“House” Character of Popular $20-$30k Speakers


I’ll be upgrading my speakers in a bit (after I add a turntable to my system). I’ve always thought that people two often end up attempting to correct or compensate for a quality they don’t like in one of their system components. My thought is that speakers and amps shouldn’t try to “correct” each other, but rather, they should complement each other, while sharing many similar qualities in their sonic signatures.

With that in mind, I’d describe my Gryphon Diablo 300 with the internal DAC (fed by an InnuOS Zenith MK3 streamer) as being rich, lively, engaging, slightly warm but moderately detailed, with dramatic dynamic swings that can often simulate a live sound. Smooth but energetic and engaging at the same time. My speakers I’ll be upgrading from are B&W 803 D2’s. Big full and bold sound but with finesse and moderate quickness too.

What brand of speakers would be along the lines of the sound I describe above? I’d be hoping to follow this sonic signature in my next speaker purchase, but adding some small capabilities with transparency and detail, imaging, and low end presence.

The speaker brands I have in mind to look into are:

-Magico (would check out the A5’s. I hear the A5’s could be too analytical for some, but have an excellent and clean bass presence.  Bust most rave about the A5)

-Sonus Faber (heard these are too relaxed for some?)

-Wilson Audio (if I can get over how they look)

-Monitor Audio

-Dynaudio: Maybe this brand could be a sweet spot?

-B&W: I’ve tested many and find them lacking in bass presence resulting in a mid forward style. That said the 802 D3’s I auditioned matched the sonic character of their upper ranges very well.

Would be interested in how others describe the house sounds if the brands above…

 

 

 

nyev

Showing 5 responses by mournbladeiv

I can  speak to the Sonus Faber -  last week I heard a brand new pair of Amati Traditions, and they were exquisite. Visually stunning (red stain) and beautifully voiced, they are the top contender for my next speaker upgrade.

 

Another great sounding speaker I have heard many times is the Magico A5. While, IMO, somewhat boring appearing, they are anything but boring to listen to. It is a lively, detailed speaker with excellent bass response as well as a sweet mid range and treble.

 

I am sure there are other fantastic choices in this price range (Paradigm Persona 7f, Audio Vector R6 Arrete, come to mind), but the 2 above are the only ones I have heard in person.

 

Good hunting!

@nyev For me, I found the A5 could be a little strident at times, but if you are after absolute clarity, I give the nod to the Magico’s. For me, even though I generally listen to classic rock, prog rock and hard rock/heavy metal (with the occasional foray into classical and jazz) the Sonus fit what I was after: slightly warm, but with good separation, good bass (full disclosure: I am a bassist and even the Magico's could benefit from subwoofers IMO) and an excellent mid/treble It should also be noted that the Sonus were driven by Burmeister (not a good mix IMO) and McIntosh (truly beautiful) while the Magico’s in the other room I have heard through Soulution and MSB ( I preferred the MSB). All listening was done at Scott Walker Audio in Keller, TX with a full suite of Synergistic Research interconnects, power cables and room acoustics. I do not work for SWA, just a satisfied customer who wants to give full transparency.

Please let us know your  findings. I found a Diablo 300 about 4 hours south of me in Austin, TX. Hoping to go check it out next month. Might make a weekend of it and go to Houston to check out a Vitus RI-101 MK 2, those 2 Integrateds have my curiosity piqued.

My local dealer has a pair of the Amati Traditions in the Red finish. They are beautiful, both in appearance and sound. Definitely the top of my want list for speakers in this price range. If I may ask, what  are you using to drive them?  So far I have heard them on McIntosh(C53/MC462 combo)  and Burmester Integrated. IMO, they definitely sounded better on the Mac gear.

Currently powering my Sonetto's with a Michi X5.