Advice on choosing speakers


Hi all, first some background... I am a music lover first and foremost. I have resisted the urge to upgrade my system for many years now (1973 MA6100 integrated, 1975 4-way XR7's, and a KCD-20 CD player that were all bought used) - but I am getting ready to take the plunge. I plan to buy all new components end-to-end. I believe that the first step is to choose appropriate speakers, and then select source and amplification to match. I listen to a variey of music, and understand that finding speakers that will do all styles well will be a compromise. I listen probably about 40% to acoustic instruments and vocal (bluegrass, folk, country and jazz) and 60% to rock music in a large room. I do not have a specific budget, but let's say less than 10K used. My four criteria so far are:

1. Speakers that are sufficiently detailed and nuanced to reproduce the intricacies of acoustic sound; true audiophile quality sound.
2. Able to handle the attack and low end of rock music at high levels of volume.
3. Have aesthetic appeal - this is entirely personal taste.
4. Made by a company known with a L/T reputation for standing by their product from a parts/service/dealer perspective.

So far, I have listened to very few speakers. I liked the look, clarity and detail of the Nautilus 802's for example, but found then lacking in low end and perceived ease at higher volume levels with rock music. I will next audition the N801's. Am I barking up the wrong tree here?; can you recommend your favourite speakers that will give me that detail and trasnaparency while being able to produce a "wall of sound" at higher volumes?

Thanks in advance for your help!
matt_lane

Showing 1 response by drseid

For Rock and acoustics in your used price range I recommend auditioning the McIntosh XRT-28s... They go for 18K+ new, but can be had around 9K used.

I listened to these guys at great length while on vacation late last year, and they impressed me to no end... They are the first speaker at their price point that I can honestly say was worth every penny (even new).

Midrange on the XRT-28s was first-rate, with vocals coming through crystal clear... Bass was tight and punchy (having the capability to go down to a real 18 hz when called for (which is *extremely* rare)), and highs were non-fatiguing... The soundstage on these guys was absolutely huge, and so was the sweet spot. My only minor gripe was the wood veneer trim was kind of cheap looking (especially for an 18K pair of speakers), but with the sound I heard, I couldn't care...

Electronics used were all solid state McIntosh (and the XRT-28s demand plenty of high quality watts to sound their best).

---Dave