Have you found your "End-Game" speakers yet? I have. And it feels so good!!!
Yes indeed. Several years ago, the absolutely incredible Revel Salon 2 speakers finally took me off the speaker merry-go-round. I do believe that I'll be taking my Revel Salon 2 speakers to the grave with me. What's your end-game speakers?
Boy are we on the same page. You have a great priority list! |
@rbrannen "Legacy Audio Focus XD. Thoroughly happy and content. Along with the Wavelet 2 DSP/EQ. I auditioned multiple speaks and for the price point (15k] there are simply no other contenders to get me where I wanted to be. "
I am exactly in the same position as you, I recently purchased a set of Focus XD’s and then a few weeks later the Wavelet II. As I am retired and 69 this was the last speaker purchase i will be able to afford, and it was a good one! Works well with my tube amp on top. |
@mahgister "ENDGAME means that we are so happy passing this threshold of MINIMAL acoustic satisfaction when acoustic problems are solved..." I could not agree with you more! I worked my way through Magnepan 1.7 and 3.6 (when I did not understand current versus power) and Thiel 3.6 and CS5i (when I discovered room treatments and matching speaker size to available space). It seems I value dynamics, soundstage, and nuance; and have made the move to more efficient speakers where I can try a variety of lower power ss and tube amps. I rotate Klipsch Forte iv's and Zu Soul Sixes every few months and it has been a positive experience dealing with different speakers and amps at the same time. My listening space is not symmetrical and the Soul Sixes were relatively easy to place. They are equal distance from my listening seat. The Fortes, not so much. Last night I started over with the Fortes and think I finally got a decent soundstage with them. The right speaker is 18 inches from the side wall and 24 inches from the front wall. The left speaker is 30 inches from the front wall with a large opening to its left side. Finally got good decay and some depth of field. So how can I improve the room to enhance the soundstage? Are these speakers end game? I do not think so, but it is a long process and hard to figure out what an upgrade might be. I do know that I will not go back to inefficient speakers with large amps. For my ears, more efficient speakers are the ticket because I hear more sound and less of the speaker and power amp. Thanks for listening! |
Thanks it is a pleasure to be understood ... Just a precision the minimal acoustic satisfaction threshold exist for all speakers at any price ... Because room acoustics problems are not theoretical problems only but are related to each type and each design of speakers, nevermind the price ... The acoustic problem of a speakers/room relation is not solved the same way for all type of speakers, nor for all size, nor for all price of speakers ... To go to the maximal acoustical satisfaction threshold , not only physical acoustics but psycho-acoustics measures are necessary and we need DSP as the BACCH filters, also we need mechanical control of vibration/resonance and we need a control over the electrical noise floor levels in the house/room/system pieces... There is not a crowd there passed this maximal acoustical threshold of satisfaction ... It is less about cost in money than knowledge... For sure a top system cost more than mine ... Even if i am happy with the minimal acoustical satisfaction threshold ( the adjective "acoustical" here refer to acoustic(s) in the plural not to mere room acoustic ) . I wish you the best for christmas and for your audio journey... 😊
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It's really not about the speakers but the sickness. I've had multiple speakers that should have been endgame. Goldenear Triton Ref. Dynaudio Evidence Temptations. Dynaudio C1 Signature. Monitor Audio 300 Platinum. Legacy Aeris. Any right minded human would have been happy with any of them or at least determined the room wasn't allowing total satisfaction. Should have taken more time to enjoy all of them. |
bubba12, I would fit int your camp. At 1 time I had in my basement (all used) revel salon 2, Usher BE-20 DMD, Persona 7f, and I think the Meridian DSP 8000se/up and still landed on the next headliner to come in at a good price. Any one of those speakers was good enough to build a system around, but I wanted that instant synergy and didn’t have the patience or confidence choose 1 to build a system around. Placebo effect or, Ignorance is bliss was such a happy place. Not knowing what I was missing and not caring because I loved the music. A buddy of mine asked what he could do to improve the sound of his system without taking a second mortgage and I told him to have an edible about a half hour b4 listening to what he already has! |
I completely agree with @bubba12 it is sickness. Once I found God and my current speakers not in that order, it brought order to all my life. God did that is. |
@steve59 I had some Ushers a couple down the line from yours. I forgot those. LOL Do you still have the Blades? I feel some comfort that I'm not alone but the room is always going to set the limit on the sound. I need to understand that. I have a loft system that I never have any urge to change. The room sounds great. The equipment is nice but less money than the one I can't find deep satisfaction in. |
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I did keep the Blades, I had them listed on usam, but couldn't find anything else better, so initially I was going to buy a pair of mini monitors to compliment the Blades for late night listening. Instead I took a chance and tried a pair of Mc611 power amps home and the Blades low volume detail and dynamics improved so much that I'm hooked. I expect if I'd had the mc611's when I had some of the other speakers I might have kept them also. Today the Blade 1 with Mac c49, Mc611x2 and a roon nucleus provide the main components of my 2 channel listening. Before the blade / mac combo my frankenspeaker would have resembled the salon 2 tweeter with the Usher mids with the Persona 7f bass making my perfect speaker. The Blades sound nothing like what I liked best from each of those speakers, but have a musical synergy that doesn't draw attention to any 1 spectrum of sound. |
I am in deep, deep love and thought I would have my reference, a pair of Technics SB-R1s forever and ever. But then... the silverback listening team and I, reviewed the new DALI Epikore 11 in the dream speaker series on my Youtube channel. |
stjernholm
Those Dali Epikore are special and imho, better than the Kore considering how amplifier friendly they are. |
In 1986, I heard a pair of Vandersteen 2's. I was amazed. I would never forget them. But, I was a college student, and I was no more in a position to buy them than I could buy a zebra from the zoo. My audiophilia then went into a long dormancy, as I happily listened to or forgot to listen to my nice mid-fi set-up -- psb Image T55 speakers with NAD 7240 receiver. Yesterday, two 105 pound boxes were delivered (by a stunningly strong UPS man who carried them from the curb to the porch). Inside the boxes were Vandersteen 3A signatures. My life is changed. 37 years to ponder my opening move. Endgame. |
Hales T8 owner here. I’m still searching for an amp and pre that would get the best out of them. I was dissed on the Conrad Johnson owner site ( I was and still am considering a GAT S2 pre) where I was reminded that the speakers are old and that Hales has been out of business for a long time - both true but they still remain a classic for my ears. Guess I’m old too, LOL! |
I'm 54 yo and am sure my Volti Rivals are my end game speakers. When I went to my first hifi show in Tampa 11 mos ago, the only very few speakers I liked as much cost 3x + as much (besides the Rivals Greg was playing of course - which did sound great). I realize these were untreated hotel rooms but usually with more or much more expensive amplification. |
