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New speakers dilemma for vinyls... Heeelp! :)))

My dear hifi lovers,

In a while I'm going to pull the trigger for a pair of new speakers, in 6000$ range.
My new system will be focused on a Pass Labs XA25 and a Rega Planar 6, I'll have to test both Ania and Exact cartridges as I don't know yet what to choose.
I was looking on the web for recommendations related to vinyls for speakers in such a cost range but found literally nothing. My system will be fully analog, 80% lps, 20% cds. So far I auditioned the Klipsch Forte IV and Sonus Nova 3, very different but both amazing for different reasons. I slightly preferred the Nova as for me the bass is the most important thing. The Forte had a decent one but don't go deep enough, hope to hear the Cornwall IV soon and find that amount of low frequencies missing with the Forte. Unfortunately the dealer couldn't provide a turntable for the listening. This month I'm still auditioning:

Revel Performa3 F208
Focal Kanta 2
Cornwall IV
Spendor A7
Dynaudio Evoke 50

In a first moment I was also strongly considering the Tekton DI's and Volti Razz, they're both still on the list but unfortunately I can't test them because I'm in EU and in addition I'll have to pay tax duties (but this won't be a problem if these speakers are really the best choice).
Anyway even if for next auditionings there will probably be a turntable, It's always hard to get what's better sounding. I have 1000 records and can't test all of them, plus I can't know which one has a solid registration or not.
Does any of you have experience with speakers in a such cost range, using a turntable? And btw did any of you try also the Ania or the Exact?
Please feel also free to recommend any other speakers i didn't mention, I'm extremely flexible and open to any suggestion (excluding Dac).

Thanks!!!
adversam

Showing 6 responses by uncleang

uncleang
107 posts
 
@adversam, Reality is that it's hard to audition speakers in a showroom and extrapolate from that experience what they will sound like in your listening room.  Even more so 'se ti piace basso profondo'.
So do your research carefully for that big room they're going to live in.
I can't comment on all the suggestions that you've received as I've never heard most of them, and none of them in my basement which also has  a 7' ceiling.
I've owned the same speakers for 35 years! Ohm Walsh 4's.
One huge advantage of this model is that it can somewhat modified to suit your preferences and room acoustics by simply removing 4 wing nuts and unhooking one connector and that will give you access to the internal baffling inside the cabinet. Takes less than 2 minutes per speaker.
By experimenting on the depth, quantity, density and shaping of the baffling one can fine tune the speakers to ones preferences in their listening space. Huge advantage.
Ironically I happened upon this after the original baffling started to deteriorate.... I'd owned the speakers 15 years by then.
Here's the bad news, the current Ohm equivalent to my Walsh 4's is the Walsh Tall 3000... no wing nuts. The cans are screw mounted to the non removable base and I do not recommend messing around with these as you will quickly strip the screw holes and lose sealing.

Good luck Luigi.

Zio



uncleang
107 posts
 
Ciao @adversam, as mapman said they're a fairly easy load on the amplifier; also they're nominally 6 ohm, my 37 year old model is less efficient then the current models but they do like high current amps.
I'm using a Nakamichi PA-7A amp (225 watts into 8 ohms), the European version is a PA-7E.  And the matching pre-amp (which I also have) is the CA-7A.

The bass: Ohm uses what it calls a 'Sub Bass Activator' which kicks in a 60 Hz.  My understanding is that it diverts frequencies 60 Hz and lower to the cabinet vent whose outlet is on the bottom of the cabinet.

If the speakers are on carpet (like mine) this has a tendency to attenuate the bass somewhat, however if placed on hardwood or any solid material floors it reinforces the bass.  If you are in an apartment you're going to have a lot of pissed off neighbors. 

For music listening I doubt you will need or even consider a separate sub.
In the average room they will go down to the mid 30 Hz... cleanly, and best of all will not affect the tonality of the lower mid-bass as most box speakers do resulting in clear and accurate male and female voices.

I recently listened to $30,000 Focal speakers with a CD I brought and know well, they were very nice but not as accurate as my 37 year old Walsh 4's.
uncleang
107 posts
 
Mine are in the basement on 5" of concrete covered also with dense carpet and thick under-pad.

Years ago I experimented by putting the speakers on 16"X16" acrylic pads, augmented the bass considerably but I didn't think the overall sound was as musical, so out they went.
uncleang
107 posts
 
Yes, @adversam I play lots of LP’s via my Heybrook TT2/LVX tonearm and OC-9ML cartridge... just bought an AT33/PTGII.. not mounted yet.
Nirvana’s ’Unplugged in New York’ is too unbelievable to describe, the sound-stage, depth and bass guitar are so lifelike you think you’re at the concert.
Pink Floyd’s ’Dark Side of the Moon’ LP (I have the 1973 original pressing - no not some fancy re-mastered 180 gr. version) rattles all my pictures on the wall and that’s with the volume at 11 o’clock!
The Ohm’s would love an Ava Vision SET 400 (or the A21 for that matter).
For $6K you’ll have your cake and eat it too.

uncleang
107 posts
 
The original OHM F from the 70's was omnidirectional.
Since the early 80's till current the Ohm Walsh series speakers, they have been quasi omnidirectional by that I mean the the sound propagating from the rear of the speaker is around 20 db less then what is radiating from the front.
Ironically there hasn't been a lot of changes from my 1984 Ohm Walsh 4's to today's Ohm Walsh Tall  3000.
I'll give you some specs that are not on the Ohm website; maybe even the German distributor may not be aware of them.
Mapman will correct me if I'm wrong.

Common specs between Ohm Walsh 4 and Walsh 3000

Weight: 63 lbs. per speaker
10" downward facing time aligned driver
1" soft dome super tweeter angled inwardly at 45 degrees from front of cabinet (ferro-fluid cooled)
Crossover: 1st order Butterworth @ 8K Hz (6 db per octave)
Sub Bass Activator kicks in at 60 Hz to manage bass response
Impedance: 6 ohms

NOTE: there is no crossover(s) till you reach 8,000 Hz
That's one of the reasons the sound is so coherent.

They sound more like an electrostatic speaker than a box speaker but unlike most electrostatics these have some serious bass

uncleang
107 posts
 
Make sure the dealer has those models in stock before you go.

PS: the 4000 is the same as the 3000 except it's a 12" driver and can go a little lower and also louder.
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