New Speakers under consideration - but I’m afraid

That’s the thing. I can experiment with things like DACs and bring them back and forth in my carry on. Speakers not so much.

Maybe I should just get a killer DAC and be done with it 🤓

Seems many audiophiles share this sentiment. Unfortunately, it leads to them owning a poorly skewed system in which the DAC, source, and often, even the amplification, far outclass the performance of the speakers. This isn’t to say they don’t hear a difference or achieve some improvement. It’s just that the improvement/difference is often minuscule relative to the same money otherwise invested into a speaker upgrade.

It would probably have the heads of some here doing 360°s to know that I use a $400 DAC in my system that’s anchored by the $11K X3s. I know many would claim the DAC is a bottleneck in my system—understandable logic. However, after owning a couple dozen DACs and ≈40 pair of speakers over the last decade, I have zero doubt that my X3s are still a bigger bottleneck than most DACs, including my $400 Topping E70. I would rather invest $20K into a speaker upgrade than invest $2K in a DAC “upgrade.”

It’s a rather unfortunate reality that speakers and the room they’re within, account for 75% of a system’s sound quality, that is if the system’s primary source is not a turntable. Probably 20% of the remaining 25% is the speaker—amp synergy.

DACs have been a mature technology for the last decade or so. Back in 2013, you had to spend about $3K on a DAC to get 21-bit resolution, perfect linearity, and great load tolerance. These days the same performance can be had for $250. Now the boutique manufacturers are mostly going the opposite direction of objective performance, just so their products can sound different and more easily capitalize on the same cognitive biases that have succeeded so well for the cable industry.

@ritter06 I recommended following speakers;

1. Wilson Audio Sasha DAW (highly recommended)

2. Marten Oscar Trio (highly recommended)

I know a lot of people speak negatively about Wilson Audio, but I haven’t had a bad experience with the brand and my Sabrina X speakers will play just about any level of fidelity based on the electronics and cables.  I’ve been shocked at the differences I’ve heard with different components, etc.  

The Marten Oscar Trio speakers are clean and airy sounding speakers.  I listened to them for hours at my buddies house yesterday and at the dealer a few years ago.  Very impressive speaker and my buddy chose them over the Borresen X2’s after hearing the Marten Oscar Trio.  You know it’s all subjective, so you have to hear the speakers for yourself.  It’s just my recommendation based on what I’ve heard over the years.

Room treatments are the most important for me.  Sometimes we continue to swap out gear and the room is the issue.

Godspeed to you!

Certainly the most personal part of the system.

I agree with DBT.  Had Wilson Sabrina, now Sasha V.  Slightly biased as they're sourced with a tube integrated, Rose 130 and a Musical Fidelity NuVista DAC.

You can play with cable with someone like the Cable Co with a loaning library.

And nothing wrong with vintage - have a second system with a vintage Teresonic with GE 211's and Focal Utopia Eco standmountmounts.

AN

There is no substitute to auditioning prospects and then deciding.

Best done in your own home, with your equipment.

I don't know what else to tell you.

As I’ve explained above, in-home audition is not possible, hence the enquiry here.

You could tell me that you owned 801s (S2 Mk III) and moved to brand X and found them a significant overall improvement. But only if it’s true.

Btw- I’ve lived in Bahamas for over 20 yrs in climate controlled environment (but still had re-cone 3 or 4 drivers- not bad I’d say).