Good Speakers for Rock and Roll Under 15K


I have nice speakers for acoustics, jazz, vocals, etc. but are not great for rock and roll.  Would welcome any recommendations for speakers that do a great job with classic rock and roll.  I will add some components in my system that might influence thinking:

New Audio Frontiers Tube Preamp, New Audio Frontiers 845 Tube Power Amp, Lampizator Atlantic DAC, Innuos Zenith Streamer, Tchernov cables.

gregjacob

Yamaha NS-5000 is the detail power speaker. It is also fairly rare so it will perform better on the resale market. They handle 600 watts maximum so rock and roll will sound excellent. The design is handsome and space efficient for WAF. The woofer reveals drum/bass textures better than any I have heard. To get the best out of them you will need at least 400 watts. They used their technology resources to make beryllium obsolete despite those 200,000 NS-1000's with Be tweeters they sold. 

I listen to 98% rock.

Given your equipment, I would consider something with powered woofers or more.

My current favorites are the Paradigm Founder 120H.  All the bass you could possibly want, powered from 300hz down, and those tubes will give you a nice combo up top.  They put you in the first 5 rows, have a huge soundstage but they also have built in ARC room correction.  Just a heck of a package.

I would also have the Legacy Focus and Signature XD’s on your list, great rock speakers that can thump, but you don’t get the EQ built in.  Fun Speakers.  

Same with the big Golden Ear Tritons with those powered woofers.

With many of the horn speakers, as long as you are comfortable using a sub to give you that bottom end thump, you will likely also be happy.  

 

I’ve heard the Tektons.  I think the Double Impact is a heck of a speakers for the money, my issues with Tektons are the law of diminishing returns kicks in faster than most as you move up the line.  They just don’t sound “that” much better.  That, and the various feelings about Tekton customer support.

Altec Lansing 604C.

I’ve been using them for 46 years.

At 101db, they get very loud very fast with little juice or distortion, though that is only one of their virtues. If they were good enough for Bruce Botnick (The Doors, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, etc) they might just be good enough for you.

A pair of drivers with stock crossovers can be had for $1,200 - $2,400. Cabs about $1,800. Mastering Lab crossovers are another $1,200.

Use the balance saved to buy your wife something even more expensive.

For your electronics you will definitely need very efficient speakers. My system is much like yours, mainly tube. The 845s are limiting your choices but certainly provide a very musical, engaging signal. No one has mentioned ZU Definition IV but believe me, with the right amplification, which you have, they are dynamic as hell with outstanding bass. Sean Casey has a term-shove. Regardless of the critics who regard these as shouty, I can say without reservation that is a fallacy derived from listening to these through the wrong amplification. There is a pair listed at TMR.