Love your no-nonsense down home delivery on all your reviews. You remind me of Bill Murray and have that dry delivery sense of humor that’s funny AF!! Lovin that cup
I agree. My 6.2 is an awesome speaker. After break-in and long listening sessions i find more to like. Its not perfect but when dialed in its hard to best at that price point. Excellent review!
Just got the Elac Debut b6.2. There is definitely a break in period. Out of the box unimpressed. Now about 10-15 hours in and tweaked the placement and man are they opening up and sounding incredible. Really stoked on them.
I'm in my 50's and still punch the wall now and then. lol Thanks a bunch for the review! It helped me make my final purchase decision. Thanks also for being "real world". High end audio can quickly and severely break the law of diminishing returns.
Polk gets a lot of hate in the "audiophile community", but they make damn good speakers. Their reference series is quite good. The Legend series name really speaks for itself, but in that price range the competition is too great.
With Polk over the last 45 years, it really depends on the model or series. Every series /model has different week points. I upgraded Polk Monitor 10 speakers with very good results, but sometimes the out of the factory designs are compromised, so not the greatest initially, but can be upgraded to varying degrees.
Found this channel just a week ago. You’re fantastic. Funny. Direct and to the point. Usually spot on. I’m not necessarily a cheap audio man myself, but I do love a good deal on very good equipment that isn’t priced in the stratosphere. PS Audio amplifier fan, Goldenear, ELAC, PSB speakers and for theater, Yamaha receivers. Love your stuff.
Looking foward to seeing you find more and more things that quality audio equipment shouldn’t cost more than in the beggining of videos lol! I like the channel, good concept!
Glad you had good things to say about the Polk S20s. I like their sound and own a bunch of them as well as the S60s. Your comments about the S15 and the S20 align with what I heard between the two, and that gives your opinions more credibility for my needs. If you said the S20s sound awful, I would question both your opinions or my ears and start trying to figure out which I trust more. I bought some expensive Revel speakers recently to bring me to the next level of audio, and I think they sound horrible in comparison to my Polks. They're 4 times as much as the S20s, but they're just not clear unless you really really turn them up. None of my rooms are large enough for the volume they seem to require. They sounded good at the store, and I figured that much more money has _got_ to sound better. Apparently not. That or my gear is too low-level for Revels. Thanks for your videos on audiophile. If I don't understand it, it's probably not something I should follow (because I'm dependent on someone else's opinions). You make it more understandable and simpler. "The S20 is a set it and forget it speaker". Exactly what I want.
I appreciate your honesty you know I know when somebody is full of crap or if they're being straight and I like the idea that you're a straight shooter because people are listening to you looking for a good value based on your evaluations of these speakers which I find accurate and trustworthy I think you're really providing a good service to the people and that they could listen to you and trust what you have to say cuz I don't trust anybody or anything but after listening to you talk about these speakers in my own personal experiences I was able to see the similarities and the imaging soundstage of the elax speakers so I just wanted to thank you and wanted to encourage you to keep up the good work you're really doing some good stuff and I appreciate it thank you so
OK, you got a subscriber. You’re a dork, you’re in my age group and you love speakers. You’re also full of dad humor which I totally appreciate LOL. Hello from Boise 🤘. Not to make you jealous, but I picked up a pair of version three paradigm studio monitor 40s just a week ago. I’m still trying to except the new reality.
Those Polks at 39hz almost match my Tannoy Eclipse 3 at 38hz. I doubt they will produce actual chest shaking power like the TE3s but I agree that's still pretty good for a Bookie.
In a sea of over-the-top high energy youtubers, I really like your low key delivery. I also like your cheap audio ethos. The Polk S20s are 450 AUD and the Elac b6.2 are 600 AUD here in Australia. For that price difference, the S20s are pretty compelling. Are the Elacs worth the extra money?
Having owned both the b6 & b6.2 I can say it was pretty hard to tell the difference to me. The b6.2 was a little better as a desktop speaker because of the front ports, so bass didn’t get to boomy, but other than that. I loved both
I added a sub in combo with my b62.0 setup and that just knocked it out of the park for me. They definitely sound better after a good month or two of listening sessions.
Dude…accuracy is not just about its fidelity to the original session, it’s how well it reproduces the instruments used in the session, fidelity is more the term you’re looking for as a general “Yes this is an upright bass, this is a Gibson hollow body guitar”…and as for stating this is your opinion, that’s what we love about this channel. It’s your opinion, you go to incredible lengths to do the right thing, but it’s always your opinion and we love and respect that. If I might offer a word, or three regarding dealing with detractors? F#ck tha haters. And remember, we respect and love your work.
The b6.2 doesn’t have the thumping bass but the nuances at the bass that it reproduces is fantastic, and all you need is a good subwoofer to make it the cheapest way to experience high level audiophile quality sound. Just as a reference, I have the Elac b6, F5, F6.2, as well as the Pioneer FS52.
i always watch a couple of videos for the youtuber before i subscribe to his channel, and i've seen other videos of you before this one, and the honesty and that doesn't give a shit attitude just earned you a subscriber, by far this is my favourite audio channel that i found this year, looking forward for it to grow even more
Love your no-bullshit review style. And being a budget minded (SSDI) individual I can really appreciate your reviews. I have the Polk S20's and absolutely love 'em. Now let's see some reviews for budget subwoofers!
@@cheapaudioman haven't watched all your videos yet (I know, wtf is wrong with me?) but, have you shown your listening room? I'd like a sense of how you listen/evaluate.
@@imral3 I listen in 3 rooms for a review. My office which is really done for nearfield evaluation. My living room which is huge and then a play room/living room which is a medium room. I haven't show pictures because they are all very messy.
It's been quite some time since I had been into audio stuff and obviously you are who I will start with, you are a cruel truthful man, love from India. Keep up the awesomeness, god bless you and hope your channel grows exponentially, not only because I like it, but because your channel bridges the gap between an audiophile and a normal guy, which will helps a lot.
I like how you pronounce stuff and stumble sometimes, you are genuine and I appreciate your approach. I have a set of "Klipps" RP 160m's, they're the precursor to the RP 600m after a slight tweeter update.
@@cheapaudioman They are pretty nice for a speaker selling for $375 and under, but, I have nothing to compare them to except a pair of 32 y/o Bose 301(II)'s!
I LOVE my B6.2's! I've been listening to them for about 3 weeks now. I don't feel the need to upgrade, yet. Future me says that I will though. Shut up Future me! Audiophilia is a real problem! Lol
Gutenberg and TheNextBestThing are great channels too, but many of us simply don’t want to spend $1000-$5000 on a system, even if we could stretch the budget that far. All the stereo/audiophile people freely admit that there are diminishing returns the more you spend. So the savvy and frugal musicophile wants the 80-90% performance at 25% the cost.
@@cheapaudioman I think the next evolution of your channel (no need to rush to get there) would be to digest what’s out there in budget amplification and recommend systems within a certain range for people starting out. There is some of that info out there from the others, but I thank that subject too, would benefit from a more practical take. I don’t understand or want to try and figure out what sounds good with what through trial and error on a budget.
@@donpettit7107 Couldn't agree more Don. Especially with the diminishing returns and doing absolutely the best you can, on not too much money. Of course some chumps seem to simply want to splash inordinate amounts of funds, and also appear to believe simply spending money will magically produce awesomeness. Understand shit, get some great advice/do homework, and try to build a system with some synergy and one can manage a better sound than someone who threw twice the funds at their system. Take some time, get some second hand stuff, and the funds to sound ratio goes up further. I personally feel the speakers are the most difficult/problematic. Though that is partially the environment. One needs at least a reasonably suitable room. It is after all important acoustically. The trend towards hard floors and sparse decor has played havoc with many folk who don't understand basic acoustics at all.
@@rationalmartian Caught myself looking at the Wilsenton tube amp today and lusting at the beautiful tubes and wiring. Luckily the $128 Sony Receiver arrived just as I was asking “do I want a $1,300 amp?” After installing the Sony, which connected easily to phonograph, CD, Bluetooth (different phones) and then listening to the results...I realized that: 1) I really liked the sound, 2) that I don’t have $1,300 ears, and 3) that I have $1,200 left over for some other priorities.
Your style and approach to reviews is great! Well thought out and just enough spec info to back a point without making one hit fast forward. Please keep up the good work. Happy New Year
I bought the B6's right about the time the 6.2's came out (got 'em for 200 bucks!!) so of course I suffered some MAJOR buyers remorse. But after living with them for awhile, and hearing all the great reviews, ( especially yours) I love, LOVE, LUUUV them!! At the time I was regretting not having the $ 325 for the "better" 6.2's. Now the Cheapaudioman tells me I can pick up a pair for $ 250 !?! YESSSS !!! I will pick up a pair just to have them! Seriously though, I was aware of the difference in sound with higher frequency response and new crossover. As far as the front port, I accept the challenge with the placement issues. SO, THANK YOU so much for your insightful video. It really helped me get off the fence. ( I wasn't really sitting on a fence...)
Love your channel, been checking it our for a while and really enjoy your descriptions during the comparisons. Truly epic!!!. Its always a pleasure to hear someone who is passionate about their craft, giving their honest opinion about a topic in which they are obviously experienced. You have assisted my purchasing selections.
Nice. I just love my music and buying stereo stuff has always been a passion of mine... always was trying to find a deal. Thought others may benefit from my spend thrift ways...
I always watched hifi reviews with some pre-boring reservation that it´s usually some ex-store sound engineers being too technical and cringy. I am so glad i found your channel, your are the opposite of the stereotype and i like your relaxed approach and information break down. You have a cool personality and i get information i can actually understand and use. I would love it if you had more funny anecdotes. Thanks alot from Sweden! Subscribing!
Great video. Next time you do this shootout have the NHT SuperOne 2.1 in there if you can. They are available on Amazon and have been around forever. It's an old design but a fine speaker especially for the price. It should definitely sound better than the Cambridge.
I'm trying to find a pair of those. Do you know anywhere I can get some. Not really around on Amazon. Never mind, I literally just found some that have next day delivery. I've got to return the cambridge and I'll bring those in.
Is Elac well known in the US? Here in Germany it's a known manufacturer of ours. Cool to see that you share them with your folks. Greetings from Germany 🍻
I am a huge fan of Elac and I think they offer a true value at their pricing in the US. I think Andrew Jones is a brilliant speaker designer. They are pretty popular in the US.
I would love to see a speaker comparison between the speakers in the same series. I remember years ago, when there were more speakers setup in stores, I bought a smaller speaker in a lineup because the sound was more balanced overall. The bigger version emphasized the bass in a muddy sort of way.
@@cheapaudioman thank you for your reply. I hope you can do more videos on affordable but good sounding amps to pair with bookshelfs you reviewed. Surpringly, i learned a lot of stuff from your videos. Thanks Randy!
Great video as ever. Keep up the good work! I would love to hear you compare some xtz spirit and monitor audio bronze series maybe som Dali version also.
The 6.2 is the best speaker of the bunch... but it's also picky, and not forgiving of poor source material. While the bass is tight, it could also be called... lacking. I think a tight sub crossed low and some XO part tweaking will make the 6.2 jaw-dropping!
Recently tested speakers under 13 inches tall, I am limited by my bookshelves and WAF. I tested the wharferdale diamond 12.1, q accoustic 3020i and polk audio es15, the wharferdale were a bit too pure for me, the 3020i was the best, but bang for buck the polk es15 won, overall very happy with them. Bright.
I’m new here and I think you should make a video when all you do is drinking Coffe. Or you know what just start a asmr channel!! Just to piss off people!! Hahaha Love the tone and attitude of your production.
g;ad you said " regardless ".... enjoyed the review, I have the S20s and 2 Polk HTS 10 sub woofers. My system is all analog using Nikko pre amp Beta II and power amp Alpha III (80 watts RMS 160 peak) from 1978 (was in storage for about 38 years). I mention it because you were talking about how some speakers like to be pushed with certain amps and impedance loads. My Polks seem to love the analog amp better than anything else I put thru them and I agree whole heartedly with that point that different amps sound different. I also like the 'song' references because if I have it, I can also check that the guitar is coming thru similarly.
The es15s are dogshit according to his reviews and many others. The fkuance signature series is only 200 bucks and is the best speaker hes ever heard under 300.
Why do u need a coffee transportation device when you're in your home? Isn't the kitchen coffee brewer close by? Fun channel BTW. Enjoying the vids. Happy Listening 🎶
Hey Randy! Love the channel, instantly subscribed. Your channel serves a much needed demographic: normal people who won't rationalize spending exorbitant sums on audio gear! I watch pother channels...but it's always like, yeah that's not gonna happen. I beseech your advice/suggestions . Here's my deal (sorry about the length). A year ago I moved into a new house, and now have a spacious LR (15 x 25). I have a pair of NHT 2.5 towers, with side mounted woofers, rated at 86 db (and supposedly "hard to drive")., which I got in 1995. In my last house, they were in a cramped room, used mostly for TV. Now they have room to breathe and are for dedicated 2.0 audio. They are powered with an equally old Yamaha "100 watt" RX 363 AV receiver (using just 2 channels now). And...I FORGOT how good they sound. They blew me away in the new LR. Soundstaging, imaging, clarity, punchy bass. I was like "how the frak did I forget this simple pleasure?" OK so the only money I had to spend was on a blutooth receiver (the "1mii" receiver/transmitter) to stream Spotify Connect to the amp. And I have 2000 CDs but no working CD player so I bought a CHEAP Blueray player ($40). What's the wise next step to get a noticeable upgrade in sound for little money? *considered getting a blusound node to have wired streaming and a reasonable DAC. The current streamer works, sounds ok, but you can TOTALLY hear an improvement when playing CDs through the shitty Blu Ray player. Do You think the Node would sound a lot better? OR *wondering if a reasonably priced integrated amp would make my speakers sound even better. I have no reference or experience and they have a rep of being hard to drive. Speakers sound good, but maybe they would come alive? (Sometimes I find the treble a little harsh with some recordings) * I got my son a pair of Elac 6.2 for Christmas. I'm looking forward to A/Bing them against my NHT to hear some comparison. If you (or your followers can give guidance, it would be much appreciated. All I have is a Best Buy near me and it was a bunch of clowns (long story, so I'll spare you, but they're snake oil salesmen) Thanks in advance!
Hey, Marc appreciate it. I love older gear and wish I still had mine from when I was a kid (Kenwood towers with 12" passive radiator. Node 2i will probably be a nice upgrade although a bit pricey. If your blueray player has a digital out then you can plug that into a external dac like the node 2i. Something else to look at is the Topping BC3 amzn.to/3au3kiI. It's sometimes on amazon and it is an LDAC and all the other bt codecs with a digital out as well. Some decent low cost dacs out there even at $15 amzn.to/37yE1Kr. Next step and probably the cheapest is to find a decent dac and a BT receiver. Topping would be my choice and is available right now. It's internal dac is also very good. Also consider the Ifi Zen Dac. Great bluetooth and dac amzn.to/3aviyEe Personally, the streamers are a bit clunky. I have to spend more time with them but good bt is more enjoyable from the user experience for me personally that a streamer right now. Thanks for watching!
@@cheapaudioman Hey Thanks for the reply.! These NHTs sound great. They retailed for $1400 (?) in 1995 but they were a sort of gift. They're punching way above, I think, bc I listened to a bunch VERY expensive speakers at BB and wished I could hear mine at the same time, BC they didn't seem to be outclassed. Quick question. I had watched the Topping video and though "I might want that". Would it be a noticeable upgrade to the BT receiver I'm using (I currently find it's not close to CD quality) ? And has a decent DAC? That might be all I need for streaming. The Node is $550: enough to buy a snowblower, or feed my family King Crab Legs (Do you think I would notice a lot if I used a different amp?) I'll leave you alone to make more videos. You're on fire.
@@marcsullivan1168 If you're talking about the Topping BC3 amzn.to/3rdIASr it depends on which BT codec your phone or device will support. It does have a nice little internal dac on it. The controls are a bit weird since it doesn't have actual buttons. I find it sounds great but there a few things to consider. It seems to go in and out of stock on amazon. If you're talking about the D50s that's a really really solid dac with LDAC Bt and has a bunch of roll offs modes and sound color modes. I like it alot but it's also $250 amzn.to/3pewR3Z
Just found this channel, and really liking it. I would love for you to test the pioneer version (EBS73) of the Elac UniFi UB5, same drivers, better housing, worst crossover. If you do, try and amp up the top atmos drivers with the very same thing as the front drivers, at the same time (playing it like four 4ohm speakers in stereo, basically), it does makes the sound more natural and the top drivers act as "ambience drivers", no comb filtering since they fire up, I couldn't care less for atmos or anything other than stereo, but having the extra drivers one should amp them up in stereo too and be rewarded. Would also love to see you test some older speakers and some obscure but cheap ones, like the Centrance 2504 for example... Anyways, just suggestions. Thanks for the vídeos.
Trying to decide between the Polk S20 and ELAC B6 for my garage stereo. Want something that pumps out the rock n roll. Cannot decide here. Seems the Polks have higher highs and lower lows. Not adding a sub so thinking the Polks are the better choice with that. Thoughts?
Randy, In my opinion you should review the Andrew Jones Pioneer bookshelf's (SP-BS22-LR) these speakers hold their own and the older models are still highly sought after.......thanks for your shootout review.
@@cheapaudioman Look forward to comparison of the old Andrew Jones Pioneers to the newer low end Elacs...and to the Sony bookshelf which is more comparable in price. The E6.2 at twice the price are likely much better than the Pioneer, as they should be. The Pioneer was the old bang for buck standard for quite a few years.
I have to agree with your statement about breaking in the speakers. I was about ready to trash these Elac B6.2 but I gave them a chance breaking them in for several days. I feel as though they are starting to sound good in fact one of the best speakers in my collection. Only the Monitor audio bronze two speakers sound better but they are fully broken in. I suspect the Elacs Will sound as good or better over time.
Just found this channel. Seems a good place to vent. I bought the Elac B6.2 LCR setup to replace my old Phase Tech PC80 LCR setup in my 5.1 home theater setup. I was astonished with the expansive sound compared to the old legacy PC80's. Great bargain. I have some older B&W M1's for side channels which blend well with the Elac's. Now what do I do with the old PC80's which seem to have gone flat. Phase Tech used this weird flat piston woofer which is in my opinion a failed concept. Beautiful 30# HDF cabinets. Maybe upgrade drivers?
When a speaker isn’t clear it can also be the part quality in the crossover. Not just the drivers. Look at gr research RUclips channel you’ll learn a lot man
How many hours and at what SPL@1m to get those 6.2’s to sound right? When I got the BS41’s, I thought they had a weird sound, so I played them for several hours a day over several days, at around 70-75 dBA, but I didn’t stay to listen, so as to not have my brain get used to them. Once in a while now, I’ll sit and have a listen, and also compare them to another set of speakers, and they seem to have improved at more than one sitting. My wife would probably get annoyed, but I’d like to run them at 85-90 dBA for a few days straight.. hopefully they will be well done lol 🥳
You may want to highlight the ohm resistance on these. 8 ohm speakers can typically be used with others of 8 ohms rating for a second set, say in another room. If you combine 6 ohm and ohm speakers at same time you are asking for trouble and will eventually fry your receiver or amp. So for my purposes that rules out the Elacs. Do they make any 8 ohm speakers I wonder?
I'm very interested in the elac speakers. Would you say they are worth spending a little more for vs the fluance signature speakers from your $200 shootout?
I got the Polk S20E for 239€ and use them on a 127€ Yamaha Pianocraft 810 ... I am no audiophile, but I know what I like, and I love how that little set sounds !
@@cheapaudioman now I can't wait to connect the S50E to my old cheap used bought technics receiver ... I allready connected a 45€ Yamaha Pianocraft DVD-PLAYER to it what improved the sound a lot, even on my 150€ a set budget speakers
@@cheapaudioman theres just one thing to complain about the S20E'S, and it's a avoidable stupid thing: the red stupid things the stick on top of them! When pulling them off the surface on one of mine got loose ...
Loving your reviews sir. Any chance for a review of the Kilpsch/Klipss fives ? Would be cool to hear how they compare to separates in a similar price range.
Would you still reccomend buying Polk S20, and which amplifier would you reccomend with it? I taught I was going to buy Debut b6.2 with some yamaha amplifier, but I found a good deal on Polk S20. I'd really appreciate your feedback.
So where do the Paradigm SE Atoms fit in the under $300 speakers? I saw a rave review of them by you so I’m wondering how they rate in the under $300 options. Love this channel!!
@@phantasm1004 I like to pick one rather than bastardize both words. Then again, I orient the speaker towards my listening position. Most Americans like to orientate their speakers’ position.
Hey Randy. What’s your thoughts on Tidal Streaming? I’m still trying to figure all this stuff out so my opinions might be wrong. Being in the Apple ecosystem makes it hard to stream ultra hi res but now that I can stream within the Tidal app I can now bypass the limitations of my iPhone. Is my thinking correct? At the end of the day source is critical to everything downstream. I’ve been struggling with how to improve the source given my Apple link. Am I thinking about this right? Keep up the great work, love the channel, not all of us have golden ears and unlimited funds!
Tidal I think is great. The deal breaker for me was that they simply didn't have the Metallica catalog. Truth be told most people have a hard time discerning between high res and regular mp3 or even lower. Good test for yourself is here at a NPR article www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2015/06/02/411473508/how-well-can-you-hear-audio-quality I personally use and recommend Amazon HD. Easy, similar to spotify UI and the best deal at $13 for amazon prime members. You can try for 3 months for free amzn.to/3h39CXQ MQA also requires some software or an external dac that will support it and can add to the cost.
Be very careful when putting your fist through painted vertical drywall because sometimes there may be framing studs behind that drywall and then your fist will not be thanking you for that, my friend.
Outstanding review, man! Git a question. Di you think the Polk S20 would be fine to a 6 de ohms 90 watts vintage stereo? Or perhaps with some Chinese mini amps? Thanks a lot!
Just started watching your channel, great job by the way. Which one is better in your opinion, overall ELAC or Emotiva? Any plans on reviewing Paradigm Titans, or B&W bookshelf speakers?
Interesting how there’s rarely a “house sound” that can be trusted for a given brand - or even a designer like A Jones. Makes comparative reviews like this very important.
OK, so I've watched all Randy's videos and I'm looking for a pair of bookshelf speakers in the $300 price range. They'll be the front speakers in a home theater and also used for music. But I need to wall mount them. Does that mean I should ONLY consider front ported or sealed speakers? Or are there some rear ported ones that will likely work even if they're just a few inches from a wall? What do you think?
So not sure if you had a bunk pair of speakers when you tested the S15s but I have a pair and didn’t hear the muddiness you were referring. Also, many of the other reviewers speak of the clean, crisp sound across all frequencies although the bass is a little lacking. Any chance you’d give them another shot after likening the S20s so much?
Sure. Although I've done two rounds on them. They're up in my daughters room and I'll bring them back down and do a listen. It's just my opinion though. Others love them and that's great. And my review is just comparing them directly to other speakers. But for sure, I'll give them another shot.
@@cheapaudioman Thanks! Hey I believe in one of your videos you mentioned you started your journey while in the Marines with a set of Bose lifestyles or something. My journey started similarly in a barracks room on MCAS Miramar with a set of Bose 301s and a HK receiver. You’re doing good stuff, man. Keep it up. Yut!
@@laylaandevan2680 Thanks for your service, brother. I was actually in the Navy. Served with a few fine Marines myself. Great deals at the PX back then.
If a artist or band records the instruments individually will you still get any kind of soundstage and imaging in different positions or is it just going to be all from one location?
Hi @cheapaudioman , I've a 12x12 , 8 ft high room . Just purchased the Sony Core series. My question since i cant drill on top of my walls, Would i feel the effect from atmos . Still need to purchase a receiver thinking of getting the STRDH790 when it goes back down. not paying 350$ for it . Was thinking on returning the Sony for the Elac, but i really cant pump the volume to high. Also Love your channel i was on slickdeals and someone linked your channel that's how i found you XD.
You know there are a few polks out there the OMD 100 or something like that which has a lot of mounting options. If the ceilings are pretty low you could get the upward firing speakers. Truth be told, I've never heard a earth shattering difference between atmos and a good 5.1 set up. The elacs will give you a lot more "space" and surround feel than the sonys but the sonys are great. I'd just factor in what a set of upward firing atmos speakers would cost and add that to the sonys and if the price is less than the elacs then you'd be ahead of the game.
This is somehow your "fault," cheapaudioman! (Like a super-villain name.) I now have two pair of Elacs. Debut B6 and Unifi 2.0 UB52. And an S.M.S.L. AD18. They all sound freaking great. It's your rabbit hole. I'm just visiting. Drywall intact.
You should try out the NHT Super One 2.1. It has a very different sound to most of the speakers you have reviewed because it is a sealed box, 1" Silk dome, 6.5 inch paper woofer. I compared directly to the Elac Debut B6 and Klipsch RP-150M and it pretty much destroyed them on all fronts. Direct from NHT is currently the best price due to a holiday discount, 280 for a pair.
Here it is again....PAPER CONES. OMG. they are beautiful. I'm going to continue my pairing paper cone speaker pairing experiment. The vocals seem so much more lifelike with a paper cone. There really is something to say when a speaker that cost 5 times as much can be blown away with a paper cone bookie from radioshack from 1998.
As someone who upgraded to Polk S20's from S15's, yeah, big difference. Thanks Randy!
This channel is by far my favorite find of 2020. Looking forward to seeing the channel grow in 2021!
Thanks so much!
Ill have to second that notion. Its not very often that I subscribe to a new channel, but this one was easy.
@@cheapaudioman thirded, man... its like you say what I think... so I'm just gonna watch your videos and let you think for me.
I shall 4th that...Had to sub. Cool dude. Gr8 content.
My fav channel of 2021
Love your no-nonsense down home delivery on all your reviews. You remind me of Bill Murray and have that dry delivery sense of humor that’s funny AF!! Lovin that cup
Thanks so much. Really appreciate that. Thanks for watching.
I recently bought the Polk S20 for a home gym. Im very happy with it!
She's a beast.
I agree. My 6.2 is an awesome speaker. After break-in and long listening sessions i find more to like. Its not perfect but when dialed in its hard to best at that price point. Excellent review!
You are the King of Speaker Shootouts! No One comes across like you do! We might need a subwoofer shootout...
Gino, subs are tough for me. I'm not refined enough in my listening to be able to tell a huge difference. Hopefully I'll get there.
@@cheapaudioman Fair Enough!!!
Just got the Elac Debut b6.2. There is definitely a break in period. Out of the box unimpressed. Now about 10-15 hours in and tweaked the placement and man are they opening up and sounding incredible. Really stoked on them.
I'm in my 50's and still punch the wall now and then. lol Thanks a bunch for the review! It helped me make my final purchase decision. Thanks also for being "real world". High end audio can quickly and severely break the law of diminishing returns.
Polk gets a lot of hate in the "audiophile community", but they make damn good speakers. Their reference series is quite good. The Legend series name really speaks for itself, but in that price range the competition is too great.
With Polk over the last 45 years, it really depends on the model or series. Every series /model has different week points.
I upgraded Polk Monitor 10 speakers with very good results, but sometimes the out of the factory designs are compromised, so not the greatest initially, but can be upgraded to varying degrees.
Found this channel just a week ago. You’re fantastic. Funny. Direct and to the point. Usually spot on. I’m not necessarily a cheap audio man myself, but I do love a good deal on very good equipment that isn’t priced in the stratosphere. PS Audio amplifier fan, Goldenear, ELAC, PSB speakers and for theater, Yamaha receivers. Love your stuff.
Looking foward to seeing you find more and more things that quality audio equipment shouldn’t cost more than in the beggining of videos lol! I like the channel, good concept!
Glad you had good things to say about the Polk S20s. I like their sound and own a bunch of them as well as the S60s. Your comments about the S15 and the S20 align with what I heard between the two, and that gives your opinions more credibility for my needs. If you said the S20s sound awful, I would question both your opinions or my ears and start trying to figure out which I trust more.
I bought some expensive Revel speakers recently to bring me to the next level of audio, and I think they sound horrible in comparison to my Polks. They're 4 times as much as the S20s, but they're just not clear unless you really really turn them up. None of my rooms are large enough for the volume they seem to require. They sounded good at the store, and I figured that much more money has _got_ to sound better. Apparently not. That or my gear is too low-level for Revels.
Thanks for your videos on audiophile. If I don't understand it, it's probably not something I should follow (because I'm dependent on someone else's opinions). You make it more understandable and simpler. "The S20 is a set it and forget it speaker". Exactly what I want.
I am enjoying your channel a lot, listening to you is fun and amusing!
Keep up the good work!
Thanks. I appreciate it.
I kind of feel like the s20s didn't get a whole lot of time in the spotlight. Most of the time allocated in the review was dedicated to the ELAC's.
I appreciate your honesty you know I know when somebody is full of crap or if they're being straight and I like the idea that you're a straight shooter because people are listening to you looking for a good value based on your evaluations of these speakers which I find accurate and trustworthy I think you're really providing a good service to the people and that they could listen to you and trust what you have to say cuz I don't trust anybody or anything but after listening to you talk about these speakers in my own personal experiences I was able to see the similarities and the imaging soundstage of the elax speakers so I just wanted to thank you and wanted to encourage you to keep up the good work you're really doing some good stuff and I appreciate it thank you so
I love the way you do reviews; cool, relax and at times funny. Keep it up sir!
OK, you got a subscriber. You’re a dork, you’re in my age group and you love speakers. You’re also full of dad humor which I totally appreciate LOL. Hello from Boise 🤘. Not to make you jealous, but I picked up a pair of version three paradigm studio monitor 40s just a week ago. I’m still trying to except the new reality.
Those Polks at 39hz almost match my Tannoy Eclipse 3 at 38hz. I doubt they will produce actual chest shaking power like the TE3s but I agree that's still pretty good for a Bookie.
In a sea of over-the-top high energy youtubers, I really like your low key delivery. I also like your cheap audio ethos. The Polk S20s are 450 AUD and the Elac b6.2 are 600 AUD here in Australia. For that price difference, the S20s are pretty compelling. Are the Elacs worth the extra money?
Having owned both the b6 & b6.2 I can say it was pretty hard to tell the difference to me. The b6.2 was a little better as a desktop speaker because of the front ports, so bass didn’t get to boomy, but other than that. I loved both
I added a sub in combo with my b62.0 setup and that just knocked it out of the park for me. They definitely sound better after a good month or two of listening sessions.
Found your channel about a week ago. I’ve had a lot of coffee since then.
Drinking and listening now.
🤣🤣
Dude…accuracy is not just about its fidelity to the original session, it’s how well it reproduces the instruments used in the session, fidelity is more the term you’re looking for as a general “Yes this is an upright bass, this is a Gibson hollow body guitar”…and as for stating this is your opinion, that’s what we love about this channel. It’s your opinion, you go to incredible lengths to do the right thing, but it’s always your opinion and we love and respect that. If I might offer a word, or three regarding dealing with detractors? F#ck tha haters. And remember, we respect and love your work.
The b6.2 doesn’t have the thumping bass but the nuances at the bass that it reproduces is fantastic, and all you need is a good subwoofer to make it the cheapest way to experience high level audiophile quality sound. Just as a reference, I have the Elac b6, F5, F6.2, as well as the Pioneer FS52.
I'm glad to get that validation. I thought I was going crazy because this is my second set of 6.2's.
@@cheapaudioman Try Money for Nothing by Dire Straits. Never figured it had details till I ran this setup.
@@Enemji Man I love that song. One of the best intro and initial guitar licks in rock and roll.
i always watch a couple of videos for the youtuber before i subscribe to his channel, and i've seen other videos of you before this one, and the honesty and that doesn't give a shit attitude just earned you a subscriber, by far this is my favourite audio channel that i found this year, looking forward for it to grow even more
I really appreciate that. I'm not for everyone that's for sure.
Love your no-bullshit review style. And being a budget minded (SSDI) individual I can really appreciate your reviews. I have the Polk S20's and absolutely love 'em. Now let's see some reviews for budget subwoofers!
it's coming my friend. thanks for the support. The S20's are monsters and hit super hard. Good speaker
@@cheapaudioman haven't watched all your videos yet (I know, wtf is wrong with me?) but, have you shown your listening room? I'd like a sense of how you listen/evaluate.
@@imral3 I listen in 3 rooms for a review. My office which is really done for nearfield evaluation. My living room which is huge and then a play room/living room which is a medium room. I haven't show pictures because they are all very messy.
It's been quite some time since I had been into audio stuff and obviously you are who I will start with, you are a cruel truthful man, love from India. Keep up the awesomeness, god bless you and hope your channel grows exponentially, not only because I like it, but because your channel bridges the gap between an audiophile and a normal guy, which will helps a lot.
I like how you pronounce stuff and stumble sometimes, you are genuine and I appreciate your approach. I have a set of "Klipps" RP 160m's, they're the precursor to the RP 600m after a slight tweeter update.
heard great things about them.
@@cheapaudioman They are pretty nice for a speaker selling for $375 and under, but, I have nothing to compare them to except a pair of 32 y/o Bose 301(II)'s!
I LOVE my B6.2's! I've been listening to them for about 3 weeks now. I don't feel the need to upgrade, yet. Future me says that I will though. Shut up Future me! Audiophilia is a real problem! Lol
Gutenberg and TheNextBestThing are great channels too, but many of us simply don’t want to spend $1000-$5000 on a system, even if we could stretch the budget that far. All the stereo/audiophile people freely admit that there are diminishing returns the more you spend. So the savvy and frugal musicophile wants the 80-90% performance at 25% the cost.
That's my wheelhouse.
@@cheapaudioman I think the next evolution of your channel (no need to rush to get there) would be to digest what’s out there in budget amplification and recommend systems within a certain range for people starting out. There is some of that info out there from the others, but I thank that subject too, would benefit from a more practical take. I don’t understand or want to try and figure out what sounds good with what through trial and error on a budget.
@@donpettit7107 Couldn't agree more Don. Especially with the diminishing returns and doing absolutely the best you can, on not too much money. Of course some chumps seem to simply want to splash inordinate amounts of funds, and also appear to believe simply spending money will magically produce awesomeness. Understand shit, get some great advice/do homework, and try to build a system with some synergy and one can manage a better sound than someone who threw twice the funds at their system. Take some time, get some second hand stuff, and the funds to sound ratio goes up further.
I personally feel the speakers are the most difficult/problematic. Though that is partially the environment. One needs at least a reasonably suitable room. It is after all important acoustically.
The trend towards hard floors and sparse decor has played havoc with many folk who don't understand basic acoustics at all.
@@rationalmartian Caught myself looking at the Wilsenton tube amp today and lusting at the beautiful tubes and wiring. Luckily the $128 Sony Receiver arrived just as I was asking “do I want a $1,300 amp?”
After installing the Sony, which connected easily to phonograph, CD, Bluetooth (different phones) and then listening to the results...I realized that: 1) I really liked the sound, 2) that I don’t have $1,300 ears, and 3) that I have $1,200 left over for some other priorities.
Man, you are so entertaining for some reason! I'm literally binge watching your videos even though I don't necessarily need the information
Your style and approach to reviews is great! Well thought out and just enough spec info to back a point without making one hit fast forward. Please keep up the good work. Happy New Year
I bought the B6's right about the time the 6.2's came out (got 'em for 200 bucks!!) so of course I suffered some MAJOR buyers remorse. But after living with them for awhile, and hearing all the great reviews, ( especially yours) I love, LOVE, LUUUV them!! At the time I was regretting not having the $ 325 for the "better" 6.2's. Now the Cheapaudioman tells me I can pick up a pair for $ 250 !?! YESSSS !!! I will pick up a pair just to have them! Seriously though, I was aware of the difference in sound with higher frequency response and new crossover. As far as the front port, I accept the challenge with the placement issues. SO, THANK YOU so much for your insightful video. It really helped me get off the fence. ( I wasn't really sitting on a fence...)
Love your channel, been checking it our for a while and really enjoy your descriptions during the comparisons. Truly epic!!!. Its always a pleasure to hear someone who is passionate about their craft, giving their honest opinion about a topic in which they are obviously experienced. You have assisted my purchasing selections.
Nice. I just love my music and buying stereo stuff has always been a passion of mine... always was trying to find a deal. Thought others may benefit from my spend thrift ways...
The more I watch this channel, the more I love it.
Keep up the great work, my friend!
I always watched hifi reviews with some pre-boring reservation that it´s usually some ex-store sound engineers being too technical and cringy. I am so glad i found your channel, your are the opposite of the stereotype and i like your relaxed approach and information break down. You have a cool personality and i get information i can actually understand and use. I would love it if you had more funny anecdotes. Thanks alot from Sweden! Subscribing!
Thanks, man. Really appreciate the compliment.
You are Da man. Bending my needle mate. You are definitely going places. Thankyou and keep sharing the love 😁🙏🤘✌️
Great video. Next time you do this shootout have the NHT SuperOne 2.1 in there if you can. They are available on Amazon and have been around forever. It's an old design but a fine speaker especially for the price. It should definitely sound better than the Cambridge.
I'm trying to find a pair of those. Do you know anywhere I can get some. Not really around on Amazon. Never mind, I literally just found some that have next day delivery. I've got to return the cambridge and I'll bring those in.
@@cheapaudioman Awesome man!! I love your honest reviews. I'm slowly watching every video you made.
"I don't know what the skull means, except that it's awesome." This is pretty much how I would surmise the Elac B5/6.
Is Elac well known in the US? Here in Germany it's a known manufacturer of ours. Cool to see that you share them with your folks. Greetings from Germany 🍻
I am a huge fan of Elac and I think they offer a true value at their pricing in the US. I think Andrew Jones is a brilliant speaker designer. They are pretty popular in the US.
I would love to see a speaker comparison between the speakers in the same series. I remember years ago, when there were more speakers setup in stores, I bought a smaller speaker in a lineup because the sound was more balanced overall. The bigger version emphasized the bass in a muddy sort of way.
"audio equipment shouldn't cost more than 4 mths of your food budget" thanks for this protip
Your channel is very informative, practical and funny at the same time. More power to you!
Btw, what amp did you use to audition the speakers?
I usually use the Emotiva TA-100 for almost all of the evaluation period and occasionally the Anthem Integrated 225
@@cheapaudioman thank you for your reply. I hope you can do more videos on affordable but good sounding amps to pair with bookshelfs you reviewed. Surpringly, i learned a lot of stuff from your videos. Thanks Randy!
Great video as ever. Keep up the good work!
I would love to hear you compare some xtz spirit and monitor audio bronze series maybe som Dali version also.
Trying to get the Monitor Audio's in for a listen.
The 6.2 is the best speaker of the bunch... but it's also picky, and not forgiving of poor source material. While the bass is tight, it could also be called... lacking. I think a tight sub crossed low and some XO part tweaking will make the 6.2 jaw-dropping!
I am 99.99 percent sure I’m getting the Elac B6.2. They have great low end, but also sound very accurate. Nice review.
Recently tested speakers under 13 inches tall, I am limited by my bookshelves and WAF. I tested the wharferdale diamond 12.1, q accoustic 3020i and polk audio es15, the wharferdale were a bit too pure for me, the 3020i was the best, but bang for buck the polk es15 won, overall very happy with them. Bright.
The folding table survived the toughest test yet.
It was touch and go for a while.
Great content! Awaiting the arrival of my B6.2!
I’m new here and I think you should make a video when all you do is drinking Coffe. Or you know what just start a asmr channel!! Just to piss off people!! Hahaha
Love the tone and attitude of your production.
g;ad you said " regardless ".... enjoyed the review, I have the S20s and 2 Polk HTS 10 sub woofers. My system is all analog using Nikko pre amp Beta II and power amp Alpha III (80 watts RMS 160 peak) from 1978 (was in storage for about 38 years). I mention it because you were talking about how some speakers like to be pushed with certain amps and impedance loads. My Polks seem to love the analog amp better than anything else I put thru them and I agree whole heartedly with that point that different amps sound different. I also like the 'song' references because if I have it, I can also check that the guitar is coming thru similarly.
I like the Polks for the way they look!...very nice and modern looking! im considering getting a pair of es15 maybe 20s. But the 15s are 100$ cheaper!
The es15s are dogshit according to his reviews and many others.
The fkuance signature series is only 200 bucks and is the best speaker hes ever heard under 300.
4 months including alcohol?! Finally I can get an Accuphase amp 😆
Ha!
Why do u need a coffee transportation device when you're in your home? Isn't the kitchen coffee brewer close by? Fun channel BTW. Enjoying the vids. Happy Listening 🎶
Hey Randy!
Love the channel, instantly subscribed. Your channel serves a much needed demographic: normal people who won't rationalize spending exorbitant sums on audio gear! I watch pother channels...but it's always like, yeah that's not gonna happen.
I beseech your advice/suggestions . Here's my deal (sorry about the length).
A year ago I moved into a new house, and now have a spacious LR (15 x 25).
I have a pair of NHT 2.5 towers, with side mounted woofers, rated at 86 db (and supposedly "hard to drive")., which I got in 1995. In my last house, they were in a cramped room, used mostly for TV. Now they have room to breathe and are for dedicated 2.0 audio. They are powered with an equally old Yamaha "100 watt" RX 363 AV receiver (using just 2 channels now).
And...I FORGOT how good they sound. They blew me away in the new LR. Soundstaging, imaging, clarity, punchy bass. I was like "how the frak did I forget this simple pleasure?"
OK so the only money I had to spend was on a blutooth receiver (the "1mii" receiver/transmitter) to stream Spotify Connect to the amp. And I have 2000 CDs but no working CD player so I bought a CHEAP Blueray player ($40).
What's the wise next step to get a noticeable upgrade in sound for little money?
*considered getting a blusound node to have wired streaming and a reasonable DAC. The current streamer works, sounds ok, but you can TOTALLY hear an improvement when playing CDs through the shitty Blu Ray player. Do You think the Node would sound a lot better?
OR
*wondering if a reasonably priced integrated amp would make my speakers sound even better. I have no reference or experience and they have a rep of being hard to drive. Speakers sound good, but maybe they would come alive? (Sometimes I find the treble a little harsh with some recordings)
* I got my son a pair of Elac 6.2 for Christmas. I'm looking forward to A/Bing them against my NHT to hear some comparison.
If you (or your followers can give guidance, it would be much appreciated. All I have is a Best Buy near me and it was a bunch of clowns (long story, so I'll spare you, but they're snake oil salesmen)
Thanks in advance!
Hey, Marc appreciate it. I love older gear and wish I still had mine from when I was a kid (Kenwood towers with 12" passive radiator. Node 2i will probably be a nice upgrade although a bit pricey. If your blueray player has a digital out then you can plug that into a external dac like the node 2i. Something else to look at is the Topping BC3 amzn.to/3au3kiI. It's sometimes on amazon and it is an LDAC and all the other bt codecs with a digital out as well. Some decent low cost dacs out there even at $15 amzn.to/37yE1Kr. Next step and probably the cheapest is to find a decent dac and a BT receiver. Topping would be my choice and is available right now. It's internal dac is also very good. Also consider the Ifi Zen Dac. Great bluetooth and dac amzn.to/3aviyEe
Personally, the streamers are a bit clunky. I have to spend more time with them but good bt is more enjoyable from the user experience for me personally that a streamer right now. Thanks for watching!
@@cheapaudioman Hey Thanks for the reply.! These NHTs sound great. They retailed for $1400 (?) in 1995 but they were a sort of gift. They're punching way above, I think, bc I listened to a bunch VERY expensive speakers at BB and wished I could hear mine at the same time, BC they didn't seem to be outclassed.
Quick question. I had watched the Topping video and though "I might want that". Would it be a noticeable upgrade to the BT receiver I'm using (I currently find it's not close to CD quality) ? And has a decent DAC? That might be all I need for streaming. The Node is $550: enough to buy a snowblower, or feed my family King Crab Legs
(Do you think I would notice a lot if I used a different amp?)
I'll leave you alone to make more videos. You're on fire.
@@marcsullivan1168 If you're talking about the Topping BC3 amzn.to/3rdIASr it depends on which BT codec your phone or device will support. It does have a nice little internal dac on it. The controls are a bit weird since it doesn't have actual buttons. I find it sounds great but there a few things to consider. It seems to go in and out of stock on amazon. If you're talking about the D50s that's a really really solid dac with LDAC Bt and has a bunch of roll offs modes and sound color modes. I like it alot but it's also $250 amzn.to/3pewR3Z
I love my signature series s50! Especially when everything is setup correctly.
Just found this channel, and really liking it.
I would love for you to test the pioneer version (EBS73) of the Elac UniFi UB5, same drivers, better housing, worst crossover. If you do, try and amp up the top atmos drivers with the very same thing as the front drivers, at the same time (playing it like four 4ohm speakers in stereo, basically), it does makes the sound more natural and the top drivers act as "ambience drivers", no comb filtering since they fire up, I couldn't care less for atmos or anything other than stereo, but having the extra drivers one should amp them up in stereo too and be rewarded.
Would also love to see you test some older speakers and some obscure but cheap ones, like the Centrance 2504 for example...
Anyways, just suggestions. Thanks for the vídeos.
Trying to decide between the Polk S20 and ELAC B6 for my garage stereo. Want something that pumps out the rock n roll. Cannot decide here. Seems the Polks have higher highs and lower lows. Not adding a sub so thinking the Polks are the better choice with that. Thoughts?
Randy, In my opinion you should review the Andrew Jones Pioneer bookshelf's (SP-BS22-LR) these speakers hold their own and the older models are still highly sought after.......thanks for your shootout review.
Funny you mention that. They came in last night and I gave them a bit of a listen this morning.
@@cheapaudioman Look forward to comparison of the old Andrew Jones Pioneers to the newer low end Elacs...and to the Sony bookshelf which is more comparable in price. The E6.2 at twice the price are likely much better than the Pioneer, as they should be. The Pioneer was the old bang for buck standard for quite a few years.
I like the humor of this man 👌
I have to agree with your statement about breaking in the speakers. I was about ready to trash these Elac B6.2 but I gave them a chance breaking them in for several days. I feel as though they are starting to sound good in fact one of the best speakers in my collection. Only the Monitor audio bronze two speakers sound better but they are fully broken in. I suspect the Elacs Will sound as good or better over time.
Great video, Merry Christmas
Just found this channel. Seems a good place to vent. I bought the Elac B6.2 LCR setup to replace my old Phase Tech PC80 LCR setup in my 5.1 home theater setup. I was astonished with the expansive sound compared to the old legacy PC80's. Great bargain. I have some older B&W M1's for side channels which blend well with the Elac's.
Now what do I do with the old PC80's which seem to have gone flat. Phase Tech used this weird flat piston woofer which is in my opinion a failed concept. Beautiful 30# HDF cabinets. Maybe upgrade drivers?
You remind me a bit of the sheriff from Stranger Things. That's a good thing since I really like that guy.
When a speaker isn’t clear it can also be the part quality in the crossover. Not just the drivers. Look at gr research RUclips channel you’ll learn a lot man
I love Steve Guttenberg, too. 👍👍👍 Three thumbs up.
How many hours and at what SPL@1m to get those 6.2’s to sound right? When I got the BS41’s, I thought they had a weird sound, so I played them for several hours a day over several days, at around 70-75 dBA, but I didn’t stay to listen, so as to not have my brain get used to them. Once in a while now, I’ll sit and have a listen, and also compare them to another set of speakers, and they seem to have improved at more than one sitting. My wife would probably get annoyed, but I’d like to run them at 85-90 dBA for a few days straight.. hopefully they will be well done lol 🥳
You may want to highlight the ohm resistance on these. 8 ohm speakers can typically be used with others of 8 ohms rating for a second set, say in another room. If you combine 6 ohm and ohm speakers at same time you are asking for trouble and will eventually fry your receiver or amp. So for my purposes that rules out the Elacs. Do they make any 8 ohm speakers I wonder?
Nice work man👍..merry Christmas ✨️✨️
I'm very interested in the elac speakers. Would you say they are worth spending a little more for vs the fluance signature speakers from your $200 shootout?
I got the Polk S20E for 239€ and use them on a 127€ Yamaha Pianocraft 810 ... I am no audiophile, but I know what I like, and I love how that little set sounds !
Big big sound from the S20's. They are part of the permanent collection here.
@@cheapaudioman now I can't wait to connect the S50E to my old cheap used bought technics receiver ... I allready connected a 45€ Yamaha Pianocraft DVD-PLAYER to it what improved the sound a lot, even on my 150€ a set budget speakers
@@michaelschafer6379 let us know how it sounds!
@@cheapaudioman I will do the Korn-test ... and a few others ...
@@cheapaudioman theres just one thing to complain about the S20E'S, and it's a avoidable stupid thing: the red stupid things the stick on top of them! When pulling them off the surface on one of mine got loose ...
Loving your reviews sir. Any chance for a review of the Kilpsch/Klipss fives ? Would be cool to hear how they compare to separates in a similar price range.
Would love to get a set of those. We're slowly moving our way over to powered speakers over here.
Would you still reccomend buying Polk S20, and which amplifier would you reccomend with it?
I taught I was going to buy Debut b6.2 with some yamaha amplifier, but I found a good deal on Polk S20.
I'd really appreciate your feedback.
So where do the Paradigm SE Atoms fit in the under $300 speakers? I saw a rave review of them by you so I’m wondering how they rate in the under $300 options. Love this channel!!
Good review. Thank you for not saying irregardless again.
I caught myself... I wanted to say it.
@@cheapaudioman would you pick the Debut 6.2 over the Airmotiv B1+ that you picked for the 5.25in $300 category?
@@phantasm1004 I like to pick one rather than bastardize both words. Then again, I orient the speaker towards my listening position. Most Americans like to orientate their speakers’ position.
Irregardless, I'd still watch his reviews. ♓
Hey Randy. What’s your thoughts on Tidal Streaming? I’m still trying to figure all this stuff out so my opinions might be wrong. Being in the Apple ecosystem makes it hard to stream ultra hi res but now that I can stream within the Tidal app I can now bypass the limitations of my iPhone. Is my thinking correct? At the end of the day source is critical to everything downstream. I’ve been struggling with how to improve the source given my Apple link. Am I thinking about this right?
Keep up the great work, love the channel, not all of us have golden ears and unlimited funds!
Tidal I think is great. The deal breaker for me was that they simply didn't have the Metallica catalog. Truth be told most people have a hard time discerning between high res and regular mp3 or even lower. Good test for yourself is here at a NPR article www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2015/06/02/411473508/how-well-can-you-hear-audio-quality I personally use and recommend Amazon HD. Easy, similar to spotify UI and the best deal at $13 for amazon prime members. You can try for 3 months for free amzn.to/3h39CXQ MQA also requires some software or an external dac that will support it and can add to the cost.
Guess what's really inside Cheapaudioman's coffee mug.
I vote Vodka.
I actually don't drink anymore but let's just let people think I'm hammered...
Be very careful when putting your fist through painted vertical drywall because sometimes there may be framing studs behind that drywall and then your fist will not be thanking you for that, my friend.
Outstanding review, man!
Git a question. Di you think the Polk S20 would be fine to a 6 de ohms 90 watts vintage stereo?
Or perhaps with some Chinese mini amps?
Thanks a lot!
Yes the Polk S20's are very easy to drive. Because of the sensitivity.
Love your videos. If you can include sound test ( non copy righted) it will take the videos to the next level.
would love to, Sundar. currently I don't have the equipment for that but I'll definitely look into it.
Thanks Sir
Yessss!! Thank you sir!
Just started watching your channel, great job by the way. Which one is better in your opinion, overall ELAC or Emotiva?
Any plans on reviewing Paradigm Titans, or B&W bookshelf speakers?
I’d love to review those. The emos are lively and punchy. The elacs are more neutral but some might say more boring than the emos
I just bought a denon Avr-x1800 would you recommend the polk s20 with that receiver?
Interesting how there’s rarely a “house sound” that can be trusted for a given brand - or even a designer like A Jones. Makes comparative reviews like this very important.
Thanks, Paul. The first debut line to the second couldn’t have sounded more different
Nice Reviews and accurate,No Nonsense
Another great review!
Love your show C A M but to check bass just listen to the first 5 minutes of blade runner 2049
OK, so I've watched all Randy's videos and I'm looking for a pair of bookshelf speakers in the $300 price range. They'll be the front speakers in a home theater and also used for music. But I need to wall mount them. Does that mean I should ONLY consider front ported or sealed speakers? Or are there some rear ported ones that will likely work even if they're just a few inches from a wall? What do you think?
The S20s Polks cld be mounted with a lil drilling. Check out the back.
What are you using to power these speakers?
So not sure if you had a bunk pair of speakers when you tested the S15s but I have a pair and didn’t hear the muddiness you were referring. Also, many of the other reviewers speak of the clean, crisp sound across all frequencies although the bass is a little lacking. Any chance you’d give them another shot after likening the S20s so much?
Sure. Although I've done two rounds on them. They're up in my daughters room and I'll bring them back down and do a listen. It's just my opinion though. Others love them and that's great. And my review is just comparing them directly to other speakers. But for sure, I'll give them another shot.
@@cheapaudioman Thanks! Hey I believe in one of your videos you mentioned you started your journey while in the Marines with a set of Bose lifestyles or something. My journey started similarly in a barracks room on MCAS Miramar with a set of Bose 301s and a HK receiver. You’re doing good stuff, man. Keep it up. Yut!
@@laylaandevan2680 Thanks for your service, brother. I was actually in the Navy. Served with a few fine Marines myself. Great deals at the PX back then.
I know this video is 3 years old but were you going through something while recording this? Cuz wow.
So S20 or B6.2?
If a artist or band records the instruments individually will you still get any kind of soundstage and imaging in different positions or is it just going to be all from one location?
any difference in the es 20 to the s 20?look the same thanks
Hi @cheapaudioman , I've a 12x12 , 8 ft high room . Just purchased the Sony Core series.
My question since i cant drill on top of my walls, Would i feel the effect from atmos .
Still need to purchase a receiver thinking of getting the STRDH790 when it goes back down. not paying 350$ for it .
Was thinking on returning the Sony for the Elac, but i really cant pump the volume to high.
Also Love your channel i was on slickdeals and someone linked your channel that's how i found you XD.
You know there are a few polks out there the OMD 100 or something like that which has a lot of mounting options. If the ceilings are pretty low you could get the upward firing speakers. Truth be told, I've never heard a earth shattering difference between atmos and a good 5.1 set up. The elacs will give you a lot more "space" and surround feel than the sonys but the sonys are great. I'd just factor in what a set of upward firing atmos speakers would cost and add that to the sonys and if the price is less than the elacs then you'd be ahead of the game.
Hey Randy want to ask whci5 of those 4 is good for outdoor?
This is somehow your "fault," cheapaudioman! (Like a super-villain name.) I now have two pair of Elacs. Debut B6 and Unifi 2.0 UB52. And an S.M.S.L. AD18. They all sound freaking great. It's your rabbit hole. I'm just visiting. Drywall intact.
Ok.Nice presentation but what about the timbre of the instruments? About oboe sounding like oboe and not like clarinet?
I do listen to Miles Davis on my test tracks. Nothing jumped out as being bad on any of these except for the Cambridge
You should try out the NHT Super One 2.1. It has a very different sound to most of the speakers you have reviewed because it is a sealed box, 1" Silk dome, 6.5 inch paper woofer. I compared directly to the Elac Debut B6 and Klipsch RP-150M and it pretty much destroyed them on all fronts. Direct from NHT is currently the best price due to a holiday discount, 280 for a pair.
I will take a look at it. You're not the first person to suggest them.
Here it is again....PAPER CONES. OMG. they are beautiful. I'm going to continue my pairing paper cone speaker pairing experiment. The vocals seem so much more lifelike with a paper cone. There really is something to say when a speaker that cost 5 times as much can be blown away with a paper cone bookie from radioshack from 1998.
Thanks for the video, coffee is always good :-)