A list of efficient speakers at ~$5K a pair.

OP

Aric Speakers seem like the answer for both you and your space. except price. Have you heard them? Time to sell some stuff and raise the budget.

ARIC AUDIO Speakers

Photo below from this review

@elliottbnewcombjr  Thanks for the review by Terry. I have not heard Aric's speakers  as I live in southern Illinois and have not traveled in is direction for a long time. For now they are outside my budget and I am thinking they may be a little large for my room. I remain in full support of Aric's products and keep in touch with him on an annual basis. 

As much as I admire Aric’s electronics, his speakers are butt ugly.  I’m more about sound than aesthetics, but even I have my limits and I couldn’t look at those things in my listening room. 

@soix I appreciate the kind words regarding my electronics! I have a new cabinetmaker for my Spectre 12s, and the photo shown is of the older cabs (with exposed plywood edges- which I agree is not attractive). I'm not sure if this makes a difference, but the new ones can be finished (seamlessly) in a choice of 4 hardwood veneers, and of course a basic satin black. The driver selection and orientation may of course be what you're referring to in the BUTT department, but I just wanted to add that the cabinets are now quite a bit better. 

https://aricaudio.com/loudspeakers/

Merry Christmas to all! Aric

Merry Christmas to you Aric! 
you are a master of your craft!

@grislybutter Thank you kind sir!

@aricaudio i have not heard your products yet, but my friends have and they can’t stop raving about them!

As much as I admire Aric’s electronics, his speakers are butt ugly. I’m more about sound than aesthetics, but even I have my limits and I couldn’t look at those things in my listening room. 

@soix +1, looks like the guy needs to take a art/design class or two, 

I apologize @aricaudio for some undeserved harsh words and criticism written above. Every member here is an artist and an expert in design and they have incredibly high standards.  

Another easy vote for the Volti Razz. There have been a few pop up her and on USAM recently for $5k pre-loved. Or as suggested already, pick up a pair without veneer from Greg directly... great option. 

@grislybutter and  ​​​​@aricaudio I listen with the lights turned off and my eyes closed and my listening room isn't used for anything else, so that wouldn't bother me in the least.  If they sounded great that is all it would take to make me happy.

@immatthewj you still should have painted the walls pink, and the ceiling grinch green but you find an excuse for everything 

should have painted = should NOT have painted

oh well

That would make for an interesti9ng visual, @grislybutter .

But seriously, on my budget, if I could buy a speaker that out performed it's price tag and save a significant amount of money because the manufacturer had put everything into performance and nothing into aesthetics, I'd  be all about that. But I do understand how everyone doesn't (literally)  see it that way.  

After I read the Volti Razz posts and went to their site, I love the idea of being able to buy a great performing speaker and saving  2k by selecting the option of NOT having it painted or finished.  

I apologize @aricaudio for some undeserved harsh words and criticism written above. Every member here is an artist and an expert in design and they have incredibly high standards.

@grislybutter

It’s really not that hard to make a speaker look a li’l better. In this case, he could have just moved the ports to the back or resorted to some slot design or whatever (two gaping holes in the front which look like that orifice takes away aesthetic appeal).

Let’s see....not sure why he wouldn’t do a vertically stacked MTM with just 2 mids....and a swept back facet on that fat front baffle (it would also take care of diffraction errors). Such things could also increase performance and aesthetic appeal.

Maybe, it’ll happen in a version 2.0 eh?

If Aric speakers price is $8695 , there will a lot of competition on this price.I have not heard them. I hope Aric will bring them to Axpona.

@deep_333 I don't know how easy it is to design a speaker to look better by moving things around. I assume those drivers are there for a reason? 

You do realize it's a small shop with an incredible selection of amps - for its size. 

If they sound great, I don't think the appearance is objectionable.  

Those speakers from Aric are function-first speakers from what I see, and its possible bright lighting in the product photos could be a little more complimentary.

Agree with @immatthewj if they sound great with how the drivers are configured now, and the looks really bother you or a spouse hates them - someone could make a set -or- ask Aric about providing some magnetic grill covers for them, maybe. Just pull them off for those who get ocd about grillecovers on while listening. I’d rather have the driver configuration that sounds the best over looks as a first priority. 

I am a huge Aric Audio fan (I own his Transcend "Push Pull" EL34 amp, and his Motherlode XL preamp. I do have to agree when you are dropping $7,400 on a pair of speakers, they do need to look great as well. Hopefully the new carpenter helps, and maybe a simple magnetic cloth grill?

I too would like to see Aric at Axpona, but I did not see him on the exhibitors list

Mesch I know someone who own MOAb Tekton and Aric amp . He loves the combo. He lives west of Barrington, Illinois.

The guy who own the Moab we both started on impact monitors then ps 12 Tekton . He both sold his. Then bought Moab.I still have my impact and ps 12.

Decooney I think Aric attended this year axpona. 

@jayctoy Thanks for the info.  For now I am going to stick with my Fritz speakers.

I remain interested in his KT88 SET. 

Hello all, 

Regarding my Spectre 12s, I was concerned more with the function than the form and wanted to focus more on having the cabinets well-built and braced, maintaining high sensitivity and a smooth passband for the drivers, and then using very high end crossover parts (Clarity Cap CMR and SA, Jantzen inductors, Mills resistors, and AudioQuest internal wiring. They were not designed to be sculptures, they were designed to be very efficient, smooth, dynamic and full frequency response loudspeakers that excel with SET amps. Finding any cabinet designer interested in CNC routing, assembling and finishing cabinets, for less than $3,000 a pair was a major challenge in itself. After spending over $10k with the previous builder only to have him drop the ball entirely, I finally found the new builder. I've been using these speakers for 8+ years to voice and test all of my electronics so I decided to launch them as a product. That's pretty much all there is to it. Just a product I really wanted to get out there, as others that have heard them have been extremely impressed.

Unfortunately I won't be able to attend Axpona next year as it's about a solid week to travel and setup, plus around $10k for a room and expenses, and I'm essentially a one man shop with a part time helper. I was able to go in 2023 and I had an absolute blast meeting folks and perusing as many rooms as I could. Great time! I also have two large rescue dogs that do not do well when I leave them with anyone else for more than a day trip (I found that out the hard way at the 2023 Axpona). I do intend to go to more in the future, it's just not practical for me at this stage. 

Merry Christmas! Aric

I agree that a grill can solve the looks of the speaker. No one ever criticized Vandersteen speakers for their look and no one ever wanted to remove the grills either. 

I also vehemently disagree with @immatthewj about his weird ways of listening to music that he wants to enforce on all of us 

in a Santa suit, wrapped in tinfoil, in the dark basement of a Burmeister dealer in a state called Canada, stuffed inside a reindeer

(I was trying to find this exact quote from him, now the internet will remember it forever)  

Aric if your speakers do really sound good according to your post? And I do believe you. If you can make them more nicer , audiophile will pay.Most audiophile value aesthetics, and married.Marry Christmas to you and your families .

If you give it a try, @grislybutter , you will never want to listen to your Sims gear any other way.

@immatthewj if you give it a try, you can also put on an ugly Christmas sweater and design pretty speakers. (Not me, I tried)

Function over form any day.  +1 @decooney .

@grislybutter , I am giving your idea some deep thought.  Very DEEP.

klipsch Forte IV, Conrnwall IV or the more refined Volti w/ a low watt SET class A amp, Decware Sarah,  Cary Audio 300SEI, or Dennis Had Inspire 300b = audio heaven. 

Hi mesch my room is about the size of yours 11x15.5x8. I have Charney Audio Companions with Voxativ AF2.6 drivers. These are out of your 5kish budget but the Charney Maestro and Maestro X with Voxativ AC 1.6 drivers will fit your room and budget. Brian came by one day with the Maesreo X and I must say I was very impressed with what I heard. Both Maestros are made for a smaller volume room and the bass might lack a little. The sub of choice is the SVS 3000 Micro. 
FWIW no sub needed with my Companion Voxativ 2.6 combo. Very musical, engaging and real. Look into them I think you’ll be happy you did.

 Charney Maestro

Reference3A.

Makers of two way systems where the mid-woofer rolls off naturally, no crossover needed.

My DeCapoI speakers are rated at 90db and have a reputation for benign impedance characteristic.

Not to mention they should glorious!  I drive them with a 25wpc OTL tube amp (in the winter only, way too hot here in the summer for tube amp)

Tekton Moab. 98 dB at 1 watt. Very full range, especially with the added, single per side, Be HF driver.

I'll third the De Capos. run them with a 4 watt tube amp and plenty loud but the sound is so nice rich but detailed

I think the reference 3a Decappo would be a sideways move against your Fritz and you might prefer the Fritz, I own a pair. Try the Ref 3a Reflectors 92 db 8 ohm they are a total different speaker but same flavor as Decappo. It’s just a speaker that could help end the chase, used you could pick up a pair in your range. I run them with a 50 watt class A tube amp.

@paulcreed  Yes, I have come to the conclusion that at the stated $5000 budget a new speaker pair would likely be a sideways move. I will research the Ref 3a, thanks.

 To all, as I stated above, I plan on keeping the Fritz speakers for the time being. 

Klipsch Heresy IIIs with titanium driver mid horns, damped, sound great and better than the IVs I owned for a while. 2 REL subs (used, cheap, perfect).

OP thats a good move and Fritz speakers are very nice and he is I super nice guy, $5000 can buy a nice speaker in the used market there are a lot out there take your time and have fun don’t forget about Joseph Audio Pulsars if you have enough power.

@paulcreed  Yes, I have always considered the Pulsars as a speaker that would fit well into my room/system when I had a SS amp with the power to drive them. My current SS amp is the Pass XA 25 which I believe would be marginal at best. 

You have a very well curated system. Don't sell the Fritz before you find something you have heard in your home that you like more. You may miss the highs!

Zu Audio

@jeffseight  Thanks you. I am in no hurry to sell the Fritz speakers. You are right about the 'highs'. My goal was to develop a system that relied on quality power, not quantity power. Said system best fit my budget. I also believe that the value of  speakers is in how they fit the room and have the desired presentation therein, not their cost.