Price Paid:  $4000.00 from LyricHifi

Summary:
I have now owned these beautiful speakers for 8 years. They are the only components I have not even once wanted to replace. Before I got them I were forever changing speakers (and other components) about every 2 years constantly loosing money. So the 2.5s have without doubt been my best audio investment ever. These speakers are revealing speakers that show no mercy with inferior equipment and this can be expensive. Paired with decent equipment however they are always very pleasing and musical sounding. With other speakers I often found I was choosing music that would suit the speakers. With the 2.5s this is no longer an issue. The only time I was in trouble was with extremely revealing and precise PassLabs Aleph amplifiers (Aleph 5 and Aleph 30). These combinations were in my ears just too revealing and left me with a large part of my CD collection useless. After switching to tubes this is no longer a problem, but it is very evident that these speakers are very precise.

The only problem I can think of is the low efficiency at only 86 db/w, that somewhat limits the range of suitable amplifiers. My present setup with a second hand Conrad-Johnson MV52 tube amp sounds gorgeous at low and medium sound levels but the amp is struggling above. I think these speakers are excellent on any music but that they really shine with accoustic music and vocals.

Strengths:
musical and involving. Good looking

Weaknesses:
low efficiency limiting range of suitable amplifiers some

Similar Products Used:
KEF 104/2
BW 803
AR something
JBL 112

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Price Paid:  $3000.00 from used

Summary:
A benchmark for audiophile, musical speakers. One of the near classics.

My belief is that these should be used with tubes. That's when I've heard these sound their best. Solid state amps may give you more bass slam and articulation, but then somehow you're missing the point of these speakers.

In fact, I think all the Proacs sound better with tubes (or I suppose with tube-like ss gear). Proac voices these speakers with tubes. May explain the slightly lifted treble and bass I hear when using more 'neutral' ss gear. Got nothing against solid state though.

Honestly, you might find 'better' speakers at their price point or even lower, but you can't really go wrong with these. It's a speaker almost universally praised and loved. Never heard anyone say bad things about this one. Not a really high value product, but a premium speaker at premium price.

Strengths:
Nice scanspeak mid-bass driver. Cabinetry is quite nice. Musical speaker.

Weaknesses:
A little on the expensive side, but I wouldn't say overpriced. It commands a price that is equivalent to it's proven value.

Similar Products Used:
All the usual stuff.

Price Paid:  $5000.00 from Simply Hifi Australi

Summary:
I have had the ProAc Response 2.5's for 3 months now and i have found tremendous openess and brightness that is created. I found a huge difference from my previous Studio 125's and Response d15's. It creates a centre stage in front of you and there is very little distractions and harshness's in the sound produced. There have been good reviews and bad reviews about this speaker, but the final sound is absoulutly amazing and terrific.

Strengths:
Amazing openess, bass, treble and amazing with vocals.

Weaknesses:
there are none but a HINT: use monoblocks to power them.

Similar Products Used:
I have used the Mirage Mania 9A and there is a huge difference in sound. the midrange of the Mania's are terrible and they produce a very mellow sound. HARDLY ANY BASS IN THE MANIA'S compared to the 2.5's

Price Paid:  $4200.00 from Reference Audio Vide

Summary:
The Proac Response 2.5's are the first truly "high end" speakers I've ever owned. Before owning the Proacs I bought whatever looked good in the Crutchfield catalog or at Circuit City. God, I had no idea what I was missing all these years. I can't get over how clear and natural sounding the Proac 2.5 midrange is with female vocalists such as Dianna Krall or Tsai Ching. And with classical music, Isaac Stern's violin sounds so damn real ! It sounds like it's right in the room with me, not locked inside the cupboard or under the sofa. The bass on the Proac 2.5 is quite astonishing for only a 7" woofer. I've taken the grills off several times just to reassure myself that there isn't a 10" or 12" driver hidden in there somewhere. It's a very clean and accurate bass that doesn't boom unless you put the 2.5's too close to walls. That's a big no-no. To be absolutely fair, I will say that on certain older (and bad) classical chamber music recordings, turning on a subwoofer will move more air and bring out the cello, but I think that the Proac 2.5's are faithfully and accurately reproducing everything that's on the disc -- it's just a bad recording. Wanting older bad recordings to sound "fuller" is more of a psychological thing, and having a sub around will help with that craving. The Proacs are dead accurate and will not give you something that's not there to begin with. Overall, I could not be happier !

Strengths:
Absolutely wonderful sound !

Weaknesses:
I found that the high end may be a little attenuated with harpisicords and those brush things that percussionists use in jazz. It's not noticeably bad or anything, just an observation. To be absolutely fair, my Proacs are not fully broken in yet. I'm told that the Proacs will open up more after about 200 hours of playing or so. It could also be that the Musical Fidelity A308 integrated amp I'm using hasn't run long enough yet or isn't the right thing for the 2.5's.

Price Paid:  $4200.00 from the Analog Room

Summary:
Less than one month in on these speakers. They are by no means broken in and from jump they sound like a million dollars. Everything is crystal clear in jazz and classical mode. Bad recordings have been revealing themselves and the good ones are a joy to find now. My entire record collection feels brand new again. These speakers are a wonderful investment for those that have the opprotunity and money to pair them up with the proper components. I took a sort of budget route and came up big by being resourceful. These speakers are very fun to listen to and I look forward to each vinyl session that I get to partake in with the 2.5's. My turnable is the very affordable and fantastic sounding Mitchell Gyro SE. I purchased an inexpensive Anthem Integrated and had it modified according to another gentlemans recomendations here on this site. It certainly made a big difference. Now my $700 valve integrated amplifier with a $500 modification easily sounds as good as some of the amps in systems I have heard costing upwards $5-6k. Owning the 2.5's have really made me concious of this. I had a pair of ProAc Tablette 2000's and B&W 805's before these and there are no good comparisons, although both of the previous were fine and musical speakers. The bass here is big and tight and everything else is just right. Having a competent shop and professional to buy your system from is key as well. I think many enthusiastic fans of stereo purchase seperates according to reviews and don't take the logical wholistic approach. Then they complain and lament down the road when it just doesn't sound quite right. I would strongly urge against buying components from different shops and throwing them together. This "buy the best of everything" may sound like a good idea for at first(especially magazine heads like me) but this approach can potentialy set you back years if you don't know exactly what you are doing. Some equiptment fits together and compliments its user like magnums on Shaq while others certainly do not. Trust the "professionals" at this game and spend a little extra up front. It will save you big down the long stretch when you quit upgrading long before the guy that trys to figure it all out for himself. Go to the hifi shops and listen your ass off. Pay attention to what is being played and how professional and passionate the shops purveyors are about MUSIC. Save your experi

Strengths:
fun to look at. even more fun to listen to. excellent technology and experience from proac. No need to tweak with the subwoofer anymore.

Weaknesses:
they make me want to stay in and listen intead of going to live clubs

Similar Products Used:
2000 Tablettes, B&W 805, various M&K designs