Equipment Recommendations - The Home For New System and Upgrade Advice

MikeH said:
Any thoughts on Klipsch Heresy IVs? My brother and his wife want to get speakers for their new house. They don’t want speaker stands but also don’t want gigantic towers. The heresy IVs are the look they want (they would pretty much be the first thing you see when you enter their house), so need to be wood—walnut or oak most likely. Any thoughts or other recommendations? I’d assume a fairly healthy budget…
Click to expand...
Have they considered skinny towers? There are several on the market and they are excellent for smaller to midsize rooms. Honestly blend much better than something like Zu or Heresy's.

Ex: My Rosso Certaldos, KEF LS60 Wireless, Elac Debut 2.0 F5.2, Focal Kanta N2, etc.
I think all of these blend into spaces better than low/wide speakers or bookies on stands.
 
displayname said:
Have they considered skinny towers? There are several on the market and they are excellent for smaller to midsize rooms. Honestly blend much better than something like Zu or Heresy's.

Ex: My Rosso Certaldos, KEF LS60 Wireless, Elac Debut 2.0 F5.2, Focal Kanta N2, etc.
I think all of these blend into spaces better than low/wide speakers or bookies on stands.
Click to expand...
Think they are against towers since the speakers won’t be straight ahead when you enter the room. It’s a room off to the right as soon as you enter their house. My sis in law, somewhat understandably, doesn’t want the first thing you see to be tall speakers or stands. I’ll share some of those recs though in case they change their mind! I think once they start seeing and hearing more stuff in person they will have some more insight into what direction they are leaning toward!
 
MikeH said:
Think they are against towers since the speakers won’t be straight ahead when you enter the room. It’s a room off to the right as soon as you enter their house. My sis in law, somewhat understandably, doesn’t want the first thing you see to be tall speakers or stands. I’ll share some of those recs though in case they change their mind! I think once they start seeing and hearing more stuff in person they will have some more insight into what direction they are leaning toward!
Click to expand...
Hot sports opinion no one asked for:
I don’t understand wanting to spend money on high quality speakers just to force them into a poor listening position.
If the aesthetic is more important than imagining and bass texture, that’s fine. But you’d probably meet your sound goals and have better aesthetics if you just invested in a higher end sound bar.

That’s real advice I’ve given several friends. Most end up very happy with that choice.
And to prove that I eat my own cooking, in the living room we don’t have dedicated speakers. In the dining room we have a UTurn connected to a nice all in one unit. And THE stereo lives separate, away from our areas that require aesthetics first.
 
displayname said:
Hot sports opinion no one asked for:
I don’t understand wanting to spend money on high quality speakers just to force them into a poor listening position.
If the aesthetic is more important than imagining and bass texture, that’s fine. But you’d probably meet your sound goals and have better aesthetics if you just invested in a higher end sound bar.

That’s real advice I’ve given several friends. Most end up very happy with that choice.
And to prove that I eat my own cooking, in the living room we don’t have dedicated speakers. In the dining room we have a UTurn connected to a nice all in one unit. And THE stereo lives separate, away from our areas that require aesthetics first.
Click to expand...
That was quite a rant. I guess I should point out that it’s not the only option. It’s just what I think most people would be happy with.
A level up from that would be a very clean set of speakers like an LS50.
Personally I wouldn’t mind getting a larger TV stand that would have space for the TV and the speakers on the sides of the TV. Stick a kc62 sub underneath or next to the stand and you basically have a super sound bar. That’s another option I’d honestly consider in the right space.

Sorry for the rant. I certainly didn’t mean to come off elitist or condescending. I just think most people would authentically enjoy the look and sound of a quality sound bar/sub combo over poorly placed speakers. When aesthetics and placement are a big factor, a good sound bar shouldn’t be underestimated.
 
displayname said:
Hot sports opinion no one asked for:
I don’t understand wanting to spend money on high quality speakers just to force them into a poor listening position.
If the aesthetic is more important than imagining and bass texture, that’s fine. But you’d probably meet your sound goals and have better aesthetics if you just invested in a higher end sound bar.

That’s real advice I’ve given several friends. Most end up very happy with that choice.
And to prove that I eat my own cooking, in the living room we don’t have dedicated speakers. In the dining room we have a UTurn connected to a nice all in one unit. And THE stereo lives separate, away from our areas that require aesthetics first.
Click to expand...

displayname said:
That was quite a rant. I guess I should point out that it’s not the only option. It’s just what I think most people would be happy with.
A level up from that would be a very clean set of speakers like an LS50.
Personally I wouldn’t mind getting a larger TV stand that would have space for the TV and the speakers on the sides of the TV. Stick a kc62 sub underneath or next to the stand and you basically have a super sound bar. That’s another option I’d honestly consider in the right space.

Sorry for the rant. I certainly didn’t mean to come off elitist or condescending. I just think most people would authentically enjoy the look and sound of a quality sound bar/sub combo over poorly placed speakers. When aesthetics and placement are a big factor, a good sound bar shouldn’t be underestimated.
Click to expand...

I suppose as someone who can’t have a “music room” as such I kinda rail quite hard against this in the opposite direction. For me the components have to look good because it’s my main living space and I have to see them not just when listening to music but also when watching the tv and cooking or eating dinner or reading a book etc. Also I have a very good soundbase under the tv and the stereo smokes it, and it’s not even close. On the other side i also don’t want to be turning on a big old inefficient tube amp to watch the footy or the latest nonsense on Netflix so I’m happy to have that sound base too.

In my experience, even with some positioning compromises a really nice music sustem is still more than worth it and will sound great. I also think that hifi designers charging vast sums of money get away with just not engaging with ergonomic and aesthetic industrial or, for speakers, furniture design. Too much of it just plain ugly when you consider it’s costs and manufacturer’s margins.
 
Splunders said:
Never heard them, but their price is a little steep if you are still running DWs. They cost practically the same, no?
Click to expand...
I'm not sure I understand your answer. I'm not sure if they come stock on any of the previous DW builds. I do know in the latest iteration of their production run the connection type is not stock but does come on the Superfly/Supreme builds. It comes stock on the higher models of their new revamped production line (e.g. Union 6).

Your answer makes me think you believe I meant a discrete speaker type? Rather, it is a connection type, as opposed to standard binding posts.
 
Baby thee Diaper said:
I'm not sure I understand your answer. I'm not sure if they come stock on any of the previous DW builds. I do know in the latest iteration of their production run the connection type is not stock but does come on the Superfly/Supreme builds. It comes stock on the higher models of their new revamped production line (e.g. Union 6).

Your answer makes me think you believe I meant a discrete speaker type? Rather, it is a connection type, as opposed to standard binding posts.
Click to expand...

From what I gather it’s main benefits are that it’s a more solid locked in connection, it negates any possible issues with polarity, it’s quick and easy to use and it prevents the possibility of shorts. I’ve not seen anyone specifically ever claim that it offers better sound quality as such.
 
Joe Mac said:
From what I gather it’s main benefits are that it’s a more solid locked in connection, it negates any possible issues with polarity, it’s quick and easy to use and it prevents the possibility of shorts. I’ve not seen anyone specifically ever claim that it offers better sound quality as such.
Click to expand...
Yes, that's what I gathered from the Zu website, or at least that sounds like a good summary of what they highlight.

I was wondering if anyone has tried it - juice worth the squeeze kind of thing. Although the cables they sell with that type of termination aren't prohibitive, I'd assume in most cases people switching already have perfectly fine speaker cables.
 
Baby thee Diaper said:
Yes, that's what I gathered from the Zu website, or at least that sounds like a good summary of what they highlight.

I was wondering if anyone has tried it - juice worth the squeeze kind of thing. Although the cables they sell with that type of termination aren't prohibitive, I'd assume in most cases people switching already have perfectly fine speaker cables.
Click to expand...

Yeah it’s one of those things that if I was buying zu’s and didn’t have speaker cable, or wanted to upgrade the cable for my nice shiny new speakers, I’d probably give it a go. If I already had nice enough speaker cables I’d probably leave it be
 
Joe Mac said:
Yeah it’s one of those things that if I was buying zu’s and didn’t have speaker cable, or wanted to upgrade the cable for my nice shiny new speakers, I’d probably give it a go. If I already had nice enough speaker cables I’d probably leave it be
Click to expand...
Full disclosure: I don't actually have Zu's. I was looking at their newer lines out of curiosity and I'd never paid attention to that connection type, as I'd never looked at Zu's outside of a macro sort of familiarization view.

It piqued my interest.
 
Baby thee Diaper said:
Full disclosure: I don't actually have Zu's. I was looking at their newer lines out of curiosity and I'd never paid attention to that connection type, as I'd never looked at Zu's outside of a macro sort of familiarization view.

It piqued my interest.
Click to expand...

Yeah I have a similar proprietary speakon connection on my REL subwoofer and have a cable for it because that’s the only way they take a high level input. It is a satisfying clink and it locks nicely in place but I don’t know that it’s any better or worse than traditional binding post connectors.
 
Joe Mac said:
Yeah I have a similar proprietary speakon connection on my REL subwoofer and have a cable for it because that’s the only way they take a high level input. It is a satisfying clink and it locks nicely in place but I don’t know that it’s any better or worse than traditional binding post connectors.
Click to expand...
Oh ok so it's pretty much the same thing then. Awhile back I looked at the RELs after you mentioned the high level input. When I ever decide to change out subs RELs are high in my list based off your suggestion and the features I saw.
 
Baby thee Diaper said:
Oh ok so it's pretty much the same thing then. Awhile back I looked at the RELs after you mentioned the high level input. When I ever decide to change out subs RELs are high in my list based off your suggestion and the features I saw.
Click to expand...

Yeah it’s the same family of connectors just each manufacturer sort of customises them for themselves. It’s not entirely clear what distinguishes them from one another but I’m guess it’s the sort of individual locks and key design for the physical plastic connector.
 
Joe Mac said:
I suppose as someone who can’t have a “music room” as such I kinda rail quite hard against this in the opposite direction. For me the components have to look good because it’s my main living space and I have to see them not just when listening to music but also when watching the tv and cooking or eating dinner or reading a book etc. Also I have a very good soundbase under the tv and the stereo smokes it, and it’s not even close. On the other side i also don’t want to be turning on a big old inefficient tube amp to watch the footy or the latest nonsense on Netflix so I’m happy to have that sound base too.

In my experience, even with some positioning compromises a really nice music sustem is still more than worth it and will sound great. I also think that hifi designers charging vast sums of money get away with just not engaging with ergonomic and aesthetic industrial or, for speakers, furniture design. Too much of it just plain ugly when you consider it’s costs and manufacturer’s margins.
Click to expand...

Ok, you have a valid point. But based on several things Mike H pointed out, I still think the sound bar discussion is a good discussion for them to have. YOU sound quite different from the couple in question. Your system is undoubtedly the first thing you notice in your living room, despite the fact that it does look nice and would obviously blow away a sound bar. But based on the restrictions the couple that @MikeH has presented from the host couple... I think they might not have the same outcome as you.
For one, they are talking first stereo. You have a probably close to a $9K system before vinyl is factored in. You also have several components that take up space and visual factors. You also spend a ton of time in audio forums, tweaking and upgrading your system. Really focusing how to get the most out of the sound based on your wants.

This couple doesn't sound like they are anywhere near that.

MikeH said:
They don’t want speaker stands but also don’t want gigantic towers.
Click to expand...

MikeH said:
They like my Lintons but they are too big and they don’t love the stands.
Click to expand...

MikeH said:
Love the look of those too but already sent the KLH model 5 to him just to see if they were opposed to the stand. Stands are a no-go from the sister in law ☹️

I think the stands are what my sis in law doesn’t love about the Lintons. .... they don’t take up as much vertical real estate.
Click to expand...

MikeH said:
doesn’t want the first thing you see to be tall speakers or stands.
Click to expand...
  • No stands.
  • No towers.
  • Model 5 is too big.
  • Lintons are too big.
Sounds to me like they are going to need a compromise because right now they are going to be limited to smaller bookies that I would assume are pressed all the way up against the wall, possibly inside of a bookshelf. Seems like simple placement such as getting tweeters angled correctly or at ear height might be off the table. @MikeH's original suggestion for Heresy's might actually be one of the only options left to consider aside from bookies with a 5" or smaller woofer, likely being put in very poor placement.

If that's the case, I really stand by my soundbar suggestion. Mostly because a good sound bar can sound surprising, and it sounds like they have a budget that will really let them explore some options. And at least sound bars are generally designed for low placement with tweeters angled appropriately to compensate. And for this couple, seems like it would address their aesthetic concerns, which seem much more demanding than @Joe Mac's.

Now if they really want to keep things out of sight and spend some cash, built-ins is another route. It's not a route that I would take, but it's a route that exist.
 
displayname said:
Ok, you have a valid point. But based on several things Mike H pointed out, I still think the sound bar discussion is a good discussion for them to have. YOU sound quite different from the couple in question. Your system is undoubtedly the first thing you notice in your living room, despite the fact that it does look nice and would obviously blow away a sound bar. But based on the restrictions the couple that @MikeH has presented from the host couple... I think they might not have the same outcome as you.
For one, they are talking first stereo. You have a probably close to a $9K system before vinyl is factored in. You also have several components that take up space and visual factors. You also spend a ton of time in audio forums, tweaking and upgrading your system. Really focusing how to get the most out of the sound based on your wants.

This couple doesn't sound like they are anywhere near that.








  • No stands.
  • No towers.
  • Model 5 is too big.
  • Lintons are too big.
Sounds to me like they are going to need a compromise because right now they are going to be limited to smaller bookies that I would assume are pressed all the way up against the wall, possibly inside of a bookshelf. Seems like simple placement such as getting tweeters angled correctly or at ear height might be off the table. @MikeH's original suggestion for Heresy's might actually be one of the only options left to consider aside from bookies with a 5" or smaller woofer, likely being put in very poor placement.

If that's the case, I really stand by my soundbar suggestion. Mostly because a good sound bar can sound surprising, and it sounds like they have a budget that will really let them explore some options. And at least sound bars are generally designed for low placement with tweeters angled appropriately to compensate. And for this couple, seems like it would address their aesthetic concerns, which seem much more demanding than @Joe Mac's.

Now if they really want to keep things out of sight and spend some cash, built-ins is another route. It's not a route that I would take, but it's a route that exist.
Click to expand...

This is true but I suppose I’ve had various systems over the last 20 years that have been dedicated hifi’s, the one that was there the longest cost £750 in total in 2004 (not sure how that would relate to 2023 money). I’ve also always kept the tele separate with bars and bases and came to the same conclusion and with the same attitude. But you are also dead right in the sense that it’s a big part of what I do with my spare time. I’m just guessing with this being Mike’s brother and with him knowing Mike’s set up that this might actually be more of a middle ground that you think it is lol.
 
Joe Mac said:
This is true but I suppose I’ve had various systems over the last 20 years that have been dedicated hifi’s, the one that was there the longest cost £750 in total in 2004 (not sure how that would relate to 2023 money). I’ve also always kept the tele separate with bars and bases and came to the same conclusion and with the same attitude. But you are also dead right in the sense that it’s a big part of what I do with my spare time. I’m just guessing with this being Mike’s brother and with him knowing Mike’s set up that this might actually be more of a middle ground that you think it is lol.
Click to expand...
Yup, I did lead into this discussion with skinny towers. Which I think are an underrated compromise point. But based on the number of deal breakers presented in this case (like a lot of households), I would say either sell the wife on the sound of good speakers or sell the husband on a higher end sound bar.
And it sounds like the wife in this case has heard a good stereo and is sticking to her stance.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top