@milpai ; you're welcome. I have Tannoy dc8 monitors. Love them. Just got done placing them on their new Skylan stands. I had Proac d20r, but sold them as my room is rather small. I had Tannoy Precision 6.2 previously, but these Definition series are in a whole new league. Warm midrange yet lively and rhythmic. I don't detect the slight midrange glare that I did with the Precision. Now I'm on a journey for cables. I'm having good results with solid core and the Tannoys. I do have to say that the Proac midrange is quite magical and emotional as I like to call it. Best of luck to you! Regards........
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Paraneer,
When I purchased the Parasound A21 locally, I found that one's room makes a HUGE difference. I was comparing the amp section of my then NAD C352 to the A21 at the dealers, and the "upgrade" in sound was alright. But when I got the amp home, it was a HUGE difference. There was no comparison.
cmach,
Can you please elaborate the extremes frequencies of the ProAc D30R? How low does that speaker go? They are listed at 20Hz, but I have doubts with just a single driver doing the mid/woofer duties. What other loudspeakers (brands) did you compare the D30R with, while auditioning? I am near Cleveland OH. So shipping from CA would be a kind of expensive. But nevertheless I will reach out to Jay and discuss with him, since he has ProAc, Tannoy and KEF. BTW, I moved from Laguna Beach, years back to my current location.
carmenc,
Thank You for the suggestion. What loudspeakers do you have?
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@cmach . Totally agree with you. Jay at Audio Revelation is an honest guy that helps you get the most out of your equipment. He certainly doesn't try to sell you the most expensive piece, but rather the one he honestly thinks will create the best synergy with what you already have. Great guy and a great lineup of brands. No, I've no affiliation with him other than I sure wish I lived in Carlsbad, Ca.
Milpai, I'd strongly recommend you give him a call. As previously stated, he has both ProAc and Tannoy. Regards.............
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Your feedback on PSB vs Spendor is much appreciated. I am surprised that the Spendor sounded more full bodied than the PSB, since the PSBs have more drivers .The electronics used and my own music that I brought with me for the demo will make a difference. You may arrive at an entirely different conclusion. Good luck and keep us posted with your findings. |
Milpai,
Not sure where your located, but Audio Revelation is located in Carlsbad CA and they carry the Proac and Tannoy line. Jay is a good guy will give you his honest opinion on both lines. I purchased my D-30R's from him and have been very pleased with them.
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Hands down, find a nice used pair of Verity Parsifal Encores. These usually sell used in the $5k to $6k range for a speaker that was $20k new and will best all the speakers you listed. I have owned a pair since 2004, they are excellent speakers.
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Paraneer,
Your feedback on PSB vs Spendor is much appreciated. I am surprised that the Spendor sounded more full bodied than the PSB, since the PSBs have more drivers. You are correct on the Olympica III. They are rated at 35Hz. But the Spendors and PSBs go down even further at 29Hz and 24Hz(+-3db). The Olympica III even used are a stretch, and my wife would kill me. But I will give them a try.
gsm18449,
I have listened to various Zu at AXPONA last year. But I was somehow not impressed. And they most likely do well with tubes, where I am all for solid state. I am near Cleveland, and do not have dealers near me for any of these loudspeakers except the Revel. I will have to travel south 3 hours to listen to PSB, Focal and Sonus, which is perfectly fine. I plan to do that soon. The dealer closest to me has Revel and GoldenEar. I had listened to GoldenEar at AudioConcepts in Dallas Texas and did not like them. Also to me, loudspeakers are also "instruments of music". From that aspect, I do not like the looks of GEs. They also have DSP in them, and I tend to stay away from such loudspeakers. Bash me for how I feel, but that is what I feel.
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As brick-and-mortar shops close down, more manufacturers are offering in-home trial periods. Tekton, Spatial, Zu, to name three. If consumers are more demanding, I think that more manufacturers will follow suit. I am not sure where you live, but I have even had local delears/distributors visit me with one or more speakers in-tow. |
How would you describe the sound of the Spendors compared to the PSB? To me, I preferred the Spendors over the PSB's - they sounded more full bodied yet the slight upper bass coloration I did hear did not affect their accuracy. Very resolving speaker. I also was at a dealer where I had more control over the music played and they were driven with electronics more to my liking. The PSB's were heard in a suite at Axpona with NAD gear that I also think was digital. About the Olympicas, I have read a number of threads that stated they do not go a deep. For the price that one pays for these loudspeakers, I would hope they would go much deeper. They are rated as 40Hz and that is what my current speakers rated. I am sure the quality of Sonus 40Hz is much better than my loudspeaker 40Hz. I will try to audition them. Another more controlled audition at a dealer, with my own music and ss electronics. I found no faults with the bass and I thought the Olympica III's were rated to 35 Hz? Sure sounded like they were to me. And yes being a true 3 way, even 40 Hz bass from these would sound quite different crossed over to a dedicated midrange driver. They impressed me the most but unfortunately out of my price range But this is a classic case of why one must hear all speakers on their short list if possible. We all hear and perceive what we hear differently. And preferably we can hear these speakers in our own home with our own electronics. There are simply too many variables when heard at a dealer or a show. But even these types of auditions are better than none at all. Good luck to you in your search.
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I have the O3. I can assure you there is more than enough bass.
And it sounds great. |
Paraneer,
When I hear the Imagine T3, they had partnered it with the NAD. I feel digital amp tech has not yet caught with Class AB amplification. The Totem Forest Signatures were driven by some nice McIntosh. I felt that was the reason why the NAD sound felt a bit "blunt" compared to the Totems. The salesman was pushing me to the Totem and that is what put me off.
How would you describe the sound of the Spendors compared to the PSB?
About the Olympicas, I have read a number of threads that stated they do not go a deep. For the price that one pays for these loudspeakers, I would hope they would go much deeper. They are rated as 40Hz and that is what my current speakers rated. I am sure the quality of Sonus 40Hz is much better than my loudspeaker 40Hz. I will try to audition them.
bwaslo,
I am sure, it is sensitivity I am thinking.
marktomaras,
Thank You for the suggestion. But Wilsons are not on my list.
gsm18439,
Absolutely agree. Trust me, when I built the system in 2005, I was in the Bay Area (CA) and every single component was purchased from brick-n-mortar shop, except for the cables. My amplifier dealer at that point, loaned me NAD, Cambridge and Arcam integrated to listen at my home.
But with many brick-n-mortar shops closing down, this is unfortunately not possible, unless you live in/near a big city.
audioman58,
I am really not into open baffle loudspeakers, at least for now. Who knows how things change in future.
Please keep the feedback coming. Would really like to hear about various characteristics of the loudspeakers listed. If you have compared any of the speakers listed above, would like to hear about their strengths and weakness.
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Seriously look at ClaytoN Shaw Speaker the Hologram-3
Open baffle speaker. 45 day audition. Buy the S version better compression driver
And a turbo Xover option. It is s open baffle design, 2-15 inch drivers
And a Great compression driver 94db @1W 4 ohm and crossover at a very low
800 HZ. At only 3 ft tall it sound great and very open yet images very good.
I had the revel F8 which were pretty redpectable. The Spatial audio M3
Beat them on many levels .and who else will give you 45 days to try out.
Great speakers .
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My only advice is very generic. When possible, you should always audition speakers at home. |
If you can run at 4 ohm, I recommend adding Wilson Sophia 2's to your list. I recently upgraded my speakers to this model and I am extremely happy. Prices used are excellent at about $6500 - $7500 right now, darn good value for a $16,700 speaker. |
I think you may be confusing sensitivity and efficiency? For an amp like yours, I’d only look at sensitivity (usually spec’d at 2.83V). Provided the amp can drive the impedance (yours can), an 88dB sensitivity 4 ohms speaker will play just as loud as an 88dB sensitivity 8 ohm speaker, with no difference in volume setting for equal output. The efficiency (rated at 1W, not at a voltage!) of the 4 ohm speaker would be 3dB lower, but that doesn’t actually matter (at any volume setting level, the amp will put 3dB more power into the 4 ohms than into 8 ohms, that’s all). |
I would give a nod to the Spendors I heard but in all fairness, they were driven by ARC electronics. Full bodied sound but very accurate too. The PSB T3’s I recently heard at Axpona and driven by NAD gear. Very nice too but I preferred the Spendors. I liked the Olympics III’s best of all. Driven by a 200 wpc McIntosh in my audition. Very powerful speaker and sounds much larger than it looks. Again, I encourage you to give them a listen.
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I've never owned a Spendor that I didn't like ! |
Dan,
Thank you for the feedback on the Tannoys. I believe I did listen to the Tannoy 10A at AXPONA last year. I believe they were fairly new pair of loudspeakers. Sounded slightly upfront than what I am used to. But will seek out more audition.
Paraneer,
Very good question on why I am concerned about 4 ohm loudspeaker. As I have mentioned, I have a TVC. A TVC generally sounds best when you are not near the maximum value position. My TVC has 24 positions for maximum volume. Currently I am listening to anywhere between 14-16, depending on the loudness of the CD/SACDs and more recently, Bluetooth streaming.If I get a more sensitive speaker, this position would go much lower and I can derive maximum benefit as far as sound quality is concerned. Mind you, in my system anything above position 17 drives me off the room, since it is too loud.
If you could compare and contrast between the Spendor D7 and the PSB T3, that would be helpful, since I am aware of how the PSB sounds. About the Sonus Faber - did they sound better than the D7 and T3?
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Unless your listening room is in an auditorium, may I ask why you are concerned about speakers of 4 ohm nominal impedance when you have a Parasound A21? It puts out 400 wpc RMS into 4 ohms. I drive 4 ohm Vienna Acoustics with my Marantz Reference PM15S2 that only puts out 140 wpc into 4 ohms without any issues. The volume makes me back of the knob long before the amp ever gets warm. Or even remotely gets close to clipping. On your first list, I have heard the Spendor D7 and PSB Imagine T3 and both were very impressive. On your second list, I have heard the SF Olympica III's and would suggest you seek out an audition. You'll have no problems driving them. |
I would definitely listen to some Tannoys. I have a vintage pair of 12" HPD Dual Concentric I use every day, and they have the deepest soundstage of most any speaker I've heard, also they sometimes project a wrap-around effect that is very enjoyable.
Regards,
Dan |
