I need a good looking and good sounding speaker ....


I currently moved to a different apartment and my stereo system and TV are in the middle of my living room. 
My Aerial 10Ts are 25 years old and while they still sound great - they really at this point do not look very good.
I also have an Aerial CC3 center channel which looks OK but is quite big and bulky...

I live in a Manhattan apartment and have ppl below me and above me - 

Anyway - I am considering the following speakers:

- Sonus Faber Nova 2 - look and sound great - not cheap
- Sonus Faber Nova 3 - look and sound even better - not sure I need the extra bass - expensive
- Totem Tribe Tower - in black they look OK - surprisingly sound very good for their size - won't break the bank to buy them
- Aerial 7s - look great - never heard them - was thinking of trying another brand after having Aerial for 25 years.

Any opinions if in a small space in Manhattan - the Nova 3 would be an overkill ?

I have decent electronics - ARC LS25 mkii - Pass Labs X250.8 amp - and a new Marantz receiever for home theater.

Steve


128x128pianosteve22
Penaudio fill the bill.  Just sold my Cenya pair only because I’ve an embarrassment of audio riches and needed to pare down.  They are gorgeous in all ways. 
Hi, am also in a Manhattan apartment and own the Tribe Towers.  I've been very happy with them; I use a Primare I25 integrated as my source.They sound great at reasonable volumes, but a few times I've gone louder with no neighbor complaints .  .and at the end, I just want to focus on the music, which the Tribes enable.  As a side note (and of course subjective) but their aesthetics are fantastic --sculptural and modern but they don't dominate the room either.  (I have them in the white gloss).
thanks for everyone responses ..... but my question is really about about the totem tribe towers .... Anyone hear or own these speakers ?

Steve
The persona b is on sale til the end of the month and those 2 way speakers do a great job 
Daedalus recommendation from me too. Another great one at $5K new is Zu Audio Soul Supremes or $10K for Zu Druid VI https://www.zuaudio.com/loudspeakers
Check out the reviews.
Isn't it amazing that 20 people have 20 different opinions. Goes to prove that loudspeaker choice is in the "eye of the beholder", or should I say ,
EAR !!
So I guess I'll throw in my 2 cents into this cesspool of ideas and recommend MAGNEPAN. They have models to fit almost any budget and sound incredible to say the least. Agreed, that most, so called audiophiles have never experienced a really proper demonstration of 'MAGGIES". Once you do, it will be like opening a door  into "audio nirvana".
And, by the way, I see you have a PASS LABS AMP. MAGGIES  love PASS LABS AMPS, because virtually all of their designs are capable of high levels of output current. I have heard 3 different models of MAGNEPANS, all driven by PASS LABS AMPS. Every time came away more convinced that the only other loudspeaker I would move up to when the money is available would be HARBETH. If your are mainly into "rock", MAGGIES would be my choice between the two. If I could afford two high end systems, one would be with "MAGGIES" and the other HARBETH.
GOOD LUCK
+1 on the JA Perspectives but they are above your price unless you can find some used. 
I have a pair of Joseph Audio Perspectives in an NYC apartment.
Sound and look great. Compact size. Will work great with your amp.

I have had a pair of Focal Sopra 1, 2 and 3 in a Manhattan apartment. The 1's and 2's work great. The 3's were too much bass.
Take a look at Gershman Acoustics Grande Avant Garde.

Beautifully finished, great looking, exceptional sound, great reviews

http://www.gershmanacoustics.com/grand_avant_garde.html

BTW - with Gersnman speakers the excellent frequency response down to 22 Hz translates to better bass - not "more bass"

Regards - Steve
Charney Audio Companions a work of art with sweet engaging sound that fits in your budget! No sub needed and in Somerset NJ about 45mins west of Manhattan off NJ Trpk exit 9. Contact Charney and set up an appointment for a listen...well worth the effort! 
http://charneyaudio.com/

Lots of good suggestions above. I would add to the comments about Daedalus speakers that their combination of an exceptionally flat and benign impedance curve, high sensitivity, and high power handling capability makes them extremely versatile with respect to amplifier selection.

I have owned a pair of Daedalus Ulysses for the past ten years. I am presently driving them with a Pass XA25 amplifier, and previously with a 300B tube-based VAC Renaissance 70/70 MkIII. Your much more powerful X250.8 should be a fine match for Lou's speakers as well.

BTW, the URL that was previously stated for Daedalus was not correct. It should be daedalusaudio.com.

Good luck. Regards,
-- Al

Another nudge toward Daedalus. Muse Studio should fit the bill. Incredible craftsmanship and sonics. A lifetime purchase. Call Lou.
Check out Daedalus loudspeakers at Daedalus.com and then call and speak with Lou.  They’re heirloom quality hardwood custom made to your likI guess with beautiful inlay work that rally caught my eyes.  Zero MDF used making them three times lighter yet still approaching or just beyond 100 pounds.  Sonically I’m told by people I trust that they’re amazing.  You can also listen to them on YouTube if you have headphones.  Definitely talk to him before you buy.  They are usually a lifetime purchase so I am told.  You’ll be glad you phoned him.
I love the look of the new Nova's.   Modern design with the walnut and anodized aluminum.   

Recently listened to the 1's and was pretty impressed.  

We're on lockdown here in NorCal and want to eval the 2's.   Why bother with the 3's, at that point just go to the 5s.

Although, can't get past the dealer mark ups, way too many other fantastic direct speaker options mentioned above (Ascend, Buchardt, Salk, etc.)

Good luck, happy listening
The beauty of a larger speaker is that it sounds great at any volume. Especially, low volume for apartment dwellers. I own a set of Sonus Faber Amati Futuras.

These speakers are so gorgeous I get no complaints from my wife about having them in the living room. Certainly the best constructed speaker with finishing no other company can even come close. 

The sound is smooth and well proportioned across the entire frequency range. Close your eyes and listen to Neil Young, Live at Massey Hall, 1971, perform right in front of you. 

These are full range speakers. It’s why they sound sooo good. Even at low volumes. You will not feel the urge to crank it. The speakers are consistent in sound throughout the entire normal listening volume range and beyond. 

If you can arrange an in-house demo you will be sold. Get the big ones. Blow the entire wad. 
You might be interested in checking out the UK made MFV speakers. Great full sound with awesome cabinets and finishes. Available direct from Distributor and discounted prices from Audioarcan. Regards, Warren 
Joseph Audio Perspectives are easy on the ears and eyes, and their size is pretty NYC apt. friendly.  Think they’d sound great with your electronics as well.  Best of luck in your search. 
Call Jim Salk at Salk Speakers.

check out his website for some of his work, just will have to be patient unless you can find a pair used.  

Great stuff, great looks that you can direct.
For killer looks and wood work like furniture as well as excellent SQ, look at the Usher line of speakers. Real wood is used and it takes 3 days to bend the wood to make the cabinet. Get a pair with their DMD diamond tweeter
 Check out the Tannoy XT8F. Got them in white and was surprised at how awesome they look. Not to mention how they sound for the price...
Look at PureAudioProject speakers.  They can come configured in many different ways.  I would also look at Raven Audio Corvus speakers
I recently bought a Gershman Grande Avant Garde. It retails close to 15k, but you can probably get them for less. People seem to think it has a very high WAF. 

go see Johnny Rutan at Audio Connection in Verona. At $10k you can get Vandersteen Treo CT in many Veneer choices... Check out my Casa Pacifica system pictures for Ambrosia Maple. IF you want high end automotive paint in your choice of color you would be at $15 K for Quattro. See my Poverty Bay photos for Audi Phantom Black Pearl. Johnny is ARC dealer, he will appreciate your choice of electronics :-) which are stellar. Pass is a beast.

enjoy the journey and the music

Jim
Personally I would not acquire any speakers without auditioning Buchardt S400s first.

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