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
k-a. Thanks again for the recommendation. Did you audition the Revel F-206. at any point in your search? It reviewed well, but the Focal might have the edge in performance. However, I can buy a used pair of the Revels for about $1000 less than a pair of used Focal 936 I think the pair of Revels I saw looked snappy in a glossy cherry wood veneer S.J.. |
Sunny, in your smaller listening room, some speakers would not be suitable. I had a pair of towers from the Paradigm Signature line, in a room that was about 11' x 17. I had to move the system to a larger room altogether, it would quickly get congested as the room was overpowered. One drawback of the Sierra Towers I've read is that they do not excel in large rooms, but are best in medium sized ones instead. I'm not sure if this helps you, perhaps it would be best to order 2 pairs of speakers, and send back the loser, it's what many do these days. Just make sure that both sellers have some kind of trial policy. |
I was in your boat a few years ago, then I did a complete "reset" on what my goals were. My target was a minimalistic system that excels in transparency and accuracy. My first step was low powered tube SET with full-range drivers. It was very impressive. Since then I have moved to a more powerful push-pull tube at 20WPC and hybrid radials (Decware HR-1), but my goals are still very similar. I auditioned a few speakers that I really did enjoy and would recommend highly. Vandersteen 1Ci $1350 Spatial M4 $1995 The Vandersteen’s I bet you can find on Craigslist for $500 without issue. That would be a steal and the reduced complexity of the crossover would be a welcomed approach (at least to my ears) compared to the golden ears. Keeping the signal path as minimal as possible is my target. Moral of my post: don't feel the need to buy a big brand (I know Vandersteen is big) to get good sound. Check out Decware, Spatial Audio, Vandersteen. |
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Thanks again to those who responded so far. Special thanks to "213runnin" for recommending the Ascend Towers. I considered them before when I was hunting for speakers before to replace GET 7's, but just passed over them ( probably because I wanted to avoid pay retail) but I will give them another look. Also thanks to those members who recommended the Focal Aria 936 which I also mentioned in my thread. There was a pair on sale I believe on AG recently. However, they are big. heavy speakers; I am just curious if anyone knows if the Aria 926 would sound almost the same, even though having less bass, and be also lighter and easier to move around. A few members mentioned the B&W CM9 S and CM10 S. However, several reviews complain about them sounding bright, less so with the more expensive model CM10 Has anyone auditioned the Revel F206 which retails for $3500?? It reviews well;. I checked with two local dealers who only display the larger and more expensive F-208 Thanks to all, S.J.
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Sunny, yep, I’ll agree that with the excellent electronics that you have, you really are missing out with your present speakers. There are many good speakers to choose from with a $4000 budget that will put a pair of $1400 speakers to shame. Kosst has mentioned Focal, and they would be worth an audition, along with some others if visiting brick and mortar stores is possible, bringing along your favorite music. I would again suggest Ascend Acoustics. I’ve owned their Sierra 1 and Sierra-2 with the Raal Tweeter. They are amazing and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone. Raal is a leader in ribbon tweeters and makes them by hand. They have superior vertical dispersion and are so accurate, the imaging is off the charts.(I have no affiliation with Ascend, but have become a big fan) My Sierra 2 handled the Parasound Halo A21 just fine. The Ascend Tower takes this to another level with a superior midrange driver and an upgraded Raal tweeter in comparison to the Sierra 2. I haven’t heard the Tower yet, but any owner/reviewer who’s compared them to the Sierra 2 has been wowed. Plus, being internet direct, they are priced at around $2800, depending on finish options. The only way to audition is to try them out in home on a 30 day trial. You would have to eat the shipping charges if you return them, but I guarantee they will trounce the GET 7. I would suggest starting by phoning Ascend Acoustics and explaining your situation. Their website has the contact information. |
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Thank you to all have responded so far. Addyson 815 who also owns the GET model 7 articulated my major complaint about the speaker......they don't convey the feeling and emotion of real music....." For me that nails the point. However, I am not going to chase around looking at British speakers, like Harbeth, Spendor, ProAC. etc which many members have recommended for their ability to convey "the emotion and feeling of music" First, they are usually more expensive than $4000, and as good as they are, they could possibly be deficient in other areas like dynamics. I listen to mostly classic rock and rock jazz fusion, and some classical. For those who ask: my equipment: is a Conrad Johnson PV-14SE pre-amp; a BAT VK-200 amp (100RMS) Ayre CX-7e mp CD player; Cables: Grover Huffman EX series speaker cable. Harmonic Technology "Truth Link" IC to CD player and pre-amp. Acoustic Zen Tsumai Plus power cable to Ayre CD; two Pangea AC-9 MKII power cables for the pre-amp and power amp; and a custom Signal Audio IC: (balanced to unbalanced) between BAT amp and CJ pre-amp. Thanks, SJ. |
Yes, you can get better - including in the GET line: the Triton 3+ for $2500 or the Triton 2+ for $3500. Assuming your front end and amplification are up to it, either of these GET speakers will give you everything you like about your present ones but much more, + better bass, transparency etc plus great soundstaging. And they're easy to drive. I still wonder about you room set up since you found your 7s edgy at one point, something they definitely were not when I heard them. The $3k-5k range is crowded with good speakers. Twoleftears: "Different strokes for different folks. I heard the GE 2's against B&W CM10's a while ago, and there was no comparison for me. B&W much greater truth-to-timbre on acoustic instruments. GE's sounded like (good) HT speakers to me. More recently, in another shop, I heard the B&W's against other brands, and preferred Harbeth, Sonus Faber, and Paradigm (Persona) over the B&W's. YMMV." Different strokes indeed. We auditioned all the speaker brands on your list and seriously considered the CM10s, but chose the GoldenEar Triton 2+ as the most musically satisfying over all and biggest bang for our particular buck - especially for the large scale classical music we primarily listen to. The spousal unit is a classical musician, I'm a former choral singer and organist. I think the Tritons would be killer in a HT application but we are totally uninterested in that. We fell in love with them because Reiner and the CSO sounded fab through them. We actually auditioned the GET speakers last because we had a home theater prejudice against the Tritons - an article by a dealer who loves classical persuaded us to give them a try. BTW, I have not heard the original 2s, only the "+" version. Different strokes and all that. |
4K will get you better assuming your electronics are up to it. Moving up the food chain in speakers doesn't do much unless you can feed them properly. This is not to say you need to spend mega bucks, just that a home theater receiver is not gonna get you there. Obviously I don't know what you have because you haven't mentioned it. |
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The only way you're going to know is by auditioning, in person, one of the Golden Ear models against a very different speaker. One of your preferred makes, or something broadly similar. Different strokes for different folks. I heard the GE 2's against B&W CM10's a while ago, and there was no comparison for me. B&W much greater truth-to-timbre on acoustic instruments. GE's sounded like (good) HT speakers to me. More recently, in another shop, I heard the B&W's against other brands, and preferred Harbeth, Sonus Faber, and Paradigm (Persona) over the B&W's. YMMV. |
Sunny, if you are sensitive to the edgy highs, I would add another to your short list. Ascend Acoustics Tower could definitely be an upgrade. They image superbly and with the Raal ribbon tweeter give pinpoint imaging but are not sharp or edgy, according to all of the owner reviews I've read. I'm looking at a new speaker myself, and these are my leading contenders so far. The downside to any other speaker besides Golden Ear is that almost none have powered subwoofers. None will give you the bass response you are getting now. You would also need to buy a sub or turn yours up somewhat if you already have one. It would be helpful to know what amp you have, room dimensions and cables too. |
Yes you do have to spend much more. Basically mid to entry level tower speakers can be pretty good and you are soon reach diminishing returns. I could never be happy with GET 7 but since it works for you for 3 years I don't think you will find much improvement. It boils down to what is acceptable for your ears - some of us really appreciate accuracy, dynamics and ultra low distortion and $4000 may only buy you an incremental improvement that only a fanatic may value. |
what changed....as before you said : " I currently own a pair of Golden Ear Technology model 7's speaker. They are 3 years old and retail for $1395.. They can sound very good in my set-up and are accurate, but also are a bit edgy on top, and also don't convey the feeling or emotion of real music. Without getting into the definition of "real music",or the ambiguous terms euphonic vs real, or warm versus analytical, just say I would like to acquire a better sounding speaker. " https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/need-advice-about-upgrading-speakers-it-might-be-the-last-one... |
Electronics and cables, including power cords. You may discover that your speakers are much better than they seem. I am not familiar with them, by the way, but that is irrelevant. To the point. You might still want to replace them, but that’s most likely not where I would start. Would you list your entire chain including every cone under anything? I’ve been keeping my $1.5k speakers for 18 years but have upgraded everything else, including every cone under everything. |
