Getting a Divorce and can now buy floor standing speakers

I always thought guys were worse off after divorce.

I may lose a wife, but so far the freedom/cash is worth it.

Congrats @deadhead1000 , You should listen to the Vivid Giya's.

Double up on subs. Stereo. Rather than spending < $100k on speakers with your current setup, work with a dealer on high efficiency speakers with low powered tube amps. 

If you dont ever want to get married again, just buy some giant Soundlabs.

This helps to put the new priority on display, LOL!

I fired my wife 15 years ago and had a great time raising my kids by myself.  I have 4 pairs of floorstanding speakers in my living room.  I'm in So Cal too.    

Usually it works the other way around. Gent buys big speakers and wife divorces him.

@viridian One of my pairs of floorstanders (which I use for my rear surrounds) I bought from a guy who was getting divorced and moving up to even bigger speakers.

@deadhead1000 Steve at WBF is upgrading from a great pair of Wilsons.  He is in Cote de Caza.  

By all means go listen to a pair of Joseph Audio Pearls.  Congrats on your newfound freedom, and best of luck with the speakers. 

doesn't sound like a serious post but who knows...

https://speakerchoices.com/

Go have a listen to the new Open Baffle speaker from Requisite Audio in Ventura, CA.

Requisite Audio | High-End Audio For Creators & Connosouirs (it is not on the web site)

I was thinking of selling my Yamaha NS5000 speakers to buy the Requisite Open Baffle. I changed my mind since my finances improved and I would miss the NS5000. I managed to convince the wife to have 2 pairs of speakers in the Livingroom, the NS5000 and the Open Baffle.

Lots of acoustic/piano.

Have a listen to the NS5000 for piano.

@Grislybutter

I'm quite serious!

Thanks guys!

@carlsbad2 

I'm not sure what WBF is referring too. Sounds like I should know, but I don't.

thanks!

@deadhead1000 

When I searched for my first high end speakers, I listened to the best I could find at audio shows (AXPONA, Pacific Audio Fest (Seattle, WA), T.H.E. Show (LA)) and brink and mortar stores.  After finding the sound I like, then tried to reproduce it within my budget.

First create a list of the latest high-end speakers you'd like to demo like from Stereophile's Recommended Components and The Absolute Sound magazine's Editors Choice Awards (past issues: March 2024, November 2024).

Pick out demo CDs/Vinyl, then go to high-end audio stores and shows.  I've visited/demoed many high-end audio stores in the Los Angeles area by Googling "high end audio".

@decooney 

Damn, those are some big speakers! I might not get married again, but I'd like to at least have a few dates that last longer than one.

Replacing a woman with speakers is a very unorthodox maneuver. Orthodox would be replacing a woman with a woman.

@deadhead1000 

I think WBF = What’s Best. It is another audio forum. 

Congrats!

Have fun in all your future journeys…..including the speakers!

Good luck to you. 

My choice would also be low-powered tube and high efficiency speakers.  In your price range, there are not that many commercial choices for horn-based systems.  I like Charney (back loaded horn for single cone driver).  But, you can go custom build that employ vintage compression drivers that are unmatched by anything currently being made.  I would talk to Deja Vu Audio in Virginia.  Custom means they can tune the system to your specific requirements.

Perhaps it’s not the speakers but the speaker’s placement.  With no wife, pull them out away from the walls.

Your current loudspeakers image very well.  With your new found freedom you might want to play with how they are located in the room.

Tell us what's already on your list. 

I’m sure you can find a good woman who loves the Dead, and good sound from floor standing speakers.  They are not mutually exclusive.

I recommend Sonus Faber Liliums.  As beautiful looking as they are sounding.

My suggestions-

Dieses, or Mágicos. You’ll likely have some change left over- get a pair of Hypex amps. 
 Then, invite all the babes over for some sweet spot fun. 
Audio nirvana!

PBN Audio is in Alpine, CA. Peter Norbeck has a tremendous line up of PBN high end speakers and audio components. I have the M2!5 speakers along with a PBN pre-amp and PBN amps and for me it’s my last system until I have a larger home. 

I agree with @larryi. I have listened to many of Vu’s, owner of DejaVu audio, creations and they are amazing. When I decide to replace my Audio Note speakers I will commission Vu to make me a pair. 
 

John 

I know there are many audiophiles who can afford many a speaker, and some choose Harbeth’s, I don’t think they are your weakest link. I have never owned Harbeth’s but I believe they have no problem imaging with complementary components.

Try some better amplification first- demo an Accuphase or Boulder integrated, or go separates?

I am sure you are going to upgrade your Luxman if you get larger floorstanders anyway, so maybe start there? Upgrade your source to get more refinement and resolution and tilt the sound from laid back to more detailed- what do you have now?

Unless there is this important underlying principle of "when she is gone the first thing I do is get my huge speakers because she never let me get them before" which I understand. Then put the Magico’s on the short list- they will have the opposite qualities of the Harbeth’s, and they are anti-female black which may appeal in your situation. Those Vivid Giya’s recommended earlier are quite anti-female also.

With that kind of money in play, you should go to a show or two to sample a wide variety of types of speakers.  That should include large panel speakers (planar magnetics or electrostatics), Multiway systems employing widerange drivers to cover most of the music (e.g., Voxativ), single driver systems (Charney Audio, Songer Audio), omni directional speakers (e.g., MBL), truly oddball unique systems (Bayz Audio), and open baffle designs (PureAudioProject, Cinnamon Audio). 

Of course, as I mentioned above, you should also consider compression horn systems.  I have not heard that many good, modern, compression horn systems except for the tremendously expensive Goto stuff ($100k might get you the drivers for a mono system).  Among the better modern systems are those offered by Volti at prices way below your target.  But, again, custom systems are much better than what is generally available.  If you insist on current, modern production drivers, the best are very expensive (e.g, G.I.P Laboratories in Japan make terrific Western Electric replicas) or ridiculously expensive (e.g., Goto, ALE or Cogent).  Deja Vu Audio that I mentioned above has made systems with only modern G.I.P. drivers, but that can be more expensive than using exotic vintage drivers.  Still, at your price level, a trip to Northern Virginia (suburb of DC) would be worthwhile.

@deadhead1000 

I highly recommend you put Rockport speakers on your list. The Cygnus is below your price limit. Rockport speakers are universally praised and sound spectacular ! Good luck in your search

@deadhead1000 

I would suggest you find a girlfriend, or several, who have floor standing speakers.  Win, win, win.

Von Schweikert is in Riverside, CA. 

After my 1st marriage fell through the drain (no death no until part crap n all..), I got more tactical. I threw big house parties in a house filled with gear and scanned the party persons pool with more scrutiny.... looked to see if such an environment felt like a natural habitat to some or what.

Eventually, I discovered a rare bird at a very loud concert, who thought the sight of all that PA gear was ’memerizing’..can’t be real i thought at the moment......Needless to say, all the gear n my house looked mesmerizing to that bird as well...that is coming up on 25 years ago now. Hence, I am still married this time.

The right bird for anyone could be out there, if you are a bit more tactical with the scanner.

While you are researching your high end speakers, in the meantime get an inexpensive pair of Magnepan LRS+ and maybe a second subwoofer. 

 These will give you a massive soundstage and great imaging.

+1 Volti Vittora’s if you have $50K to spend.  Greg Roberts is a pleasure to work with.

https://voltiaudio.com/vittora/

@deadhead1000

l wish l had originally posted this….

Such a profound subject. I commented on this just two days ago in one of my replies to another subject. Whether it would be good to get rid of the wife if said wife would not accommodate ‘your’ hobby.

This has created such a lot of serious and light-hearted banter on here. A common subject but has made me smile here in the UK. We have smaller houses in England than most counties and wife v hi-if contentions is probably a more volatile arguing point over here.

That’s my logic anyway!

The last few years of CAF, the room that I thought sounded the best was the mbl room. Perhaps it was the electronics, but I think the speakers are amazing. The have a number of offerings in your price range.  Definitely worth a listen. 

I would say if you have the money go to high end Store and listen to Speakers and Amps and buy a combined system if something YOU HEAR really stands out.And really make yourself happy being single.Good Luck

Sometimes you don’t appreciate what you have.  My wife, a divorce attorney, told m to get new speakers (Charney with AER-BD3).  I guess I’m keeping her until the end.

With the kind of music you listen to I would audition Magnepan speakers especially the larger models they give a you are there quality to music. 

As others have suggested, Soundlabs and high-watt OTLs or solid state, or humungous horns with low-watt SETs. Either way, you’ll be in bliss. Permanently single, but in bliss.

Whenever someone asks a generic question like this, 200 will respond with 200 different results.  I suggest spending a few $$$ and go to a couple of audio shows like the Tampa show coming up next month and Axpona and then go to a couple of dealers around the country to get a more intimate listening session or bring a couple pairs into your house for a 30 day trial. If you spend $100k on speakers and you decide you don’t like them, you will lose $20-$30k if you try to sell them.

@pgaulke60 

+1 Sonus Faber Lilium

@deadhead1000  The Wilsons I mentioned earlier are listed on Audiogon.  I contacted the owner and he would be glad to have you over to listen. I have heard this system and it is spectacular.  Steve is also a great guy.

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisbcjfb-wilson-audio-alexandria-x-2-series-ii-full-range

Given your budget, you could probably enlist a skilled builder/artisan and have a bespoke set made for you. Buying "off the shelf" speakers, you'll likely invest a lot of time and perhaps some $$ looking for synergy (which certainly could be fun). On the other hand, if you go with a builder, you can look at your current components' specs, strengths/weaknesses, etc., the specs of the physical space in which they'll perform, and your listening/sonic preferences... and build a speaker set to maximize synergy of your "constants." 

Noting your location, you may want to reach out to Fritz of Fritz Speakers: https://www.fritzspeakers.com/  I've no experience with his work, but have read a lot of very positive things about his speakers; to wit: https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/fritz-speakers.

As SoCal has a lot of folks involved in audio & engineering, I have to guess that there are plenty of other people that can craft a wicked set of speakers too.

Unrelatedly, noting your username, are you headed to the Sphere this spring? ;^) 

+1 on the Volti Vittora. Super efficient, beautiful, musical... and I doubt that one could find a more dynamic, engaging and fun speaker regardless of price.