Curious what people think is the best "value" high end speaker (~5K to 15K)


I am on a long search for speakers and just curious what people think is the best value both new or used in speakers ranging from around $5000 to $15000? I have a set of Paradigm S8's (V1) and love them but looking for another set for another set in a different listening area (25 x 20?, maybe larger).  I love the full sound of JBL's and looking for something in that range (it also helps that JBL's seem to hold their value better than most, which will be a consideration). The only drawback to JBL is footprint.  I prefer a smaller footprint which is why after reading I hope to listen to several B&W 800 series but open to suggestions across the board.  used Watt Puppies? Revels?  I am curious about peoples experience with McIntosh XR100's. 
gene3x
This thread is all about loudspeakers? So it make sense how people make their choices? If people ask me a normal question I just answer.

When you loose dynamics in your system these days compression is a limitation what many system lacks in their drive. Many loudspeakers use materials which are not that light and fast in response. Almost all regular loudspeakers still use voice coils. For example Monitor Audio does not use them anymore. This creates a lot less compression. And a much faster reponse. It improves both dynamic range and layering in sound.

Compression also means losing in realism in sound of the low frequencies. Speed and timing are essential parameters in sound. That is why you need loudspeakers who own a fast response. That it why the material and techniques which are used are so  important these days. These days we see dome-tweeters a lot less and in the comming years more brands will use different tweeters. For the mid and low-frequency drivers the materials are also getting lighter and faster.

The Monitor Audio Platinum drivers use a mix from ceramics and aluminium. But the thing what makes their drivers unique is that the back of their drivers use carbonfiber. This makes the level in disstortion a lot less. This you can directly hear in more layers of instruments and even of voices. Their drivers do not use a voice coil anymore. But they even placed the driver in a cylinder. So the driver can only go up and down. Even at very low volume levels they create a lot of drive in the low.frequencies.

Tomorrow Monitor Audio will introduce the new Gold series. They will use many of the Platinum features and techniques. 

Like many people use a separate dac instead of a source with an inbuild dac. But when you compare many sources with an inbuild dac vs sources with a separate dac. The outcome often shows that sources with an inbuild dac owns better dynamics so less compression.

We have done a lot of research in everything what has to do with electricity in the last 4 years of time. Most conditoners limit audiosystems as well in their dynamic range. But the best conditioners will improve the dynamics as well. Like many people have no idea that smog, highfrequent noise and magnetism absorbs a lot of the dynamic range of each individual system.

Sound is very complex and that is why you need to understand all the different aspects who limits the dynamic range of each system.




bo1972, you are single-handedly ruining the Monitor Audio brand name with your ludicrous shilling and drivel.
Bo1962, you act like you know more than everyone and there is a smug sense of superiority to your posts. It’s quite arrogant and I can see how it rubs people the wrong way. I am not “making it personal” I am calling as I see it.
I think the problem with asking about the "best value" is that it is almost always the least expensive items in the range. The law of diminishing returns seems to still be in effect.

Unless you start counting in absolute money "savings" then a high price item that sounds like even higher priced items will be "worth" the most money. Then you run into the problem that most of us have not spent very much time with a variety of +20k components and therefore have a hard time telling with certainty when a 10k component is as good.

Reviewers are probably the ones with the best suited experiences to do this but since many don't trust paid reviewers that doesn't help. If you don't mind the reviewers you can just read magazines year-end issues and see which component they did think were "punching above their weight" during the last year.

After saying all this, just for fun, I would say that the Boenicke W5 impressed me during the few minutes I heard them. About $5k.

http://boenicke-audio.ch/w5_c/
Personally I love the older (Joachim Gerhardt era) Audio Physic. The Avanti III’s are amongst the finest I’ve ever heard.