Newbie looking for some help


My Room:  Cathedral ceiling (approx 20 feet) approx 16 deep by 32 long.  Speakers must be placed facing in the direction of the shorter distance.  They are positioned in about half the length.  The rectangle comprises the family room on one half and the kitchen on the other half separated by a half wall.  The system and speakers are in the family room half.  The distance from the front of the speakers to my ears is about 10 to 12 feet.

The Equipment:  VTL 150 amp, VTL 2.5 pre amp, Pro-Ject classic turntable, Sabrina X speakers.  A Pro-Ject DAC and music streamer.  In order to fill the space playing vinyl I have to turn the volume up to 50 to 66%.  But that gives me ear fatigue fairly quickly.  This equipment can be exchanged or returned at this point. My dealer believes the problem can be solved with stepping up to the VTL 200-S.  I will try that but I was also thinking that I want to try the Martin Logan 15's that I heard at another store that had them set up in a giant high ceilinged room and they sounded awesome. I want a sweet, acoustic balance spacious sound.  I thought I got that from the electrostatic speakers more so then what I have heard from the Wilson audio speakers.

The room is less than ideal for sure.  Any advice?
lawmnsuu
yes soix and hwy nailed it...  follow their advice... your dealer is a foo'...
The Sabrinas are not a good choice for room filling sound in a room as large as yours.  Neither would the Martin Logans you're considering.  Your room requires a high sensitivity/easy to drive loudspeaker with high volume capability.  I suggest you look at some of the open baffle designs like Pure Audio or for a traditional box loudspeaker from Zu, Klipsch or Tekton.
From the VTL website on the 150...
these VTL amplifiers are well-suited to smaller electrostatic panels and dynamic speakers not requiring high current.
The Sabrinas are 87dB with an impedance that drops to 2.6 Ohms, so not really sure why your dealer paired this amp with these speakers at all.  And with a room your size it’s no wonder the sound is hardening as you push the volume higher — its a tough load for most any tube amp.  For these speakers I’d consider looking for a Class-A solid state amp that tends to have the sound qualities you’re looking for and the current to feed the Sabrinas.

Frankly, given the type of sound you’re looking for I think you’re onto something with the Martin Logans, and their dipole design may do a better job of filling your room with sound more effectively.  My buddy has a pair of MLs powered by a Bryston amp and it’s a very nice sounding combination.  Anyway, FWIW and best of luck in your search.