Intimate, warm and holographic alternative

Ohm Walsh's. There are models that are designed to work well in large rooms. The company has been in business for 40+ years and does not advertise. Located in Brooklyn, NY. I have a pair of the older Sound Cylinders (ca1989) with the 8" Walsh driver. They sounded great playing the AC/DC CD Stiff Upper Lip (amp was the Carver TFM-15cb). Even listening off-axis they sounded phenomenal! 3-D imaging from anywhere in the room! Forget typical box speakers with forward-firing drivers - the Walsh speakers put the performers right in the room!

Add Vandersteen to your list!
https://www.vandersteen.com/categories/floorstanding-loudspeakers

You have a lot of variation in both price and sensitivity. I'd try the Legacy Arris. 

What is your amplification or will that be selected to work with your speakers?  This is important.   The amp I would pick to driver Harbeths might make your ears bleed driving Klipsch.

These speakers have wildly different sound profiles and sensitivities.  For example, I would call out Klipsch or Tannoy about being bright and in our face long before I would call out Devore.  Harbeth and Spendor are decidedly warm.  

If you want the speaker to disappear, that is great.  Lots of speakers are capable of that.  Placement and well matched amplification is more important in many cases that the actual speaker.  

You are sitting 9' from the speakers.  How much room is available behind the speakers?  How much space can you get between the speakers?  Distance to side walls? 

Do you prefer a sound where you are more immersed in the sounstage or do you want the image in-front of you?  

There are 100s of speakers in your price range.  Some are radically different than others.  All can disappear if placed correctly and all can sound miserable if placed poorly.  

A little more info can help narrow this.  

Hi verdantaudio. I have no amplification. I will choose the amplification after deciding the speakers and I will go for the amp that best suits with the brand and model of speakers.

There is no much space behind the speakers: 2 feet more or less. Between the speakers are 9 - 10 feet. Take into account that this place is not going to be my definitive sound room but in the future I will have the same or more space and distances.

I prefer a sound where I am more immersed in the soundstage.

Yes verdantaudio and artemus_5: lot of variation on prices and sensitivity. Let’s hope your experts advices help me in taking the correct decision. 
I also prefer high sensitivity speakers or at least that can’t work at low volumes Even though I listen many times to rock music, I must admit that with my neighbours I can’t hear every time music at high volumes and many times I hear music at night when my children are sleepy. That said I also hear through the day music at high volumes. It depends on the moment but I want something that could be capable at low volumes.
 I’m not closed to any option. Just want to hear your experts recommendations.

Thanks so much.

For an intimate and warm presentation you might want to research Jean-Marie Reynaud speakers.

If you are worried about bass, get a set of Audiokinesis Swarm subs. The Swarm is 4 to a set; so you can set up something called a 'Distributed Bass Array'. This will prevent standing waves from robbing you of bass (a common complaint, often right at the listening position) and you will have bandwidth to 20Hz.

At that point you'll have your pick of speakers to use for the mains. They won't have to be all that large, since the need only go down to 50Hz or so. To use subs successfully, they must not produce any output above 80Hz, else they will attract attention to themselves. Speakers that image well but don't go below 50Hz or so are common.

With your dimension and the need for flexibility in terms of near wall placement combined with your bias toward high sensitivity speakers, I would look at Avantgarde Zero XD 1s.  They are comfortably in your price range.  Are 104dB so very easy to drive.  If you are looking for a very intimate and engaging listening experience, Avantgarde is second to none. 

There is a fully active model called the Zero XD TA which is a very nice speaker as well and has a very good built in DAC.  

The Uno XD is better but a little above your budget at $31K and is visually polarizing. Not everyone loves the big horns.  

These are brilliant with low powered tube amps.  I recommend 300B or PX-25 SETs to my customers. 

All of these have powered bass modules and will give you brilliant performance in a large space.  

There is one model I would watch out for.  The Uno Fino XD.  It is modestly price for an Uno ($21.4K) but has a ported bass module rather than sealed which creates issues in terms of placement.   

milhomes, there is only one type of speaker that "disappears," a full range electrostatic starting with the old Quad 57. This is why people have fallen in love with a speaker that so limited and fragile. Nothing does the disappearing act better than the old 57s. There are ESLs now that are some of the toughest speakers made with few limitations. But, they are large and difficult to drive. I do not include Martin Logan speakers in this elite group. They are hybrid speakers and just do not disappear like full range ESLs. Sander's Model 10s are also hybrids but from what I have read they manage to maintain the ESL magic sound stage. ER Audio makes a line of ESL kits at very reasonable prices. Then for the people with adequate resources there is Sound Labs. 

There is no ideal.  It's all about system synergy and your personal preference.  Having said that, I'd recommend that you look at MBL.

If your looking for something intimate and with a huge sound stage i'd suggest looking at some single driver or point source speakers. Voxative comes to mind in the upper end Omega on the lower for single driver speakers. point source your into Kef, Tannoy, Tannoy's actually may be your ticket here.

I's suggest open baffle or pannels but you don't have the space. 

My vote goes to Tannoy Prestige series. I personally own Tannoy Canterbury’s and they are exactly what you looking for...very intimate, warm and holographic sound. Pair them with Accuphase Integrated or separates and you will find yourself in audio bliss! 

Lots of respect for the Klipsch Cornwall IV & Devore Fidelity Orangutan O96 👍

Klipsch Cornwall IV with Jadis DA88S is simply stunning and enjoyable at the same time.

HFN April ‘21 has an excellent review of the DeVore O96 with Jadis separates. Less Rock&Roll than the Cornwall IV, the JPL/JA30/O96 combo would be less than the reviewed twin 300B mono amps and an easy system to enjoy for an eternity.

In recommending speakers, amplifier synergies do factor in. With the O96, the Jadis is configurable to optimize its higher impedance.

The Aeris + Wavelet for sure.

Or, the Harbeth 40.2 / 3 / etc. as an alternative with the Hegel HA390 or HA590, or McIntosh MA352.

Though these are pretty big and expensive speakers.

One more practical alternative (both economically and physically) that will impress you with the right electronics is the Harbeth 30.1 / 2 / 3 / etc. driven by the McIntosh MA252 or MA352, or the Hegel HA390 or HA590. Simply sublime - see the YouTube videos! Though the 30.1 maybe too small for your space.

Though - If you’re a rock fan... I’d stick with the Aeris, or Klipsch LaScalla, or JBL S4700 (!!!), or yes... the ATC SCM 100+.... The Harbeths are prolly better for a jazz, classical, blues, acoustic fan - like me - which is what I have (both the 30.1 and 40.2).

Though... I guess... If I had to choose just one of these for rock... it would be the JBL S4700.

My choice of the others would be based on my preference for other types of music.  

Two words: Tekton. Oh, wait....one word.

Electrostatics leave the rest in the dust; when ii comes to imaging. Quads, or Martin-Logan hybrids if you want a solid bottom end without separate subwoofers. 
Magneplanars also image well  

If it were me, I’d go with the best that M-L offers. 

German Physiks 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEHfXNGZfVQ

bobandcindy, you and I are obviously on the same page. You have never heard a speaker disappear until you here an excellent system around ESLs. However, Martin Logans are not the best ESLs going. Because the curved diaphragm is not linear they have to cross to a standard driver at the bottom of the midrange which steals much of the ESL magic. Roger Sanders designed the curved diaphragm as a means of dealing with the poor high frequency dispersion large panels have. You can read what he thinks about it on his web site. Sound Labs has the best solution to that problem avoiding the need to crossover to another driver entirely. All the other speakers mentioned in this post from MBL to Tekton (yuk) can not hold a candle to a proper ESL. With the exception of a few horn designs there are ESLs and then there is everything else. Modern ESLs are not the fragile, amplifier eating beasts they use to be. They are more dynamic, and play louder than most speakers excepting a few horn designs. Because they can easily be configured as a full range line source the sound stage you get is a more realistic size and because the volume drop off with distance is not near as severe it is easy to set them up so that the effective listening area is as wide as the room. No dynamic speaker can do this. People who like full range drivers are barking up the right tree. ESLs are really big full range drivers. There is a unity of presentation that only a full range driver can have. The distortion levels of an ESL are at least two orders of magnitude lower than any dynamic driver. In listening to dynamic loudspeaker based systems what you here  predominantly are the characteristics of the speaker. The music sounds like the speaker. With good ESLs what you hear are the characteristics of the recording. The speaker vanishes. In my experience they are the only type of loudspeaker that does this. I have it on authority from people I trust that there are horn systems that will do this. I have little to no experience with them.  Admittedly ESLs are not going to be everybody's cup of tea. Just their size is prohibitive for many then there is the cost including the expense of a higher powered amplifier capable of sounding good into a reactive, very low impedance (at high frequencies) load. But if you have the room and the money you owe it to yourself to find a system you can audition. People who live in the northeast are welcome to contact me and set up a date. I do not sell loudspeakers or any audio equipment for that matter and have no kick back arrangement with any manufacturer.

I agree that Tannoy and Klipsch Heritage (newer the better) are right in the ballpark of a real solution. If I was trying those makes out I’d lean towards valve amping them—yet I’d surely be open to trying some SS too.  Keep us posted on your decision too. Wish I was in your shoes. Great time to be an audiophile! 

Rosso Fiorentino should be on a short list for these requirements.  The Elba 2 has a handful of reviews out now, including Robert Harley from TAS in the April Issue.  I would suggest looking at the Volterra as a real option and pairing it with a Norma IPA-140B.  Both product lines hail from Italy and together create a synergy that symbolizes the beauty of Italian audio.

For full disclosure, I am the distributor for both products.  

I also love the metaphor above:

people who like full range drivers are barking up the right tree

Fatigue from the Orangutans, too in your face? What setup did you hear with these.
id put them at the top of the pile for a organic holographic presentation without any fatigue 

You should try and listen to Boenicke speakers - the W5 is a tiny but holographic monitor while the W8 is a small floorstander which produces  rich 3d sound with great timing.

The speaker design is unique and the sound produced totally engaging. The speakers can rock but struggle if your aree into techno dance music!

Merlins. Set up properly with a nice amp(s).

You’re likely to tire quickly of speakers designed to be ‘warm’. Find speakers designed to be neutral and add your coloration preferences via electronics and to a lesser extent, cables.
Most bookshelf speakers will do the disappearing act and the holographic imaging. But you can’t un-color a coloration, so start with neutral and build it backwards from there.

+1 Yogiboy
Vandersteen!

I would use those words to describe the meridian dsp 8000se system I've been enjoying the last couple years. It is possible to have the detail and resolution without sacrificing warmth. At $80k list price tho' I would say they're not for everyone. The Vienna Acoustics Beethoven are voiced so well that for the asking price they are a bargain as long as you're not into heavy metal.

Hear your music like never before...RBH SV-831R and SV-1212PR

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY3fSqtqRUs&t

From the speakers you have listed I'm guessing your budget is at least 20k? Anyway my Pioneer S-1EX (TAD) has exactly the sound profile you are describing. Warm but can still rock and sounds great and loses nothing at low volume. I heard them described in one of the forums as Sonus Faber with balls. I would agree with that. 

MBL’s can’t hold a candle to a "proper ESL"?. Really. I have no idea what "proper" means but I have owned the Acoustic 1 + 1, and four different ML models including the Summit over some 30 years. My last "large" speaker was the MBL 116. No contest compared to the Summit. Much more holographic and dimensional. As for Sanders, great speaker if you want the proverbial single listener / one head / sweet spot in a vice. In the end, there is no right answer to what’s best. It’s entirely subjective and based on ones personal bias and system synergy.

@rooze
When I was in the biz, Bobby P (Merlin) and Judd Barber (Joule Electra) who was well known for his high quality, excellent sounding kit often shared a room together.  I got to know Judd quite well. At one show Judd asked me what I thought of Merlin speakers. There must have been a reason for asking. My response was they never sounded good to me

Find a speaker you love (BS, floor, stand). Give it a good run through with your favorite tracks. Then get a Rel subwoofer, spend a little time blending it in. You will get the best mid-bass and low bass. 
If you have high pass options on your main amps, this will relieve the smaller speaker, and let its mids shine.YMMV. 

Maybe the Duevel Bella Luna Diamate Loudspeakers   Perfect Sound ?!

@tweak1 
I suppose your comment explains why there are a gazillion different speaker manufacturers, models, etc and not just one or two.
I enjoyed a year or so with VSMs, now, having moved everything into a much smaller room, I’m really enjoying the little TSM BMEs. One positive comment doesn’t get neutered by a negative, or it shouldn’t. I’m sure the OP will do what’s best for him, eventually.

If you are listening to rock and want a capable speaker you need to try a full range vintage american horn speaker made by altec lansing or electrovoice made prior to 1981.

My new system aboard our Nordhavn 56’ MSV “Princess Cindy”, (posted here because virtual systems page seems to be busted):

Turntable:  Rega RP3, selection of half a dozen various moving coil phono cartridges. 
CD & BluRay player: OPPO. 
Preamp:  Pro-ject tube box. 
Speakers: Pair of Martin-Logan ESL-X & Motion 6I center channel speaker. 
AM/FM tuner: Sony STJX-380. 
Bridged amps, running as dual mono blocks:  INFI Audio hybrid SS and tube (tube driver and solid state output stages) 2X50 RMS WPC power amplifier.  
Home-brew signal inverter, feeding right channel power amplifier and IR remote controlled stereo volume &  width controller from schematic on Elliott Sound Products website. 
Video projector: LG HU80 KA 4K UHD CineBeam, 2500 lumens; with motorized projector screen. 
Home-brew 0.9999 fine silver 18 AWG speaker cables and 22 AWG RCA interconnects. 

Subwoofers: 2X Sound-barrier SBLA 2X18” with 2X NOBSOUND 100 watt subwoofer amps. 
Home-brew .9999 fine silver 16 AWG subwoofer cables. 

Vandersteen are great value and great sound. They image well and are not fatiguing.  Altec was mentioned, these things can rock out but are a bit agricultural looking. Volti are a modern variation and look stunning. They have a few models.

@atmasphere  mentioned using a DBA. This system does more than just add bass. It smooths out bass performance and provides an improvement that goes beyond what one would expect. IMO a DBA will enhance any speaker even if the main speakers can go down to 20 Hz because the optimum positioning of bass drivers does not align with the optimum placement for hearing a believable sound stage.

Room treatment should also be considered if you hope to have the main speakers 'disappear'

Warm, inviting, holographic, intimate,........take Klipsch off the list.

Check the crossover freq’s , where they are crossed at for the midrange and tweeter freq’s. 
   Beware metal dome tweeters, give a listen first.
not that they are bad, but some are set at a much higher frequency through t he crossover, and they can be a bit in your face,......only some, which is why “listening AND hearing speakers” before a purchase is the most important. 
   Bought mine from only a 10 min audition at a now closed box store. 
   Audition as much as you can..bring in your own amp if possible, your own music, tape, cd, LP,  any good salesman will set up what you want to make the sale.
I know I did, worked at Barrett’s in a local shopping mall for a couple years, I was honest, believe it or not, told the people whole truths’
   We carried some garbage audio at the time, and I was not gonna recommend fischer speakers, or a low level receiver by pioneer. 
    I would quietly send them to sound and vision audio just across the street.  Who carried, carver, adcom, paradigm, Onkyo integra, pioneer elite, B&w, m&k, snell, etc etc......

    a few times, the owner(s) of sound and vision, would walk in ask for me, and a private audition, just to chat with me about me being a “double agent” as they said, thanking me for sending business their way, as they were a small operation, and appreciated the business and traffic. 

   Back on track,.....sorry for the derail!

Swallow all Pride.....

Best audio bargain out there.

PSB 300 Bookshelf.

Sit back enjoy the music.
Plays 10x their footprint.

$80.00 used.

For interested parties, not only the OP, I just had published my review of the gorgeous Salk Sound SS 9.5 Speakers at Dagogo.com. They are a superb speaker at the $10K price point, and check the boxes on a checklist of non-fatiguing and tonally rich with a generous soundstage (influenced by placement, as noted in the article). This pair will be going  back to Jim Salk as his personal set. I'm not 100% sure, but I believe these may show at AXPONA first.

I had great imaging with Salk Songtowers in my last listening room. By great I mean just immense in scale and depth. Breathtaking!!! I just wanted to turn around and tell someone all the time.

My new setup in my new home even with 2 dedicated ac lines is pretty good but does not measure up.

The only other difference between these setups is my new amp is a Primaluna Evo 400 power amp.

My last amp was a vintage Carver TFM-35. I had the Carver in the new home for a little while. And I can tell you the difference was not because of the amps.

It's the room. 

My starting point from an imaging standpoint, in my last home, was way worse than it was here.
It takes a good deal of trial and error and persistence to exploit any room. But you can only go as far as your room will let you.

There's no way 'this' room will ever be 'that' room. I realize that now.

This room is warmer, 'somewhat' holographic. That room was a little bigger sounding (also physically bigger)...also more clinical, cleaner and super holographic.

All with the same speakers.

This guy describes the Tannoy Legacy Eatons as sounding holographic....I’d have to agree, as I own them.

"What the Eatons did was to pick up the lead singer, Mark E. Smith, and drag him forward into new space. Then they placed air and space around him. I felt that I could have risen from my chair and walked around him. That was how crafted the image was. Not so much 3D as hologrammatic!

https://theaudiophileman.com/eaton/

Then there is this one:
"The soundstage of the Legacy Eaton was so spatious that I could take a swim in it. The old vinyl record of Count Basie’s orchestra acquired a completely new dimension as did the Ravels’’s Nocturne from Daphnis and Chloé (Serge Brando, Czech Philharmonics). The look into the pastoral landscaper was so seducing through the Legacy Eatons that I played the track several times in a row"
http://www.audiodrom.net/en/stand-mount-monitors/detail/29-stand-mount-monitors/576-tannoy-legacy-ea...

Check out Bache Audio. I replaced my PK rebuilt Quad 57s with a pair of the Tribeca's. The 8 inch modified wide band driver that's used as a midrange produces an engaging holographic sound with a huge soundstage. The crossover is a simple cap on the tweeter and a coil for the woofers. Drive them with tubes with an analog front end with a Kiseki Purple Heart cartridge and you'll never want to turn the system off. 

Juan,
What is your actual budget. Your suggested speakers are all lower price relatively. It is surely important to hear speakers before you buy.
This seems problematic. It is also important to hear a complete system in your space.
Building a system is extremely complicated. Another suggestion is MBL 111 s with a Pass XA 250.8.
And maybe with an Audio Kenesis Swarm subwoofer.
But just spending a lot does not insure a sound you will like.

Building a system is only as complicated as you make it😬....
Good clean power, a good amplifier/integrated matched to you speakers (considering impedance & efficiency and whether they have a warm, neutral or cold sound characteristics), quality cabling, a properly set up turntable/cartridge, a treated room ( no, i do not mean crazy sh#t hanging from walls and ceilings), proper speaker placement...thats it! It is not rocket science! Aaaand....no...you do not need a sub if you bought the right pair of speakers in the first place. Save the subs for the home theater please . You are destroying what the designer, engineer, builder, whatever....intended in the manufacturing of the speaker, why would you want to do that? Smh

Not sure you have the power but you are, to me, describing the Magnepan sound. Big room so 1.7i or bigger. Superb soundstage and transparency but need power. Love my 1.7is. I have a big open room so had to go the 2 sub route but if you have walls behind the speakers you'll have great bass a d likely won't need subs. Superb value too.