PJH

I enjoy mainly microbrews as they are very creative, fresh, and fun. Minneapolis has many great microbreweries. A couple of my favourites are Summit Saga IPA and Surly Furious Ale (one for the hopheads like myself). Nothing healthy about spirits but ale is meat, drink, and cloth.

For about the same money, with very few exceptions a passive speaker with crossovers and a receiver will never beat a true active speaker (one with an active crossover and separate amplifiers for each driver). To add to the list of already good suggestions, including the Swan, I would add: Paradigm Shift A2 Dynaudio BM series (if you get them on sale or used) Emotiva Airmotive If you can wait and stretch your budget the new KEF X300A looks to be one of the best active speakers for under $1000 dollars.

Unless you already have the amps and speakers I would suggest a NAD C446 Digital Media Streamer that includes an AM/FM tuner. Use the C446 digital Toslink output to a pair of wireless Dynaudio XEO 3 or XEO 5 speakers. The radio audio is also available through the digital output of the C446 and it will stream your network attached server or hard drive.

I would look at: Dynaudio's active speakers such as MC15, BM series, and the Focus 110A. Genelec Adam Focal Solo6 BE

Forgot to mention the Focal SOLO6 BE.

Hi, I would suggest you stick to truly active speakers, that is, ones that have a separate amplifier for the tweeter and another for the woofer with an active crossover ahead of the amplifiers. The increase in sound quality is really worth it. Any of the Adam speakers would be a fine choice. I would also add: Dynaudio BM series or MC15. Emotiva Airmotive. Quad 11L or 12L. Focal CMS series.

Yes absolutely go for the Airmotives. I suspect that with your present equipment you have entered the Speaker/Amplifier upgrade treadmill. The endless search for better sound by replacing the amplifier and then the speakers, and then repeating. I was on it for 20 years (5 pairs of speakers, 3 amps) until I tried true active speakers which I liked so much I bought another pair of less expensive ones for my TV. I haven't looked at other speakers or amplifiers for years and probably never will unless they are active or planar or some form of passive crossover free design. Not that I believe there aren't good passive speakers, it's just that for the money you can get truly excellent sound for a fraction of the cost with active speakers. Mine are Dynaudio and I too like the sound their tweeters produce.

Personally I am planning on purchasing an Audiolab M-DAC when they become available here in Canada. I would also recommend you check out the Rega DAC. I prefer to buy a DAC that allows you to choose the filter that sounds best to you. I too will not be able to listen before I buy, but looking at my present audio system I have never been able to listen to any of my components before buying and I am very happy with the results.

I have tinnitus as well. When I clench my teeth together as if I am biting down on something it increases the intensity of the tinnitus. Does anyone else experience this? It sounds like a high pitch hissing from inside my head, not my ears. My blood pressure is a bit high so that may be causing it. I have been to several loud concerts in my youth. I have taken Ginko Biloba but it causes my nose to bleed. I am also on a blood type diet that should reduce inflammation but it has not helped with the tinnitus, although my weight is in control and I have much more energy than before. It doesn't affect my enjoyment of music but I do know that I can't hear above 15kHz because that is when the tinnitus takes over.

Audiolab 8200CDQ: CD player, DAC, preamp, and headphone amp. The Audiolab 8200CD, CD player, has been getting rave reviews.

Hi, I have only read good reviews about the Cyrus products and would certainly put them on top of my list. I also own a pair of Dynaudio Focus 110A active speakers and I am amazed every time I listen to them. In fact my wife even thanked me for buying them after a good day of listening. I have purchased a lot of audio equipment throughout the years and never received that kind of reception from her. They are keepers for sure and deserve the best components you can get. Myself, I have my eyes (and savings account) on the new Audiolab 8200CDQ. The best of all worlds wrapped up into one product, in my opinion.

Hmm... pretty tall order for $1000. A possible candidate would be the new Quad 9L Active. Strictly speaking it can't be an active speaker, despite the name, because one speaker has an analog output to the other speaker. Otherwise it seems to fit your criteria and the following review is very positive. I purchased a pair of Dynaudio BM5A's for my TV system. They should be arriving tomorrow. Had I known about these Quad's I would have held off on my purchase. http://www.avguide.com/review/quad-9l-active-desktop-loudspeaker-playback-30

I'm off the speaker/amp upgrade treadmill, having purchased a pair of Dynaudio Focus 110A active monitors. I could not believe the leap in performance offered by these active speakers. I thought I was doomed to spend most of my disposable income on audio equipment for the rest of my life. I think that there are few used active speakers for sale because people keep them forever. I am not selling these. In fact, I lucked out and picked up a pair of BM5A's for half price at Guitar Center, for my video system. I sold or traded all of my passive speakers and my amp.

They are very revealing to be sure. Unfortunately I listen to everything but modern rock or country and western. For what it's worth, I really enjoy the Chemical Brothers through these speakers but I don't get the impression that their music is compressed. I also enjoy some of the Trip In Trance stuff which sounds great. Reading your post over again, I see that you have 60's and up rock. Well I am a big Zeppelin, Hendrix and Stones fan, among others of the same genre. I have a very smooth but revealing pre amp, a Sim Audio P5003.

Hi, I own a pair of Dynaudio Focus 110A active monitors and I use them in a small room (12' by 12') but the back of the room opens up to the rest of the house. I sit about 7'-8' away from them the speakers and they sound great. They sound good from anywhere in the house, really. One interesting aspect of these particular speakers is that they seem to have a very wide dispersion pattern, even when I am in between the speakers, at my equipment rack, I can clearly hear the highs and mids. I believe it is due to the very large dome of the tweeter. The BM series has very similar drivers and I expect very good sound from them in any room. Another plus is that active speakers sound very dynamic at low volume levels. Also, these speakers have adjustable bass, mid, and high levels so room size and speaker placement become less of a problem for the speakers. I feel that the Dynaudio range of active speakers are the perfect answer to many varied applications and the 110A's produce the best sound I have heard in my home and for a reasonable price. I have a pair of Dynaudio MC-15's on my "must have" list for my video system and for use as a portable system.