gabpower Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 I'm looking to buy some tower speakers but I don't know much about them. What should I look for? The more speakers the better? The bigger the better? I might go with Bose or Polk because they have a good reputation but any input from knowledgable board members might be good. I already have a good power amp btw (Harman Kardon 3390 | 2 x 80 Watts @ 8 Ohms). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
built2last25 Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 im not an audiophile by any means but i own cerwin vega ve-12's that sound damn good and i got them for 199 each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burntwolf Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 i don't think Bose are really that good. i've heard made in canada is the way to go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philviral Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Made in Canada is totally the way to go I might be biased though haha. What I look for in speakers is a nice solid cabinet that doesn't really resonate when I knock on it with my knuckles. I also enjoy having a multi driver configuration, that is a woofer, a midrange and a tweeter. Nice full sound across the spectrum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allhailritter Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 I'll second the Bose comment. In fact I HATE Bose. Bose was an innovator back in the day and made a name for themselves, now Bose simply relies on marketing their name. The average person that does not know much about audio knows at least one kind of speaker....BOSE. Their product is mediocre and overpriced. Sorry for the Bose rant. I worked for a company that sold bose products and I learned to hate Bose because of it. Anyway, I haven't done much research on newer consumer speakers but I can definitley make some suggestions on vintage speakers. Most polk speakers made in the late 70s and 80s are solid products. They pretty much dominated then. I own a pair of Polk SDA 2as. These things are beasts but they sound amazing. Also the polk Monitor series are great speakers. The Polk Monitor 10s are solid speakers and are fairly easy to come by if you search craigslist and whatnot. Im no expert but from what I gathered from reviews and other audiophiles, a lot of people will say that anything new put out by Polk doesn't compare to a lot of the vintage models which is mostly due to the fact that they are now cheaply made and the care put into designing and making the speakers is not what it once was. Quanity over quality. Which can be said about a lot of companies nowadays. I'll also second what phil said. Look for how solid they are. One of the things that made vintage speakers great was how they where built like a tank which made for much smoother low tones. Also the multi driver configuration you will want. At the very least a tweeter, 1 mid driver and a sub. Anyway sorry for the ramble, good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planetrakis Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 im not an audiophile by any means but i own cerwin vega ve-12's that sound damn good and i got them for 199 each. hahhhhahaahhahaaaaaaHAHAAAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAAaaahhahaha. The man likes his MD 20/20 priced at 10 bones a bottle! Yes, Bose are geared for movies, some older Bose can pass the music, but do not focus on them for your audiophile needs. There is only one speaker i can recommend with ubiquity for the price and overall quality, the JBL 4412. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillhole Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Yea stay away from Bose. Ya know the slogan Bose Blows. No highs, no lows it must be Bose. Bose = Buy Other Stereo Equipment. It's true, there all marketing a mediocre product at a high end cost. +1 to whoever said Made In Canada. I have a pair of Paradigm 7SE speakers that are made in Canada in 1988. I got them used for 100 bucks, but in 1988 they were $600 brand new. There only 2 feet tall, about 40 pounds each, and a solid dead knock when I tap on the sides. But every speaker will sound different on everyone's system so your best bet is if you have a dealer in town see if they will let you audition speakers on your own system, or at least let ya crank away with there display models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xjustinxschwierx Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 http://www.wikihow.com/Use-There,-Their-and-They%27re Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philviral Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Haha +1 Justin. Also forgot to mention that sensitivity is another good indicator of speaker quality. Look for a rating over 90dB. What that rating says is that the speaker will generate 90dB of sound 1 meter away when powered with 1 watt. The higher the better IMO as it means you can run your amp at a lower power and get (theoretically) better sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychoriley Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 I can't speak for Bose now a days. But I had a pair of these (901 series II) years ago and they were the shit. Some of the best speakers I ever heard. Ugly things but they fuckin rocked. No distortion no matter what volume I played them at. They played louder than I could listen to. Even shake the windows on the 1st floor. I regret that I ever sold them. BUT that is old ass Bose..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
selfgayhandjob Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 I've got a pair of Polk Audio RTi A3 Bookshelf Loudspeakers which I run through a Yamaha RX-397 receiver using Monster speaker cable. Had them just over 2 years now and they've been absolutely amazing. Ended up getting the last pair at a local place. They were just sitting in the back, so I got a deal: $279 instead of $500. No matter what I'm listening to (Debut turntable, wii, TV, DVD player, iPod) the sound quality has been fantastic. They're loud as hell and clear. I've never even turned the volume on my receiver over 1/3 of the way, because there's no need to; they're loud enough at that level. In short, I love Polk speakers. Highly recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
electrocute Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 I check out http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/index.php when I have questions. You should check it out and maybe it can help you out. It's a great site for questions/answers for TT's, Receivers, Speakers, etc.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gabpower Posted March 10, 2011 Author Share Posted March 10, 2011 Thanks for all the tips people! I am also looking for an online Canadian store that accept PayPal that sells tower speakers. It's harder to find than it looks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinch Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 The first advice I always give: consider buying second-hand. The difference between what you get for $400 new and what you get for $400 used is enormous. Check this site: http://www.canuckaudiomart.com/classifieds/speakers/?filter=FOR+SALE&province=All&price=All and if you find something within your budget that catches your eye just ask away here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 The first advice I always give: consider buying second-hand. The difference between what you get for $400 new and what you get for $400 used is enormous. Check this site: http://www.canuckaudiomart.com/classifieds/speakers/?filter=FOR+SALE&province=All&price=All and if you find something within your budget that catches your eye just ask away here What is there to consider? Unless you are looking for something very specific buying new speakers is throwing money away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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