Alternative Speaker Suggestions Wanted

I too heard the Burmester's B80's at the last CES. Like you, I thought it was one of the best sounds at the show. If I were a rich man, I would have bought them without a second thought. I have also heard the B100, and was similarly impressed.

In answer to your question, one speaker you might consider is the Focal 1037be. To my ear, there is a family resemblance between the two sounds. The 1037's are available right now from Music Direct for $7,995, which is $4,000 off retail. A steal, IMO.

Something else to consider: The Burmester B25's are almost in your price range. I auditioned that speaker at length, with the hope that it would capture at least some of the magic I heard in the B80's and the B100's. Unfortunately, that was not what I heard. But they are worth a listen. Between the 1037's and the B25's, I preferred the 1037's, and not by a little.

It's interesting that you mention Vienna Acoustics "The Music," because they were another one of my other favorite sounds at that CES. We seem to have similar tastes.

Which brings me back the the Focals. Regarding the beryllium tweeter, I too have heard it sound harsh, when mated with the wrong upstream components. My impression of the beryllium tweeter is that it is finicky about the source, in particular. When I first got my Focals, there was a disappointing amount of high frequency shrillness. Naturally, I thought it was the speakers. But when I improved the quality of my source (specifically, by reducing jitter in the transport), the high frequency shrillness vanished. I have a friend with the same speakers. He had a similar experience when changing preamps. I concluded from these experiences that the beryllium tweeter is a microscope of upstream component issues. Like my last girlfriend, it is not easy to please. But also like her, when she is pleased, she makes you very, very happy.

Good luck!

Joe - I'm using a computer based source. Basically, iMac -> Sonos -> Empirical Audio reclocker -> Meridian G68. It was the addition of the reclocker that may the difference, in my setup, between shrill and smooth high frequency response. You can see more details of my setup if you click on my system.

Joe - Sorry for the delay in responding. Unfortunately, I didn't go to CES this year, so I won't be able to report any discoveries. If you went, I'd be interested to hear your findings.

Joe - Some interesting observations. I didn't know about Burmester's new B30. I will stop by my local dealer and take a listen when I get a chance. I have heard the Soulution electronics and the Magico M5's, but not together. It must have been glorious. If I sell my house, I could (possibly) afford it. Wadia's 170iTransport is an interesting product, though I couldn't see myself ever buying one, even though I have 2 iPods. I was interested to hear about the Monitor Audio PL200. I have not had a chance to hear that line from MA, but I'm not that surprised by your reaction, as I have never been a big fan of their products. Thanks for the update.

BTW, have you made a decision about what new speakers you are going with?

Sounds like a good choice. Have fun with them!