I'm thinking a pair of Vivid B1s or 1.5s might be one worth holding on to.
Monitor speaker that will stop the Quest?
There's a great thread, "Speakers to hold onto for life".
The overwhelming consenses is that they're fullrange speakers.
How about us monitor speaker fans? What monitor speaker
do you own or plan on purchasing that will indeed stop
the quest for a better speaker, or to hang on to for life.
The overwhelming consenses is that they're fullrange speakers.
How about us monitor speaker fans? What monitor speaker
do you own or plan on purchasing that will indeed stop
the quest for a better speaker, or to hang on to for life.
77 responses Add your response
I previously stated that the Sonus Faber Guarneri Mementos would stop the quest for me. That impression/opinion was based on several auditioning sessions at the home of my dealer. Now that I have owned these superbly musical marvels for about a month now, I will reaffirm unequivocally that my monitor speaker quest is OVER! Thank you Sonus Faber! |
Just aqn update - Fritz didn't have the Carbon 7's, he had sold the demo pair before we met up. He did have the Grove Towers I was interested in. I spent about 3 weeks with them, going from hot to warm, and finally decided I really like them. I now own them. Fritz feels they are direct competition to the Totem Forrest, and has a small shop I think in Dana Point that has agreed to floor a pair of his Grove Towers next to a pair of Totem Forrests in an A/B set up. I wish I was in So. Cal. just to check that out! Dang, I just remembered this is a monitor speaker thread... Sorry for the OT, but I'll leave the post, because I think Fritz' speakers are awesome, and he is one of the nice guys, and deserves the added exposure. |
Fritz Carbon 7's are amazing. For those who haven't heard of it, go to www.sonicflare.com and check out Sean's review. I believe he accurately captures the traits of the Carbon 7. Best monitor I've heard under $4K! And I've heard almost all the mainstream brands (B&W, Paradigm, ProAc, Dynaudio, Usher, Totem, and the list goes on.) |
After more than a year, I'm really enjoying the heck out of my Fritz Carbon's. When I first got them, they obviously did a lot of things really well, but I heard a vocal glare that really disappointed me. I heard it, but for the most part it wasn't a flaw in Fritz's speakers. Low cost DIY stand and room upgrades/treatment and improved cables, and it's like I'm listening to a whole new system. The reason I qualified that statement with "for the most part" is that I think the speakers seem quite sensitive to the wall behind them. I have now got my system sounding good for the first time since I sold off a sonically terrific but too-high-maintenance system and moved homes about 8 years ago and can whole-heartedly recommend the Carbon 7s. |
Analogkid - I use no preamp in the usual sense, instead going through the software-based J River 15 playback application in my mediaserver, using its internal digital volume control. I output directly from an RME HDSP 9632 soundcard into the NuForce, with great results. My music is stored lossless(WAV) on the harddrive. Since both the RME soundcard and J River 15 appl. are ASIO-supported, they're exclusively "linked" during playback. IC's and speakercables are Mundorf's Silver/gold. It appears a software-based preamp may seem controversial almost, at least with regard to higher aspirations in sound reproduction, but in my experience it's the route to go. I also like the minimalist approach this setup offers. What is your current system? |
Im banging my head with these ones but they are so good they deserve a LOT more attention. Irrespective of the definition of floor stander or monitors, they are placed on stand but are quite large, they are the finest speakers I have heard period and the ones that have stopped my search for another speaker, now my quest is for a headphone that can be even remotely close, although that feels more of an utopia, but the speakers are the APL Gravitas NB-1 |
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The NuForce Stereo 8.5V3 arrived yesterday, and has since been running some 20 hours. Allegedly the V3's require som 150+ hours(preferably past 200 hrs) to settle in, and will up to this mark or point present the listener with a reported rollercoaster ride going from good to bad to flabbergast inducing good. However, not many hours into its run yesterday evening a friend and I did have trouble catching our jaws; the level of resolution, extension(both ends of the scale) and decay, control, clarity, speed, organic-ness, solidity(as in voices exhibiting a very lifelike core and presence), purity, and a difficult-to-describe "energy" was beyond what any of us had experienced in most any home setup. Hard to believe that such a tiny box, and at an attractive price, can make such a difference. And to conclude: I'd say this little amp couples extremely well with the C-1.0's... |
I think that the LSA1 Statement deserves a serious look by anybody looking at monitors in the under $3K range. Very, very musical, detailed yet non fatiguing, sweet top end from that ribbon tweeter, precise imaging, huge soundstage and remarkable bass extension. Mine are not nearly broken in yet, but I'm loving them! :-) |
Analogkid - I'm expecting my new poweramp, a NuForce Stereo 8.5V3, to arrive sometime next week. I'll gladly return with my impressions once the NuForce amp has been integrated in my system. It replaces an Acoustic Reality eAR 202 REF(a fine little amp, though not giving the C-1.0's the "ride" they're really capable of), and I believe I'm in for a substantial upgrade. It must be added that I use no preamp in the usual sense, but outputs from an RME soundcard directly into the poweramp, hereby applying a J River 15 playback application and its internal digital volume control as a "preamp" instead. Many may not feel this to represent an audiophile solution, but really, I'd choose it over most any (hardware) preamp. |
Markeetaux - You had previously asked how the Omega Alnico Super 8 XRS speakers would react to amps on the order of 120 wpc and higher. My Super 8's are about three weeks old and are not yet fully broken in. I have driven them with an Anthem Statement A5 (180 wpc), Nagra PSA (100 wpc), and an Accuphase P-3000 (75 wpc, but drives speakers with greater ease than my former 125 wpc Levinson 334). The Super 8's sound excellent with all three of these amps. They seem to like amps that have high current capability. But I believe they will sound best with a tube amp, and that is something I will begin exploring this weekend. |
03-12-10: Phusis This nicely sums my experience of the Raidho Arya C-1.0 as well. The ribbon has transparency and resolution which is within marching distance of an ESL and the bass cone not only times well with the ribbon (a tough feat) but delivers a truly satisfying low end within the context of monitor speakers |
The word "natural" is probably the best way to describe the 3.0 speakers. Everything is balanced so well. Almost every other monitor I've tried seemed to favor certain frequencies, where the 3.0's seem to favor all frequencies, in a very musical way. They are very "truthful" speakers. I think a lot of it has to do with the lower crossover point that Bob uses in conjunction with the waveguide. I've had these speakers for over 2 years now and not once have I felt the need to "search" for something better. |
Spenceroo - My impressions of the Timepiece 3.0 are too faint to pinpoint with any accuracy the differences to the Ayra C-1.0's, but I find them both very natural sounding - indeed highly honest and insightful. The 3.0's had a physicality that immediately struck me, a direct-ness without being in any way forced or fatiguing. It's the sensation of knowing very well the core nature of the sound of an instrument, for example, and the ease with which they present the music is quite addicting. As you say, they're extremely musical; no fooling around, but just music in a pure and... well, truthful manner. One of the things I find so fascinating about the C-1.0's is their attentiveness, if you will, to the smallest shifts and nuances in the music. In effect, it produces attentiveness in the listener, and you truly feel the texture and innate-ness of the music. Moreover, they're seemingly capable of coping everything you feed them, unfolding evermore complexities for one to take in - carte blanche. They never fluster or loose sight. I'd love to hear you more express in more detail the sound of the Timepiece 3.0! |
I've been auditioning a lot of full range and 2-way monitors in the past 3 years. The best I've come across in my search for my taste is the Ridge Street Audio Sason. I did audition the Magico Mini and I'v found the Sasons to be better in all parameters important to me. I was interested in the raidho but haven't had the chance. But at $18k, it's almost twice the cost of the Sason. I must add the level of attention and detail that goes into a pair of Sasons is the best I've come across, better than the Magico and probably the Raidho from what I've read. That's the benefit of having the designer of the Sason actually build you a customized pair, not some factory worker. |
Spenceroo - The SP Tech Timepiece 3.0 are wonderful speakers. It's really a fullrange stand-mounted speaker, and among the two or three candidates of mine as a "keeper" - a place I now believe settled with the recent purchase of the Raidho Ayra C-1.0. The C-1's may lack the wallop, heft and extension of the Timepiece 3.0's - oh well.. :) |
Raks - "Phusis... Your above rave review of your Raidho Ayra C-1.0 speakers is pretty much a mirror image of what other published reviews say. Congratulations! Well then, we must be writing about the same speakers, won't you say? Congrats yourself for this piece of enlightenment... "Im wondering how much of what youre experiencing is simply the product of listening to a $17,000 pair of monitors compared against a $5,000 or even a $10,000 pair of monitors? Is it possible that the old adage of you get what you pay for applies here?" This is both a fair observation as it is distrust keeping my oppinion in a fixed context. I'm certainly comparing the C-1's to the X-Baby's, and as such my "rave" is also dependend. However, the expressed "truth" or "right-ness," as well as other ways to describe the experience, is my way of going beyond(or transcend, if you will) the sole context of comparison alone; I'm simply hearing a pair of speakers that truly overwhelms me, and the insight of the sound they produce tells me this could very well be the speakers to hold on to. Your distrust is not assuming my context to be more complexs than that of "lesser"(in your words: cheaper) equipment alone, but in principle it's the simple suggestion of yours on my oppinion as non-valid, or limited. Certainly we get what we pay for(and sometimes we don't), yet in no way should it keep anyone away from feeling sonic bliss has touched them even when they don't know what they could be missing, so to speak. Intersubjectivity has its limits though, so I'm guessing your real problem lies with the speakers? |
Markeetaux - I recently read the US retail price is in the vicinty of $18.000 a pair. My C-1's were slighty(4 months) used when I bought them, and was given a very fair offer by my dealer when trading with the X-Baby's. The C-1's of mine are in very good condition, and I gather they have been properly run in. I reside in Denmark, by the way, the "origin" of Raidho speakers. They are indeed a beautiful pair of speakers, on top of it all :) |
I also would rate the Merlin highly but I don't see it as a monitor. If you want a monitor, the best I have seen so far is made by High Emotion Audio. http://www.highemotionaudio.com The Pyra Bella 7. This speaker employs a unique tweeter that puts **all** dome tweeters to shame. It is much faster, with an extremely wide dispersion angle (in fact nearly 360 degrees as there is a rear-firing tweeter integrated into the tweeter array). So the sweet spot is really wide- almost as wide as the spacing between the speakers. Naturally the imaging is the 'best' regardless of make of speaker. What I mean by that is there is no speaker that excels in imaging compared to this speaker. High Emotion Audio was granted two patents on the technology of the tweeter. The crossover and woofer are designed for a very seamless transition and the impedance curve is exceptionally flat so almost any tube amp can drive it as can transistors. The woofer itself is a custom design as it has to be very fast to keep up with the tweeter. The cabinet is quite dead and employs a rear-firing passive radiator. It takes about 40 hours to break in the speaker, once that is done it is quite honest down to 40Hz. The efficiency is about 92 db 1 watt/1 meter as best we can make out. It needs to be about 1 foot to 1 1/2 feet from the rear wall for best bass response. We use it on a Sound Anchors monitor stand. We have used this speaker at our shop and also in the recording studio now for about 2 years. Not only is is faster and more detailed than the best planar speakers, it is also relaxed and you can listen to it all day. The tiniest nuances are revealed- you really need your electronic ducks to be in a row to take advantage of all this speaker offers, but in the studio we have relatively inexpensive transistor amps that we have used for monitor amps in a pinch, and its amazing how it still reveals very minor issues in the master tapes without the amp calling attention to itself at the same time. I attribute this to the slight phase angle and flat impedance curve- its not demanding of the amp! They are not cheap by any means but there are not the most expensive either. If you really want the 'best' monitor out there, this is in fact the speaker you are looking for, |
Phusis... Your above rave review of your Raidho Ayra C-1.0 speakers is pretty much a mirror image of what other published reviews say. Congratulations! Im wondering how much of what youre experiencing is simply the product of listening to a $17,000 pair of monitors compared against a $5,000 or even a $10,000 pair of monitors? Is it possible that the old adage of you get what you pay for applies here? |
Raidho Ayra C-1.0 - indeed, as Kiwi_1282001 put it: a truly brilliant pair of speakers. I just received my pair today, taking over their "little" siblings, the X-Baby MkII Ceramic. I never imagined the step-up in sheer musical insight to be this pronounced, but believe me, it is. The whole frequency spectrum seems tightened up with more speed, resolution, lack of restraint, cohesiveness, dynamics(both micro and macro), clarity, background quietness(almost eerie), fluidity, soundstage stability and dimensionality, etc. etc. The overwhelming sensation of being presented with a musical truth, this right-ness, is awe inspiring and places me in a purely receptive and attentive mode. I'm sitting in my sofa a late hour past midnight and can't get myself to part with hearing yet another piece of music; it grabs hold of me, pulls me in. You wouldn't know it walking into it, but once you hear it, it suddenly makes sense... |
