£4k speakers? What do people recommend listening to?

Hi-Fi Corner
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I’ve decided to explore the speaker upgrade route for my system… nac282, nap250DR, NDX2, hicap DR.

Budget is 4k. Currently thinking Proac D20, PMc 23i…. Any other suggestions? Music played is mostly Rock, some smooth jazz and Radio Paradise main and rock mix.

Edit: need to be downwards or forward firing bass port. They have to be well behaved close to walls.

Thanks for the thoughts…

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Kef r7 meta

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I have a pair of Dynaudio Evoke 50’s looking for a new home…:wink:
In fairness, they are a wonderful speaker, but they definitely need space. My listening room can not do them justice.
Retail = £4.2k and worth every penny if you have the space.
Your System is very similar to my own and I tested them with that very setup just recently at Signals in Felixstowe.
Definitely worth an audition.

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@Neil0001 - I have a similar system to yours and use ATC SCM40s.

They are still running in but give tremendous punch and great clarity from the mid-range driver.

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Thanks… Quick question… are they rear firing? I have to put my speakers quite close to a wall.

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Dynaudio’s are out then.
ATC SCM 40’s are Infinite Baffle and no ports.

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Thanks for the idea. Unfortunately can’t have rear firing. Just edited my post to add that in.

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Thanks… :+1:t2:

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Secondhand gives amazing buying power! ((As does ex-dem, sometimes surprisingly so.) PMC EB1i speakers, as I had until a year ago, typically go for that or a tad less (but appear only infrequently). My PMC MB2 speakers cost only a little over that a year ago, though such a good price is very rare. These speakers are great with any music - however, whilst the 250 should drivel them reasonably, you’d likely need a better amp to get the best out if then, especially with “spirited listening”…

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if you can have a listen to a pair of Sopra 1 then worth it, work well close to a back wall too. when i had a pair i used them about 6 inches away from the wall

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I don’t think it’s by any means established that the positions of ports on the cabinet are the arbiters of proximity to walls.

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probably a lot depends on what type of presentation you prefer - ‘hifi’ with lots of detail or warmer and more laid back as examples. BBC derived designs such as Harbeth, Spendor Classic, Graham etc are mostly front ported or sealed.

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Yes, ATC’s wonderful done mid (once used also by PMC, now cloned in their SE range). But infinite baffle vs PMC’s transmission line…

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Used SL2s :blush:

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…mine are about 25cm from a back wall.

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ATC SCM40s look a good option, though owners comments about minimum wall distances may be needed.

I would add Neats to the list. Xplorers work brilliantly with a 250 and don’t need much space - just don’t put them on a shag pile carpet. We preferred them to the equivalent PMCs by quite a bit.

For something less vigorous and in-your-face than either, Spendor and Harbeth are both well worth hearing.

You may not be confident in your choice to buy second-hand, but dealers who can let you hear ex-dem speakers will make your money go a lot further.

Good luck!

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I’m adding Neat Ekstra to the possibles list… anybody able to comment?

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I have ATC 40 actives in a 5mx4m room. I also tested the passives on a 282 250 setup. In my room, which has 10 bass traps both versions needed to be at least 1m into the room (to front baffle) to avoid boomy bass. Worth an audition but don’t assume the sealed design automatically makes them wall friendly.

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doesn’t make any sense at all, all speakers need room , bar audio note and the likes .
Speakers interact with room first,always .
Sell your equipment and switch to AN.

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Have a listen to the Kudos C20 … they are good sounding speakers with excellent crossover quality…giving good clarity.