Question for the audiohpiles here.

[Gustav]

I forgot to mention, i cannot use headphones, even at low volume. It's just too uncomfortable for me, not sure why. Too close to my ears i guess.

That's a pity, because there are a lot of good and affordable headphones out there with quality sound. The sound that you would pay much much more from speakers.

[Wanderer]

In the long run, a good investment in speakers rather than headphones will prove most beneficial to one's hearing and that, to quote a series of irrelevant commercials, is priceless.

[Bonehelm]

That's a pity, because there are a lot of good and affordable headphones out there with quality sound. The sound that you would pay much much more from speakers.

AKG K518DJs are one of those headphones. Costed me 89CND, and the sound is very good if you know how to blu-tak mod it to tame the excessive bass.

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

Interesting thing about Klipsch--many high end snobs absolutely piss all over these speakers, but one of the best systems I've ever heard was that of a recording engineer acquaintance who had a pair of very large Klipsch speakers driven by a VTL tube amp in pure triode mode. His source was a DAT recorder that he had modified the hell out of; it had a sampling rate of 96 Khz or something like that.

Anyway, it is a shame about the headphones, but there are good, small, inexpensive speakers on the market. You will just have to do a bit of research and listening. Years ago there was a company that made a pair of bookshelf speakers for around $250, that some of the high end gurus (e.g. The Absolute Sound's Harry Pearson) went absolutely ape over. If you go with something like this, do invest in appropriate stands, and try to learn a bit about correct placement, even if you have to put them away and reposition them every time you listen (This is easy with small speakers and will take you less than a minute).

If you have the room and the money, you might want to give the Vandersteen 1b a try. I've owned a pair of 2Ce's for years and have been very happy with their performance. BUT good speakers will reveal inadequacies upstream in your system. Some people will tell you to spend a lot on speakers and skimp on the other components, but this is lousy advice. In any audio system, the sound will only be as good as the weakest link in your chain!

[12tone.]

I already know that's where you are shopping for your audio equipment.

[drogulus]

Interesting thing about Klipsch--many high end snobs absolutely piss all over these speakers, but one of the best systems I've ever heard was that of a recording engineer acquaintance who had a pair of very large Klipsch speakers driven by a VTL tube amp in pure triode mode. His source was a DAT recorder that he had modified the hell out of; it had a sampling rate of 96 Khz or something like that.

Klipschorns? These are on sale at One Call, this week only $13,000!! Act now.....



     These were designed at a time when almost all amps were low powered tube designs.

[Harry]

Klipschorns? These are on sale at One Call, this week only $13,000!! Act now.....



     These were designed at a time when almost all amps were low powered tube designs.

Beautiful speakers, I will try to get a pair of these, somewhat closer at home..put some quad tubes on it......

[Shrunk]

Oh yes, and you'll want a turntable too!

Here's what I use:

I'm in love!  Who makes that one?

[longears]

I'm in love!  Who makes that one?

Sure you wouldn't rather have this?

[Shrunk]

I don't know.  If I wanted wood in my turntable, I think I might just go all the way:

[longears]

All the way it is!

[Shrunk]

Now we're talking!  Love has just given way to out-and-out, drooling-on-my-shoes lust.

[Iago]

I own a pair of those Klipschhorns --purchased in 1975.
Total cost was $2500 for the PAIR at the time.
Sounded magnificent then, and still sound magnificent today.
I don't need (or want) surround sound or 5.1 digital playback. When I play a well engineered cd or DVD through those speakers, the sound is absolutely THRILLING.Using original McIntosh preamp and amp to feed them the signal. The amp is model 2275 (I think), delivering 270 watts per channel. The pre-amp is the model C28. I bought them at the same time as the speakers and have not had one scintilla of expense in repairing them. Simply because they NEVER have needed repairs. I recently purchased a Denon 3930CI . Plays cds, SACD, DVD-Audio and DVDs. Also upconverts DVDs to 720P, 1080i or 1080p. TV is a 52" HDTV DLP by Mitsubishi.
Favorite DVD is the "European Concert from Palermo", featuring Claudio Abbado conducting the BPO, in the most "sizzling" performance of the Dvorak "New World" that you will ever hear. Bettered only (almost 60 years) ago by Toscanini leading the NBC Symphony on RCA.
Screw mp-3s or Ipods.

[Shrunk]

I own a pair of those Klipschhorns --purchased in 1975.
Total cost was $2500 for the PAIR at the time.
Sounded magnificent then, and still sound magnificent today.
I don't need (or want) surround sound or 5.1 digital playback. When I play a well engineered cd or DVD through those speakers, the sound is absolutely THRILLING.Using original McIntosh preamp and amp to feed them the signal. The amp is model 2275 (I think), delivering 270 watts per channel.

  This with speakers having an efficiency of 105 dB!!  You must get some serious SPL's.

I haven't heard the Klipschorns (though I'd love to one day)  but I agree, a high-efficiency speaker has a certain magical presence that is rare in other  speakers.  You might want to try low-powered SET amplification with your speakers sometime.  Or not; you're obviously quite happy with what you have.

[71 dB]

I agree, a high-efficiency speaker has a certain magical presence that is rare in other  speakers.

High-efficiency speakers tend to have less-damped resonances (less flat fequency response). Furthermore, the bass response doesn't go that low. I prefer low-efficiency speakers because nowadays amplifier power is not an issue. My loudspeakers give "only" 81 dB/W/m but the frequency response is very flat and resonance-free.

[Shrunk]

High-efficiency speakers tend to have less-damped resonances (less flat fequency response). Furthermore, the bass response doesn't go that low. I prefer low-efficiency speakers because nowadays amplifier power is not an issue. My loudspeakers give "only" 81 dB/W/m but the frequency response is very flat and resonance-free.

Whereas I like Lowthers, about as close to the diametric opposite of your speakers as you can get (>100dB efficiency, nothing below 40Hz, a frequency response graph that looks like the Swiss Alps).  Like everything else, there is no free lunch in audio.  It all comes down to which set of compromises you prefer to live with.

[71 dB]

It all comes down to which set of compromises you prefer to live with.

Low efficiency is not a compromise for me because I don't need sound pressure levels above 100 dB.

[Harry]

Low efficiency is not a compromise for me because I don't need sound pressure levels above 100 dB.

All I can say, that there is a lot of pressure in my listening hall.....

[Shrunk]

Low efficiency is not a compromise for me because I don't need sound pressure levels above 100 dB.

I don't either.  I just happen to like the combination of hi-eff speakers and low-powered SET amplifiers.  Purely subjective, I freely admit.

[M forever]

Favorite DVD is the "European Concert from Palermo", featuring Claudio Abbado conducting the BPO, in the most "sizzling" performance of the Dvorak "New World" that you will ever hear.

Nah. I have heard the BP sizzle more than that live in the "New World" symphony under Christoph von D. But I also heard Abbado live (I also watched the DVD, that performance I heard was very similar to it, not surprisingly, IIRC, it was right before or after the one in Palermo) and I liked the lyrical detail he brought out.