Eminent Technology LFT8 either A or B. I prefer A cause I am a devoted dipole fan. ET's are still available new in theory but the wait is loooong. Magnepan's were my first love and the 1.7 and bigger are must audition speakers. Gee, there's that dipole thing again. The recommendation to "save up, get what you want used and stay off the merry-go-round" is words for the wise. Your worst problem will be getting to hear a particular speaker in your area. |
I’m also a musician, and I was pleasantly surprised after all these decades as an audio freak and live sound mixer/system designer that Klipsch Heresy IIIs sound as good as they do. Until I bought a Dennis Had SEP amp which was initially used with either 91db or 93db speakers, I hadn’t thought much about higher efficiency (wasn’t satisfied with the sound of the 93db speakers and sold ’em, and eventually sold the 91db speakers, although they, Silverline Preludes, sounded great) as it hadn’t mattered much. Heresy IIIs filled the bill amazingly, and are very revealing of anything in front of them...cables, amps, sources, my Aunt Shirley (move please, I don’t wanna see your inappropriate dance moves)...Are these USA made fat little boxes worth more than the 1500 bucks I spent? (my "Capitol Records edition" pair listed for $2500)...yeah, maybe they are...but...meh...I hear far more "precious" rigs at shops around here and think many are excellent, but I think my rig sounds better all around...especially since it’s in my house. |
If we are talking towers, Goldenear Tritons are unbelievable for the price and have better a soundstage image and dynamics than speakers four times the price. If we are going bookshelf, and really affordable, both ELAC and PSB make some killer options that are well under $1,000/pair. Now, I am a classical and jazz musician, and I listen for clarity and a big soundstage, but also full range dynamics. I want to hear the musician's breath, nice and soft, but clear, and then be blown out of my seat by crescendos in the music with no discomfort to my ears. There are other good speakers out there, but for my picky ears, and my money, these are the three I'd go to first. |
Speaker preference is so extremely subjective that any particular choice, even ultra-expensive models, might be horrible sounding to certain listeners. Therefore, any "giant killer" candidate must be auditioned by the buyer before being considered. I fear that these types of inquiries are a search for a rough consensus that is then used to make a choice without actually audition. The mention of Magnepan speakers is good because one can easily find them for an audition. I would add lower end Audio Note speakers as decent bargains that one should be able to find a dealer. ProAcs may be harder, but, they too deserve mention. There are a few quite decent sounding (to me anyway) speakers that are sold mostly by direct sales from the manufacturer. They cannot easily be heard unless one can attend audio shows. The Tekton Double Impacts impressed me for their decent sound at a quite reasonable price. I also like the Rethm Bhaava speakers I heard at shows. Much higher in price, but competitive with some really expensive speakers, are the back-loaded horns from Charney Audio. |
Did that twice accompanied by great dissatisfaction once in the home. Not very well schooled on the giant killer thing. The venerable speaker system that I wanted was and still is fairly priced which is subjectively expensive. As luck would have it an original owner pair popped up on the local Craig's List in Portola Valley priced to sell quickly by a very well healed young stock optioned millennial noid with a new baby. His cup runneth over right into my Land Cruiser. Save up, get what you want used and stay off that merry-go-round. |
Magnepan are my absolute favorite for the money. I just upgraded from 1.7i to 3.7i and couldn’t be happier! The sound is really hard to believe. Unfortunately, unless you have a truly powerful good quality amp, you will be very disappointed. My best friend just received his new LRS Magnepans but is running them with a NAD M32 and the amp just won’t power them.I don't think Maggies need a high-wattage amp so much as they need an amp with a very robust power supply. I had no problem running Maggies with a 90 watt/ch amp with 72,000 microfarads capacitance and huge EI Core transformer. The problem with the NAD M32 is its class D topology - a topology which always sounds weaker than the specs suggest. It's why it takes a 1000 watt class D sub to match the grunt of a 500 watt AB sub. I don't know the teachnical reasons for this phenomenon, but IME, class D always sounds/feels about 50% the strength of A or A/B amps. Back on topic, I find the Maggie .7s are the greatest value of the brand - even preferable to the 1.7i. I much prefer Spatial Audio's open-baffles to the 1.7s, but compared to the .7s, it's a tougher call. |
I have a pair of ADS L810's. I paid $400/pair plus $100 for the best packed shipment I've ever received, so well-worth the cost. These speakers are the best all-around sounding speakers I've ever heard. Can't seem to find a genre of music where they don't sound great. Metal to jazz, blues to pop. I'm using them as near-field monitors on this desktop, so even at 6ohms and 94db efficiency, I don't push them very hard at all. Recently replaced the mids and tweeters, rebuilt by THE ADS Man, Richard So. ( The x-overs were recently rebuilt/installed before I bought them, thus the "high" asking price.) I can't think of any speakers that would match them for less than $1500-$2000. |
Hifihandyman - you hit the nail on the head - Maggie’s need power to open up and perform well! Once you pour on the power they outshine speakers that cost 10X and above. That financial savings gets you a lot of quality sound if you spend it on a good preamp and amp - Maggie’s are not efficient, but if you pour on the power, OMG. In my opinion!! Happy listening tom8999 |
Magnepan are my absolute favorite for the money. I just upgraded from 1.7i to 3.7i and couldn’t be happier! The sound is really hard to believe. Unfortunately, unless you have a truly powerful good quality amp, you will be very disappointed. My best friend just received his new LRS Magnepans but is running them with a NAD M32 and the amp just won’t power them. |
+1 for Voxativ since the OP is going up to $10K. Their point source drivers paired with a SET amp create a special sound that I enjoy more than anything I have ever heard, your mileage may vary. I listened to all the usual suspects (Raidho, Magico, YG, Wilson, etc.). Good speakers but they couldn't match the quality of the sound. |
Yes, I’m sure the Modwright set up was wonderful. I run them with Odyssey amp and pre. Sound is extremely detailed. But in all honesty, with my equipment and room, the beryllium tweeters can be a bit ’hot’ on certain songs. I’m certain the Modwright SET went a long way to eliminating that particular foible. Fritz’s very simple series crossover really stays out of the way of the music. Clarity and detail in spades....excellent for the money. |
Used Verity speakers, if you can find them. The OP said $10k, so I’m pushing the slider to the top and saying, try to get something from Verity at the $10k mark. This usually means a speaker pair that was maybe $20-25k when new. Instructions were simple. Best universally recognized under $10k speaker. The universally recognized bit is unspoken but when addressing someone’s desire to get the best they can and without information on their tastes and ear trained/innate skewing...then what we’ve got is the universal speaker, not my personal tastes or some other one sided predilection. Verity sort of flies under the radar but they are definitely among the best. The Europeans seem to note this, as they do far better in Europe than in north America, at least with respect to used items available. Even with the higher premium that something like the Verity speakers would command, when available in Europe. I like them because they are neutral in all the right ways, they are dynamic in all the right ways, and so on. No games, no colors, no new one trick wonders of the given audio moment or whatnot. |
We're fans of the old Acoustic electrostatic speakers. The 2MH hybrid predated the Martin Logan Monolith by a couple of years, and at less than a third of the price. Huge bang for the buck. 2+2's and 1+1s are also great examples. Panels aren't for everyone, but in this particular area, Acoustat definitely delivered. |
No longer in production but Mirage M1si and M3si are incredible speakers for the money. They come up on the used market occasionally for under $1500 or so (mine were $2300 new). I have a pair of M3si's and after attending two audio shows I can safely say they easily compete with many speakers that cost 5 figures. I just got a pair of Thiel CS 6 speakers and they certainly have their strengths but I would not call them better overall. One downside is that both of these speakers eat amps for breakfast. You need big solid state wattage with the ability to drive difficult loads. I would also put in a second vote for the Golden Ear Triton Reference but I would go so far as to call it a giant slayer. To my ears in two different occasions the Tritons sounded as good or better than several speakers that cost 5 times as much. Unlike the Mirages or the Thiels these speakers are very easy to drive meaning that you have an infinite selection of amps - both tube and SS. |
Most all modern speaker cabinets come from china and even the most ambitious have some box resonance. I put my max at $10k then listened to the top 3 new offerings the C60, Kanta 2 and 3, and persona 3f, then started looking at what $10k would get me here used. I wanted full range floorstanders so didn’t try any 2 ways.There was a pair of Vienna Acoustics 'The Music' I could have had for $10k I let get away, but my experience with some other speakers had me concerned I wouldn’t be able to afford the amplification necessary to make them sing so when an owner of a paor of immaculate dsp8000’s accepted my offer I had no such worries and bought them. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. |
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Another vote for Maggie’s. The 1.7is are $2,200. I added a bass panel DWM to mine - all in at $3,000. They out preform speakers I have heard costing $20,000. Use the savings for some good Class A or AB power and you are done. I bi amp my base panel and 1.7s for much bettter sound. Use Tidal HiFi with MQA for a source via a LUMIN. The whole system is under $10,000, and you blow away the $20,000 speakers - IMO. Queuing up Diana Krall as we speak! Happy Listening! Tom8999 |
RBH Sound makes high value speakers that punch way outside their weight. They also produce the limited edition Status Acoustic line of speakers. Their Voce Fina is the best bookshelf speaker I've ever heard. I own a pair. Below is a review of their SV Reference tower speaker. I've heard it. I want it. YMMV but take a listen if you get the chance. https://www.audioholics.com/tower-speaker-reviews/rbh-svtr-tower-reference-speaker-review |
At the less expensive (not inexpensive) Endeavor E3 or E5, more expensive is Von Schweikert VR55 Aktives which are better than many at twice the price. Key with speakers and much other equipment is to agree with the designer's ear that you like what they like in terms of musical priorities. Also I tend to prefer designers with decades of experience to hone their craft |
