Best speakers for a BeePre & Kaiju
- Thread starter blackharp
- Start date
I think it will depend to some extent on the size of your room and how loud you like to listen. I had Pure Audio Project Trios in a large open room, and I like to listen loud. I could listen with a 300B amp, but as the volume approached levels I like to listen at, it started to sound hard and bright. Those speakers never sounded like that with a 200W/ch tube amp. I suspect in a much smaller room that amp would have been fine but I never tried it.
I had Altec 604-8Gs in the huge Altec cabinets (812?). I really liked those speakers. Weren’t great at imaging but otherwise I loved them. Don’t ask my wife what she thought about the looks!
Years later I tried to love Altec model 19s. Sounded bright and harsh even after rebuilding the xovers with boutique parts.
I currently have Audio Note AN/E He kit 4 speakers that I really like. Audio Note says they’re 98 dB efficient but Stereophile measured them at 92.5 dB efficient. They work GREAT and play LOUD in a moderately size room with Paramount 2A3 amps. I think ANK audio kits may still sell them. They sold the cabinets and were simple to build. Highly recommended.
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Well, you might have to set some constraints on prices.
For a really budget friendly entry, picking up an old set of Dahlquist M-905 bookshelf speakers can be a great start. Renewing the ferrofluid in the tweeter will leave you with a solid little speaker that has pretty decent bass.
A lot of the Klipsch Reference offerings are also very popular, and I got good results for a long time with a set of modified Klipsch RF-3 towers that had reworked crossovers posted on the Klipsch forum. Some specimens from the heritage line are also quite well liked (Cornwalls in particular I believe).
If your budget increases, there are a pretty good number of speakers out there with sensitivities around 90-93dB that will play pretty loudly on the Kaiju.
For a really budget friendly entry, picking up an old set of Dahlquist M-905 bookshelf speakers can be a great start. Renewing the ferrofluid in the tweeter will leave you with a solid little speaker that has pretty decent bass.
A lot of the Klipsch Reference offerings are also very popular, and I got good results for a long time with a set of modified Klipsch RF-3 towers that had reworked crossovers posted on the Klipsch forum. Some specimens from the heritage line are also quite well liked (Cornwalls in particular I believe).
If your budget increases, there are a pretty good number of speakers out there with sensitivities around 90-93dB that will play pretty loudly on the Kaiju.
blackharp
Member
Thanks, Paul. I'll have to look up those Dahlquists, they look interesting.
I enjoy used speakers as I rotate a lot of gear all the time, buying and selling. I probably wouldn't want to spend 5k or anything like that. I've been eyeing something like Kefs for their proposed great imaging, but I don't know if they are sensitive enough. I like the idea of a large soundstage that makes speakers disappear. I'm sort of looking for speakers that have that big enveloping trick going for them.
I'm also just interested to hear what people use in general, regardless of price.
I enjoy used speakers as I rotate a lot of gear all the time, buying and selling. I probably wouldn't want to spend 5k or anything like that. I've been eyeing something like Kefs for their proposed great imaging, but I don't know if they are sensitive enough. I like the idea of a large soundstage that makes speakers disappear. I'm sort of looking for speakers that have that big enveloping trick going for them.
I'm also just interested to hear what people use in general, regardless of price.
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