Best floorstanders for under £400

I spent 2 hours in richer sounds listening to 3050s and bronze 6s ended up keeping the 2020is as I prefer the sound, will be going back to listen to kef q550s and fyne 302s
 
Pound for Pound, second-hand is always going to be better value than new. Speaker designs evolve gradually. That is to say, what was a very good speaker in the past is still likely to be a very good speaker in today's market too.

The great thing about used is that any issues with the design or reliability will have come to the surface and be well documented. In some ways that provides more reassurance than buying new. For example, a classic entry-level speaker back in the 80s was the Heybrook HB1. In '83 they were around £150. In today's money, with the effects of inflation, that's roughly equivalent to spending £480, so hardly entry-level money today. Over the same period the cost of manufacturing has fallen, so in real terms the Heybrooks would be pitching against the likes of the Dali Zensor 3 at the £300-£350 mark. As good as they still are, old HB1s had a problem with the foam surround on the bass cone. Over time it went brittle. It can be replaced as a DIY project, so it's not a deal breaker, but you'd want to factor that sort of thing in with any potential purchase. So it is with other used speakers. Any major problems will have come to light generally.

Where things start to get a bit messier is with opinions on sound.

We all have an idea in our mind of what "good sound" is, but each of us has a unique version of that, and so any subjective reviews from owners might need to be taken with a pinch of salt. Much depends not only on the speakers but also the room and the partnering equipment.

With that in mind, one thing I'd be careful of is partnering the Ceol with speakers that are going to expose its limitations; the equivalent of a sonic magnifying glass, if you like. Proper journalist reviews will help you pick your way through the older speaker models to avoid this issue.
 
lucid said:
Pound for Pound, second-hand is always going to be better value than new. Speaker designs evolve gradually. That is to say, what was a very good speaker in the past is still likely to be a very good speaker in today's market too.

The great thing about used is that any issues with the design or reliability will have come to the surface and be well documented. In some ways that provides more reassurance than buying new. For example, a classic entry-level speaker back in the 80s was the Heybrook HB1. In '83 they were around £150. In today's money, with the effects of inflation, that's roughly equivalent to spending £480, so hardly entry-level money today. Over the same period the cost of manufacturing has fallen, so in real terms the Heybrooks would be pitching against the likes of the Dali Zensor 3 at the £300-£350 mark. As good as they still are, old HB1s had a problem with the foam surround on the bass cone. Over time it went brittle. It can be replaced as a DIY project, so it's not a deal breaker, but you'd want to factor that sort of thing in with any potential purchase. So it is with other used speakers. Any major problems will have come to light generally.

Where things start to get a bit messier is with opinions on sound.

We all have an idea in our mind of what "good sound" is, but each of us has a unique version of that, and so any subjective reviews from owners might need to be taken with a pinch of salt. Much depends not only on the speakers but also the room and the partnering equipment.

With that in mind, one thing I'd be careful of is partnering the Ceol with speakers that are going to expose its limitations; the equivalent of a sonic magnifying glass, if you like. Proper journalist reviews will help you pick your way through the older speaker models to avoid this issue.
Click to expand...

I can definitely see your reasoning for going second hand. You have to really know your speakers to pick up a proper bargain though I suspect. Probably a lot of overpriced junk out there too. Especially on eBay.

I'm a little mindful of buying something too high end for my amp. As you say, it's limitations will be shown up more and more the higher up you go.
 
IvanDobskey said:
I can definitely see your reasoning for going second hand. You have to really know your speakers to pick up a proper bargain though I suspect. Probably a lot of overpriced junk out there too. Especially on eBay.
Click to expand...

Yep, you need to do the research to find what's good and what isn't. That's the deal with 2nd hand. It's a higher work- higher risk strategy but one that can pay off big time with a little effort. I also find it fun buying and trying different speakers before moving them on. You'll never have to suffer the depreciation of buying new then selling as used, but you do forego the benefits of a dealer relationship. Most of us that have an interest in the gear eventually dip in to the used market.

As a rough rule of thumb, look to used prices as being 1/3rd of the original retail so long as the gear is in v.g.c. condition and preferably complete with boxes.

There are a couple of things that throw that off balance though. Clearance deals, for one. If a manufacturer chops a big chunk off the retail price to move end of line stock then it can affect used prices. The other thing is desirability. These are factors such as lesser-known models/out of fashion finishes/difficult to home sizes.
 
IvanDobskey said:
Those look very nice Indeed. Although refurbished unfortunately.

Not sure my Denon N9 would do them justice though :(
Click to expand...

so what if they are refurbished? they come with a 12 month warranty.

if you aren't happy send them back within 12 months.

you are getting £2200 speakers for £450. obviously there is going to be a compromise somewhere.
 
Psycho Sonny said:
so what if they are refurbished? they come with a 12 month warranty.

if you aren't happy send them back within 12 months.

you are getting £2200 speakers for £450. obviously there is going to be a compromise somewhere.
Click to expand...

Had another look at these and they are huge, way too big for my modest sized living room.

Currently torn between the Dali Zensor 5 and the Monitor Audio Bronze 5.

Any thoughts on these?
 
Doobedoo said:
I have Monitor Audio BR5’s and they are really good for the money, pack plenty of punch and are not too big or imposing.
Click to expand...

This is the sort of size speaker I'm looking for. It's a little above my initial budget, but I may increase it for the right speakers.

Also still interested in the Fyne F302, although there is little info out there on these so far.
 
Yep it’s quite a minefield. To be honest I doubt I’d have the ability to be able tell them all apart by listening so I just went for something at a reasonable price from a reputable brand. Would love to be able to spend big bucks but it would probably be lost on me.
 
Doobedoo said:
Yep it’s quite a minefield. To be honest I doubt I’d have the ability to be able tell them all apart by listening so I just went for something at a reasonable price from a reputable brand. Would love to be able to spend big bucks but it would probably be lost on me.
Click to expand...

I do worry about this too :p

Maybe another set of 2020i's would be fine.
 
IvanDobskey said:
I do worry about this too :p

Maybe another set of 2020i's would be fine.
Click to expand...

at your price point you should really be looking at second hand and on avforums classifieds.

obviously you are then limited by what's available at the time on there and is local enough to collect.

i picked up all of my equipment from there. including a brand new BK subwoofer someone had bought then never used. he provided the receipt for proof it was a month old and came in original packaging sealed.

£400 new won't get you a lot.
 
Psycho Sonny said:
at your price point you should really be looking at second hand and on avforums classifieds.

obviously you are then limited by what's available at the time on there and is local enough to collect.

i picked up all of my equipment from there. including a brand new BK subwoofer someone had bought then never used. he provided the receipt for proof it was a month old and came in original packaging sealed.

£400 new won't get you a lot.
Click to expand...

I'm really not keen on second hand unless immaculate condition. I'm too anal about scrapes and dings.

I can push to a little higher price bracket for the right speakers. I'm considering the monitor audio bronze 5's for £549 at the moment.

There is a used set on eBay for £450 at the moment, but seriously, I'd rather pay the extra £100 for new. No idea how people manage to sell second hand stuff for nearly new prices on that site. Must be a lot of suckers about.

Someone is selling Zensor 5's brand new on avforums for £395. I was tempted to make an offer. But I'm not 100% sure on these. Would prefer the Monitor bronzes I think.
 
Last edited:
DataVampire said:
Something you might have possibly overlooked here. wouldn't it be prudent to upgrade your amp and move that one to your pc ?
Click to expand...

The amp has a lot of functionality I like, including dnla support which I use a lot. I struggle to find too many compact all in one systems with any more power output. I don't really have the room for a bigger setup. It's not a big room, so I don't need huge sound anyway.

I have a decent amp for my pc, Audiolab M-One. Only recently bought that.

I might just stick with 2020i's if my restrictions mean I'm not going to get much of an upgrade.
 
You might be able to get a pair of 684 S2 for that price. Skinnier than other floor standers I've seen too, and really nice sound. B&W generally have a brighter sound signature, but it's definitely not harsh. Stereo separation is excellent too
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom