Non-fatiguing speakers in $10K range?

I love my Tannoy Cheviots, and would imagine the larger Ardens, just under $10 K per pair are even better. I listen to similar music to you, and have never found them fatiguing, though found them additionally expensive in that they did make me want to upgrade my amp, pre and speaker cables.  

I listen to my music at moderate levels and occasionally turn them up, and find they sound good, not loud. 

Btw, I especially appreciate your reference to Tinariwen. Even though you don’t do much live music, you should probably see them, especially in an environment where you can move around and watch from a point where the volume works for you. Simply amazing live

I know this is going to be a strange post in the mix of the other recommendations. but from what your describe your looking for,  I suggest you try a vintage set of large A/D/S speakers like the L810, L910 or the larger 20xx series even.

I've had many speakers over the years, the last that I sold were a huge disappointment Spendor D9.2's (@ $16,000 Canadian$). I kept taking them out and putting my vintage L910s back in as they did so many things better then the overly bright and analytical Spendor's. 

The A/D/S sound is big, smooth, non fatiguing, detailed enough, excellent sound stage and great bass. I really like their larger three way's they just keep me coming back from so many others. bested Proac D28's, Spendor D9.2's, Klipsch LaScala and a few others.

After a minor restoration i.e. re-cap, these speakers still give some of the best sound for what you describe and can be had for a fraction of your budget. maybe a speaker that can hold you over until you find a more expensive speaker you like.  

@deep_333 Ok.....If you like the Bullies so much...go buy them...I HAVE heard them...and I like them . They are great for Rock. If that’s mainly what you listen to , then they are the speaker for you. I can speak for the Borresens because I own them...They are fantastic speakers for ALL types of music. We have different tastes and that fact is respected.

I don’t need to buy another speaker. I have plenty of other things and It’s an overflowing house, in my case. But, the OP specifically mentions a budget of 10k or under, and says that he likes hard rock and metal. Hence, this bully suggestion came out, best possible sound for that cash and his preference in music.

As i mentioned on my earlier comment, i would have suggested a different speaker if he had a higher budget, 30k or so.

It is curious though that a guy says his budget is 10k or under and there are a bunch of other guys suggesting 40k, 50k, etc speakers to him... That’s the curious part, an assumption on the expansiveness of the OP’s wallet.

I agree..

tomic601, I'm in Port Townsend as well and drove around [Narrows Bridge] to hear the Vandersteens in Tacoma. 

You mentioned Wilsons. I had the opportunity to hear some very Nice Wilsons within Jason Victor Serinus' reference system. The ones Jason had were quite a bit north of your price range, but I could certainly appreciate their DNA. 

I saw a recommendation for Harbeth. I had Harbeths for a number of years and for your musical preferences they are about the last speakers I would recommend. They are great for vocals, jazz, etc, but I found them really lacking for rock. I had KLH Model 5's and Fritz Carrera BE's and both rocked much harder than my Harbeths ever did and still sounded great.  

larsman, I think with the older Harbeths that was the case, but the new versions are better for rock.  I had the Harbeth SHL5plus XD and thought they were pretty good with rock.   They even showcased them with a heavy dose of hard rock at one of their shows.  

@mbmi - I am sure Borresens is a nice speaker. However - I don't need speaker for "all kinds of music" - jack of all trades is always a compromise at a given price point. 

Only X2 is my price range and there are no dealers anywhere close to PNW. Borresens Web site is rather frustrating, such basic information like specs is nowhere to be found, just nice pics. 

@mbmi - I am sure Borresens is a nice speaker. However - I don’t need speaker for "all kinds of music" - jack of all trades is always a compromise at a given price point.

Only X2 is my price range and there are no dealers anywhere close to PNW. Borresens Web site is rather frustrating, such basic information like specs is nowhere to be found, just nice pics.

@mikhailark , With Borresen, you will need the X6 for the extra drivers (refer to earlier note on sound power) for your hard rock/metal. So, that is 25k w/tax. You may need different amplification than your Accuphase (most probably). You may end up needing a more "forgiving" dac (possibly). It is difficult to integrate subs with Borresen. Very few/specific subs seem to wanna play nice with it...Hence, you may easily end up spending 30k+ or 40k+ (i.e., extra work and expense).

On the contrary, the bully could be a lot less work at 5k, 6k with your Accuphase and starting to have a good time. GR may have made things a bit easier for you.

Nevertheless, the Borresen can be a great speaker for hard rock/metal "after all the stars aligned right".

Just past awards you see basic specifications 

@deep_333 - all true :-). I am not going to spend that much. I hear Porsche 718 EV convertible is coming, so I'll save for that hahaha.

I will try and see if I can Proac 48R or K3 to audition and maybe Dali Rubicon 8. But most probably I'll indeed should get Bullies :-)

@deep_333.......You have no idea what you're talking about......I heard you were a schill for Danny @GR. Everyone can see right thru you. 

Your Speaker is called QLN Prestige 2 its within your budget .

Another vote here for the Paradigms. Also try listening to Martin Logan Electrostats....with powered bass like the Ethos...at moderate levels they are clear and for me non-fatiguing for hours. 

I mentioned before but I’ll say it again. If you can find a Paradigm Founder dealer you really need to hear the 120H. Retail 9k, I got mine used in perfect condition for well under half price. They would pair very well with the class A Accuphase I believe. For the money I don’t think there is too much if anything that would compete IMHO. They sound amazing on every genre but Rock, Metal, reggae etc is really something.  
 

Im using an EL84 integrated and it pairs really well, still looking for a ss for comparison. 

I just picked up the NP-1 from Van Alstine .....Power amp with some new technology that Frank invented. I wanted a spare amp for a second system. I’m running a 25K rig and when I hooked the NP-1 that I just received ( the first run is already sold out)....I can’t stop listening to this Amp. It’s Magic.....and at $1199 it’s a steal. It bests other amps I have up to $8K....It has a presence that’s astonishing for a "cheap" amp. It’s staying in the big rig for a while.Use with Tubed pre- Amp.

Been on a similar journey and use both Pass Labs separates X250.8/XP22 and also a Luxman 595ase. I’ve finally picked up a speaker I know I’ll have for a very long time. The Legacy Focus SE’s do it all for me! I’ve had them for 2 months and just listen longer to more music and I haven’t once even looked for anything else. 
They fill the room w incredible imaging and just the right amount of sizzzle on the top and rich bass. 
picked them up from Audioclassics in Binghamton Ny. 

Someone mentioned the Goldenear Triton Ref speakers. I have a pair of those and a pair of the one.Rs.  For a smaller space the one.Rs are wonderful.  Larger space the Refs are great!

Check out the Tannoy legacy series--the biggest one (Arden) is in the 10k range. There's also the Cheviot, and the smallest one--Eaton.  I have the Eaton and have found it very non-fatiguing but detailed enough and it packs a nice low end punch. Imaging is great too. I moved away from the Kef R3 to the Eaton because I found the R3 fatiguing. 

Another vandersteen vote. Treks or quatros used. Can’t go wrong  

Another vandersteen vote. Treks or quatros used. Can’t go wrong  

That’s Treos not treks. 

@kavakat1 you can edit your comment for 30 minutes

@deep_333.....Like I said, you don't have a clue. You put everything down from every manufacturer and promote 1 Brand and 1 Speaker....There are Many speakers mentioned here by many posters that are just trying to be helpful to the OP........Crapbox , huh......Are you talking about the Bullies....

Hi @mikhailark I just got back from T.H.E. Show audio expo in SoCal last weekend. Addressing your specific question I listened to 2-3 speakers that might interest you. The Legacy Aeries was auditioned in the room and for a ribbon tweeter, sounded smoother than I expected; certainly smoother than what I have heard before. Maybe the Signature SE or Focus used is an option for you. They use similar components, and owning a ribbon speaker myself, fatigue or harshness can be an issue. Also the beaming quality. The Aeries had none of that.

Have you heard of Lansche speakers? Their 5.2 was what they were playing through and that’s $60K. But their entry level 3.2 I found used for $12K (new $30K). Same plasma tweeter and OMG what a sweet pleasant sound! Extremely coherent sound as well. One of the few speakers that sounded well balanced. Haven’t absorbed all the tech concerning the plasma tweeter but it sounded so easy to listen to.

I did also enjoy the Fyne 502SP but since the Tannoys didn’t quite do it for you, maybe skip the Fynes? May be worth a listen? Let us know what you do!!

- PS - How much room ya got to the front wall? Those Borrensen X3 would be great but need a lot of room to breathe. The Fynes are bottom ported, so is the Lansche I think so closer to wall placement s/b OK. Legacy sealed so those are good for closer placement, too.

@deep_333 too bad you only have two ears :)

@mikhailark , thank you for the additional information.

That’s a nice big room, which imo implies that you will probably want fairly high voltage sensitivity for use with your 30-watt Pass Labs amp. You might consider speakers with a voltage sensitivity in the 94 dB ballpark. By way of comparison, this would put you in the same SPL ballpark as a pair of Revel Salon 2’s driven by 200 watts per channel.

When faced with the prospect of having to move fairly heavy speakers up and down driveways and stairs, I invested in a dolly with large pneumatic tires and nylon stair-skids. It wasn’t cheap, but I’ve gotten nearly two decades of use out of it for a variety of roles beyond moving speakers. Something like that might widen the range of options you can consider.

Another possibility is planning from the outset to use subwoofers for the bottom end, so that the size and weight can be distributed among multiple smaller loads, even if the total size and weight ends up being greater.

The Pi Speakers 3Pi with the Delta Pro 12 upgrade, or the 4Pi, plus at least two subs, are what I would suggest. Normally these are kits but I think Pi Speakers either has a builder or can put you in touch with one. The things I do are conceptually similar and imo Wayne Parham is a superb designer. The custom-designed horn he uses is excellent, and Wayne was one of my crossover-design teachers.

Duke

@mbmi - out of cusiosity, why do you think GR is a crapbox. Engineering appears sound and so are measurements. I have engineering and math background in signal processing so I can read charts and waterfalls and such. Can't find any measurements for Børresen and they seem to hide specs pretty deep in their Web site.

Some of Børresen engineering solutions appear to be questionable - ex, lots of small ports typically produce more port noise than one large port at the same port velocity…and that speaker has almost 100 ports? Two 4.5" woofers is about same as a single 6.5" driver, which is pretty small IMO and most probably require a decent sub. This takes the system way over $10K and I am not willing to spend more.

Also, there are no dealers close to PNW, nearest is in San Diego, I think. 

@hheedah - Yeah, I’ve seen plasma speakers back in 90’s. In fact, one of my relatives was a physicist and knew the company owner - don’t remember the name of the speaker though. Their entry level is already way over and buying used exotic with close to zero service availability... I’ll probably pass :-)

Yes, Legacy is something I am seriously considering. May need to invest in a serious dolly, as someone here suggested...

I have to agree with many so far. 

The Borresen x3 are pretty killer in that price range. 

Again going a little above the post price.
For about 5 years now, I have enjoyed a pair of Klipshorns with a Heresy center.
The trio biamped with a Mcintosh MC-206.
Never tiring.

Dynaudio fits your description of what you want. The higher models.

Not my experience iwith Dynaudio at all. Focus was pretty good with rock/metal. The new Contours are not good with that music IMO. 

My used Wilson Audio Watt/Puppy 8's paired with ML No. 436 Monoblock's are neither fatiguing nor forward. They are a paring made in heaven. I have no experience with the speakers you have mentioned, other than Focal, which I found too shrill or piercing. I listen primarily to female and male vocalist's, classic rock and large collection of "audiophile" pressings. I feel no need to for newer speakers or electronics.

Hi mikhailark

Best of luck on your quest!  I'm surprised no one has mentioned the QLN Prestige Three.  This is a very non-fatiguing speaker that works well with all music.  We also just started carrying Accuphase and there is definitely synergy between QLN and accuphase.

My favorite quality of the QLN speakers is that they totally disappear into the room and they are one of the best speakers in terms of sound staging that I have ever heard.  At Axpona 2023, one of the most common things that people would say as they listened in our room was "it sounds like real music in hear"   They really do fill the entire room, much like you experience when you hear live music.  The sound stage is the whole room, not a little  20 foot circle between the speakers.

Anyway, I'm biased so take what I say with a grain of salt, but if you get a chance to listen to them, they might fit the bill for what you are looking for.

Cheers

James

You think a 2 way speaker with a 6-7 inch woofer/mid is gonna be good for rock or metal? Maybe at 75db but not much more than that and sound full and impactful.

@ OP -- If you are looking for the realistic natural sound and the speaker that reproduces the original music, check below information.

Say "Hello" repeat with below spkrs' sounds and hear your voice and speaker sound together.

When you listen an audio system at the show and people next to you talk a lot and you say "please shut off. Let me listen to the music." Right. Human can’t listen to a human voice (natural sound) and audio music (un-natural sound) together.

People go to a live band cafe and enjoy the live music (natural) and hear friend’s voice (natural) together without any problem.

Now say "Hello" repeat with below spkr sound and try hear your voice and speaker sound together.

This speaker sounds like a real human voice and you should find the speaker sounds like this. Alex/WTA

Most British speakers need too much power and you don’t have that!

Magico needs 100k front and even the junker A3! 
Devore Fidelity can run in tubes and Is voiced to be easy listening. See if you can find a used

O/96

Very nice amp you have, I do class A myself, a Krell KSA150. Have you considered used Wilson Watt/Puppies? The 7’s can be had for under 10K and they rock and are not fatiguing to my ears. I also like ribbons and have older Apogees as well as Martin Logan CLS speakers. They all do things well in one area or another but I personally think the Wilson’s are the way to go, dynamic as all get out, great imaging and air around instruments and they can do power well if you like it that way. Good luck in your venture.

Another vote for Goldenear triton reference. 

Once properly  set-up, they sound great! 

Vancouver BC is not far, and you might be able to hear a few speakers in your price range that are not available in Seattle to hear. With the currency exchange being very advantageous to US shoppers. I also recommend the Fink Team KIM, with the driver level adjustments on the rear of the speaker, you can help tailor the speaker to your room and your hearing preference. Liquid Sound in Vancouver has both the KIM and BORG E2 available.The KIM is slightly above your price zone but should be heard.

Have some fun!

For a non-fatigue audio system in your price range the components and cables will matter just as much as the speakers.

in this price range most components and speakers covered by high-end mags perform well. It’s attention to cables that will keep your audio system low ear fatigue. 

You make no mention of cables so I no idea what you are using now.

if you understand this honest audiophiles can provide more guidance.

if you are focusing on speakers only then good luck.

DeVore Fidelity or Sons Faber. 

I’m 71 and I don’t find my Magico A3s too bright at all. I love them and wouldn’t trade them for anything, save maybe the A5. But I don’t think my dedicated room size is large is enough (or my wife’s tolerance 😆). Virtually all other equipment ie cables, DACs, power supplies, etc. all influence brightness too and you need to have a comb that fits your ear with any speaker. 

I listen to 95% rock and classic rock (other 5% is HT).  My speaker journey over the last 25 years in my primary system is as follows:

B&W DM605, Martin Logan Montis, Golden Ear Triton Reference, Wilson Yvette, and Tekton Encore (tweeter upgrade)

The Tekton so far have been the best with rock music.  I do have Volti Razz in a secondary system, and when I move them to the main system they are below the Tektons in my opinion.

Cabinetry is terrible...finish is the worst....But for Rock and Metal....dollar for dollar, Nobody but Nobody beats ....................................................TEKTON.....They Rock!