Big, big room -- which 10-20k speakers?


I just moved into a house in which my listening room will be about 35 x 35 with 17-foot ceilings, with double-story double-pane glass windows on two sides. I will be running a Luxman 509u intergrated amp, a Sony XA777ES, and a Luxman PD371 with a Miyajima Shilabe. Cables are a mix of old Nordost Valhala and newer Kubala-Sosna Emotion. I know it all seems fragmented but I just moved back to the US after a decade living in Tokyo so these are bits and pieces assembled over there.

I am considering a variety of used speakers that can be purchased for 10-20k, namely the Revel Ultima Salons 2s, Rockport Mira Grand II, Aerial Accoustics 20T (I should mention I had 10Ts in the 90s and loved them) and YG Anat Studio II.

I'd love any thoughts on which speakers would perform best in the room given it's size and reflectivity, and given my rather odd electronics. Thanks very much for your advice!
rr999

Showing 1 response by joeswaney

Well, I'm a bit late responding, but, since no one has mentioned them yet, here goes.

With your stated tastes, you actually won't need super-efficient horns, etc., to listen to lifelike levels of music, IMHO. My only caveat is that I have been to some rock concerts where the sound was so loud I had ringing in my ears after the concert...I'm presuming you aren't seeking that level of sound pressure!

First, as noted above by Bvdiman, your Luxman is 'only' rated at 120 WPC for 8 ohms. However, the 509u's 240 WPC rating for 4 ohms is normally a good indicator of an amplifier design that does have the ability to deliver enough current to properly drive most speakers.

I believe you really owe yourself a trip to audition the Magnepan 20.7 speakers. Magnepans (when properly placed) will fill a large room with the most lifelike music I've ever encountered. Dating back to their beginnings, when the Magnepan Tympani was declared their new reference speaker when reviewed in The Absolute Sound, Magnepan has repeatedly raised the bar vis-a-vis lifelike musical reproduction.

When paired with a superior subwoofer that can accurately produce the bottom half of the bottom octave of music (I presently use an M&K, and would suggest you consider the M&K MX5000 with the upper filter set to coincide with the 3db rolloff point of your main speakers) I've found that friends who have invested a LOT more than I have marvel at the natural musicality of my Magnepans.

Yes, I know they aren't the most efficient speaker ever manufactured. Yes, they do require placement away from a back wall to produce the best sound (one reason they sound so good in a larger room?). No, they don't have some magical unicorn horn dust sprinkled on the unobtanium drivers or the snob appeal of some unique designs. What they do so well is allow you to close your eyes and 'be there' with a recreation of the recorded performance that can be stunning.

I wish you good fortune with your quest!