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At a given price point, better to go late vintage or modern?

This would be for a vacation house. The main listening area in the vacation house.  I set a budget for under $2,000 for a pair of speakers and was thinking I was going to purchase either some dahlquists, Thiels or vandersteens.  What I've discovered shopping locally is that a pair of Thiel 3.6's and a golden ear Triton model 2 are essentially the same price somewhere in the mid teens.

 

As a reference point my main home system has ar9 speakers while the smaller home theater room has the Andrew Jones pioneer home theater set. The Andrew Jones Pioneers amaze me but then again they are a 30-year newer design. 

Is it folly for me to think that the Thielss can compete with the newer goldenears?

 

Thanks

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Showing 4 responses by holmz

holmz's avatar
holmz
2,328 posts
 

I have a better idea…
What is in the non-vacation house?

I have Vandersteen 2Cs, and would suggest that the Treos might be better.
And the 2c should be better than 1Cs… depending on age/model, room size, etc.

If you upgraded the house and moved the house system to the vacation house then maybe that makes sense?

holmz's avatar
holmz
2,328 posts
 

So to my ears, you are really picking among two very different schools of thought
…

 

They are both designed as time and phase correct,
They are more similar than dissimilar (IMO).

So one should be able to DSP there way to taste, or the room’s brightness may play a role.

 

holmz's avatar
holmz
2,328 posts
 

I have heard these in person…

https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/loudspeakers/march_audio_sointuva/

They have an Olive score of 6.7,

The 2C have an Olive score of 4.4, which is pretty remarkable for speakers in that vintage.

I don’t think you can go too wrong with either.
One long time friend has some Spikas along with Maggies, and another fellow I have known maybe decade is Dunlavy or Dunytech, so we all sort of are in the time/phase aligned group.

holmz's avatar
holmz
2,328 posts
 

The technology of drivers has advanced so much that new is ALWAYS better if its a properly designed speaker. There are a lot of price oriented product, as people always want a deal, always want better for less, but there are very high end drivers out there at the top of the market. ATC, Manger, a lot more.

I would Ike to think so, but many speakers use the chest drivers that they can, and also have resonances etc.

So “ALWAYS” seems like it is possibly too stronger of a word.

Generally I agree that the speakers should be better now, and the older amplifiers should be fine.

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