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Moving away from B&W CM10 speakers

Hey there,
I need some advise, inputs, opinions & suggestions with speaker choices. I’m going to sell my B&W CM10 and looking for warm fuller richer more laid back sounding speakers than my B&W CM10.
My current setup :
- Classe Sigma SSP preamp processor.
- Classe Sigma Amp2 power amp.
- B&W CM10 S2 speakers
Speaker cables are Shunyata Research Venom. Analog audio interconnects (XLR balanced) are MIT Matrix 12.
Power cables are Audioquest NRG-4 & Silnote Audio Poseidon Reference.
AC power line conditioner product is Furutech etp-80 with an upgraded Furutech power cable.

I am highly considering either the Vienna Acoustics Beethoven Baby Grand SE speakers or the recently discontinued Monitor Audio Gold 200 speakers (not the new ones). I cannot demo any of these speakers as there’s no Vienna or MA dealers around here. So it will be a complete blind purchase. Some 4 or 5 years ago I did listen briefly to the VA Beethoven Baby Grand SE paired with Rega Elicit-R integrated amp & Rega CD player and I loved it. But it’s been a while since I heard them and I will need to hear them in my own setup in my own room but it will be impossible to get take home demo speakers as there are no Vienna or MA dealers around.

There are currently brand new previous gen of the MA Gold 200 offered for 50% off their original retail price and I’m very tempted to purchase them. Do you guys know if the previous model MA Gold 200 with its tweaked ribbon tweeter are leaned more towards on the warmer side or are these bright sounding speakers? I know it all depends on the associated equipments and cablings, room, etc. How would these previous gen MA Gold 200 speakers pair with my Classe Sigma series separates and my Shunyata Research Venom speaker wires and other cablings?

Please any advise suggestions opinions and thoughts are welcomed and very much appreciated.
Thank you all in advance.

dilatante
4 responses Add your response
gareneau
110 posts
 
Alex, it's odd you say this because B&W speakers have often been matched with Krell amplification and if there's been any criticism of the Krell sound, it's that it can be a bit dry/grey and piercing HFs. So to match the two together doesn't make sense, which makes me think the B&W sound can differ from how you describe it. 

As always, it's a case of "in my opinion", yes?
Post removed 
dilatante OP
76 posts
 
Thank you twoleftears. Much appreciated. 
Basically I'm looking for smoother highs and upper miss than my current B&W CM10. My Classe Sigma Amp2 is very neutral with somewhat lean mid-bass regions so I need speakers that are warmer fuller bodied with full blossom midrange and midbass and sweet smooth highs. I don't need extreme deep deep bass though as my listening room is small. 

Yes, Harbeth, Graham, Stirling, PMC are in my lists too. 

twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,318 posts
 
As a lover of warmer-than-average speakers, let me put in a strong endorsement for the VA Baby Grands.  Several years ago, they were very close to the top of my short list (in fact, I was going to buy a pair, but missed them, as already sold).  They have some of that audio magic.

The one, minor, drawback, is they don't do deep, deep bass.  But the rest of the spectrum is wonderful.  If you're not a Wagnerhead or Mahlerhead this shouldn't be a problem.  I also listened to the Concert Grands, which somehow don't have the same magic.  The magic returns with the Liszt model.

Otherwise, look at some of the wide-fronted, old-fashioned designs from Graham, Stirling, Spendor, Harbeth, but in the price range you can get Baby Grands for, they'll be very hard to beat.
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