Good secondhand speakers for £6-700... suggestions?

Grilles...and trolls

That's what Spendor say, too - and, in my opinion, they have a point. However, having tried my speakers with and without grilles; without grilles definitely sounds best to my ears. In my experience, no matter how well designed grilles are, using them always results in a loss of high frequency definition and dynamics...the sound is duller, and the music less enjoyable to listen to. This effect is increased or decreased depending on how well designed the grille is - and there are some really poor quality grilles out there! What the better grilles do in my experience is improve the dispersion and integration of the sound, but like I say, always at the expense of things that are of greater importance to me.

The exceptions to the rule in my experience are ALL Naim speakers, most Linn Speakers, particularly Briks and Kans, LS3/5As, and Harbeths, particularly the Compact 7s - all these, in my opinion produce the best sound with grilles on. In some cases, the grilles help tame harshness, in others; the overall balance is simply better.

Aside from all those, however, there is one particular instance where grilles or no grilles, your speakers will always be better than everyone else's...and that's if your name is 'Alan Scott' from Edinburgh on the Naim forum

Marco.

 

Hi WM,

What would you suggest instead of the M5? Must be rear-drive and have room for four adults.

 

James RS6 mate , use RS4 pretty regulary, most pleasant, the RS6 is just well, blag a test drive. T

 

What about one of those aluminium XJs?

 

What about thread drift?

 

Tone, you've got a thing for Audis haven't you? The RS4 and RS6 are, to use one of your favourite words, TURGID. Dull - utter boredom.

They are the the car equivalent of MF ...and what's more they are 4WD (and set up for boring, boring, horrible understeer :SLEEP: ) and James was looking for RWD. The last (high performance) Audi that was any good was the Group B Quattro Turbo.

James - M5 of any generation (E28, E34 or E39) for you. They are all superb. Consistently best super saloon in the world.

So Dunc - how's the speaker search going then?

Michael.

 

The original purpose of this thread has pretty much petered out so thread drift is OK

Michael.

 

Thanks for the car advice, one and all. I'm waiting for the (horrid Bangle-ised) new 5 series M version to come out (next year?) at which time I hope to pounce on the previous (nice shape) M5 preferably in black or silver.

I think the Audi estate S6 is a great Q-car.

s/h speakers for £600: Epos ES22s.

 

'Alan Scott'

Markus, I'm all for it myself, particularly when it involves some jolly japery; in this case, the uncovering of yet another pseudonym from the fabled school of alter egos belonging to one of our most regular contributors - the Satanic one. Didn't you know 'Alan Scott' is closely related to late, great Peter Henry?

Marco.

P.S You have mail.

 

Not that Im in the market or can afford one...

but just wondered if anyone has driven one of the new Mazda RX8s?

looks lurvely.


NB Bub - if you've got an M5, youre a very lucky man!
NNB, have you considered a Brabus?


vrooooooooooooooommmmmmmmmm
I havent got a supercar, but I do more miles than the lot of ya!

(***probably!)

 

Marco, I've been reading your tireless prose about mains elsewhere, and most amusing it is too, though I don't understand a word of it to be honest - the amusing parts are the others' contributions, in particular Mr Pig who is having a hoot.

I don't really understand this Alan Scott chit-chat either. If you have something important to say (such as commenting on the mains quality in various British cities!) please get on and say it.

 

M5 - not yet, but soon perhaps.

 

Mike, BMW's why bother You guys won't have driven my beastie so, the Audi is much more than an M5 who cares about tail end slides, must hanker after a 3 litre capri then.
I pity you all
Mains and seperate spur boys great, but why stop 1/2 way it's friday, how can you tell.
so James no law suits this year, pretty good mate M5, thats about £45K, good on yer mate

 

No lawsuits ever, touch wood.

You can pay less here.

 

James, I'm glad to see you're still reading the Mana forum and that we're all managing to hold your attention. I guess it offers some consolation since your unfortunate exile.

Tireless prose? Fair enough. I realise mine is not yet up to your absurd standard, but I'm sure in time I can learn. After all, your skills in this area never cease to amaze

Yes, James, whatever you say, James...

Marco.

 

The 2.8 A4 Quattro I drive occasionally doesn't have an understeer problem. Oversteer is slow and anti-social assuming you're an expert, simply dangerous otherwise.

Paul

 

Boys, boys, boys you amaze me. Is there nothing we can't argue over? OK, here's one that might suit ...

The Tweenies could beat shit out of the Teletubbies. Discuss.

 

You (and WM) are talking about "lurid tailslides" oversteer which is fun in the right conditions but slow on the track and anti-social when other people are in close proximity as you point out. In the wrong hands it's also dangerous.

I'm talking about being able to balance the car on the throttle through a fast corner which is only possible for a car that has a perfectly neutral or leaning towards oversteer setup. It's the quickest way around a track and the casual external observer probably wouldn't even notice it was happening. On public roads (in the right hands) it's as much fun as the "loaded" variety and neither anti-social nor dangerous.

Understeer is very safe because the natural tendency of most drivers (particularly inexperienced ones) when they realise they've entered a corner too fast is to turn the wheel further and brake which, in an understeering car would probably work (provided it doesn't have horrible lift-off oversteer like a lot of early FWD hot hatches did). For the experienced driver, safe understeer is ultimately dull and slow.

James - have you seen a "Bangle-ised" 5 series in the flesh? I think it looks rather good. Then again I think the new "Bangle-ised" 7 series is the best looking 7 series ever

Michael.

 

Merlins Audi S3 quattro thingy certainly doesnt understeer either. I'd like to see how an M5 would have coped with that roundabout in Bracknell at the speed he took us round last week:MILD: (and that was with 4 in the car as well). And it could have managed it a lot faster as well.

 

And apart from being understeery, all Audis I've driven have useless driver feedback, particularly through the steering. It's like drive by wire. Give me a BMW any day for proper seat of the pants driving feel and steering feedback.

Michael.