View Full Version : Speakers for Meridian 551
Hello,
What bookshelf, monitor or compact speakers would be a good match for the 551? In the past I always had British speakers such as Tangent, ProAc, Tannoy, Armstrong, Mission, QUAD 63, Falcon kits, etc.
Now, that I have downsized I need recommendations for a good pair of speakers to use with my 551/507 combo. I listen mostly to classical music, midrange and mid-highs are a plus for me.
There are many bargains on the market, B&W DM4, Celef Domestic 1, KEF 101, Musical Fidelity MC2, Mission 770, Chartwell LS3/5... and after 54 years in the game I am confused.
Cheers,
Horacio
AJSki2fly
22-03-2023, 17:26
Horacio
Have you seen these they could be very good and look great. I have heard a pair and they are pretty good,
https://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?76231-Acoustic-Energy-Reference-1-Spaekers-c-w-AE-Stands
see https://the-ear.net/review-hardware/acoustic-energy-reference-1-loudspeaker/
Great price too
Great speakers, a friend had a pair of AE2. The problem is that I am on the other side of the pond, shipping, providing that the chap is willing to ship, would be very expensive. The best place to find British speakers on this side is Canada but for reasons that I could never understand, they won’t ship to the States.
Vintage Celestions are great speakers, had a pair of 66s in the late seventies.
There are many bargains on the market, B&W DM4, Celef Domestic 1, KEF 101, Musical Fidelity MC2, Mission 770, Chartwell LS3/5... and after 54 years in the game I am confused.
Cheers,
Horacio
out of that selection I think I'd go with the Chartwell.
The Chartwells cost £1.500, cannot go over £800. The AE Ref 1 have been sold.
AJSki2fly
23-03-2023, 09:25
Great speakers, a friend had a pair of AE2. The problem is that I am on the other side of the pond, shipping, providing that the chap is willing to ship, would be very expensive. The best place to find British speakers on this side is Canada but for reasons that I could never understand, they won’t ship to the States.
Vintage Celestions are great speakers, had a pair of 66s in the late seventies.
Apologies I missed you were in USA
walpurgis
23-03-2023, 09:40
I'm using KEF Corellis, they sound very good indeed and better balanced and more transparent than other later 'C' Series KEFs. I regard the general presentation as similar to LS3/5a speakers, but with more bass. They are superior to the B&W DM4 (which I have owned). Good ones are a bit scarce though and any potential purchaser, should check that they have the original crossovers and that that the bass drivers have not been replaced with the older and common SP1014 units from the Chorale and Cantor.
There's an interesting and in my view accurate opinion here: https://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/bas/0908/
The Corelli is still a bit of a sleeper, most folk haven't heard them and realised how good they can sound.
I found three Corellis in the States. Only the first listing is worth considering, they look pretty good. The article on your link mentions a B200/1022 but the drivers on the links are listed as SP1063 and SP1051, nothing about 1022.
The SP1022 is the same driver that I used when I built my Tabor kit from Falcon Acoustics [1976]
https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649936528-kef-corelli-sp105-bookshelf-speakers/ B200/SP1063
https://www.ebay.com/itm/225343806646?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338381866&toolid=10001&customid=bc45216e-c99c-11ed-a391-333065376432 B200/SP1051
https://www.ebay.com/itm/274947310561?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338381866&toolid=10001&customid=f7234180-c99c-11ed-b4ce-333065376432 B200/SP1051
walpurgis
23-03-2023, 17:32
The correct Corelli bass/mid driver is the SP1063.
SP1051 is the whole speaker model designation.
Great, I asked the chap to send me photos of the back of the speakers.
walpurgis
23-03-2023, 18:00
Unless it's been checked it's very easy to land yourself with Corellis that have had the older B200 SP1014 from the Chorale fitted. They look near identical but have a slightly thicker cone coating of Plastiflex damping with generally more obvious brush marks.
The seller has no idea what drivers his speakers have, better forget them.
I came across this company, Russell K. Was he the designer of the hard to find SKS Intaglio speakers?
https://www.russell-k.com/red-50/
losepete
23-03-2023, 23:53
I find Proac speakers usually work very well with Meridian amplification. Having heard Proac Studio 1's (mine) hooked up to a Meridian 551 (friends) in the distant past and performing well I suggest looking for a pair of Studio 1 or the later Studio 100.
Maybe these - but they do look a little overpriced to me
https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649965814-proac-studio-1-a-pair-of-speakers/
Geoff,
Looks like this is an unmolested pair.
https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649936528-kef-corelli-sp105-bookshelf-speakers/3090030901309023090330904
walpurgis
25-03-2023, 08:01
Geoff,
Looks like this is an unmolested pair.
https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649936528-kef-corelli-sp105-bookshelf-speakers/3090030901309023090330904
They look good.
Even the crossover is untouched by the look of it. Don't worry about the discoloured resistor, that's just the ceramic coating, it'll work fine.
I have two pairs, one with all original components in the crossover and one updated with new capacitors. They both sound excellent, but I suspect the untouched ones may just have the edge :).
I use all four in paralleled pairs, it all sounds remarkably good!
Bit of a curveball here, but have at it.
Fantastic match between my own Meridian 557 amp, and Wharfedale Evo 4.4s.
Bit over your £800 budget but the 4.2 standmounts share same drive units and design philosphy, and come in at under £800.
Very well reviewed speakers.
My Evo's have superb synergy with my Meridian 557 amp, perhaps with your 551 too, they are around the same generation?
The 557 is a 200W per channel into 8Ω and 300W per channel into 4Ω, my 551 has a mere 55W per channel into 8Ω and 100W per channel into 4Ω, it is a big difference.
There is a pair on https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649962970-wharfedale-evo-44-speakers/
The Wharfedales are easy to drive mate,
wouldnt be a problem.
The 551 has a fair ammount of grunt too.
Just another option :)
The 557 is a 200W per channel into 8Ω and 300W per channel into 4Ω, my 551 has a mere 55W per channel into 8Ω and 100W per channel into 4Ω, it is a big difference.
There is a pair on https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649962970-wharfedale-evo-44-speakers/
it still has the same regulation though even though it is lower power. Output almost doubles as impedance halves. Should drive almost all speakers with ease.
Certainly won't have any bother with those Wharfedale's like Gaz says and will go very loud with them without clipping.
walpurgis
20-04-2023, 06:39
it still has the same regulation though even though it is lower power. Output almost doubles as impedance halves. Should drive almost all speakers with ease.
Certainly won't have any bother with those Wharfedale's like Gaz says and will go very loud with them without clipping.
I agree. Few speakers demand anything like fifty watts in normal domestic use.
Lawrence001
20-04-2023, 09:08
Anthony Michaelson used to bang on about headroom and the ability to react quickly to dynamic shifts when he was selling his high power amps, is this important or is it current delivery that really matters?
Anthony Michaelson used to bang on about headroom and the ability to react quickly to dynamic shifts when he was selling his high power amps, is this important or is it current delivery that really matters?
I don't think it matters in terms of watts. If your not clipping on peaks then you've got enough.
Ability to maintain voltage into low impedance and steep phase angle far more useful IMO. Most modern speakers are high sensitivity (say 88dB or more) but not the easiest of loads.
I know some (horn lovers) will say 88dB is not high sensitivity but 1 watt into 88dB is seriously loud.
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