Choosing between Cornwall IV, Trio15 or X4 Ultra
I'm currently listening to Schiit Frey+ - PrimaLuna Evo300 poweramp - Sonus Faber Sonetto III each with a REL T7i. Sources are Ultrarendu - Schiit Gungnir and SOTA Comet III - Pro-Ject Tube Box.
The room is 28'X33' with ceilings that start at one side wall 15' and slant up to 26'. The room is divided in half by a 4' wooden cabinet that splits the room in half like a mini wall. It's split level by 18". So my "actual" listening area is 16'X28' but open to the entire room. Speakers are on the 16' wall.
I'm looking for a sound with more body and visceral impact. My current setup has impressive soundstage, detail, and imaging, very holographic. With jazz/instrumental it really shines. If I had to keep it as is I would be happy. I listen primarily at night with low volumes. At low volumes, the soundstage of course collapses and does not bring me joy. Even during loud listening, it is lacking a je ne sais quoi.
So I am thinking of changing out the speakers with Klipsch Cornwall IV, Pure Audio Project Trio15, or Spatial Audio Lab X4 Ultra. I've heard the Cornwalls and was impressed. I don't think going to "demo" the other speakers would really give me a realistic idea of what they would sound like in my home so I think I'll just order and ship them back if hate them.
Thoughts? My budget is $5K - 10K.
I was hoping but not set on eliminating the subs. I’m so grateful for all of your input. It’s nice to get somebody else’s perspective on some thing that I’ve been contemplating for so long.
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@laynes - Have you talked to Kevin at Upscale about the Triode sound? The veiling you describe should be a concern. Does increasing the playback volume make a difference? |
@dweller , I haven't. It did help when I turned the power up but thought to myself why do that when the power is cut in half for Triode and then I just turn it up? I'm sure I'm missing something. I'm only about 19 mos into this journey (recently anyway). That said, I like Ultralinear so much anyway I haven't really tried Triode that much. @brighamdoc , it sounds like you are going through something similar I had with the M3s and my search led me to Volti and I couldn't be happier. I had considered Cornwall IVs but never heard them or the other speakers you listed. The X4s may do the trick also but most, including me, find you need a well treated room with them - just fyi. Also the break-in isn't complete until around 400 hours - but sound better at 100 and again around 200-ish. I'm glad I went used w/ my Rivals as they are broken in already. I hope a used set comes up for sale for you. |
@dweller yes I did a fair amount of tube rolling. Mostly with the Freya+. I’ve tried a number of combinations and pretty much stuck with RCA NOS 5692s for the voltage gain tubes and GE NOS 6SN7s for the cathode followers. I did get some Gold Lion new KT88s for the PL that changed the sound - not impressed. I have some NOS Mullard 12AU7s on the way. All of my tube rolling experience has been a change in presentation of the sound but not "body" of the sound. |
