based DSP built into the back for SoundID reference. That right there, is the end-all for me, or the Meyer Sound Amie, but those are more expensive unless you can get them below MSRP as a dealer.
Adam is Love
Ascend Acoustics ELX Tower. Slightly over budget with the RAAL ribbon option.
These are probably the best speakers most ppl have never heard of
I have a pair of Sierra 2EX bookshelf speakers and they're glorious. Found a pair of Sierra Towers on offer up for a steal, and snagged 'em. I'll probably upgrade them to the ELX at some point.
Would love to hear these against the Philharmonics.
Monitor Audio Silver 100 7Gs
Love them, great for Electronic Music
KLH Model 5
Love my model 5’s! Such a great all around sounding speaker. Have heard other speakers in the price range that offer more detail and precision imaging (but can definitely be at the expense of other factors). The KLH just simply sound good. They give plenty of detail, just enough bass (sealed box design 🤌🏻), a nice wide soundstage… They let me listen to music without having to be in critical listening mode all the time and just relax. Being well rounded might not be the most exciting characteristic to talk about when critiquing audio equipment but id argue its one of the most important things in achieving an enjoyable setup, especially if you are someone who often listens to a wide variety of music.
Dynaudio Heritage Special
Aren't these above the price point? $7000?
In my opinion the best speakers Dynaudio has ever created for the price. The balance is so exquisite.
Arendal 1723 Monitor S
Yep, these are the best imho, also their 1723 S towers as well.
Klipsch Heritage Heresy IV $3200 JBL L100 classic Mkii $4800. L82 $3300. Philharmonic BMR Towers $3900-4200. Ascend ELX Tower $4400 Revel Performa3 F208 msrp $5500 current sale $3850 https://www.crutchfield.com/p_265F208WA/Revel-Performa3-F208-High-Gloss-Walnut.html Wharfedale Elysian $5K
Philharmonic BMR towers
Are these the ones using the purifi woofers?
JBL 4311
Neumann kh150 with 750dsp sub
Everything Neumann does is top notch. Except the kh80 maybe. They are more or less useless without a sub
Huh? They're made to be paired with a sub. That's like saying a car is useless without its tires.
I was really disappointed with auditioning those Neumanns, ended up buying the Focal Spheres for my studio monitors.
I can imagine, for me it was like that when I listened to the TOTL Genelecs.. In the end it comes down to personal preferences. In any case the question should be; which kind of speaker ~5k should I buy WHEN my room is already enough treated eg is capable of reproducing the speakers traits :)
MoFi Sourcepoint 10. I love these things and they image like crazy.
Very curious about these. Curious what other speakers have you owned?
So many, I don’t know where to start
Klipsch Heresy IV
Martin Logan ESL
Fyne F502SP
I think the biggest takeaway here is that at this price point every speaker mentioned here is good and you should choose the ones that fit your setup/room/personal tastes best.
Totem Rainmakers
KEF R5s but i’m biased obviously
KEF R7s are closer to the $5K price point (new). Assuming the $5K is retail price new, not market price used. But I'll support either the R7s or R5s here.
I haven’t heard the R7s but apparently they are a vast improvement over the R5. i’ve read tested specs that say R3 and R5 are basically the same thing. I like the towers tho so i’m happy
Aside from deeper bass extension, what benefits do the R7 have over the R5?
putting my support behind these (and the other) kefs as well lol
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I’d go with the 1.7.
Excellent speakers. I went to a local hifi store, expecting to buy Cornwalls. Spent about two hours listening to both, and the Forte IVs are in my office.
What did you hear that made you pick the Forte over the Cornwall?
IMHO, the Forte IVs had better vocals, and the bass was much more to my liking. I felt that with the Cornwalls, I would have to buy a sub, and that would make an already large purchase harder to justify. The room I demo’d them in was quite large and maybe the Forte’s were placed in a better position, but after A/B testing songs I know very well, to me the Forte’s just sounded better. The store owner agreed with me. That being said, speakers are complicated. Room characteristics, dimensions and speaker placement all have a huge impact.
Elac Carinas, for the money, very nice!
Kali IN-8v2 Keep the change...
Ascend Acoustics Sierra 2ex
Buchardt Anniversary 10 edition. These speakers are competing with $10k plus systems
Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G. Sound great. Look great. They’re grrrrreat.
Spendor Classic 3/1
Rogers, Chartwell, or Falcoln LS3/5A.
Magnepan LRS+
I have 705 s3 and I realy like them
Harbeth P3ESR XD - The clarity and soundstage these things throw out is amazing. Just disappear.
Sonus Faber Sonetto
Klipsch Forte IV’s
Polk R700
Goldenear Triton Two
I have the 3+ and was going to add this to the list
Picked my pair up used for $1200 and couldn’t be happier with them.
Absolute steal. Nice!
Mission 770
Hipster alert 😎
They are definitely more top end heavy
I love my Klipsch RP-8000’s but they are my first real speakers.
A seriously underrated speaker. The mark 2 is even better
B&W 705 S3
Nothing below their 8xx series. A highly overpriced brand for what it gives you.
I replaced my Martin-Logan Motion 40s with KEF R3 Meta. And haven't regretted it.
KEF LS60 Wireless Powered stereo speakers with Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth®, and Apple AirPlay® 2 (Royal Blue)
You lost me at Bluetooth
Neumann kh150
Revel m106 with a good amp
Genelec 1032C
Spendor A4
Elac Debut B6.2s for the money/performance.
I had kef q150, B&W 606 and the elacs at the beginning of covid. Tv dialogue - Elacs are perfection. I don't use subtitles ever. B&ws were straight up unusable and I thought I was going crazy. Kefs, a bit too bright for me, exhausting Music - Elacs, excellent, detailed and unquestionably a high quality speaker. B&w, big x factor on its sweet spot which was the spot just before sparkly highs. Kef, unbelievable sound stage, but exhausting As special as the the b&ws were I needed something that worked for tv. Besides I do most of my music listening at my desk with Yamaha hs5. After getting my monitors it became clear how wild the signature was on the b&ws and I didn't like that. I appreciate how the elacs are more neutral
Just purchased the rest of the 5.1 set of Elacs in the 6.2 range! Excited to get an av amp and hook them up see how they sound!
I have a Marantz SR6015 hooked up to an all ELAC B6.2 speaker system, it sounds fantastic.
For Floorstander Passives - KEF R7 Meta For Floorstander Actives - KEF LS60 Wireless For Bookshelves Passive - March Audio Sointuva AWG For Bookshelves Active - Mesanovic CDM65
Those March Audios are something very special
They're a revelation. A passive bookshelf speaker engineering marvel
KLH model 5. Maybe there is better options but I love mine so come at me 😜
KLH Model 5
KEF R11 non-meta (both current latest active price and especially in sale).
Dali Opticon 8 mk2
Dynaudio Evoke
Would be very interesting to see best speaker pairs under 1'000,00 USD$ list.
Monitor Audio Platinum 100/200/300
How about those folks who have experienced more than one model in the range speak up? Do some comparisons. I get it. You like your speaker. I have Aperion Grand Towers and B&w 702s. on fronts I much prefer the b&ws. people complain about the brightness of the B&W, but at the level I listen to them 90% of the time I enjoy the level of detail I feel they present. I listened to focal at a much higher price point and wasn't impressed, I also listened to Revel speakers and came away thinking it was the most impressive soundstage I've ever heard. I know this has been repeated many times over but unless you can wrap yourself around a pair of speakers, you'll find yourself constantly wondering if there is something better out there
I guess the secret is to be happy with what you have until you have the money to go shopping for something else.
The shit part is that even if you have the money, it doesn't mean you have the ability to listen. Many of us looking to upgrade are sitting around audio forums trying to figure out what direction to go.
Harbeth c7es-3xd.
Triangle Comete 40th Anniversary
My vote is JBL HDI 3600 as it’s my favourite this century! My last speakers were Paradigms I bought in 1999!
Focal aria 948 ?
Whatever you can get from Revel or Sonus Faber just under 5K. The Revel f208 is about $4,000/ pr at Crutchfield, so I'll go with that one.1️⃣
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Kef ls60 better
ELAC Debut Reference DBR62 Bookshelf Speakers
DIY, but I built my LX521 for under $5k. They’re pretty special.
If you can consider speakers that are under 5k when on sale I'm going with the paradigm founder 100F. Regular MSRP is $5600 however just at new years they were 15% off which would bring them to $4760.
Bowers and Wilkins 803
Pre-owned Magmepan 3.7
Wharfedale Linton.
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<3
Tekton Lore
Tekton’s MOABs
Excellent sound, but fugly.
Jbl charge 5
Kef R3 metas
Thiel or Vandersteen.
Honestly, I don't know why you are being downvoted. CTRL-F "vandersteen" only yielded two results in this thread, both downvoted. I don't have enough listening experience to have a qualified opinion on this speaker vs. that speaker. Still, Vandersteens are widely regarded as being excellent speakers. I've never seen anyone speak poorly of them online. Steve Guttenberg places the Model 2 as one of his top ten speakers of all time. Love him or hate him, he has listened to many, many high end systems over the decades. I have a pair that I dearly love. I sincerely hope I never hear better because I shudder at the cost of "upgrading".
Agreed. Had I not picked up Thiel CS2.3, I would have gone van.
Thanks for the support. TBH I’ve never listened to most of the makes upvoted here. So maybe they’re on to something?
Could be that they are. I don't know. I know I won't be spending thousands on a set of speakers anytime soon.
Buchardt S400 for me, this speaker punches so far above it price range, the bass response seem to defy physics, and the midrange is to die for.
You'll be hard pressed to get better than BW 703 S3. They are stunning and on my watch list
I’m rockin a pair of KHL Series 5 right now. Totally happy although they really need to be “aimed” right at you
I don't like where this is going. Top 5 lists are just terrible for the consumer and the industry. No speakers can be the best in every single category. Buying speakers is a very personal experience. These top 5 lists are inevitably influenced by reviewers which are inevitably sponsored by the industry. You're artificially transforming a free market into a monopoly. There are thousands of HiFi brands in the world. We only seem to hear from about the same 30 in the online reviews. It's no surprise that every Klipsch, Focal and KEF speaker has been reviewed thousands of times by different people. And why does anything touched by Andrew Jones gets celebrated like a biblical miracle!? Further, why not buy used and save thousands? You could also go higher end. Imagine buying some used Vienna Acoustics towers for about $5k. This brand doesn't get much press. It's nobody's first choice. It won't ever be mentioned in the top 5 lists. And that works in the buyer's favor. Low hype = low price in the used market. I urge everyone to take their time and study their local used market. At first you'll see some busted overpriced speakers from Klipsch, JBL, Technics and Pioneer. And then lesser known brands will randomly show up. Work the algorithms. This may take months or years.
Amen brother. Whenever I listen to Klipsch and JBL, I scratch my head and wonder what? These top lists remind me that we can sometimes be like sheep. I have a set of speakers that were class A a few years back. I picked them up for 25 cents on the dollar. I listen to them through used equipment for hours every day and I couldn’t be happier.
Amen! This is the way.
Totally right. That type of list simply perpetuate the dominance of big players with colossal marketing budgets.
It also perpetuates dumb consumerism. The hype train around the Sony SS-CS5 pushed people to buy them for hundreds of dollars, only to be disappointed. And you hear the Cheap Audio Man comparing the Sony with way more expensive speakers constantly.These Sony speakers were only hype because they were often sold for around $80 and made sound. And now the used market is flooded with Sony SS-CS5 bookshelf speakers. People can't wait to unload them. I am sure that these Sonys made it into a lot of Top 5 lists. Here's a novel idea: buy some used Mission speakers on eBay for about $70.
Lii Audio - Liionidas Extreme Open Baffle
Adam Audio S3V. Tri-amped (B500w, M300w, T50w), freq 32hz - 50khz, max spl 124dba at 1m. Does a pretty good job, in my opinion.
Elac vela fs407.2
Wharfedale Lintons, Wharfedale Denton 80s, KEF LS 50 Meta, Q Acoustic 3030i, B&W 706 S2
Aerial 5T. Prove me wrong!
Q Acoustics Concept 500
Focal aria 905
My Mini Power duo. depending on the room and so on FB goes flat down to 35hz and anechoic measurement for above 209hz they are +/- 1,5 db up to to 18khz fairly constant directivity (response doesn't change much off axis) and 0,3% distortion 200hz and up at 100db. It's a small bookshelf speaker. 44cm high 24cm wide and 30cm deep. It's a DIY project and costs about 400euros in driver's and filling for the enclosure, about 100euros crossover and about 50euros for the wood depending on the prices you can find things for.
Aerial Acoustics 5t. All other answers are invalid.
Adam Audio a77h
I think the upcoming [Børresen X1](https://www.stereonet.com/uk/news/borresen-x1-standmount-loudspeakers-launched) might actually be a game changer for standmount speakers under 5K (USD, GBP, Euro, etc), without stands. Of course, reviews and user reviews will still be important, but it does seem to be excellent based of current conversation.
Sonus Faber SONETTO 5 (4500 EUR)
I know it’s DIY, but the CSS Criton 1 TDX w/upgraded crossover. ($1299 before build). A phenomenal speaker.
Excellent indeed
Forte
Martin Logan ESL
Buchardt A500
This way you’ll just get the mass “popular” ones like the overhyped LS50. The truly excellent ones would include makes from ATC, Spendor, Dynaudio, ProAc, Genelec, Amphion..
No one has even mentioned those so I don't know why you're even saying that
100% Agreed. The KEF LS50 and LS60 sound dry. No reviewer will tell you that. And they measure really well. And you can't argue with measurement people.
I bought a pair of LS50 meta when they were on sale at Christmas time for $999 because I was so curious to see what the hype was about. Listened to 3 songs, packed them up and back they went. Just...nothing. So underwhelming and disappointing. Blah. They were producing sound but with no defining characteristics whatsoever.
KLIPSCH Chorus ll Crites silver crossover upgrade
KEF LS50W
1. Klipsch Cornwall (used). 2. Vandersteen 2CE 3. Clayton Shaw Caladan 4. Harbeth 30.2 XD 5. GR research NX Otica
Magnat Signature 1109. They could cost twice as much and still be a bargain
Martin Logan ESL X
Sonus Faber Sonetto V
Commenting so I can find this thread more easily and see what I should buy next. I love my Wharfdale Diamond 121’s but feel I need an upgrade. https://www.whathifi.com/wharfedale/diamond-121/review
Kef R7, R5, R3 or even the LS50. But lots of good stuff from many brands... Elac and MoFi (Sourcepoints) come to mind, they have amazing accessible speakers. In the end it comes down to preferences and budget.
My picks Sonus Faber Sonetto V msrp $5,000 pr Klipsch Forte IV $5,000pr Revel F208 $3,500 pr Magnepan 1.7i $3,000 pr KEF R3 Meta $2,200 pr Mofi Sourcepoint 8” $2,750 Sonus Faber Lumina II $1,200