which speakers

[boomtheroom]

just got my dream amp r200i now need to save for some speakers..either
B&W 703 or image revelations..which u reckon and why?

[too_tall]

If your spending in that region, you have to look at a pretty wide range of speakers. I would hate to limit my choices too much, and whilst the Revelations are great speakers, and the 703's are also good ( albeit not the value IMHO ) there are other options, and to be honest, the other options would appeal to me more.

[boomtheroom]

like?

[too_tall]

What size room do you have? I assume its largish being that your looking at medium/large floor standing speakers?

What kind of music do you like, and what kind of sound do you prefer? The R200i is a great integrated, one of the best, so you have plenty of options for speakers.

Options I would look into would be Focal chorus 800 series, Kef's XQ30's, PSB Synchrony 2, Missions 796's etc.. The list is near endless.

Actually, I think that you may even be able to work you way into some Focal 1027s Electras for that money, although not 100% sure on that. Those would clean up all of the above and then some.

[Ross F]

As too_tall says the list is endless. You need to audition a few before you part with your cash - with your amp and (preferably) your source. Taking your amp to a dealer to eliminate the speakers you truly hate is the first step - then you need to audition the possibles - in your environment - with the assistance of your "other half" (if you have one). Use the same tracks for each set of speakers and WRITE NOTES. Your memory (and everyone elses) is notoriously short on how speakers sound. Of couurse if there are only two and you can A-B trial them, that's easy. But I'm betting there'll be more than two and you may not be able to have them all at the same time. All this takes time and patience but you are spending serious $$

[too_tall]

I dont bother suggesting taking gear into dealers anymore - after all, the room has more effect on the speakers than the amplifier assuming the amp of 1/2 decent, of which the R2001 is 2/2 decent.

We need to know a bit more about your preferred sound before anyone can say " go listen to this" and actually know anything about what they are saying. Me included.

[davyboy9]

I found that Perreaux amps and B&W speakers gell quite well but if rock is your thing then Image could be the way to go.
As others have said, don't just limit yourself to just those 2. Find an accommodating retailer or 2 that will let you demo and trust your ears.

[got tinnitus]

The Image Revelations will be a very good match for the r200i. You'll get a very big sound from that combo. You'll need a big room though for the Revs to work best.
The B&W's? Definitely less bang for the buck vs the Revs.

I had a r2001 for 4 years or so. Great amp.

Just a tip based on my experience with the amp: during my 4 years the best cables I found were Antipodes Komako interconnect and Naim's NACA5 speaker cable (don't bi-wire, for a start it's a waste of money!). And best mains cable was either Oyaide Tunami or Naim Powerline.

With the above combo you'll get a tonally balanced sound, no matter what the volume level.

(er, IMHO)

[glennb99]

And if you get a chance audition something from the Totem range. Happy hunting!

[bigburner]

I owned a pair of B&W CDM9NT speakers for three years. The 9NT is the predecessor to the 703 and sounds virtually identical. I would describe the 9NT and 703 as slightly bass-shy with a tendency to be overly bright on some recordings. The kevlar mid-range driver is what gives the 9NT and 703 their class. For example, vocals and acoustic guitar sound really good so if that sort of music is your cup of tea then the 703 is a good choice. However if your preference is for a warm, bass-heavy sound then the 703 will not suit you.

Nigel.

[boomtheroom]

i like warm mids with smooth vocals.. detailed highs that are easy and sweet to listen to..i like alot of pop aka bruno mars michael jackson ..elvis presley and the beatles..not to fussy on hard rock but like a bit of bonjovi... and mot massive bass but a tight punch

[boomtheroom]

why did u get rid of the amp?


The Image Revelations will be a very good match for the r200i. You'll get a very big sound from that combo. You'll need a big room though for the Revs to work best.
The B&W's? Definitely less bang for the buck vs the Revs.

I had a r2001 for 4 years or so. Great amp.

Just a tip based on my experience with the amp: during my 4 years the best cables I found were Antipodes Komako interconnect and Naim's NACA5 speaker cable (don't bi-wire, for a start it's a waste of money!). And best mains cable was either Oyaide Tunami or Naim Powerline.

With the above combo you'll get a tonally balanced sound, no matter what the volume level.

(er, IMHO)

[boomtheroom]

Dynaudio Focus 220 II or image revelation 2 anyone auditioned?

[AgrAde]

Why don't YOU audition them? Top Hifi had Revelations in stock last time I checked, and TLP has the dyns.

[boomtheroom]

yea will..but like to hear other peoples opinions...

[AgrAde]

You heard them in the last thread you made about this.

[boomtheroom]

yea but the more the merry

[AgrAde]

You haven't even told us how big the room is yet. You've been asked a few times...

[boomtheroom]

sorry...20ft square abouts

[got tinnitus]

Boom

I sold the Perreaux to fund more Naim gear....

20ft sq isn't very big. You don't mean metres?

[boomtheroom]

20x20x20x20 ft

[Ernie]

Ah, the 4th dimension. It must be a Tardis.

[Isaac Hunt]

Some people seem to like the sound of the Kevlar drivers.
Personally I think they are coloured sounding but not everyone seems to hear it.
They are artificially warm and chesty sounding which perhaps suits some of the colder sounding SS amps that proliferate the market.
Others have referred to it as the Kevlar ringing.Sort of a dull buzz.

I bloke I know had some B&W 703s and then bought some refurbished Gale 401s circa 1974 and much prefers the Gales.

[got tinnitus]

Ah, I was thinking 20sq ft!

Good size room.
Defo the Image Revs (Rev2?, are you buying new?)

[too_tall]

boomtheroom, dont go taking others opinions for gospel. Same for reviews ( I don't read them anymore, waste of my time IMO ) Your ears and brain will perceive sound differently to anyone elses, your room and your gear will also be unique to you. What may work brilliantly for others may only be average for you. When I moved to my current house, I had a system which had performed brilliantly in the previous house, but was terrible where I am now. Bass has diminished, but become boomy. Mids became recessed and all told, upgrades were the order of the day ( I pissed around for a month or so trying to position things differently but found it just didnt fix it )

Interestingly enough, I would agree with the comments about B&W's kevlar driver, but this can be alleviated with very careful positioning and also system matching. Images revelations can be stunning speakers, but I find ( in my experience of course ) that often room constraints can severely limit their performance. This is not only relating to room size. Any speaker will have this problem, but some are more sensitive than others. I find the Revs more sensitive ( conversely, the 414's are not overly sensitive in my experience ). If there were a "mini" rev, which maybe the petite performer/mass could well be considered, then you have more flexibility in selecting a speaker which matches your room, whilst ( more or less ) retaining the signature sound. Maybe the same could be said of the Paragon, but the one time I heard the Paragon ( in a dealers room ) I was actually disappointed as it just did not compete with other similarly priced speakers I had been auditioning.

[Son Of Samoa]

And now there a pair of Image Revelation1 on Trademe for you !!!
http://www.trademe.co.nz/electronics-photography/home-audio/speakers-and-stands/floor-speakers/auction-430515837.htm

[Son Of Samoa]

Where did you get to listen to the Image Paragons2? Too_Tall

[Dunnersfella]

I like how the seller is trolling for hits at the bottom of his ad...

"plinius perreaux lambert audioquest monitor dyn dynaudio sony panasonic amplifier theophanny"

A smart use of Tradme search functionality.

[boomtheroom]

what do u guys think they are worth?