I currently have the Triton 5's Loudspeakers, Marantz SA14S, SACD player, Thor Audio tube Tp-150 monoblocks, Thor line stage with 2 SVS sealed subwoofers. Seeking better sound. My short list of loudspeakers are as follows:
1. Golden Ear Technology Reference 2. Revel F228 BE 3. Focal Kanta 2 Any suggestions would be appreciated.
BTW! I drive my PSB Image Tower 3’s with the Prima Luna HP Integrated and I have never felt the need for more power....although I am about to upgrade the PL with 8 KT 150’s and a couple of Brimar cv 4003’s......just because I can, and because Kevin Deal approves!! 😂😂
I decided on $10k for speakers, but decided on NOT paying dealer markup and settled on what I consideded the best sounding used speakers were. My first choice was Vienna acoustics The Music. I settled for the Revel Salon2. Contenders Kef R 207/2, Dynaudio's, and while I really was impressed with the Raidho presentation I would need to hear that sound 'in my room' b4 investing so much money.
You could get a whole range of great dynamic loudspeaker pairs. Ive heard a lot. 801s, meridian d6000, duntech, avalon. Hard to choose. Or you could get Quads and escape the chaos of ear fatigue. No headaches and because they are limited dinamically in comparison to regular woofers and tweeters (although you can cross them with your sw) they will save your from hearing damage. You can be sure that you will be hearing everything as the engineer intended it. Speaking of engineers, it's what they use at Phillips, reference recordings, chesky and others.
Klipschorns ? too room dependent. same with Martin Logans, Maggies sound great, but can they rock?The journey is more fun than the destination I think.
I’ve heard the Carver’s at David Weinhart Audio. The omni sound was controlled so that imaging and soundstaging was pinpoint accurate and amazing. It will fill the room with an orchestra; however, while fantastic in the mids and highs, it needs a subwoofer for bass. Maybe difficult to mate.
I own a pair of used Legacy Focus (about $2500 w/2 on Audiogon now) and Signature IIIs. Both can throw a big sound and dynamic with low wattage amps. They are a bargain. I have 42,000 LPs/CD/78s with a large collection of opera and orchestral music (maybe 25% of the total). I recommend them if you can tolerate a large speaker but don’t want to lay out big bucks on amps. The Textons I’ve heard have a small listening area so they aren’t for me.
The Carvers come with a subwoofer. However, I'm still waiting for my sub. I've been told they are changing the type of sub that is supplied. For the meantime I own several JL F-113 subs that integrate very well with them.
I know. I heard it with RELs and it didn't mate well. I would have liked to hear it with the Carver subs. I heard that Carver is discontinuing the speaker. Too bad, it was very nice to listen to anywhere in the room.
Where did you hear that? I have talked to Bob several times of late and he never mentioned it. Like I stated, they are switching the sub to another type, perhaps that is what you heard?
Dave Weinhart may have mentioned it. He won’t be carrying the speaker after he sells his last but that was about six months ago. It’s still listed among his speaker line on his website.
Have you listened to any speakers from Magnepan. I’m not familiar with the pricing of their current lineup but I’ve always understood their speakers are an excellent value for the soundstage in which they can reproduce.
ozzy Thanks for letting me know. Those speakers are "Amazing." Hearing them at Weinhart's with analog jazz was like I walked into the room with the performers in front of me, walking across his large listening room. I'm glad the speakers are still in production.
I like Magnepan's to a certain degree, particularly enjoy them with small music ensembles and vocalists. However, on dynamic, big orchestral music and dynamic, bass heavy rock, not so much. I haven't heard the latest 30.7, but I heard the 20.7 and 3.7. My wife had me get rid of ML Monolith IIIs when I met her 21 years ago because she said they lacked bass and dynamics for her rock. I think that might apply to Magnepans as well.
I concur with @bullitt5094. I am an extremely happy owner of the first pair of the Tekton Design Encores which run $8500 and are basically miniature versions of the Tekton Design Ulfberhts which is normally a $12500 speaker, but currently are only $9000 in soft-gloss black. You are getting more than half the money you’re are spending on the drivers alone. This is unheard of in high-end audio where you are lucky to get a parts count equaling 10-20% of the total price you are paying for the speakers. What’s more important though is they are one of the most efficient, transparent, detailed, live-sounding, and coherent speakers on the market. After 30 years in high end audio this is the best speaker I’ve ever heard at such a ridiculous affordable price point when compared to speakers costing many times their price and that give you a lot less for your money. They are spooky good at all types of music at any volume level with whatever amplification you choose. I run my Encores with either an 8wpc SET tube amplifier or a pair of 700wpc Nords depending on my mood or the music I’m listening to with amazing results. The MTM array made up entirely of tweeters is extremely low in distortion in the critical midrange and up (300hz-20khz) and with it being a 4-way design you will not want for anything in the mid-bass or deep-bass region! They are incredibly coherent, create a solid 3D wall of sound, and are electrostatic-like in presentation with the dynamics of horns using conventional drivers. Goodluck with your search!
For my space, either nicely refurbished Apogee Duetta Signatures or the Magnapan 3.7is - both are under 10K. I also would consider the Quad ESL-2912 or the Spatial Audio X2 Modular - both right at 10K....Jim
kjl1065 Sorry, not sure what the size of your listening room is (I don't think you mentioned) but when referring to my space I'm thinking of a medium sized room - mine is approx. 14'x26' with12' cathedral ceiling. In 45 years of audio, I've heard few speakers, at any price, that can re-create the full scope, stage and timber of a live orchestral performance, live chamber performance, live street corner jazz, etc - in a medium to large room - as well as a properly set up, large pair of stats or ribbons....JMO Sound Lab (www.soundlab-speakers.com) also makes some very fine ESLs, that present an incredibly large holographic and detailed stage. You can find either new or used, within the 10k range, with several different sizes, depending on the space you have to fill...Jim
Nothing in this hobby looses value like speakers! That's great if your looking to buy. In many cases top notch speakers sell for less than 20% of the original retail price. Look around. There's deals a plenty. Good luck Joe
I have a pair of dunlary sc-v you might like for 10k. I don't think you can get a better sounding speaker. You just need the room for these three hundred pound 6ft.tall Babies.
jhills The only system that I've heard out of maybe 500 systems that sounded like the live event, regardless of complexity and dynamics of music was the $1.5 million Von Schweikert Ultra 11/VAC 450IQ/Kronos system heard at every major show in the past several years to universal acclaim. To be used in large rooms only. Otherwise, with proper room acoustics and judicious use of tweaks including Hallographs, Synergistic Research HFTs and Omega E-Mats, I've achieved next to high end sound (missing are about 50% of the $1.5 million system dynamics, openess, resolution, frequency response) using a pair of Legacy Focus speakers. I think that finely designed and made older speakers can achieve a very high level of music reproduction. It will cost me $50-$60K for a new pair of Von Schweikert V55s or Luminwhite Kyaras to better my Focus significantly. If you have a smaller room, a used pair of Legacy Signature IIIs could run you $1500 to $2000, very efficient so that a ss 1978 Yamaha CR620 can give you great sound and dynamics on the cheap.
@fleschler $1.5 million Von Schweikert Ultra 11/VAC 450IQ/Kronos system The next time I have an extra $1.5 million and a concert sized hall to fill, I'll have to pick up one of those systems. For now, in my little 14'x26' music room, I'll stick with a nice pair of stats or ribbons. If I had an extra $100K, I wouldn't mind a pair of the VAC 450IQs though....Jim
What I was explaining is that one can obtain 50% of the best audio reproduction system can offer at $50,000 for analog or less for digital. Treating the room acoustics is where one should start and a good sounding room lowers the cost.
Even after speaker placement, my Legacy Focus speakers needed Hallographs to focus the sound. The name of the speaker is not the end all in imaging until tweaks are added to the room acoustics. Totally opposite omni speakers like the Carver Amazing Speakers.
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