Do I have to spend $4000 plus to get a better sounding speaker than GET model 7 ?
I have owned a pair of Golden Ear Technology 7's speaker for almost 3 years. I think they sound very good in my current set-up. I bought them unheard based on the rave reviews they received at CES 2012. My concern is that if I was to invest in a speaker that is $3500-$4000, it may prove to be only marginally or fairly better. I am not saying that the GET's 7's are the best bargain in audio at $1395. My experience with them is they are very accurate with low distortion, but don't throw a particularly wide or deep soundstage.
I have considered( not necessarily auditioned) Revel F-206; Focal Aria 936; Paradign F85; PSB T-2'; Ryan 630; B&W CM9S Dynaudio X-34; Duevel "Venus" Audio Physic Sitara 25 and Tempo 25 All of the indicated speakers (except AP and Duevel) fall in the $3000-$4500 retail price range
ProAc floor standers are off the scope in price, (often, even used) Anything I buy will be used, because California sales tax is 8.5%, and I can stretch my dollars buying used.
Any recommendations are welcomed especially if based on you own experience with a particular speaker or brand.
Thank you, S.J
A college friend of
mine who's a very, very serious audiophile, now living in Taiwan swears by
these: |
Another fabulous choice would be a used pair of Chapman T-7’s but only if they’ve been upgraded fairly recently, IE: within the past 7.5 years. Stuart Chapman Jones is brilliant. Audioengine powered speakers with a subwoofer are freakin’ amazing. Very small footprint and easy to position. Of course you’ll need stands. Ohm Walsh speakers are probably the easiest, most forgiving speakers in terms of placement to set up. 60 day home trial. John @ Ohm Acoustics is likely a genius. Used Dynaudio monitors are within your budget- powered with the appropriate components will likely blow your socks off. I'm not sure if they "like" Conrad Johnson, though, and you possibly, might want a subwoofer. Probably a powered sub depending on the synergy with your electronics and cables. Oh, and then there's Sonus Faber. OMG! Used, of course. |
These Shahinian Acoustic Hawks will blow your mind. I had Shahinian Arcs years ago and rue the day I sold them. https://www.audiogon.com/listings/full-range-speakers-for-the-music-lover-2017-10-08-speakers-49a455... |
As others may have mentioned, Clayton Shaw's products: Spatial Audio's M3 TurboS, M4 TurboS and even M4 Triode Master, (which may be stretching your dollar) are all incredibly musical. Shaw's speakers present a broad and deep soundstage and provide a dynamic presentation, which I find to be emotionally involving, as opposed to "mere music in a room." While they are not capable of reproducing the lowest bass, ( at that price point, what is?) the bass they can give you is accurate and amazingly fast, with some serious "punch". The midrange is simply gorgeous-the treble likewise, with no hint of harshness. A big plus is that they're easy to set up and don't require gobs of power to drive. A real game-changer, IMHO. |
I forgot to mention that if you go with Shahinians, make sure they don’t have the notorious French tweeter which Shahinian used to employ. That tweeter was not at all musical, and singularly, "grating" on the mind and ears. Many in the audiophile community were baffled why they were used in the first place. |
I’m a born-again audiophile. I spent a couple of hours this afternoon, listening to a pair of Tekton D1’s at the home of a friend’s daughter’s fiancee. Amazing sound with Audio Research tube separates. The only thing that would give me pause is the, to my eye, "homely" aspect of the Tektons. The basic black and the size and shape ain’t gonna win any beauty contests. Closing one’s eyes helps a great deal. |
ML’s ’stats can be great if you stay clear of the cheaper models. I’d look at a used pair of Montis. Stunning clarity and not at all strident, unless, of course, your source material is terrible. ML’s play nicely with tubes, too. To some persnickety ears, panel and woofer integration (still) isn’t quite "perfect," but most folks won’t notice anything amiss. Montis won’t give you the widest soundstage or sweetspot, but for the serious listener, that’s hardly an issue. They're quite an achievement, IMHO. |
THIS! KEF LS50 Anniversary Model. If you need more bass, add a pair of powered subs. These KEF's are one of the world's great audiophile bargains- especially since they are so affordable. SJ. I hope that you somehow, someday are able to make the right choice and live happily, perhaps even resisting the insidious "upgrade" demons, and will be able to concentrate on pure listening pleasure. After all, isn't it ultimately about the music? |
