Conference hips::uk_audioo

    .....Wharfedale Diamonds, Goodman Maxims, Royd A7.
    
    Any of these should fit the bill; a good dealer could recommend
    others. 
    
    Why set a lower limit of #100? There's some superb speakers available
    now at around #80...
    
    Dave

I've got some Goodmans Maxamps already!!

(and I want something better!)


Steve.

    
    Assuming you listen fairly exclusively to Rock/HM, have you considered
    those funny wedge-shaped jobs by JBL [Rock Partner ??]. I think
    I saw a review of these that said they were pretty good for this sort of
    music (probably not much cop for anything else though).
    
    Trevor

>    Assuming you listen fairly exclusively to Rock/HM, have you considered
>    those funny wedge-shaped jobs by JBL [Rock Partner ??]. I think
>    I saw a review of these that said they were pretty good for this sort of
>    music (probably not much cop for anything else though).
    
 
 Rock Partner? arn't they from AR rather than JBL? 
 (There active as well, if I memory servers me right)

   Does anyone know anything abount the new JBL's (out soon)?


Steve.

ps. Re.1 I think that the Marantz/Mission combination could do with something
         a little better than 80 quids worth!

    
    Well, I wouldn't rule out something around �80, My Diamonds cost
    me �65 two years ago, and they will be the last thing I upgrade.
    
    I'm not sure whether the sound quality from the amplifier in the
    Maxamps is showing off the Maxims to their full. They should be
    capable of a hell of a lot. They would certainly not be out of place
    on your system.
    
    I've heard good things about the Heybrook point 5's, but have never
    heard them.
    
    Why the height restriction ? Are you thinking about getting stands
    for them ? If so, will that come out of the �150 ?
    
    cheers.
    
    Mark.

Re. .5

   The Maxamps are used when I am in my student digs in Bristol. My actual
speakers are Goodmans PQ130's, bloody big things they are too, and these are
my reason for a height restriction, ie I want a speaker that is luggable.

 I do intend to mount the spekers on suitable stands which I have already
budgeted for (around 50-60 quid, possibly QED).

  All I want is a speaker that will make full use of the signal that the
Marantz/Mission combination will provide, but have the necessary qualities
(ie dynamicism) for my kind of music. I don't want just a headbangers speaker
as I im not the typical HM muso you might expect, I listen just as critically
as some of you would to Holst etc.!!


   Steve.

    I have got some Heybrook 1's that sound good and I play quite a
    bit of rock.  They also sound good on a lot of other things, for
    when your music tastes change.
    
    I compared them with Linn Saras once (grossly unfair), and the worst
    we could say about them was that they were a little harsh and the
    bass wasn't as good.  They could be a bit on the expensive side,
    mine were #120 a while ago, I'm afraid I don't know what the current
    price is.  (The Saras were #600 at the time, for what it's worth)
    
    								jch

    
    The Heybrook's are about �180 now, I tried them with my REGA and
    a Quantum IA-100 (anyone remember them ?). I wasn't too impressed,
    although I'm not sure if it was the amp or speakers.
    
    I shall have a dig at a best buy guide I saw, but certainly, the
    Royds and Heybrooks of this world are supposed to be good.
    
    Re. -1; Comparing Linn Saras against Heybrook HB-1's. What
    amplification was used in the comparisons. The Linn Sara's would
    murder most amplifiers. I think they are classed as "difficult to
    drive"
    
    Cheers.
    
    Mark.

    How do you know 80 quid speakers won't do your Marantz/mission combo
    justice? What do you think the extra 20-70 quid will buy you? You'll
    maybe get a bigger box, but that isn't what you want, is it? Above
    the 100-110 pounds mark, there just aren't any small speakers other
    than the Linn Kan and Rogers LS3/5A, which are out of your price
    range (around 300 quid); and the difference between 80 pound speakers
    and 100 pound ones is minimal.
    
    Go and listen to what good modern small speakers can do. To answer
    your question another way, you'll get more jollies for 150 pounds
    if you buy 80-90 pound speakers and some new CDs than from a pair
    of 150 pound speakers.
    
    Dave

    
    RE:.4 I think you're right - they're AR, not JBL, however, they're not
    necessarily active. I think the "rock partner" isn't, but the "powered
    partner" is. Still, if you also listen to other stuff, they might
    not be a good choice.
    
    On the subject of Heybrook HB1's, my SO and myself both listened
    to these when we were buying our system, and didn't like them at
    all. 
    
    I think the best approach may be to just wander into B&B in Reading
    (Minster Street, behind Heelas) when they're not too busy and listen to
    some. They had quite an extensive range of sub-�150 speakers when we
    bought our stuff - we listened to at least five separate speaker
    systems, and there were some we didn't try. 
    
    Trevor 

    Pity no one likes the HB1s anymore ... anything in particular you
    don't like?  Maybe there is something critical in the way they are
    driven or maybe the early ones were much better,
    
    .8  The system used to drive both sorts of speakers started with
    a Linn and went through one of the original quantums.  Although
    the Saras are improved more than somewhat with a Naim (which they
    have now), they were driven very well by the Quantum.  Ideally,
    we should repeat the test now with the Linn/Ittok/Asak/Naim front
    end; though from the listening we did in the shop, I suspect we'd
    find the same -- the HB1s are a little harsh and not quite so refined.
    
    The advantage of the HB1s over the others at the time was that although
    the sound isn't quite so pretty, it did embody the good things about
    much more expensive speakers; hence the comparison with the Saras.
    Other speakers in the prive range at that time were sweeter, smoother
    and gentler, for want of a better description.  I suppose the HB1s
    didn't hide their inadequacies by losing information -- the result
    is that among their peers they sound a bit harsh, among their betters
    they give a good impression of `trying hard'.  It's a matter of
    taste, if you want a system that lets the music reach out and grab
    you, the HB1s are good; if you want a system that sounds `nice',
    you won't like them.  Personally, I prefer a system that does as
    little as possible to the music before it gets to me and that is
    what the HB1s seem to offer over their peers.  I would've preferred
    HB2s but they were out of my price bracket.
    
    								jch

    
    I think you've mentioned the point that we didn't like about the
    HB1s - they sounded a coarse in comparison to the other things we
    listened to. As you say, it's all a matter of taste, but they just
    didn't sound "right" somehow.
    
    Trevor

    Wharfedale Diamond II's are excellent little speakers. They sound
    great, cost around �90, and can handle amplifiers with power outputs
    of between 30 and 100 watts.
    
    They like to be put on stands or wall brackets� (reccommended), so
    that they can be 4" - 6" from the wall at an angle of about 30�.
    This positioning allows the speaker to generate the bass properly.
    
    As for being 'luggable', they even come in a dinky box with a carrying
    handle!!
    
    I shall be keeping mine for a long time.
    
    Ian.
    
    ---------------------------------
    � AVF wall brackets - rock solid.
    

 Does anyone remember the base note? I asked for a list of speakers to
audition and I've only had 2 sensible suggestions!


   So after listening to your advice (!), I did the usual thing and totally
ignored it and just followed my ears. The result is that I have some lovely
new Celestion DL6 Series II speakers sitting in my front room. (Okay so there
45 cm high, I can put up with an extra 5 cm).


 Beware a review is comming soon!


Steve.