I have been very happy with my Harbeth SHL5+; I imagine a previously owned pair from a good source would be in your price range, and/or that a model by them in your price range might be worth a listen (If my memory is correct I compared them to Dynaudio and Sonus Faber when I purchased them). Bought mine from Sound by Singer in NYC, they always have discounted gear on offer so might be worth checking the webpage. Tell us what you decide, and enjoy!
Candidates for best speakers in the $2000-5000 market
I’m asking for listeners’ experience in this bracket, buttressed by reviews and/or data; I am not a fan of "whatever sounds good to you." Ultimately, yes, that will be the case. But in getting to that point, I’m looking to benefit from the advantage of a thousand pairs of ears rather than mine alone. Those ears can include the inanimate. Thank you.
My experience has included my own Elac 403, Elac 407, and Dynaudio Special 40. Auditions have included various Sonus Faber, and Magico. All of this is in preparation for justifying the leap for an Electa Amator lll or its equivalent. But that’s for another day, another forum.
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I really like my Canton Reference 9k stand mounts. Fantastic finish in walnut and a great sound. Also available in black or white if that matches your room better. More bass than most small speakers and voices are wonderful. I also looked at Fyne. F700 and F1-5 was over my budget but may fit on yours. |
@retrocrownfan You nailed it. The OP didn’t feel it necessary to share what sound characteristics he’s looking for, and the result is recommendations from all over the place that may well have nothing in common with his own tastes — like throwing darts at a board blindfolded and mostly useless. As with all posts here, you get what you give. |
I agree most with @bigtwin - up-level by buying more expensive gear, used, in great condition. I'm one of the rare fans, here, of Meridian speakers and have never paid anywhere near full price for them. Find the brands that excite you and look for deals (sometimes, for me, it involved waiting a while; now, with the audiophile business releasing a lot of new, must-have products it's much easier for me to get great gear as [those of greater means] move to the next level); the patience pays off in getting products you never would have considered ... but listen/consider first and have some fun on the journey. |
@richardmathes: I haven't read through this entire thread. As such, I'm sure there are/were many great speakers mentioned and/or recommended here and this is probably redundant, to some extent. However, that being said, a few years ago, I spent LOTS of time in reading, researching and orchestrated critical listening sessions in order to replace my two-channel system speakers. As with most things HiFi, proper component matching and careful consideration of your room dimensions and acoustic properties are very, very important factors here. Here are some of the speakers I did serious seat-time with during my quest and liked very much: Monitor Audio + Focal + Sonus Faber + Martin Logan + Vienna Acoustics (would need to stretch that budget range for new and needs beefy amp) + Paradigm + Aerial Acoustics (would need to stretch that budget for new and needs beefy amp) + Vandersteen + Dynaudio + Spendor (needs careful amp-matching and room placement) + GoldenEar Triton + PSB + Revel. The good reviews are too numerous to mention. That, you'll need and should do for yourself. As you are probably already aware, speakers are likely THE MOST personal or subjective choice for a HiFi enthusiast or audiophile. Only YOUR ears can and will tell you what sounds "best" Enjoy the journey! |
"what sounds best" is what you like. I have listened to a boat load of speakers. From Wilsons, to Sonus to Dynaudio, Josephs, Paradigm, etc, etc. I have settled on a few for my tastes. My tastes run on lively, in the room performers, good sound stage and correct timbre. If I can feel bass, that’s enough for me as I like it articulated and w punch w/o bloat. I’ve heard your amp. Your amp is kind of "just there" for me. Nothing spectacular. I am not into "beautiful" sounding as much as accurate so no "rounding off" for me. So with all that said I can recommend two speakers: For dead on "truth"...Verity. For a combination of truth with just a wee bit coloration to sweeten things up just a tad but still remains very flat..Proac monitors. If you have a clue with what I like and it parallels your tastes, it’s a starting point. |
Though these posts usually end up as a confirmation bias for people's own purchases or wishlists, let me add my own to the mix. For some of the best monitor speakers I've ever heard, I went with GR-Research NX-Studio monitors. They have all the detail, tone and texture in music you could ever want, surprisingly play very well with whatever gear you power them with, and respond very well with placement restrictions. You could DIY a set for about $1600, or they are now offered as complete built options for $3K. Closest to them performance and sound wise is Fritz speakers, but I'd still say they're not quite on the same level to get that air and space soundstage detail that the NX-Studios do so well. Just my humble opinion. -Lloyd |
Good comment @bassdude Even if he stays low power, there are nice upgrades from PL. |
Unless you plan to upgrade your amp... you really need to find something efficient to mate well with your PrimaLuna. If your into jazz, classical, acoustic sounds... or... even some rock... you’d be pleased with the Klipsch speakers. If rock... the Zu’s... But... if you are up for upgrading your amp to something like Hegel, you will be very pleased with Harbeth M30, or 5 SHL, or Vandeersteens. |
Are you a form follows function guy or form then function? In the price range you specified, if you insist of beaustiful woodwork and aethetics, you’ll pay over half for cabinetry finished like a 17th century restored antique. If you’re looking for the best sound, eschew the polished finish. You’ll see there this takes you. |
As a lifelong diehard Dynaudio fan, I only very recently have gone another direction. My current lineup consisted of Dynaudio Evoke (50's. 25C, 10's-I do both audio and HT). With the recent 30% sale on Revel Performa3 I felt I had to at least give them a listen as I have never heard Revel speakers before. Heard and owned many others including B&W. Dynaudio stood far out above all the rest. Went to my local dealer and had a very long session with Revel Performa3 208's. I bought them on the spot (along with the 208C and M105's). Hard as it was for me to believe and fathom, for the first time I would no longer own Dynaudio's. If you like the Dynaudio sound have a listen to Revel. I found they had all the qualities I so loved about that sweet Dynaudio sound, and added to it. I'd never heard a speaker imnage and disappear like Dynaudio does. Revel not only does that but I can only describe their soundstage and image as 3D like. It's like listening in 3D.
I have had the Revel's for 3 months now and they just continue to amaze me. I will be sadly listing my Evoke's and saying good bye to Dynaudio. This is not at all a knock on Dynaudio but rather a testament to Revel. If you like that Dynaudio sound just give a listen to Revel...
Best of luck and remember to enjoy the journey-that is the fun part😁! |
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If you’re into realistic, big dynamic “live” sound vs “hifi” sound, check out Volti Audio Razz although I think they’re about $6K. They’re not harsh or hard sounding like horns of the past could be. Sold direct from Volti by Greg Roberts. His speakers have all been reviewed by Stereophile so you can get an idea of what they’re About. |
B&W CM floor standing speakers sound really good to me. My first pair was CM4s, then CM6s and finally CM7s. The CM6s should not disappoint you and sounded the best to me. I don't see CM6s come up for sale very often and I hope it is because people don't want to let them go. I see CM8s, CM9s, and CM10s come up now and then. I haven't heard them but I read a review on the CM9s and the reviewer wasn't that hot on them like the others. I think the CMs would be worth listening to in any case. |
If you're wanting to stick w/monitors to match your gear and buy new, consider Klipsch Heresy. A used pair of Tannoy Stirling or Eaton would sound fabulous, too, and match well, but might be a little large for your wife although they're elegant and furniture-like if that's your bag. I liked them both and they're easily driven by your amp. Vandersteen mate well w/pretty much anything except your wife. Dynaudio and Totem monitors are exceptional but your Primaluna won't have the power to open them up. Having owned all the above and held the same considerations, the Klipsch stand a good chance of making you both happy. Having written that, I picked up a pair of Daedalus Athena v2's for 3500 and they're not leaving anytime soon even in the face of some initial lamentations and protests from my wife. In the end, though, she's happy to see the parade of cartons having come to a close....temporary as that may be give our collective predilection! |
If current popularity is a guide, Harbeth, Mission, KLH, JBL and Wharfedale big box, low baffle step throwbacks may be worth a chat as a category of speaker within this discussion. Because hi-fi is such an immersive technical hobby there’s not much chance of consensus but it might be fun to develop a decision grid by category of good products available between $2k snd $5k. Reading some love here for 3-5 year old second hand, for example, as a category? |
I heard a pair of Rosso Fiorentino speakers at Capital Audiofest and they sounded very good. They sound reasonably fast and clear and delivered impact when called upon to do do without sounding overly harsh or brittle. I am sorry I don’t recall the specific model (retailed for $17,500, it was a three way, with a sort of pyramid on top of an inverted pyramid appearance). |
You might consider Fyne Audio sspeakers. I have the F-702s, which have been a major upgrade from my Infinity Modulus sub/satellite system of 1992. I was looking for something in your price range, but when I heard the F-702s, I was stunned by their reproduction of my favorite demo songs, and … the wife (not an interior designer) readily agreed. The 702 is far above your price range, but the 501 (made in China) is in the lower portion of your range, and 501SP (made in Scotland) are just $250 above your stated range. The differences between some of the models made in China or Scotland include the former having MDF cabinets, and the latter having laminated wood cabinets and cryogenic treatment of some components. While I am not familiar with the Tannoy sound, it is said that the Fyne speakers have a similar sound. You probably would want a sub, but the Fynes are attractive speakers and the 501s are not too large. By the way, I recently switched power amplifiers from a Benchmark AHB2 solid state power amplifier (excellent amp and great reproduction of the music) to a Rogue Audio Stereo 100 Dark tube amplifier, and the improvement is very evident—the music seems so much more “organically alive.” While considering various amps, I queried Fyne via their website, and they responded with helpful information. It would well be worth considering Fyne as an option. |
A couple floor standing options around your budget to consider: B&W 702 S2 speakers. They were recently replaced with 702 S3s but many retailers still have them new in stock at discounted prices. They offer tight bass and present a detailed midrange/upper frequency sound stage. Discounted price right at $5k/pair ($6k MSRP) An alternate option are KEF R7s. These are also being discounted by many retailers. They can be had for $3.6k per pair new at Music Direct ($4.5k MSRP). They have a fuller bass presence than the B&W speakers but, don’t match their upper frequency detail. I really like the Vandersteen Treo CT speakers (about $10k/pair MSRP). Very musical sounding, truly impressive. I saw pair listed here and on other sites recently with a $6.2k asking price. Unfortunately local pick-up only. Alternatively, take a look at the Vandersteen Model 3A signature. MSRP is $6350/pair with stands but should go for around $4k used. |
New to the scene, but I auditioned a fair amount of speakers at a slightly lower cap, and end choosing Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G ($3.4k), with Sonus Faber Lumina V as runner up. I passed on Focal 926 (slightly pricier and a bit lean to my taste), Totems (various models), B&W 7 series (though signature line did sound great). I never did get to listen to Revels, but people are going nuts for the Revel PerformaBe line and the 226 could probably had used under $5k I run my Monitor Audios off Hegel 190 integrated and just got some Pine Audio iso cables (bi-wiring DOES make a substantial difference on the MAs). Good luck and let us know where you end up.
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I'm a vandersteen guy. You could get a new pair of 2s in that range but I suspect the wife won't go for the look of that. My pair of 2Ce are iny attic for that very reason. The Treo though is a fairly sleek looking speaker with nice wood veneered sides. I actually used the more appealing look to get my wife to approve a pair of Quatro Woods. The Treo new is out of that range but you can find a used pair of the non CT model for 3500 or so on another resale site. They're excellent and would pair nicely with your primaluna gear |
Check out Arendel 1723($3700 a pair delivered) or 1723 S ($3000 a pair delivered) Arendel is a company out of Norway. The build quality on these speakers is unmatched ... Speakers costing upwards of $15,000 aren't made this well ... Their sound matches their build quality. They have a 60 day in home return policy they ship from a U.S distributor ... Well worth Checking out ! Only available through the Arendel Website
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Check out Arendel 1723($3700 a pair delivered) or 1723 S ($3000 a pair delivered) Arendel is a company out of Norway. The build quality on these speakers is unmatched ... Speakers costing upwards of $15,000 aren't made this well ... Their sound matches their build quality. They have a 60 day in home return policy they ship from a U.S distributor ... Well worth Checking out ! Only available through the Arendel Website
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