Best monitor for under $4000.00


I have a dedicated listening room that is 13.5 X 18 X 8 high and is a well treated listening environment.I use Thor TA-1000 preamp with Thor TPA-30 mono blocks.They are 30 watt el-34 tube amps with understated power!I have had Kharma 2.2 before and though they sounded nice the room was overwhelmed with them!

I listen mostly to vocals,small jazz groups amd aucoustic music!I listen at low to moderate levels.I know I need to demo...but please point me in right direction.Speakers I am interested in are

Refrence 3a de capo
Harbeth 7es
JMR super bliss
B&w pmi
spendor models
merlin tsms
slick2

Showing 1 response by gr33nsound

A third vote for Fritz. I own Carbon 7's and plan on upgrading to Illuminator 7's in the near future. You won't find a better value in the $2000 - $3500 range. The ScanSpeaker drivers that he uses in the Illuminator 7 are found in brand name speakers that cost upwards of $20,000. Also: no need for a subwoofer. I like impactful, noticeable bass, but the bass from the Carbon 7's is simply unbelievable. It defies their small footprint. I own two sealed Hsu Research subwoofers but I keep them off simply because the bass from the Carbon 7's is just right for my 11 x 15 room. I'd imagine it would be sufficient for bigger rooms, too, although I can't say from experience.

Here's a link where someone (username Koven) did a shootout between similarly priced models from Totem, Fritz, Joseph Audio, Usher, and Harbeth. Ultimately he chose the Carbon 7s. Fritz will let you do an in-home demo to see if you like his stuff. If you can't do a demo, try to swing by an audio show and hear his stuff. It seems like every show he goes to, his room is always considered one of the best.
http://forums.audioreview.com/speakers/side-grading-b-w-n805-need-advice-32836.html

Note: I have no affiliation or obligation to help spread the word about Fritz's products. They're just that good! Also, it doesn't hurt that he's such a genuinely nice guy. I've had many hour long conversations with him about my audio setup.