Looking for a Speaker Recommnedation

with your preference of music and wanting to play loud, definitely look into the Revel F208. I have similar taste in music and listening volume. I have Revel F32s with MF6i, Ayre QB9 DAC DSD and VPI MK III table with updates. For me best speakers for the music style and listening volume you like.

Try the Tekton Pendragon's (I own a pair) for $2,000 or the new Tekton Double Impact for $3,000. I agree with mthowe comments.

"In my respectful opinion, the Tekton Pendragons and Double Impacts absolutely trounce anything in what most serious music listeners would consider a very modest price bracket."

+1

Don’t spend a ton of money on speakers until you get to hear Tekton. I have the Lores are they’re incredible. They’re very similar to Zu speakers (I’ve compared them side by side), only without the expense. They have a dynamic in-your-face live sound, which is great for loud alt/rock/punk.

I have a pair of Opera Secondas with a REL S2 sub, absolutely love the sound and with the combination you will get very accurate reproduction at any frequency and plenty of bass for your hard rock!!!

You have listed some pretty fair speakers, but IMHO you left out the very best speaker...Legacy Audio. The fit and finish are in a class by them self, and the darn things sound way better than they look. The Focus SE's are a speaker that is at home playing classical music and still come up and punch you in the "kisser" with hard rock. 

You have a wide range of finishes to pick from so they can fit right in with any decor to keep the little wife happy. 

The Legacy system is a system that I promise you, you will utterly have to force yourself to turn off at night so that you can go to bed. 

Check out the Legacy web site and look at what your choices might be.
www.legacyaudio.com  

There is always lots of good advice out there and if you can listen to them all you are likely to be better prepared, but unless the dealer will let you listen in your environment with you equipment it may or not be a good way to select. 
I will second that you look into the Spatial Hologram line, probably the M3 in your case.  Clayton will give you 60 days in your house to audition, tweak and play with them and it will cost you return shipping for that privilege.  My guess is you wouldn't send them back.  They are dynamic, room friendly (make sure you give them the proper 24-100 hr break in period), easily driven, open as are open baffle speakers and throw a beautiful image with great accuracy and most of all very melodic.  You will not suffer any fatigue after hours of listening and I find that I play them much louder than I used to as they immerse you so well.  GIve Clayton a call.
You may not hear much about these speakers as Clayton eliminates the middle man to keep costs down ... yet that may be a negative factor because the cost is so reasonable that many mid-high end listeners would consider them probably unsatisfactory.  With your budget you can't lose on giving them a try. 
I started long ago by building my own LS3/5a speakers and loved their near field sweetness and gave them to my son and built another British plan 3 way monitor.  I have tried many other speakers since those early days and never found anything I like better than these until after loving the sound of Maggies but not willing to put up with their negatives and reading about open baffle speakers, played a bit with that and then Clayton made Emerald Physics which had a complexity problem and then started Spatial Audio and I figured his return policy was too good to pass up.  I purchased the M4's because I tend to listen near field and never thought about returning them even before the break in.

Why not Coincident Technology?
http://www.coincidentspeaker.com/speakers.htm
Medium efficiency can help your target.
My two cents..

If I were you I'd be adding JBL studio monitors to my audition list. In my opinion, they are perfect for your listening preferences.

Have you considered any of the Sonus Faber gear? I have a pair of the Venere 3.0 and a pair of the Venere S. Currently driving them through Primaluna Dialogue Premium HP power amps and I absolutely love the sound. Incredibly full, especially with the 3.0's... The Venere S are the more expensive pair but I like the sound of the 3.0 more (richer and not so harsh). BUT Ive heard the SF Olympicas and wow. Just wow. They deliver such a solid full sound and aesthetically, are real stunners. You may be able to find pair used for 8-10k. Worth a listen.

The PSB T3 and Revel F208 have the most neutral on- and off-axis measurements in that list.

Exciting process, happy for you. I am still a few years out. The brand new Dynaudio Contours are well worth a listen IMHO. Both the 20's and the 30's are made to rock. Best of luck.

My recent upgrade to Spatial Audio M3 Turbo S has been revealing 

Very intrigued by the M3 Turbo S's. Like what I've read/seen. Under $3k with a 60d trial. Flexible placement. Maggie like/lite with more bass. How is that open back going to handle years of dust though? 

Used Legacy's are tempting but they are beasts and might block my 2 windows. WAF would be low.

I will also reiterate my recommendation for Zu as a low cost alternative.

Have to do more work on the Zu

Where are you located?

In MA

This list is getting very large (rough ranking):

1 Magnepan 1.7i
2 Golden Ear Triton One
3 Endeavor Audio E-3
4 Spatial M 3 Turbo S
5 Tekton Pendragon
6 PSB Imagine T3
  Dynaudio Excite X44
  Focal Aria 936
  Legacy Audio Classic HD
  Legacy Audio Focus
  Legacy Audio Signature III
  ProAc Studio 148
  Revel F206
  Revel F208
  Tekton Double Impact
  Vandersteen Model 3A Signature
  Vandersteen Trio
  Von Schweikert VR-33

I do have a dealer nearby that carries Magnepan, PSB, Focal & Revel which should help narrow it down

Thanks all

you left out the very best speaker...Legacy Audio

It is on my latest list. Very big though. Still in the running. Spent more time looking at the used until now. Not much avail. Will check out the new models

The PSB T3 and Revel F208 have the most neutral on- and off-axis measurements

That would be helpful in my room. I don't like speakers that require you to sit within a millimeter of the sweet spot to get good sound. Hearing mixed opinions on the T3 though.  Kinda finicky to setup. I don't have the most flexible room.

Why not Coincident Technology?

I have a pair of Opera Secondas with a REL S2 sub, absolutely love the sound and with the combination you will get very accurate reproduction at any frequency and plenty of bass for your hard rock!
If I were you I'd be adding JBL studio monitors to my audition list.
The brand new Dynaudio Contours are worth a listen

Will check them all out. Never been a big JBL fan though

Have you considered any of the Sonus Faber gear?

Have kinda avoided. Feels like there are 250 models

I will second that you look into the Spatial Hologram line, probably the M3 in your case.

Sent Clayton an e-mail with my system specs. Concerned a bit about some feedback regarding them amplifying noise from equipment not dead quiet (CJ MF2500 notorious for a low hum). 60 day/reasonable price helps. How dusty do those speakers get over time? Can't be great with the backs exposed. 

Re ZU/Tekton They have a dynamic in-your-face live sound, which is great for loud alt/rock/punk.

Not sure that is what I'm looking for but the Tekton's are still in the running. Really appreciate a speaker with smooth mid/highs, non harsh with a deep powerful bass that has a wide/deep soundstage and separation of instruments. Non fatiguing to listen to at any vol. But rocks when played loud. Not sure I can get there with my room, equipment and next speaker but...

http://libertyaudio.com/products/x-vox-loudspeaker-system

From its maker

Good Listening


Peter

I was looking over PSB's offerings and ran into Monitor Audio Golds.  I a/b the two with a Mystere' amp and now live with the Monitor Audio.  There are so many great speakers out there all you can do is listen...
and enjoy!

jhv

I have had the Spatial M4s since the end of May 2016 and there is no accumulation of dust that I can detect in the open woofers as of now.  This time period included a total remodel of the kitchen so that doesn't seem to be a problem.  They are actually somewhat protected by the slanted baffle so a little careful dusting (vacuum) from time to time should be fine. 
As far as picking up hum, I have only tried these with some classic amps, a New York Audio Labs moscode 300, a Marantz 140 amp, a PSE Studio 2, some modded low output tube amps, and the Anthem i225 integrated which has a beautiful dark background.  No hum that I could notice unless standing with my ear next to the compression driver and the NYAL moscode 300.  They are very efficient though so it is possible some hum would come through certain components. 

Might check out some Zu Audio speakers. It seems a lot of rockers love them.

Doing some work on these now. Seems like all you hear about is the Soul Supreme. Anybody know the differences between that and the Omen Def MKII?

They are very efficient though so it is possible some hum would come through certain components.

Thanks for the info. Helpful

I was looking over PSB's offerings and ran into Monitor Audio Golds.

Have some work to do on these

I demoed the new Revel Concerta F36 and almost needed a Tylenol after one song

I have read some similar comments on forums.  Luckily I can hear these locally and drop if need be


ROOM:
I left some images under my profile so everyone can see what kind of room I am dealing with. A couple of notes: I can close the curtains on the front wall when listening. Back wall curtains can be closed but leaves approx 1 window exposed. Couch can be moved a bit back & front/back but not much. The Rogers are currently 3' from the front wall and approx 1.5' from the side walls. With the couch back against the rack I can get the speakers to 5' and in front of it which is what I would/plan to do for critical listening.

Thank you

I'm a big rock fan also, e g Pantera, Metallica & classic hard rock. When I  listen loud, I want speakers with punch. Started with mac2350 and klipschhorns 6+ years ago. The WAF never extended to the big corner horns. So I started looking/listening. Lucky to have good audition options in Dallas. B&W ok. Mac speakers better, good look. Vandys look great & sounded very refined by comparison. Love them w jazz fusion etc but they didn't blow me back w big rock sound. Then I listened AB to the triton 1s. Sold. The powered subs handled the low end power needs. The ribbon tweeters were bright but not harsh compared to my horns. The mid was lush but powerful. Over time, these speakers have really satisfied my needs. WAF, great performer over a broad range of music (admittedly some genres better than others). Oh yeah-the price point speaks for itself. Good luck. Your list has many good alternatives 

Golden Ear just came out with a Triton Reference speaker for 8500.00 a pair.  It has larger and updated drivers, more power for the subwoofers and it is solid wood.  The sock is gone!  I will be talking to my local dealer about auditioning a pair.

Then I listened AB to the triton 1s. Sold. The ribbon tweeters were bright but not harsh

Strong contender

Golden Ear just came out with a Triton Reference speaker for 8500.00 a pair.

Interesting...Budget stretcher but..

Janszen: You may want to read the reviews

Will check it out

Here's a slightly outside the box rec, Audio Note AN/e's, fantastic sounding, full range, fairly sensitive, easy to place in a room of almost any size. Prices range from $5000 to as high as you can imagine prices changing based on internal components. Not the most flashy but a great speaker that just makes music.

First off you can't ever say that one speaker blows the other out of the water.  Many for YOUR ears, but not for other folks.  I have tried and tried to like the Legacy's and for ME they are way too hot.  I do like their newest tweeter much better than their older one, but for many of us they aren't what we like.  I"m glad you love yours as that's what it's all about.

The nice thing is that you can find more than a few speakers you will like.  I love Vandersteens (just sold my Treo's this past week) and purchased the Quatro's.  For ME, they blew away anything I heard under 30k and I heard most of the contenders that are real companies with distribution (again, just my humble opinion).  I also love Proac's.  The newest ribbon Stuart is using is smooth to my ears and just an outstanding value too. 
Some folks seem to like speakers that are tipped up on top or brighter.  I've seen names of those types mentioned in this thread also.  

Lot's of choices and if there is any way you can possibly audition to at least get to know what type of sound you like, it will help you in figuring it all out.  Maybe you can call Johnny Rutan to see if he has the Quatro's for sale still.  He's also a Proac dealer as well as B&W's (not sure which lines) and he's an outstanding Maggie dealer too.  Not sure where you live, but if you can speak with a good dealer who is open minded about all their product lines, they can help you greatly.  Just make sure and purchase through them so it's not wasting their time.  JMHO again.  Keep us posted.

XTZ Divine Alpha, just coming out now, just got my pair, will beat any speakers on your list on any point, and many many speakers costing twice and thrice!! no joke. It is not well known in the USA, I dont know why exactly (they sell direct to customer which way better to me!!), the price/quality ratio is very very high, and these must be known because many audio enthusiasts are going passed not less than brilliant speakers without even knowing their existence.
This swedish company makes audio jewels at unbeatable costs. I already had the Master M2 bookself in my secondary system, was so impressed by its near perfection, that i also got the bigger brother for my main. XTZ are neutral, balanced, extremely precise, full resolution, can be tuned, and play very loud!! For me there is just no other way to go in this price range that i know of. If you want a comparison: the XTZ Alpha throws away by miles the best B&W 802D3. Strictly no fight and no doubt.

I have been modding speakers for year . For he money the Salk Bud Fried tribute
speakers are Excellent  but order them with upgraded Xover 
stock solen caps . The Jantzen Copper  inductors very hood can stay 
resistors Parts connecxion sells the best IMO Path Audio resistors.
very simple series Xover Mundorf Supreme for Bass.
for series capacitors ,tweeter midrange VH audio OIMP capacitors, with a Jupiter Copper wax bypass cap .1uf.  It is a magical combination.
one other Huge Tip the New Synergistic Research -Black fuses after 100 hours +
truly upgrade hatever you put them in Money Back 30 days .
start with digital to make my point  ,go one size up then what is currently in there 
for steel stock fuses can vary 15% or more. Jim Salk will put upgraded Parts in 
you just pay the extra before the build. The dual 6.5 Peerless Nomex drivers 
are very uniform , and the Hiquphon Tweeter is all hand built and tested to within
1/2db  no commercial tweeter is this precise at any where near this cost.
and transmission line rear ported Bass.

First off you can't ever say that one speaker blows the other out of the water.  Many for YOUR ears, but not for other folks

Very true 

Some folks seem to like speakers that are tipped up on top or brighter. I've seen names of those types mentioned in this thread also.

I suppose you are referring to Zu Audio, Tekton. Definitely want a non-fatiguing system. My room trends towards the bright side to my ears

I'll probably touch base with Johnny Rutan

Lot's of choices and if there is any way you can possibly audition to at least get to know what type of sound you like, it will help you in figuring it all out

True but unless you are doing the demo in your room/with your equipment I'm not sure you can guarantee anything. But I will get out there and hear/see what I can. Might be able to eliminate some for sure

Thanks ctsooner

Salk Bud Fried tribute speakers are Excellent

Not sure I'm willing to go this way. If I was a huge Fried fan maybe. Thanks for the suggestion though

XTZ Divine Alpha 

Did a little research. Very limited info out there on these. Thanks though

Audio Note AN/e's, fantastic sounding, full range, fairly sensitive, easy to place in a room of almost any size.

Interesting speaker. Very much like a Harbeth. Like the fact you can place in the corners. Many options and difficult to get US pricing though. Never mind hear them

@hddg,
How much did you pay for the  XTZ Divine Alpha? Are you in the US?
Looks interesting.

Proac D30R or D48R used

Seeing ProAc Studio 148's NIB for $2250 (plus ship) - tempting

Salk SoundScape 8's sound like they would fit your musical needs. Around $8k new in your veneer choice.

bradf

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/full-range-janszen-loudspeaker-za2-1-hybrid-electrostaic-2016-12-1...

You may want to read the reviews

TAS: The zA2.1 is a fussy, listener-position-dependent, at first potentially frustrating loudspeaker

Definitely not what I'm looking for in my situation

Sent Clayton an e-mail with my system specs.

No response. Not impressed

Reading quite a bit about the ProAc's tending to be on the bright side which would be a problem in my room

Most of those ProAc Studio brightness threads are the 140s, which have a different tweeter. The 148s have the same tweeter as the response line. 

Where are you seeing 148s for $2250 plus shipping?

Most of those ProAc Studio brightness threads are the 140s, which have
a different tweeter. The 148s have the same tweeter as the response line

Duly noted.  Thanks

Good price on the 148s.  Wonder how much shipping would be?  Black would not be my first choice...

<$200

fd,I bought ctsooners Treo's- upgrading from the 3a sigs.

I second giving Johnny Rutan a call or PM him (he's audioconnection on Agon). If you are in Mass. then it would behoove you to try to come down for an afternoon. Audioconnection is about 30-40 mins away from Manhattan. (I know a NY to Boston day trip is very doable- you guys have a great arboretum). Though you may be at the other end of the state.
Even if you got a room for the night, it would be a worthwhile trip.

Re: Zu speakers.
I mention them because they are highly efficient and use no crossovers- a very interesting design.
I own a pair of Omen Bookshelves for my office and a pair of Union ( Omen predecessors) and can attest to their honest sound. They aren't bright and quite listenable, but then that will be up to your ears.
Like I said, the Vandy's have a true elegance with regards to sound. The Zu's are more direct and many like their reproduction for rock music.
Bob

If you are in our neck of the woods New York/New Jersey we have quite a large number of speakers that are fantastic in your price range and we have two of the models you are looking at:

We have the Legacy Focus Signatures, the PSB T3, KEF R Series, Dali Rubicons, Paradigm Personas and Prestige.

The Legacys are fantastic and a great value for the money. 

The Personas are amazing superior resolution and sound staging they sound much more like $20k speakers for $10k.

I work part time doing occasional Turntable setup and system tuning, ask for Dave at Audio Doctor NJ,

Get those 148s. Watching great AV through themnow plus plan on spinning some Bowie later. Is amazing how they can compress a room 

I've owned many Proacs over the years and the first really non fatiguing speakers they have on the market to me are the newest ribbon tweeters, but for what the OP wants, they will be out of the price range probably.  He's need the larger ones if he wants to play rock and move a lot of air.  Again, JMHO.  

I love the Treo's and the CT's even more.  They won't move the same amount of air as the 3a's will though.  The newest ones are very detailed, especially compared to the list of other speakers in this thread and they will move a ton of air, without the need of subs.  

If I'm the OP, yes, I'd go visit a dealer or two to audition.  Will the speakers sound the same in your room as they do in the dealership?  No of course they won't, but much of the time, your house will sound way better than a dealer's room will.  Most have others speakers in the room and that will hurt any audition.  They have no choice usually, unless it's their TOL speakers where they may be able to dedicate a room.  It's a tricky slope for any dealers and they try their best to give you a great experience.  Just keep in mind that they too have personal likes and dislikes and will often push you towards something they like even if you may like something different.  Stay true to your own ear and listen critically to music you are very familiar with.  You already know these things, but it never hurts to read it again.

Before we packed up the Treo's for Bob, I let him hear my full system.  As he can probably attest, I don't have any special room tuning devices, just well engineered and built components that are properly set up.  That's the one thing that Johnny Rutan can do and that's set up a room. He goes to the Boston area all the time for installs, so that wouldn't be a problem for you.  I personally feel that it's worth it.  I have been setting up system since the early 70's for folks and Johnny is as good as anyone I've seen in the business.   I've had reviewers as other dealers in my various rooms over the years to set up things, but none have done what Johnny has done, that's for sure.  

Sorry, didn't want to make this post a commercial for Johnny, lol., but as I was typing I just kept going as it's how I feel.  I'm sure that many others here feel the same way about their dealers who are setting up their gear. It's one reason why I purchase only gear from major companies who have been around and have strong distribution in the US.  They keep their value better than small boutique companies and are easier to sell later on when I upgrade and if something does go wrong, they are there to service their gear and stand by it.  I can't tell you how many times I needed a service on a piece of gear that was way out of warrantee and a company just charged me for parts or gave me a very discounted rate in order to make sure their product was in great working order and that I had a great user experience.  I went again with Vandersteens, because of their upgrade policy for original owners (same with Ayre and why I went with them too).  I like to know I can pay for the upgrades as it adds many years to the life of my gear.  It's been much cheaper in the long run and allowed me to do upgrades when I feel it's worth it.  

Sorry for the long post, but it's been a boring morning and it's always fun sharing.  Just chose a few speakers to audition and set those up and go from there.  It sounds like you just want a non fatiguing speaker that will have nice detail and move some air in the room for some great rock (I too love rock).  Fun thread and thanks for starting it.

Proac D30R or D48R used

That would work heinrichmilw

If you are in Mass. then it would behoove you to try to come down for an afternoon.
The Zu's are more direct and many like their reproduction for rock music

Good suggestion gdnrbob. Possible. Thanks for the Zu feedback as well. They are in the running

If you are in our neck of the woods New York/New Jersey we have quite a large number of speakers that are fantastic

Thanks Dave - If I go to audio connection I can probably piggyback this
 

Get those 148s. 

Very tempting sbrownnw.  Talking to him. It could be the end or a step towards where I end up. Should be able to sell them if need be. I think I have a buyer for my Rogers so I'll be without speakers soon.  Also tempted on some of the direct sales companies with return policies (Tekton, Spatial, Zu).
I did hear back from Clayton at Spatial and this was his comments regarding my situation/noise:

The MF2500a is rated at 100dB signal to noise ratio, so it is very quiet. Should be no issues with noise through the speakers. The system you describe would seem to be a very good setup for the M3. I don’t see any red flags at all.  Your placement plans are ideal as well.

Thanks all

Lots of good suggestions thus far. I just heard a pair of Prana Fidelity Fifty90. Excellent speakers - not harsh at all. Dip down into the upper 30sHz range. Easy to drive - heard them with a 25watt tube amp playing rock music - no problem. Seriously good sound.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Hi ctsooner. Lot's of great advice/reminders in your post.

I'm going to e-mail/call Johnny at Audioconnection to start a dialog. Would really prefer a local dealer but we'll see how that conversation goes. Thank you

John is great to work with, he will find the right fit for you. 

+1 for John R. I talked to him twice when I was looking for speakers and both times he talked me out of replacing what I have and asked me to focus on room treatment first. He even sent me some audio files/tones to help me accomplish what I needed. I know where to go now if/when I need audio gear, especially since his shop is only an hour away from our house.

Yes, I was an audio free agent when I started to rebuild my system a few years ago.  I went up to Boston and Walt up in NH (daughter is a jr at UNH), but I loved Johnny.  I didn't love what was being pushed by two of the larger stores up there.  I recently was in NYC to try and audition some gear and ended up at Lyric again. I had used them in the 80's (Jadis) and for an Aragon piece for a friend, but the guy who owns it now was a real dick.  He told me how dry and unmusical my Ayre gear is and he knew because he was a dealer many years ago.  He hasn't even heard the new 20 series, but he just pissed me off, so I left and made sure to let anyone I know how poorly I was treated.  

Sorry, that just came out, lol.  Oh well, they get what they deserve.  Yes, Johnny has the Proacs as he realizes that not every one is a Vandersteen fan, plus he also carries B&W and I think NOLA or maybe it's ELAC.  not sure.