Best to start by mentioning what you have heard or owned, and what you liked/disliked about those speakers.
Best used speakers under $10000
All
Here is the type of sound I like:
1. A tad bit warm while still having a lot of punch (nothing muddled about it)
2. Vocals (Diana Krall, John Mayer etc) have a level of cleanliness to it
3. Guitar (Gipsy kings, Jesse cook) sound airy without being lean
4. Speakers can fill a medium to large room (16’x16’x9’) even at modest volume and sitting on my sofa (9 ft away from speakers), I feel engulfed by the sound. Key is even at moderate volume.
5. It may be related to my first point above; forgiving of average source (eg high quality Spotify streaming, which isn’t that high quality after all )
Based on reading a lot of threads on Audiogon I have selected the following
1. Dynaudio Contour 60 - I haven’t listened to Contour 60 but 8 years ago had one of the best listening sessions on C1
2. Focal Sopra 2
3. Vandersteen Quattro Wood CT - though their size won’t pass WAF
4. PMC Twenty5.26
5. ATC SCM40
6. Proac Response D48R
7. Wilson Audio Sabrina
8. KEF Reference 3
From a WAF I want to keep height < 45” and width < 12”.
While outside my budget, I am wondering if I also include Joseph Audio Pearl3 (though very rarely available) and Vandersteen Carbon 5A (size is too large).
I am currently in an assignment in Sydney and back in NY in Nov. So will be able to audition many of these then. Meanwhile I wanted to get opinions here.
Here is the type of sound I like:
1. A tad bit warm while still having a lot of punch (nothing muddled about it)
2. Vocals (Diana Krall, John Mayer etc) have a level of cleanliness to it
3. Guitar (Gipsy kings, Jesse cook) sound airy without being lean
4. Speakers can fill a medium to large room (16’x16’x9’) even at modest volume and sitting on my sofa (9 ft away from speakers), I feel engulfed by the sound. Key is even at moderate volume.
5. It may be related to my first point above; forgiving of average source (eg high quality Spotify streaming, which isn’t that high quality after all )
Based on reading a lot of threads on Audiogon I have selected the following
1. Dynaudio Contour 60 - I haven’t listened to Contour 60 but 8 years ago had one of the best listening sessions on C1
2. Focal Sopra 2
3. Vandersteen Quattro Wood CT - though their size won’t pass WAF
4. PMC Twenty5.26
5. ATC SCM40
6. Proac Response D48R
7. Wilson Audio Sabrina
8. KEF Reference 3
From a WAF I want to keep height < 45” and width < 12”.
While outside my budget, I am wondering if I also include Joseph Audio Pearl3 (though very rarely available) and Vandersteen Carbon 5A (size is too large).
I am currently in an assignment in Sydney and back in NY in Nov. So will be able to audition many of these then. Meanwhile I wanted to get opinions here.
80 responses Add your response
Marrduk we have the Kef Ref 3 whlch are clean and dynamic we dont know if they will be warm enough for you but they are great loudspeakers. The ATC are wonderful again very natural, very dynamic and very musical we sell the ATC as well. The Legacy Calibre are nearly full range monitors which are exactly what you are looking for they are warm, punchy and musical yet with good detail We have samples from all 3 of these amazing lines. Our offices are in Jersey City NJ we would love to have you over for a visit. Dave and Troy Audiodoctor NJ |
Dude new Altec 604s, the standard of the recording industry in the past (50s thru 80s) and moreso again today, are from great plains audio, $1075 each including crossover. No enclosure. If you ever heard them you will never go back. They output exactly what you input. its why all top flight sound stages, TV stations, recording studios use them. Sounds LIke the aritsts are in the room. Requier 50 to 100 watts, no more. Great Plains audio. That is dirt cheap. |
You should add Spendor to your list. The D7 is within your budget and the D9 is a little more, but these speakers are new! https://store.acousticsounds.com/index.cfm?get=results&searchtext=spendor |
While I have never heard theSopra3 speakers, I have an audio buddy I talk to all the time and he swears by them. I am not a fan of the tweeters they use, but I listen to mostly Rock from the 60's up and that is quite different than listening to Diana Krall. They may really press all your buttons. I heard a Hegal amp at RMAF and it sounded quite neutral. |
I own a pair of large bookshelves that were made by Rick Craig of Selah Audio. They use dual Scanspeak 5.5” revelator woofers and Scanspeak aircirc tweeter. I have mated them with a JTR 18” sealed sub. Right now I am using them in a 3.1 HT setup but I am planning to build a dedicated stereo system. In terms of what I have listened that I really liked, I had auditioned a Dynaudio C1 with a Funk Audio 21.0 sub and that was great. I created the list above of 7-8 speakers based on a lot of Audiogon threads. |
Based on your criteria, you should also look at PMC fact.8. You should be able to get these in your price range new and they have excellent clarity and are wonderful with the type of music you listed. I have a pair in my bedroom system and work well with a variety of sources. I have KEF Reference 5s in my dedicated listening area and, while amazing speakers, I don't think they pass your WAF requirements :) The fact.8s are small, but project a wide sound stage that belies their size. |
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I'm afraid rather than narrowing your list I'm just expanding it, maybe with some good candidates that fly under the radar a bit. The ProAc D48r was also on my list though. Nola Studio Grand Reference Gold, available at Upscale Audio for $10,900. http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/searching-for-true-value-in-high-end-audio-at-rmaf-2014/?pa... The KO would also be a good candidate but just a little larger than your specs and may trigger WAF issues. Verity Audio Parsifal Ovation. https://www.canuckaudiomart.com/details/649458143-verity-audio-parsifal-ovation-loudspeakers/ Usher B10 Diamond (located in NYC). https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649457547-usher-b10-wdiamond-tweeterand-newest-internal-wiring-a... Rockport Aquila. https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649447392-rockport-technologies-aquila/ Joseph Audio Perspectives. None available used I could find right now, but would give you a good dose of the Pearl in your budget with a smaller footprint. I thought the Spendor D9 suggestion was a good one as well. Anyway, sorry if I just made this harder rather than easier, and best of luck in finding the right speaker. |
@ soix, marrduk24 I heard that set of Rockport Aquila in Houston, and at that price, that has to be the deal of the century! The owner was a gracious host for the audition and is great to work with. The only issue is, those things are BIG speakers, too big for my family room. But if you have ample space for them, it's a no brainer, imo. If those are a no-go due to size, there is also a set of the smaller Rockport Atria on Audiogon. I'd love to get my hands on those, if I could. |
I thought the Spendor D9 suggestion was a good one as well. Anyway, sorry if I just made this harder rather than easier, and best of luck in finding the right speaker. A +1 on the D9 recommendation. I think they hit all 5 requirements right on, and specifically 1) to 3). To my ears they have a beautiful mid-range centric sound (I purchased the D9 after listening to Harbeths) and they also love to boogie... |
I have a pair of Sopra No2's in a 24x26' room and have no plans to change, love the sound of the Focal's! I've had some of my audio buddies over for some "ear candy" and all of them comment about the clarity of the midrange. I would recommend the Dynaudio Confidence C2's (or C4's, which are sometimes offered around the budget you mentioned). Though they do sound quite different than the Sopra's, it was one of the other speakers I really liked when I was doing my last search. |
@soix thanks for those suggestions. I actually did have D9 in my list originally. I am going to add that back. Given I now have 9 on my list and it is going to be challenging to audition all of them (let alone control for source gear), I will have to prune my list. Another complexity is that in the last 7 years we have moved thrice. So the speakers can’t be fussy in terms of placement. i might also do Axpona in April. Feels like a good way to listen to these and more. |
Though... I would like these... I’ve got the Orion’s, which sound similar... and just way too many others, as well. But... here’s my choice - will rival any of those mentioned: https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis93fh6-linkwitz-lab-lx521-with-asp-4-two-parasound-a51-power-amp... I doubt you’re going to find many Sopra 2’s or 3’s at your price, which would be my second choice in your price range (if you can find them). |
So I got to audition 4 of the speakers on my list 1. Dynaudio contour 60 2. KEF reference 5 3. Paradigm 3F 4. PMC Twenty5.26 i tried all of them with same source gear : Rega CD player and two different integrated amps - Mcintosh and Audio Research VSi75 Overall Paradigm and KEF were my least favourite 1. 3F : it did not feel very clean. Plus my hearing is really sensitive to high notes and I feel I can’t tolerate any level of brightness. 2. KEF: there was nothing obvious missing but somehow it didn’t feel like I got the three elements I was looking for: heft in the bass at low volume, clean & sweet mids and airy top notes Of PMC Twenty5.26 and Contour 60 there wasn’t a clear winner. I preferred bass and high notes of Contour but midrange of PMC. One speaker that wasn’t on my list but I loved was PMC MB2. Exactly the sound I wanted - punch in low notes at low volume, really clean mid-range and very smooth highs. However it is never going to pass WAF. I am trying Foca Sopra next. Dealer may even have Wilson Sabrina. |
Your experience with the Ref 5 does not surprise me. I tried mine with an MC275 and, though nice, it lacked in punch and overall dynamics. They really like a high-current amp with lots of power. I have switched over to the Electrocompaniet Nemo monoblocks and absolutely nothing is missing now. It's a shame your dealer didn't have a pair of fact.8s to audition. They have nearly the same frequency response but are a bit more sensitive than the Twenty5.26 so you could have more options to drive them. I use an Audia Flight Two integrated with them in my bedroom system and it's a wonderful combination. |
+1 for the Legacy. Don't overlook used Legacy Aeris. Here's a listing.... https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis946i3-legacy-audio-aeris-full-range |
When you get back to NY make an appointment with Charney Audio in Somerset, NJ. His Companion with the Omega RS7 drivers should fit your needs perfectly. The Companion with the RS7 will give you a slightly warm sound with loads of uncongested emotionally engaging detail. He can custom make the cabinet for you specific decor and depending on the type of wood, will cost well under your 10k budget. I have a pair of his original Maestro horns with the RS7 driver and like them with both solid state and SET amps. http://charneyaudio.com/index.html |
Thank you all. Auditioning Focal Sopra 2 vs 802 D3 vs PMC Twenty5.26 tomorrow. It’s not the same dealer. Will see how it goes. I really want to like (love) one of these. After these only two I have left on my list are Wilson Sabrina and Magico A3 (unless I compromise on size and start considering Vandersteen or Legacy Aeria). |
FWIW, I auditioned the Sopra2, Kanta and 1028be side by side at local Focal dealer. My impression was Sopra2 vs 1028be each had pluses and minuses but both engaging, and both sounded better in that particular room than the Kanta. Shortly thereafter a like new pair of 1028be’s came up for sale locally for $3,500. Very happy with the 1028be’s which can be had new for $5k now. |
So I auditioned B&W 802D and Focal Sopra 2. The gear: it was different from the gear I auditioned previous 4 speakers (Contour 60, PMC 26, KEF Ref 5 and Paradigm 3f on). Previous gear was Rega CD player and McIntosh and Audio research integrated. Today I tried it with PS Audio Pre and PS Audio Monoblocks. There were parts I liked about each speaker but didn’t like any in whole focal: felt tight and precise. However lacked the soundstage of B&W B&W: awesome wide soundstage. However didn’t quite have the separation of Focal i also found focal to be a bit boomy, but that could just be the room. so only thing that’s left now is Magico, Wilson Sabrina and maybe Vandersteen. For those 3 I would have to wait until I get back to NY. Of the ones I have listened to so far, fav 3 would be 1. PMC for mid 2. Dynaudio for bass 3. Focal for the closest overall package - but still 7/10 I am probably also going to try and listen to Spendor D9 and Proac. |
Seems like lots of front end variables when judging and ranking numerous speakers. My Sopra 2’s sounded great with Hegel and Mastersound. With Simaudio 700i, absolutely amazing. On my search, changes in front end (as noted above) while only using S2 gave vastly different end results with 700i the clear winner. Best of luck on your search. |
Another vote for Rockport Atrias! The pair currently listed has been here for some time. I bet you could get them for less than the $12k asking price. You might try calling Goodwins in Boston. They are Rockport dealer and sometimes have unadvertised deals on used Rockports of all models current and vintage. |