Speakers to match MF A5 pre/power setup?

Hi all,

Can anyone advise a decent set of speakers for the above kit?

Also using MF A3.5 cd player
Project Debut 2 (something I plan to replace)

Musical taste is pretty eclectic, will listen to anything from D&B to Classical.

I've got up to £1000 to play with and don't mind 2nd hand gear.

I'd consider floorstanders or bookshelf.

I've heard sonus faber and B&W 800 series are pretty handy.. but I think they may be out of my price range.

Any guidance is gratefully received.

 

try pro-ac or pmc, i think both go very well with m.f. it very much depends on how much you wish to spend! floor stand or stand mount's
regards,
nando

 

Thanks for that Nando, I've booked auditions with 1-SC and D2. D'you think they'd hold their own in a 19x13 ft room?
I know they're quite small.

 

i find it impossible to say what goes with MF... because MF (a bit like meridian) seem incapable of creating one amplifier that sounds anything like another in their range. From generation to generation they typically sound nothing alike.

And once again, like meridian, some are excellent, some merely average.

I would suggest taking your amp to a dealer with a reasonable range of speakers and seeing where you end up.

 

Hi Shrink,

Thanks for the advice. I'd love to do that, only problem is I don't have a car these days and carrying the amps isn't possible.

Maybe I can get them to try to buy, you never know

 

good tip i guess is to stick with a speaker known for being quite linear and neutral.. in that case PMC would likely work well, as would something like B&W 700 series, or some dynaudio audience (or focus if you can afford them)

 

Well the guy at the shop I asked about the proac said he has to order them in, but if they're fresh out of the box I'm not going to get a true representation of what they will sound like when they're run in.

If Im not happy I'll probably have a hunt around for a store which stocks MF and some of the above and see what happens.

 

if you can push it a tad or haggle, I believe Salisbury Hifi Have a pair of PMC FB1+ speakers ex dem in cherry for £1200 reduced from £1700. They are very good speakers, and I've heard of a synergy with MF kit too.

Spoken to them before, nice people.

15 Catherine Street, Salisbury, SP1 2DF, Tel 01722-322169, [email protected]

Here's a review if you're curious... and a pic of the cherry-uns.

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue25/pmc_fb1.htm

 

Interesting stuff. Will keep an eye out for PMC stuff too... not too sure about Salisbury though, a long way.

 

HI DC, THE PROAC RES. 1SC'S ARE NO LONGER MADE, NEW MODEL TO BE LAUNCHED AT BRISTOL ARE THE D1'S,
RETAIL FOR £1395.00, i will be there to hear them as best as possible i will bring them back with me as demo models, on my website under proac you can see what they look like.
regards nando.

 

Get out the phone book and spend a free afternoon ringing every dealer you can with your request, give them as much info as possible..listening taste's etc then at the end of the day build a shortlist of the most commonly mentioned and arrange to listen.
You really need the amp with you, the last thing you want is to return home with your *new* acquisition only to be dissatisfied a little while later.
Otherwise take a Good guess on a respected secondhand pair knowing if they are not *just right* you can re-sell without loss.

Good Luck.

 

I don't like Trasmission Line speakers... I remember the TDL with their very very very long low frequencies! Awful

 

Why not have a listen to the Usher range. Superbly designed and made speakers - from Taiwan, not mainland China ( I believe there is a big difference in quality and general professionalism in favour of Taiwanese companies ). I have a pair of Compass CP6371 and they are truly musical, stunning to look at and very well built.

 

There's a pair of Tannoy D700's in the classifieds. Dev could tell you what they're like, very well reviewed and well within your budget.

 

...yes, very nice. Don't see many up for flogs.

 

I like mine very much but always hesitate in recommending anything for others to buy. This is obviously because speakers more than other HiFi kit is a matter of personal taste. I'd certainly recommend a listen. For the money I personally don't know what else I'd prefer.

 

I don't know how my XP200 monoblocks compare to your A5 but I have Amphion Xenons which to my old ears sound excellent and are not room fussy. There's currently a pair on HFW's classifieds.

 

Hi D-C

had the kW and it is prolly similar enogh to let you know what I had. Proac's, or rather their bigger floorstanders are a good match, so to PMC (though I didn't get on with their bass which I found a tad lagging behind). I also heard (though never owned) Spendors and these too sound pretty good with MF kit. The Usher 718be's I now own sounded fantastic with the MF power and I'd urge you to hunt a pair down. Stupendous for the cash and comparable in almost every respect with the proacs, Art Emotions and PMC Ob1i's, all very much more expensive.

Good luck

Best
James

 

Very good point about the no loss situation with second hand speakers... A
s mentioned before, I'd love to take the amp with but I don't have a car and don't think lugging the pre/power combo about with me.

Had a look at a few reviews of the Tannoys.. they do seem to have a good rep.. interesting.

 

Hi there, newby here so mercy please. I have an a5cr pre/power which I think is very good (despite commercial hyperbole and transformer hum) and I run it with an AVI lab series cd player and AE1 mk 3s. Good sound to my humble ears, though fractionally bright. I have pondered the business of this brightness and have invested in a DEQX to play with the setup and (natch) improving the sound.

I can thoroughly recommend the AE1 mk 3 with this amp if you like clarity and rhythm. It brings my all music (eclectic) alive, and they are available for under £1k secondhand. Really a nice combo and worth the audition if you can make it.

About the DEQX - hmm, well that's a different post, suffice to say that as a dyed in the wool cable non-fetishist I must accept that there is a major issue here, and I promise it would be obvious and replicable to anyone. I will start a post on this off topic if there is any interest.

Jazid