16K to Spend. Help me make the end all Upgrade.

Thanks everybody for the responses. Just took a look at the Von Schweikert and although they have a small footprint their dual cabinet design don't appeal to me. Any opinions on the Revel Studio2s??? I thought the JM Labs 1037s looked good too, I haven't had a chance to test them out just yet though. The Avalons look pretty good too. I've also taken a look at Eggleston Works "The Nine" and that looks pretty decent, I just don't know if a dealer has it in my area though we'll see.

Von Schweikert has come out with a new speaker that fits your budget and room. It's called the unifield 3. It is like a mini VR9. It has a small footprint and comes in glossy wood or piano gloss black finishes. It features state of the art drivers and cabinet construction while holding high WAF. Well worth looking into.

Blessings, Bob

Baraeryo:

I have listened to the 1037s three different times (two different rooms). They are ok but not worth the asking price.

The midrange is very open and clear with a natural tone to it. The highs are very detailed and not hyper detailed in anyway. But I had a few problems with this speakers.

#1 while I was listening to Nora Jones her voice came straight out of the tweeter on some pieces. This was very distracting and made the highs did not seem very well integrated.

Second was the bass. It was very textured when the speakers were pulled out into the room but but was too thin. When we changed room (same dealer different location) and move the speakers closer to the back wall the bass was bigger but lots detail and texture. This was a deal breaker for me and I moved on. Sound stage was not near as wide or high as Thiel 3.7 or B&W 802D.

A speaker I really like (and is under your budget... for once) is Thiel 3.7s. The mids are extremely detailed! The highs were much more detailed then the Duettes I did an A/B comparison with. The bass was balanced, it was never boomy or lacking. The sound stage was HUGE and still pinpointed each musician. They were also the only speakers (in this price range) that disappeared for me. I though other speakers sounded natural in the past but after listening to the 3.7 it has given me a new perspective on what I was missing. I also could not here a crossover in any way. Not sure if your wife will like them.... I actually had my mom (she is 58) with me for the audition and she really liked the looks...

The Linkwitz Orion is an amazing speaker and really quite small. You can get it made in any finish you want which means that you can let the wife make that decision. It is however somewhat less than your budget!

Being active will however require you to ditch the X350 since it no longer will be needed.

I ended up with Quad 2805s after having listened to both, but the Orions were my second choice and that is mostly because I (apartment living) had to put low-level performance ahead of bass extention.

My friend also has the Pass 350 w/his 10T's. A First Sound pre and Meridian CDP, along w/a 60" TV & Rotel DVD rounds out this system.

I've also heard 10T's w/Pass monoblocks & the bass, along w/the rest of the spkr, is a pretty good mix. You're going to have a hard time bettering that sound.

Most large floorstanders that are capable of full range reproduction are considered ugly by woman, if for nothing else but their size.

Anyway, you have a daunting task ahead of you, so I would suggest taking your wife w/you to at least start looking for something that appeals to her. That way you'll have an idea of where to search, 'cause I don't think anyone here can help in that department.

I'm trading in my X350 because I already have a home heater in my house. It runs crazy hot. I'm looking for something more user friendly. Maybe a Spectron Musician III in the future. I'm definitely going to trade in the Aerials for something though, just haven't figured out what yet. I'm leaning toward the Studio2s.

Dynaudio Confidence C1 or C2 would be good - the C1 should have good WAF, and depending on her criteria the C2 may work also.

If you need to deal with the WAF maybe look at Avalon speakers. Great workmanship on the cabinets. If you get a chance, try to listen to a pair. Some people like the sound other do not but they look great. Can be power hungry, usually 4ohm. Look for a used pair? I have a pair of Radian HC and my wife said they look great.
Good luck.
Joe Nies

*Ok, my current amp is a Pass X350. Although I'll probably trade that in and get something else.......The room would be about 11x19*

Why are you trading a Pass X350??? What's wrong with it? Also, does buying $16,000 speakers for an 11x19 ft. room make sense? I have Totem Mani-2 Sigs in my 12x16 LR. I think they sound & look great with the Totem stands. Paid about $3500 slightly used. I bet they'd sound great with one of the big Pass Labs amps :-)......

Baraeryo,

For a modest dual purpose space and given WAF considerations you might do well to consider small high quality two ways and a powered sub. You could wall mount the speakers to conserve space and you only need space for the sub.

a 10k itch may get scratched, and you'll only get 'different' and maybe a baby step 'better'. keep the aerials, unless you just want some cool cabinets like avalon.

The Studios are pretty narrow in the front and the finish on them is nice. I need something that doesn't have a huge footprint. The Sonus Faber Cremona M's look very nice but they look like hulking behemoths from the pictures I've seen. The Aerials are big, bulky, boxy they look like R2D2 in the room. I have them in black finish so they're even more noticeable. I've gotten pretty good sound from them. I do remember auditioning the Wilson W/P years ago though and they were much more detailed and could go lower in the bass than my aerials. They sounded really good. I'm also going to use the speakers for a 2ch HT setup. They'll probably used 50/50 music and HT.

Boy the Vandersteen 5A with Pass would be great plus you can tune them to your room with the onboard 11 band woofer EQ, while the top sock may be a turnoff the bottoms look stunning in both stock and many premium wood options and the have a reasonable footprint. I and a quite a few other view the 5A as the best speaker out there and a reasonable price that is right in your budget but there are some that take issue with looks....I dont think they draw alot of attention to themselves and maybe that is a bonus for you.

If you are getting rid of such highly regarded speakers over "WAF issues," we need to know what the WAF issues are--size? Aesthetics? Wood finish? Too much cloth-coverered-frame hiding odd-shaped components underneath?

Is she OK with large speakers as long as they look nice, such as something from Sonus Faber or Vienna Acoustics?

How about the Sonus Faber Guarneri Memento? $15K w/granite-based columns. Small, stunning to look at, and able to play louder and go lower than its size would suggest.

Could she go with something as large as the Legacy Whisper or Focus?

Or does she want something less obtrusive (and in this case less expensive) like the Totem Hawk or Wind? And I'm sure there are several attractive column speakers with petite footprints in your target price range.

Vienna Acoustics Mahler have my WAF approval. They are beautiful especially rosewood finish and their sound is top notch, and you have money left for music. I suggest you to look also to the Sonus Faber line.

Ok, my current amp is a Pass X350. Although I'll probably trade that in and get something else. In the meanwhile I'll be running the speakers through and old B&K TX4430. Depending on the WAF I can have the speakers in the living room which is weird in that it start out as a triangle shape where the fireplace starts and leads to the dining area on the right side and a sliding glass door to the backyard on the left. The room would be about 11x19 but 4-5 feet of the 19 feet belong to the dining are which is part of the living room on the right. I (and the wife) prefer a glossy wood veneer or just something glossy if that's not possible. I've been considering the Studio2s because they look good don't take up too much space and when I hear the old Studios they sounded good. Somebody else mentioned the Sonus Faber Cremona M. Maybe a used pair of W/P 8's?

I don't think you can beat Bob Carvers new sub/sat for WAF. It also got a great review.

I'd recommend checking out a pair of Verity Audio Parsifal Ovations. In your price range you could pretty much have your choice of finish, and they sound great with very high WAF.

Cheers,
John

If WAF is so important, give us a hint as to what is acceptable(e.g. modern & glossy vs wood, etc)

Too vague,room size,components?????Used,new?Come on,were waiting.....

My very good friend here in town has 10T's, so I'm quite familiar w/them. He's talked about upgrading & my recommendation to him is Montana. This is a speaker I've heard & really liked.

We need to know what amp you have.

There's so much stuff at your price range that it's impossible to enumerate -- short of recommending what I HAVE. My speakers are, of course, the best:)!

Seriously though:
if new, buy US made. If used, buy anything. Here goes.
1. The Aerial 10t sounds quite good, so:
the Revel offers some competition, they are good speakers (even though I don't like their sound); IMO the Dynaudio aren't worth the detour; the JM Lab offer little waf (I would reject them, let alone a wife). Do consider Wilson Sophias (not bad --not better than the 10s), maybe Genesis 6 or the new 5 (check for waf; these can compete with yrs, if you like the tuning), used Sonus Faber Amati (good waf, not bad speaker); Maybe Harbeth 40s (v. good sound, better mid-to-upper end than yrs, but need stands: check for waf). Kharma & the US equivalent, Avalon (which generally sounds better IMO), offer good waf, but not better sound at yr price point.

No waf: Vandersteen, vSchweikert, B&W, although they can sound reasonably good or better -- so forget these.