Thanks for the feedback so far. The more to consider the merrier!
I went and listened to a pair of 802Ns (demo) for 5K today and was a little under impressed. They were hooked up to Bryston gear- I am not sure that is a good combo. The t's and S's on some vocal sources I brought in sounded a bit harsh. What was funny was that the rest of the vocal range in a Fairfield Four piece was recessed sounding - not as coherent as with the Sophias. BTW, I am not stating this as fact, just my own very humble observation.
Someone here recommended the Mahler's. I had almost forgot about those speakers. I found a deal on some demo Mahler's for $7k that I really liked. I like these speakers for the same reason I like the sophias. They are musical and involving without being clinical. My NHT 2.9s have worn me out in this regard. Is 7K$ a good price for demo's with warranty???
A few people asked about my room and musical taste. I am actually in the process of buying a new home, but most of the homes I am looking at have high ceilings with living rooms of about 20*25 (some are even a bit larger). I have some vinyl, but 99.9% of my music tends to be redbook cd (3000 cds) with a handful of SACD's (30). The most imporant thing to me is the vocal range - I used to perform as a singer so can hear when something is off. I do listen to everything from acapella stuff, large symphonic pieces, intimate blues recordings, bluegrass, rock and etc... Truth be told, I just love music in general (more so than the gear).
Thanks for any feedback you have to offer. I appreciate all of it.
I went and listened to a pair of 802Ns (demo) for 5K today and was a little under impressed. They were hooked up to Bryston gear- I am not sure that is a good combo. The t's and S's on some vocal sources I brought in sounded a bit harsh. What was funny was that the rest of the vocal range in a Fairfield Four piece was recessed sounding - not as coherent as with the Sophias. BTW, I am not stating this as fact, just my own very humble observation.
Someone here recommended the Mahler's. I had almost forgot about those speakers. I found a deal on some demo Mahler's for $7k that I really liked. I like these speakers for the same reason I like the sophias. They are musical and involving without being clinical. My NHT 2.9s have worn me out in this regard. Is 7K$ a good price for demo's with warranty???
A few people asked about my room and musical taste. I am actually in the process of buying a new home, but most of the homes I am looking at have high ceilings with living rooms of about 20*25 (some are even a bit larger). I have some vinyl, but 99.9% of my music tends to be redbook cd (3000 cds) with a handful of SACD's (30). The most imporant thing to me is the vocal range - I used to perform as a singer so can hear when something is off. I do listen to everything from acapella stuff, large symphonic pieces, intimate blues recordings, bluegrass, rock and etc... Truth be told, I just love music in general (more so than the gear).
Thanks for any feedback you have to offer. I appreciate all of it.