Wife Acceptance Factor low = advice sought

[MickeyFinn]

I'm looking for some recommendations on speakers for a system that I'm putting together.

I intend to upgrade an entire stereo system - as a gift - for a woman I know. She's a big music fan but her current system leaves much to be desired (oh yeah, and for reference, she thinks L-65 Jubal's are large) so clearly the "acceptance factor" of say a pair of 43xx monitors is so low as to be completely out of the question.

She's been hearing me spew-forth on the virtues of my JBL's and vintage equipment for some time now so I need the end result to be impressive.

For the whole system (amp, pre-amp, speakers and CD player) I would like to stay under say $4k.

Oh yeah, and I'm thinking that I like the Oppo DV980H as the CD player which I can get for about $225.

Any suggestions?

[Tom Brennan]

What's her taste in decor?

[MickeyFinn]

Ummm, I don't know what you would call the decor... perhaps "contemporary." The house dates to the 1930's and her stereo is in the living room which has hardwood floors and which is otherwise furnished with relatively modern furniture.

[Rusnzha]

L16, L19, L46, 4301 (8" 2 way) from 70s. Use with 70s Receiver. Woofer surrounds are an issue on these and may need replacement.
L1 (6.5" 2 way) from early 90s
S38s (8" 3 way) from around 2000
LSR 28P (8" 2 way, self powered) These are current and will help you use up your budget a lot faster than the other speakers mentioned.

All of these are way smaller than an L65 and should be up to the job when set up right. They all sound good with vintage receivers and you can precisely dial in the bass. The increments on the tone controls of a digital receiver are too large to be useful with any of these speakers. The Outlaw Audio 2150 receiver would be an excellent choice also.

[rdgrimes]

L96 or L112 with minimum 200 WPC amp of your choosing. You can do this for WAY less than $4K. Be sure to include stands for the speakers.
If she listens at lower volume, the L112 or even L150A will deliver better bass. L150A might qualify a "too big", but actually has the same footprint as the L112.

[Mr. Widget]

L96 or L112 with I thought of those too as well as 4313Bs, but they are all still big brown boxes in the opinion of most people these days.

I'd suggest looking for a nice pair of mini-monitors and a high quality smallish sub. I can't think of any JBL products that would fit the bill as well as numerous British products. You can find a suitable JBL sub, but none are as stylish as a REL and most of the smaller ones don't sound as good either.

When JBL went this route they came up with the L212... an excellent design, but not really small or very high WAF by today's standards.


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[Robh3606]

I would look at L20T3 or 4406's and a sub. Small compact and they can sound surprisingly good.

Rob:)

[Tom Brennan]

Ummm, I don't know what you would call the decor... perhaps "contemporary." The house dates to the 1930's and her stereo is in the living room which has hardwood floors and which is otherwise furnished with relatively modern furniture.


Maybe she'd dig some Martin Logan stats. Our condo is done modern and mid century and my wife digs the ML Vistas the most. They take up little room and because the diaphragms are transparent (more than is apparent from the photo) they can either "disappear" or stand forth depending on your mood. They are making a design statement though, love or hate.

They were $4000 new but used ones in nice shape are much cheaper.

And they sound great too; first rate clarity and the big spooky 3D image thing too; much better sound IMO than cone and dome box speakers, IMO only big horn systems match stats.

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh92/Irishtom29/hi%20fi/011.jpg

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh92/Irishtom29/hi%20fi/021.jpg

[grumpy]

How long have you been married?
Isn't this sort of like buying your wife a BBQ?
If you include her in the hunting/gathering process,
you might actually succeed in pleasing her with the gift. :)

[SEAWOLF97]

If you include her in the hunting/gathering process,
you might actually succeed in pleasing her with the gift. :)

I think Grumpy is on to something there .....:)

Have started taking the OL out with me on CL safari's ....she loves talking to new people and ignores me and price negotiations. Even helps me unload the stuff ... when she is part of the process , then the intellectual ownership is partly hers....(and leaves little room for complaining in the future ;) )

[Robh3606]

He didn't say he was married to her.

Rob:)

[midlife]

L46s are very reasonable in size and sound great! If you can go larger than the 46s but don't want to get big L96s are very good. :)

[BMWCCA]

L46s are very reasonable in size and sound great! If you can go larger than the 46s but don't want to get big L96s are very good. :)
And the L112s are only an inch-or-so larger in most dimensions. So the escalation begins! :applaud:

[rdgrimes]

L46, L86, L96 and L112 are all surprisingly similar in size, but not in weight.

They may be "brown boxes", but with a re-finish and new grill cloth they look wonderful in older homes with wood floors. A lot more "at home" than the newer "modern" speakers. Let her choose the grill cloth. ;)

Lot's of choices, I agree with letting her pick from a good selection of speakers and building the system around her choice.

[Regis]

Let's not forget the L series (L7, L5, L3, etc). I'm picking up a pair of L7's and a pair of L5's today. These have a whole lot of WAF, as they're only 9 5/8 inches wide. If you go the L5 route, you just need a pair of nice subs to supplement the low end (the Velodyne HGS series fills this bill, very, very well).

The L series is relatively modern looking in their Black Ash finish as well. Overall, they occupy very little 'visual' real estate, but deliver on the performance. Naturally, with the L7, Sir Ti Dome's notes on correct placement is necessary to acheive good results.

[Uncle Paul]

How long have you been married?
Isn't this sort of like buying your wife a BBQ?
If you include her in the hunting/gathering process,
you might actually succeed in pleasing her with the gift. :)

Enjoy your new Bose Acoustimass speakers! :D

[grumpy]

He didn't say he was married to her.

Should have titled it "Woman I Know Acceptance Factor..." then :D

[BJL]

Tom Brennan, you're a lucky man.
Many wives wouldn't accept all those cables strung across the carpet :rotfl:

[Uncle Paul]

Should have titled it "Woman I Know Acceptance Factor..." then :D
Potential Wife Acceptance Factor?

[Tom Brennan]

Tom Brennan, you're a lucky man.
Many wives wouldn't accept all those cables strung across the carpet :rotfl:

Hey, that's an audiophile grade carpet!

You know, that would probably fly at the Martin Logan forum, I place where I DO NOT fit in. DIY over there means talking about power cords, speaker spikes and carpeting. And taking showers with your electrostatic panels.

[MickeyFinn]

He didn't say he was married to her.

Rob:)

Bingo! Not married...

Thanks for all the suggestions.

As much as I like the visual appearance of those Martin Logan Vistas I really want to get her some vintage equipment (cuz as I mentioned, I've been raving about "how they just don't make 'em like they used to...") and I've drunk the JBL kool-aid myself [I own a pair of 4341's; some L220's; some L-65 Jubals; and two pairs of L-100's] so I would like to get her some JBL's if possible.

After looking at all the suggestions above I spent some time on the internet looking at L19's, L46's, L96's, L112's; 4313B's, L20T3, L7, L5, L3 etc...

Now I am looking at what is available on eBay, and Audiogon etc. Actually on that note I see that I just missed a real nice looking pair of 4313B's on Audiogon. (I like the look of the 4313B's because of the blue baffles). Anyways, on eBay there are a few options available but most of them look rough (L86's, L19's and L26's are all currently for sale).

From what I can see on the internet I like the look of the L46's and their relatively small size.

[MickeyFinn]

Should have titled it "Woman I Know Acceptance Factor..." then :D

Yeah, "Woman I'd Like to Still Know After Christmas Acceptance Factor..."

This kind of gift does risk being the equivalent of giving a woman a BBQ... that is why I am trying to ensure that the speakers do not dominate the living room while at the same time I'm hoping the system will sound at least half as good what I enjoy at my place.

A friend of mine's husband bought her some "software" for Christmas a couple years ago... she hit him in the head with it... apparently head cuts can bleed a lot.

[hjames]

Bingo! Not married...

Thanks for all the suggestions.

As much as I like the visual appearance of those Martin Logan Vistas I really want to get her some vintage equipment (cuz as I mentioned, I've been raving about "how they just don't make 'em like they used to...") and I've drunk the JBL kool-aid myself [I own a pair of 4341's; some L220's; some L-65 Jubals; and two pairs of L-100's] so I would like to get her some JBL's if possible.

From what I can see on the internet I like the look of the L46's and their relatively small size.

Well, my spouse is sold on the L200s I modified up to quasi 4333 specs ... (added a slot tweeter, plugged on port and built an upgraded crossover for them).
Before the walnut Smith horns, she likes the look and she loves to hear her music on them, more than on the 4341s we have downstairs ...
but - that may be more of an investment than you want to make! (still cheaper than buying L300s outright!)

[rdgrimes]

From what I can see on the internet I like the look of the L46's and their relatively small size.
The L86 is more or less comparable in size and twice the speaker. Not easy to find and they always need work, but well worth the trouble. Search around here for all the glowing reports on the L86.

[SEAWOLF97]

The L86 is more or less comparable in size and twice the speaker. Not easy to find and they always need work, but well worth the trouble. Search around here for all the glowing reports on the L86.

dead on right - but not always needing work...

I have an exceptional pair L86 - wud call them 99.5ers , with paperwork, hang tags & factory boxes ..the ONLY flaw is a small black marker pen mark on the tops.....and yes , for sale.

[Krunchy]

I have an exceptional pair L86 - with paperwork, hang tags & factory boxes ..the ONLY flaw is a small black marker pen mark on the tops.....and yes , for sale.

There you go Mickey, cant beat that. Very nice Seawolf :applaud:

[Mr. Widget]

I have an exceptional pair L86 - That is nice, but I don't know many women that would agree.

There are attractive and small loudspeakers out there...


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[Krunchy]

Those are nice Mr. Widget, what are they, (the stands are maybe nicer than the speakers, maybe more $ too, very cool though) the shape kinda reminds me of the Wharfedale Evos.

[Mr. Widget]

Those are nice Mr. Widget, what are they, (the stands are maybe nicer than the speakers, maybe more $ too, very cool though) the shape kinda reminds me of the Wharfedale Evos.Funny, my wife loves the speakers but not the stands... I don't think we men understand what women really like.

That was a Sonus Faber Cremona... here is another nice little speaker with a leather wrapped baffle and exquisitely finished wood the Monitor Audio PL100.

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[Krunchy]

Funny, my wife loves the speakers but not the stands... I don't think we men understand what women really like.
I reckon you are probably right :D
Those are beautiful speakers too, looks like Rosewood (or Madagascar Ebony), Mickey's got some hard choices ahead of him.

[4313B]

I don't think we men understand what women really like..Unfortunately women don't understand what they really like either. ;)

[MickeyFinn]

Funny, my wife loves the speakers but not the stands... I don't think we men understand what women really like.

That was a Sonus Faber Cremona... here is another nice little speaker with a leather wrapped baffle and exquisitely finished wood the Monitor Audio PL100.

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Those Monitor Audio PL100's look very nice indeed. I just checked into them online and there's a used pair for sale in the UK asking 2,300 British Pounds. That's gonna make it hard to bring this system in under $4,000... and I was thinking to spend more on the amp and pre-amp than the speakers.

Still, she would almost certainly like the look of those.

[JBLAddict]

Tom Brennan, you're a lucky man.
Many wives wouldn't accept all those cables strung across the carpet :rotfl:


I have to comment, that's EXACTLY what I saw when I first looked at the picture, and was going write in the same thing, only at the last minute did I realize it was the carpet pattern....too funny:applaud:

[Mr. Widget]

Those Monitor Audio PL100's look very nice indeed. I just checked into them online and there's a used pair for sale in the UK asking 2,300 British Pounds. That's gonna make it hard to bring this system in under $4,000... and I was thinking to spend more on the amp and pre-amp than the speakers.

Still, she would almost certainly like the look of those.They are really quite beautiful in person. I also like their sound better than their larger and more expensive stable mates.

I realize they are a bit steep for your budget. I posted them mainly as a point of reference. Their are many surprisingly small speakers that sound quite remarkable but they are typically a bit more than the crazy bargain prices we are used to seeing for the vintage offerings.

As for your system pricing... I'd suggest you spend approximately half on speakers and half on everything else, though that is just a rough guideline.

I have recently had a pair of JBL LS 80s in my home and they sounded quite nice and had a smart look to them... especially with the grilles on. They are a bit reddish in color and for some that might be a deal breaker. Their much smaller brethren, the LS 40s, are a bit larger than the Monitor Audios but less than half the price at around $1400 a pair.

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[jcrobso]

Those Monitor Audio PL100's look very nice indeed. I just checked into them online and there's a used pair for sale in the UK asking 2,300 British Pounds. That's gonna make it hard to bring this system in under $4,000... and I was thinking to spend more on the amp and pre-amp than the speakers.

Still, she would almost certainly like the look of those.

Not a put down! But reality! For many years when I was asked how budget the money I would say 60~70 % on the speakers! The rest on everything else. Yes electronics can make a difference in the sound, but what you hear is the speakers! No amp in the world can make a bad set of speakers sound good, just look at Bo$e.
I have had the same speakers for 42 years, but I've had several amps.

In my garage I have Pro JBL PA speakers hooked to 25W/channel car stereo on a power supply. People will come over and remark how good it sounds, then they ask me what I'm driving them with?
I show them the car radio and they stare at it in disbelief, I explain that 90%+ of the quality of the sound is from the speakers!
I do have the big amps for when I take them on the road.

I understand that you have the wife factor to deal with, I did when we first got married. Soon after I built my C40 horns a friend of my wife came over and my wife was playing music for her friend. My wife's friend just loved the sound of the speakers! She said they sounded like movie theater speakers, she was thrilled by the sound! Well that did it, my wife never complained about my big speakers again!:D
I hope you have some good luck!;)

[BMWCCA]

In my garage I have Pro JBL PA speakers hooked to 25W/channel car stereo on a power supply. People will come over and remark how good it sounds, then they ask me what I'm driving them with?
I show them the car radio and they stare at it in disbelief, I explain that 90%+ of the quality of the sound is from the speakers! When I first "appropriated" the 030 system my Dad had left on the porch for the Goodwill to pick up after purchasing his first stereo system (Fisher 400 sometime around '62?), I ran it for a while out of the earphone jack from my ChannelMaster transistor radio. Sounded great to me.

And on those LS40s: You can go to the JBL site, click USA, find information on the speakers, but as soon as you click to find somewhere to buy them you get a list that of retail outlets (that includes K-mart) and the drop-down menus by model don't show the LS series at all. Are these guys at Harman really that stupid? :banghead:

[jcrobso]

[quote=BMWCCA;270492]When I first "appropriated" the 030 system my Dad had left on the porch for the Goodwill to pick up after purchasing his first stereo system (Fisher 400 sometime around '62?), I ran it for a while out of the earphone jack from my Channel Master transistor radio. Sounded great to me. "

WOW, that is amazing!:applaud:
The dad of the drummer in one of my bands had 030 system in his den. He was talking about going stereo and getting AR speakers because he had been told they were good. I, as a know it all 19 year old said why don't you just get another JBL they blow away the AR speakers. For most of my late teens and early twenties I fought against those large stereo consoles and their junk speakers.:banghead:

[Mr. Widget]

But in looking for a price on the PL100 I stumbled upon this pic.

These things certainly look good to me... not overdone like some Paradigms and not clunky like so many older designs... I've seen and heard them a few times and they also perform quite well... no Altec A7 fan will likely fall in love with them, but if you like the JBL Ti series, the XPL series, or others that are a bit more refined...

The JBL LS 40s capture some of this elegance (an elegance not shown in any photo's I've found) but since they are thousands less, they are a bit styled back. They do have the same beautiful high gloss lacquer finish though.


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[Flaesh]

I believe - this woman accepts this system :applaud: :
http://www.dougronald.com/images/PB010017.JPG

[hjames]

I believe - this woman accepts this system :applaud: :
http://www.dougronald.com/images/PB010017.JPG

I dunno - she is wearing sandalas with sock on 1 foot, no sock other foot,
parachute pants and a parka - is that, perhaps , a garage install?

She might not be a cutting edge maven of style to use as an example.

[Eaulive]

I believe - this woman accepts this system :applaud: :
http://www.dougronald.com/images/PB010017.JPG

The question is: Would you accept this "woman"? :spin::rotfl:

[Eaulive]

But in looking for a price on the PL100 I stumbled upon this pic.

These things certainly look good to me... not overdone like some Paradigms and not clunky like so many older designs... I've seen and heard them a few times and they also perform quite well... no Altec A7 fan will likely fall in love with them, but if you like the JBL Ti series, the XPL series, or others that are a bit more refined...

The JBL LS 40s capture some of this elegance (an elegance not shown in any photo's I've found) but since they are thousands less, they are a bit styled back. They do have the same beautiful high gloss lacquer finish though.


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When I see cones like this (or better, inverted domes) a question pops in my mind... How do you recone these things? How do you center the coil in the gap? :blink: