Kharma FE 3.2 - be careful, space crucial


I have 2 systems in my house - one vastly more expensive than the other, but the cheaper one is infinitely more satisfying, due to one simple reason: I chose the wrong speakers for the space they occupy. The speakers, the much vaunted Kharma 3.2 FEs are beautiful, coherent speakers, but cannot do justice to a room that is 23' X 17' X 15ft ceilings. Even with 8" of added height through Timbernation blocks. They just dont fill the space and strain to do so. They are better with added height, but dont fill the room with the visceral, alive, palpable sound and "being there" presence of the cheaper sytem. It's like sitting in the foyer of Carnegie Hall. The cheaper system is sitting in row 4. But when I look at options, I see that it is not so easy to sell these speakers - there is a mint pair on A'gon that cost $21,000, not selling for 29 days for $8,000. Resale of these expensive speakers is not easy, as I want to try a pair of Line array speakers in this large space, but to do so I would probably have to virtually give these Kharmas away for a song. So the message is simple: Look and ask harder questions than I did before you buy such expensive speakers that are not made for such large spaces. I bought them without listening in my room (obviously) but will not make that mistake again. The problem is how to arrange an audition of line arrays in my room. If anyone in the Northeast has line arrays in a similar space, including dealers, please let me know. Thanks.
Systems: System 1: 17 X 23 X 15 height: EMM CDSD/DCC2, Sota Cosmos IV, EAR 324, Shelter 901, OL Illustrious arm, A-S MP-1, A-S MA 2.2, PAD Dominus s/c, Gabriel Gold Revelation i/c, Kharma FE 3.2, 3 ft from rear wall, on 8" blocks.
System 2: 30 X 13 X 8 height: VPI TNT Jr, JMW 10.5 arm, Sumiko Blackbird, Wright WWP 200, Aesthetix Calypso, 2 X Moscode 401 vertically biamping Mark-Daniel Maximus Monitors, 7 ft from rear wall.
springbok10

Showing 4 responses by springbok10

Shadorne, the furniture blocking issue is resolved by 8" wooden blocks as stands. But they still don't fill the room - I had blamed the chair, but even raising the speakers above the chair by 8" doesnt do it -the sound feels compressed - why a line array? because they are 6 ft tall and could fill the space better, have a bigger vertical soundstage and sound more holographic. (I am told)
Jeff, the sound is incredibly detailed and coherent and transparent - your room size sounds perfect - the volume of your room is 2340- cubic ft, mine 5865 cubic feet. That's why yours sound perfect and mine dont!No they are not muddy, the soundstage is just too low and small and sounds strained at high volumes. I listen to everything, but not rock at about 80 db. Mostly classical.
That's right, Dennis_the_menace, no more upgrades til I hear them in a similar sized room, or in my own room. in the meantime I've ordered another 4" block - the higher, maybe the better?:)
With Kharma resale looking like it is, and the inability to hear Line Arrays near where I live (Connecticut), that's how it will stay..........
I was thinking of contacting Selah, but what will I do with my Kharmas? I've watched the same 3 speakers reamin unsold on A'gon for a month. I'm not moving them downstairs, since that system is just fine with $3K speakers biamped - Kharmas cant be bi-amped.