New speakers for £300 ?

Dedicated to those large boxes at one end of the room
Post Reply
PeteC
Old Hand
Posts: 374
Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2009 12:08 pm
Location: Next to a field in North Yorkshire

#1 New speakers for £300 ?

Post by PeteC »

Hi All,

long time off the forum due to some life changes !

I am thinking of buying some new speakers ( pref floorstanders, but might consider standmounts ) to suit my 6EM7/EL34 integrated amp.

IS there anything on the market for c £300 which any of you would consider a good buy ?

I need high sensitivity and would like some decent bass extension if possible. WAF is quite important too as we have just re-decorated to her taste !

At the moment I have Fostex FR drivers and tweeters in some of Colin's original MLTL plywood cabinets.

Kind Regards to all,
Pete
Life is two shirts
chris661
Shed dweller
Posts: 2556
Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2010 7:29 am
Location: Sheffield

#2

Post by chris661 »

If you don't push them to insane (as in, loud-at-Owston) volumes, the Behringer B2031P standmounts do surprisingly well for themselves.

Have a look on here (do a ctrl+F for Behringer) http://www.zaphaudio.com/blog.html - there are 2 sets of measurements, one set of the system as a whole, the other of the individual drivers.
The aluminium tweeter is a 1" Seas design, the woofer is Behringer's own. Integration between the two drivers is rather good, thanks in part to the waveguide. The midrange isn't quite that of a FR unit, but the 2-way design means better off-axis in the treble and a more powerful bass response, should the music call for it.

The crossover has poly caps all-round, and the cabinet is 18mm MDF, braced, with a 1" baffle.

Sensitivity might be a tad low (89dB@1w, IIRC), but they performed well off some low-powered valve amps at Owston. With 1w a side, you'll hit 95dB@1m, which is well into the point where you should be wearing hearing protection :)


Mine are currently sat unused (I like my PA speakers too much), so if you wanted to try them before spending any money, give me a shout.

HTH

Chris
PeteC
Old Hand
Posts: 374
Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2009 12:08 pm
Location: Next to a field in North Yorkshire

#3

Post by PeteC »

Thanks for the suggestion Chris - I will do some research on the Behringers.
cheers
Pete
Life is two shirts
User avatar
pre65
Amstrad Tower of Power
Posts: 21367
Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2007 11:13 pm
Location: North Essex/Suffolk border.

#4

Post by pre65 »

Pete, you could consider the Frugel horn 3, available as a kit for under your budget. :)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Frugel-Horn-M ... 1e82ea7931.

OR

Buy the cabinets and use Mark Audio drivers, some prefer them to Fostex. :wink:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Frugel-Horn-M ... 1e82be5e3a
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

Edmund Burke

G-Popz THE easy listening connoisseur. (Philip)
User avatar
planet10
Old Hand
Posts: 484
Joined: Sun Sep 23, 2007 4:32 pm
Location: The Colonies
Contact:

#5

Post by planet10 »

Note that the custom cans do not come with rebated baffles. Not a big issue with the Fostex, more so with the Mark Audio.

If enuff people bug him he may fix that shortcoming.

dave
User avatar
Ray P
No idea why I do this anymore
Posts: 6292
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2007 5:18 pm
Location: Somerset

#6

Post by Ray P »

Phil, what sort of efficiency do the Fostex/Mark Frugasl have; just wondering if they might be good for a spare room system, partnered with my Transcendent SE-OTL (about 1.5W pc).

Ray
User avatar
planet10
Old Hand
Posts: 484
Joined: Sun Sep 23, 2007 4:32 pm
Location: The Colonies
Contact:

#7

Post by planet10 »

The Fostex is about 92 dB, the MArk Audio about 6 dB less, but in practise the difference doesn't seem to be that large.

dave
User avatar
Ray P
No idea why I do this anymore
Posts: 6292
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2007 5:18 pm
Location: Somerset

#8

Post by Ray P »

Thanks Dave. Probably an arrangement a little short of grunt in amplifier department then...

Ray
chris661
Shed dweller
Posts: 2556
Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2010 7:29 am
Location: Sheffield

#9

Post by chris661 »

Depends how loud you want it: the first watt is by far the loudest: going from 0.1w to 1w sounds the same as going from 1w to 10w.

Most computer speakers are rated for a couple of watts per side, have sensitivities in the mid-low 80s, and are still plenty loud for desktop use.

Chris
User avatar
Ray P
No idea why I do this anymore
Posts: 6292
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2007 5:18 pm
Location: Somerset

#10

Post by Ray P »

chris661 wrote:Depends how loud you want it
Quite...
Post Reply