Again I think you are putting the cart before the horse, say you buy a Magnepan 3.6, Dunlavy IV, large Kef or any number of other speakers, then move into a much smaller room? Guess what you will have made a mistake, so if you are pretty sure your gonna move then let that play out before you upgrade. |
I run KEF 105.2's and even after running many other and newer speakers I keep coming back to that sound. So what change? If you lack the bass you are looking for add in a good subwoofer and I agree with one of the earlier posts look at an amp upgrade. I had a 80's vintage amp and I upgraded into the mid 90's a few years back and it made a big difference. |
Just trying to be relevant to thread--on allocated budget, varieties of music listen to and associated equipments to be use with the speakers. However, my 20yrs plus of living with various planars from original CLSs in 1983, progressing steadily--MGIIIa, Apogee Diva, ML Prodigy to the MG20.1s a couple of years back, was also quite the reversal of previous post. Am now a happy owner of dynamic speakers. |
In the hard economic times, you might find a pair of Maggie 3.6 ribbons. After going to ribbons after 20 years with dynamic speakers, there is no going back. The size of stage, resolution, speed, are addicting. They need a little power to come alive, SE amps are out, 70-100wpc gets them to come to life, more if you want more serious volume. They need to be away from the wall a few feet...3-4. Those caveats aside, they are amazing....for the money..even better. jallen |
Check out the Vandersteen 2Ce Signature II--Imo one of the great "all-round" speaker for the money. Listed if not mistaken ar.$2200. Not as fussy as some competing planars or stats variants to set-up and on partnering equipments--simply put, very musical. |
I would change the amp first, you might not need to change the speakers. Amps like the one I use, Musical Fidelity NuVista M3, are available at around $2400 used on Audiogon and would completely transform your system. They are rated at 275 watts at 8 ohms but can deliver far more power at lower impedance's, which they will see driving both pairs of your speakers. The bass will improve beyond your wildest hopes and the top will also be better. Try to borrow a good modern solid state amp and see the difference it makes before changing speakers. |
Gallo 3.1's no doubt. Or, I would buy Manepan 1.6qr's and a Vandersteen 2wq sub. Both, very nice. |
Dunlavy in that range would get you into a model IV but thats a big speaker to get if you dont know what next room may bring, VMPS is a company I like and use as they are Hybrid Planar/dynamic speakers, these speakers again can be a gamble if your new room gets smaller.
I hate to say it but you may be best served knowing exactly where you are going to end up and then buy speakers because a choice today could be a big mistake tomorrow. |
I pretty much listen to everything other than country music - classical, blues, jazz, classic rock. It will vary from day to day so I want a good all around speaker. I forgot to mention. I have an older rega planar 3 with a mm cartridge for listening to albums.
Gary |
Thanks for all the help and suggestions. My current room is about 22' x 15' but that may change soon because I might be moving. My equipment is old. I do intend to upgrade over time. I have a 80's vintage denon amp. I just bought a quad cdp-2 cd player because I wanted the DAC feature for some of my other digital components. I will probably buy a integrated amp at some point.
I've tried to read some of the other responses from people asking similar questions. I see some people who seem to like certain speakers quite a bit. For example, (I never heard of the brand) but it appears that a few people are outspoken for Dunlavy. Any input on planar speakers or electrostatic.
Regards,
Gary |
$2500 is plenty of $$$ and you can get great bass too!!! used speakers are a bargain esp if you research them here and elsewhere. don't overlook a subwoofer too. some people equate overspending for improved sound, it is why people buy rolls royce instead of better engineered cars for half the price. to get better responses you should include power source etc. narrow it down to get a good list of likely products. also, within each brand differences can be substantial esp. after 25 yrs of design changes. happy hunting. |
Pls help us help you w detail about your amplification, room size, and musical tastes. |
Boy that is a pretty low budget, especially for new speakers. One thing that doesn't happen much is really low bass on a low budget. You should consider some monitor speakers. Harbeths or Reference 3A's, Merlins are pretty good. Haven't listened to Spendors in a while. You can get world class midrange plus the disappearing act that only much more expensive speakers normally offer.
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Get newer KEFs. They are an excellent speaker and you like them. The last time I looked there was a pair of 107s for $1550. Those were the top speaker of its day , newer ones are also available. There are many good speakers which vary considerably in sound. If you have found a sound you like stay in the family. |
