@metaldetektor - Thanks for your reply!
Have you heard them before? Do you feel they would be able to play/present lots of different types of music well? I take it the speaker might be too laid back for your own personal tastes?
My wife is somewhat sensitive to sound, so I'm looking for a speaker that allows me to have music on during the evenings that won't overly stimulate her. In that regard, the "background music" would be a fine thing.
For doing my own listening, I'd probably use the Linear Tube Audio Headphone amp for more critical personal listening.
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@soix - Great question. I realize it certainly doesn't appear logical.
I'm planning on using the Linear Tube Audio also as a headphone amp in the living room when I'm not speaking or hanging out with my wife, but where she might be reading in the same room, etc. There seems to be such great feedback on the LTA Microzotl that I wanted to give it a go... I like the ethos of the company and wanted to give it a go. If I don't like it, or it downgrades the sound (I don't expect it to), I'll explore a Cary and/or Conrad Johnson tube preamp next.
For playing music in the living room, because of my wife's sensitivity, looking for a speaker that is slightly rolled off at the top, but also providing more bass energy, is my priority.
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Thanks again, everyone. I appreciate the feedback.
@metaldetektor - I’m a little apprehensive they’ll be too passive. I’ve heard a few speakers that just felt dull and lifeless. I certainly wouldn’t be happy if the Prestige Three ended up in that camp. I'll check out the Gershman Avant Garde and Verity speakers.
@soix - Thanks for Joseph Audio suggestion.
@avanti1960 - I’ve read that the Prestige Three have a bit of a different sound signature than the Prestige One. Based on your experience, I hope that is the case.
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@grislybutter - I have a complex relationship with my Dynaudio Heritage Specials. I sometimes go listen to other speakers at various dealers as I seek to hear and understand how different loud speaker manufacturers approach the craft. When I come home and listen to my Dynaudio Heritage Specials I'm struck by some of their qualities. They almost always sound better than what I just listened to in the showroom.
They just don't really produce base at the level I want for immersive music. I also suspect they'd sound better with a more high powered SS system. I am running a 100 watt tube amp, which produces some nice holographic sound, but they don't feed them as well as they could. In brief, I think the Dynaudio Heritage Special speaker was designed for a 200+ SS amp.
Selling them? I'm undecided right now...
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@wjob - I really appreciate your perspective on this!
How would you describe the sound of the QLN Prestige Three? Especially in light of your intimate familiarity of the Dynaudio Heritage Specials?
I really like the Dynaudio Heritage Specials, but I just don't think they are ideal for my large room. I have thought about Rel subwoofers, but am a bit hesitant to 1) negotiate with my wife on bringing in more audio equipment. I fear she'll have a fit, but get over it. But those conversations are an investment, if you know what I mean... 2) fiddling with the set-up of the sub-woofers.
That doesn't mean I won't do it! It's just that I'm probably looking to address the audio situation and move onto other things going on in life...
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@char2 - Appreciate the feedback! I plan on driving them with a 100 watt Tube Amp (Qualiton/Audio Hungary). That said, I bet they'd sound great with a higher powered SS amp. Good to hear you and your audio buddies appreciate the QLN Prestige Threes. My instincts are telling me it's a really good speaker for me.
@wjob - I was listening to the Dynaudio HS last night and pondering what you wrote. They are really good speakers! I'm going to consider adding subs, perhaps in a few months when some other things settle down in my life. I might end up purchasing the QLN speakers and keeping the Dynaudio HS speakers for awhile. I guess I wouldn't be the first guy around here to start hoarding gear... Not sure it's the wisest move, but I do really appreciate the special qualities of the Heritage Specials.
@gdnrbob - Thanks, Bob. Appreciate your guidance.
@grislybutter - I'm on the opposite end! My wife and I have a midcentury modern vibe going on in our home, so aesthetically they fit right into our living room. Some of the speakers that have been suggested in a related forum would look a bit out of place in our home, unfortunately.
@arafiq - Thanks for providing this feedback! Yes, I'm absolutely looking for some warmth. I appreciate you taking a moment to provide this perspective.
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@jeffstrick - Hi Jeff - Amazing! If you don't mind me asking, how did you arrive at that combination - Audio Hungary tubes and QLN Prestige Three?
What are your impressions of the combination? And what sources and cables might you be using? Also, how well do you find the Audio Hungary 100 Watt amp drives the QLN Prestige Three speakers? Would LOVE to hear your feedback.
I'm using a Innuos ZENith and Merason DAC1 with Cardas Clear Interconnect and Cardas Cygnus Speaker cables.
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@ronboco - Hi! I'm a newbie, so I have no idea on how I would do that. Might you be able to provide me some general guidelines? What tools would I need? How would I do it?
Thanks in advance.
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@jeffstrick - I'll be driving them with the Audio Hungary / Qualiton 100 Watt tube power amp with a Linear Tube Audio Microzotl Preamp. I've had the Audio Hungary integrated at my house to demo too. I decided to take the Qualiton preamp out of the equation and test the LTA preamp as a replacement.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the synergy of the Audio Hungary tube equipment with the QLN prestige three. Do you feel the amp drives the QLN well?
Any advice or perspective from your experience with interconnects, speaker and power cables? I'm ALL ears if you have a moment to share your experience.
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Apologies for delay in getting back to everyone. Been a busy few days but wanted to thank you for your replies.
First off, I pulled the trigger on the QLN Prestige Three. Purchased them used from an audio recording engineer in New York. He had purchased them but then decided to move up to the Prestige Five. The speakers are supposed to arrive Thursday, so I'll provide my own review of them over the next month or so.
@ronboco - Thanks for this information to evaluate my room, etc. Much appreciated!
@grislybutter - We've been riffing hard on a mid-century Scandinavia vibe with lots of light wood and some large format mid-century Slim Aarons photos. Simple forms and natural materials.
@arafiq - I can't wait to join the QLN club. Truly.
@metaldetektor @soix - Thanks for suggestion on Verity. In the end, I decided to take the plunge on the QLN speakers. But it's always great to expand horizons on what is out there, so thank you.
Hopefully I've responded to everyone. If I somehow missed responding to a contribution, know I read and considered everyone's contributions.
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@soix @jeffstrick - I'll share my impressions once I get everything up and running. I'm very curious how the LTA preamp will pair with the Audio Hungary 100 watt tube amp and QLN speakers.
I somehow suspect that particular combo might not have been tried too many times, but who knows, right?!
Should be fun.
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THANK YOU to everyone who made a comment and suggestion here. I read them all over the past few weeks and were all greatly appreciated.
I did end up pulling the trigger on the QLN, purchasing them from a sound engineer in New York. I asked him to make a recording of some music I know intimately, using the QLNs as speakers, as a final validation before purchasing. For any early 90s shoegaze fans out there, I had him record some Ride and Stone roses tracks along with some classical tracks (Satie, Brahms).
He's a recording engineer, so the recording he sent me sort of blew my mind. The QLN speakers sounded majestic - big, balanced, detailed and musical.
So I pulled the trigger and had them sent to Portland where I live. When they arrived, I was overly eager to set them up after a long day and ended up doing a little damage to one of them. Ugh... Its ok, because it's cosmetic and sort of made me double-down and commit to them as "my speakers."
How do they sound? Am I satisfied with my purchase?
Short answer? Absolutely. I love them and anticipate having them the rest of my life.
The QLN Prestige Three speakers are incredibly balanced and musical sounding speakers. From the reviews I'd read, I did expect more bass output, but I'm satisfied with what they deliver. The top end treble is enjoyable and never bright. I am coming from the Dynaudio Heritage Special speakers where the amount of top end treble detail delivered sort of blows you away - at moments the detail is mesmerizing and hypnotic, but sometimes morphs into overly bright and overwhelming. I'll miss some of that detail and focused details of instruments from the Dynaudio Heritage Specials, but I'm comfortable trading it for the more balanced delivery of the QLN Prestige Three.
A few posters suggested and for-warned me the QLN Prestige Three might sound overly polite or "held back." It's true. I can see how the QLN Prestige Three could be characterized that way. These speakers DO NOT demand your attention.
What they do seem to offer, in contrast, is a listening environment where you just want to listen to the music and forget about the audio equipment. I'm typing here in the living room and could easily spend the day listening to music for the entirety of the morning and afternoon.. and maybe into the evening. These QLN speakers just make it easy to relax and decompress. In this overly frenetic world we live in I consider that to be a wonderful quality!
Many of us on this forum seem to have the "upgradeitis..." I now have the same affliction. It's crazy how a "I'd like to purchase a proper" audio system leads us down this path, huh?!
NEXT STEPS
I've got the Linear Tube Audio MicroZotl Preamp coming next week and will provide a report once I've got it set up in the system and had some run-in time...
I'm currently driving the QLN Prestige Threes with a Qualiton/Audio Hungary 100 watt power tube amp. It sounds fantastic and I'm happy with it.
HOWEVER, the AUDIO UPGRADEITIS IS REAL! So, I'm wondering about the Balanced Audio Technology (BAT) VK255SE solid state amp that delivers 150 watts into 8 ohms. I heard it recently and found that it's mantra of "warmth of tubes and details of Solid State" was accurate. If there was any possible improvement to the QLN Prestige Three it would be to drive it with more power. The audio studio engineer I purchased the QLN Prestige Three speakers from, when he made the sample recording, was using one of his powerful studio equipment amps to record, and boy did the QLN speakers sing with that power.
Will update all on my audio journey/affliction!
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@grislybutter - I think the Dynaudio Heritage Special speakers are fantastic. I've gone to numerous audio dealers to audition speakers and, upon returning home, felt the Dynaudio Heritage Specials were better than I'd just auditioned...
However, and this is a big caveat, I believe you need to drive them with a lot of solid state power - 200 watts minimum. I don't believe they were designed with tubes in mind, so driving them with tubes isn't going to position them optimally.
I don't have subs and probably won't pursue them simply because I don't want to crowd the living room area. My wife and I prefer minimalism, so whenever "less is more" is possible, I'll go that direction.
I think Portland is great. It's easy to live in. I've lived in San Diego, SF, Seattle and went to graduate school in LA. Each city has its magic and charm, but also drawbacks and frustrations. We moved from SF a few years ago because it had just become very challenging... Most of what had made it a great city from my youth has slowly eroded and gone away, including the loss of previous generations who were part of the cities charm and civility.
thank you @bluethinker66 that sounds very reassuring and fun. I have heard legends about the Dyna Heritage so the QLNs must be special. I assume you don't have a sub(s)?
Portland is an awesome city.
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@grislybutter - Where in San Diego are you? North County? Downtown? I used to surf a lot at Sunset Cliffs out on Point Loma. Miss those days. Some of the best years of my life. Younger and more carefree...
Regarding Hungary, I've been there twice and the women are stunningly beautiful! It's bananas! I'd like to go back!
Which subs are you using? What are your thoughts on Rel subs?
I'll try to upload a photo when I get the LTA preamp set-up in the system. Everything is on a Fern & Roby rack which I like a lot.
@soix - Thanks!
Yeah, I'm really curious about how the LTA will impact the system. It will be a big auditory unveiling, frankly. I'm hopeful it's a positive addition versus something I'm ambivalent about. I'd read some great things from folks who own LTA products and thought I'd take the plunge (My tube preamp was on the blink at the time and needed a replacement... That situation has been remedied so I'll have two preamps on my hands now.
And thanks for the recommendation on the SVS subs. It might be awhile before I pursue them, but I'll look into them. Did you ever try Rel subs? If so, what were your thoughts?
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@soix @arafiq - Thank you! I'm very happy with my purchase!
@grislybutter - That's sort of my hesitation with subs. It just sounds like getting a sub dialed in is painstaking and not guaranteed. Just hesitant to take that plunge, but I could be convinced otherwise. I was perusing the Axpona feed on LinkedIn and heard an impressive demo of what appears to be a new company -https://www.lchaudio.com/. What I heard was impressive and sort of seductive.
@perkadin - I'm glad you brought this up. I am able to get the bass going on the Dynaudio HS with my 100 watt tube amp, but I really need to crank it to a level where my wife is guaranteed to ask me to turn the volume down. SUPER BUZZ KILL. But marriage is about compromise, right?
As for lower volume listening, I've spent many evenings transfixed with the Dynaudio HS speakers. The treble frequencies can be sublime. I just felt like I was missing the bottom end. Over time, I realized I wasn't satisfied.
The QLN speakers are, overall, more balanced with my current amp. You lose some upper frequency detail, but I'm ok with that.
What new preamp are you getting?
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@perkadin - You know EXACTLY what I’ve been wrestling with! It’s that lower volume listening one does in the evening before retiring for bed. I’ve loved listening to those hypnotic mid-range and treble frequencies, but coming away feeling like something was incomplete. With the tube amp, the HS had a holographic quality that was especially appealing. I’m not quite getting that with the QLN, but I’m still preferring the more balanced delivery.
@soix - Well... You were right! I got the LTA preamp set up today and moments into the music it was clear the system had taken an enormous leap forward over the previous tube amp I was using. My jaw dropped!
I’m happy to say that I feel all the glowing reviews for the LTA preamp are legitimate. It’s arguably the single best upgrade I think I’ve made.
@grislybutter - Posting a photo as you requested as soon as i figure out how to do so!
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I'm finding the Audio Hungary Qualiton 100 watt tube power amp (not the integrated) is pairing wonderfully with the Linear Tube Audio Microzotl preamp. As an aside, I want to call out the great customer support I've received from Audio Hungary/Qualiton, their USA distributor and the audio dealer I purchased the unit from. I did have an issue at some point and they addressed it and took care of me. Super impressed with their customer support. And really in love with their 100 watt standalone tube power amp. It's a beauty and I can't recommend it highly enough.
The LTA preamp is a stunning piece of kit, but much more expensive than the Qualiton APR 204 preamp I'd been using, so It's not quite a fair comparison. For the money the APR 204 is a great sounding tube amp! The LTA preamp is, in its own right, just a masterful performer.
The QLN Prestige Three speakers, driven by the aforementioned equipment, have me intoxicated with music. How am I supposed to get anything done with this damn sound system in my house. Once you sit down to listen to music, hours can roll by as you explore various recordings. It's like being slowly fed mind bending intoxicants. Time vanishes and one ends up lost in thoughts, memories and the enjoyment of artists from around the world.
I'm sort of joking, but I'm also kind of serious!
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@grislybutter - All good! I was off Audigon for a few days as I was finalizing a new job offer. I saw the other thread with moderator, happy to share my personal information to send that promised photo!
I'll try to do that today/tomorrow!
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