Speaker recommendations?

I've got a 5000 amp, and I'm very happy with it. I have it paired with a 975, and an X13 sub. Obviously, I like them all, or I wouldn't be asking this question here.

However, I only have a small pair of very old speakers. They're quite good ($600 each when new in the '80s or '90s), but really, they should be my rears in a 5.1 surround system, at best. At worst, maybe they belong in the kitchen. You get the idea.

If Outlaw sold speakers, I would buy them in a flash, but they don't. So ...

Does anybody have any recommendations for how and where to start looking?

Particulars:

I don't listen to things very loudly, so they don't have to be "efficient" (or whatever today's buzzword is). I want clarity vs. loudness. We listen mostly to movies and to a lesser degree, to light music.

I really like Outlaw's philosophy of reproducing the sound as accurately as possible. So, my speakers should be built that way, too. Bells and whistles aren't needed for my tastes.

For pricing, I'm open to spending as much as I need to, under $10,000 (for a set). But the more I have to spend on them, the longer it will take until I have the funds (we budget EVERYTHING). So, advice on how much each speaker should cost would be helpful, just as much as actual speaker recommendations.

I have no preference regarding floor-standing, wall mount, bookshelf, or whatever.

I think I want to stick with 8 ohm speakers, unless there's a compelling reason to do otherwise.

This will likely be the last set of speakers I'll ever buy (I'm almost 60). Therefore, I want to do it right. They don't have to look exotic or anything like that (although, I wouldn't turn them down on that basis alone, either).

Daddicus,

Speakers are a very individual thing.What one person thinks is great another will things is terrible. For instance, a great many people rave about B&W speakers, personally I just don't like their sound nor their look. I am, however, a huge fan of Sonus Faber. I absolutely love their sound and they look amazing. With a $10K budget you can do quite well. You certainly won't be at the top of their line but even their entry speakers are amazing. Also, don't be afraid to buy used speakers. Sonus speakers last forever! I have a set of Sonus Electas in my office that are about 30 years old and the sound every bit as good as they did when I got them.

If you want new, I would look at the Venere series. You could get a pair of Venere 3.0 (front towers), a pair of Venere 2.0 (surrounds) and a Venere Center for under $7K. If you want to step up a level it would be the Olympica, but they would blow out your budget. I currently have Olympica III and they are the best speakers I have ever owned (at any price). I previously had the Luito series and I really loved them. If you look around (especially on Audiogon, or Ebay) you could probably get in to a used set of Luitos, towers, bookshelf and center all within your budget. That would run around $6K and they are a step up form the Venere series. The center might be hard to find, but I have one that I would consider selling.

OK, I'll get off my Sonus Faber band wagon now. You mentioned you would buy Outlaw speakers if they made them. Well, the next closest thing would be to look at Atlantic Technologies, https://atlantictechnology.com , speakers. I think there is some sort of connection between the 2 companies but I don't know for sure exactly what it is. I am sure there are others on here that could provide those details. I think you can get in to a set of theirs for just over $5K. I have never owned them but they have gotten very good reviews.

A couple of other suggestions. Don't go cheap on speakers. Buy the best speakers you can afford. This is not 100% true, but I look at like this; you're getting married to your speakers and you are just dating the rest of your equipment. The only other piece of equipment that I upgrade less frequently are my amps. Everything else is changing frequently, but my speakers I commit to, just like my amps. Also, listen to as many different speakers as you can. Make sure you take into consideration the showroom where you are listening. Room acoustics and overall setup can dramatically change the sound when you are demoing the speakers. Be especially careful in small demo rooms. The sound in those rooms can be very misleading. And finally, once you have selected your speakers make sure you do what it takes to get them setup correctly for your room. I can tell you several horror stories about people who have spent a lot of money on speakers and just stuck them wherever was convenient (or where the wife would let them) and were very disappointed with the sound. I have on more than one occasion had to help voice speakers for friends who were amazed at the sound different once they were setup correctly.

Well, enjoy the adventure! I hope you find something really special. OK, one last plug, but if I were buying the last speakers of my life, I would absolutely want Sonus Faber! Good Luck.

What is your budget for new speakers?

The best advice I ever got was to make sure to audition them in your home before finalizing the deal. There are quite a few online shops that will free ship to and from your home and allow you some time frame to check them out. Without having that type of hassle you can go to any of the big audio mags and look at their archives and current reviews for a start. Check out this one for instance: https://hometheaterhifi.com/reviews/speaker. They have a lot of current and past reviews as does https://www.soundandvision.com. Also check out Axiom Audio and Aperion Audio as both are well reviewed and easily fit your budget. Like was said earlier, speakers are an individual preference but you don't have to spend $10000 to get great sound.

For $10K I would look at Tekton's Double Impact with the upgrades.
You can check them out here - http://www.tektondesign.com/double-impact.html
https://hometheaterreview.com/tekton-design-double-impact-floorstanding-speaker-reviewed/

Then bank the rest.

All of the advice offered in this thread so far is quite good. Here is my take:

Really get to know the room you will be placing the speakers in (dimensions, materials). How much flexibility do you have for placement (near wall, on wall, in wall, how far can things be moved to find the right placement)? Changing the speaker and listener placement by just a few inches or degrees can dramatically alter the sound. What is your preference for sound - fill the room or pinpoint imaging and detail? If you work with a retailer, a good one will want to know details about the room and what is in it. A speaker works with (or fights) the room (and its contents) and the combination of the two is the biggest impact on what you hear. The different manufacturers and models target different room sizes, placements, and customer demographics. Price is a result of technology/engineering, manufacturing quality/materials, and distribution model - any of which may be more or less important to you. The best speaker for your space and ears won't necessarily be the most expensive you can afford.

In my personal space, which is a dedicated listening room that can accommodate acoustic treatments, I spent half on the speakers and half on room treatments. If I could have picked a different room it would have higher ceilings, more depth/length, and more symmetry.

Thanks for the tips!

Under $10,000

Thanks for that tip!

Thanks for the tip!

Thank you! Good counsel!

All great advice here; with that kind of budget you can really pick and choose. Here's one more to consider. I own a pair of their lesser towers (love them, but of course that is subjective) and had a chance to audition these. Big fun at the audio dealer if nothing else! And built-in subs just to make it kick a little more ass, all for $8500.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/goldenear-technology-triton-reference-loudspeaker

This is an old thread, but I thought I would mention what I ended up getting. But first, my wife tempered my budget request quite a bit. I also determined that floor-standing models wouldn't work in my living space.

I ended up keeping my old speakers to use as rears.

I bought a Goldenear Supercenter XXL and two Aon 3 speakers for fronts.

So far, I'm very happy with them.

Thanks for all your tips!

Great! Glad to hear it worked out well.

Thanks for the update! It's always nice to see what happens.

I saw this on the Audioholics site. I remember this from back then. It remained a topic of discussion for a long time.
https://forums.audioholics.com/forums/th...-claims.110893/

I posted it here 'cause on the second page at the end of the article, they mention the Outlaw 5000 ;-)

You don't have to spend anywhere near $10k to get fantastic speakers.

At the $10k level we are talking car-priced audio jewelry.

Personally I am a huge fan of RBH out of Utah. They have build speakers for other well known brands with much higher pricetags for decades. Their own lines are very very good, even their budget impression series bookshelves sound very good.

I have their previous gen higher end speakers, the sx-6300 towers for my mains, Se-441 for my center channel and se-41 for my surrounds, and I am very happy with them

Might look at Tekton Design speakers.
Eric Alexander builds all of his speakers in Orem, UT and they are great bang for the buck.
I have the Enzo XLs and I am very happy with them.
They are a great bargain in my opinion.

http://www.tektondesign.com/