Oh brother, am I in desperate need of help! 8)


OK, I've been addicted to audio equipment since I was 15 years old.  Marantz receivers and ESS speakers were my first foray into high end.  Suffice it to say, I've been at this for over 40 years.  I've been to the CES show more times than I can count, and listened to more equipment that I can count.  I've owned everything from Magenepan's, to Martin Logan's, to Thiels, to Von Schweikert's to, well, you get the picture. And I've powered them with everything from from tubes to solid state.

So, here's my quandary.  I just sold what was my dream speaker, a custom Altec 604 system that I spent a fortune building.  They were simply too big for my current home, and I know I'll regret selling them for the rest of my life.  I think my favorite pair of speakers that I've ever owned was a pair of Altec Model 19's.  I believe (I think) that I've moved beyond needing/wanting a system that can play at concert level volumes, but I do want something with a little "get-up-and-go" for those occasions I might want to let the system breathe.  I'm considering going back to a pair of panels.  Today I listened to a pair of Magnapan 1.7's.  I was mightily impressed, but I'm afraid they'll lack the visceral impact and "potency" of a more conventional, high efficiency, cone design.

I really haven't had my head in the game for the last 10 years, so there's a lot of new stuff out there.  I read about a company called Teckton, and despite the positive reviews, I'm hesitant.  There's also the Zu's in the same price range (around $2K/pr.), but I'm torn.  I don't need subterranean bass, as Both Altec systems rolled off at 40hz, and I wasn't really wanting for much.

What are some real stand-out's in the $2,000-$2,500 range (new or used) that I might look out for?  I want a floor standing speaker, not a monitor.  I was actually surprised at the presentation/impact of drums with the Magenepan 1.7's, and the timber of cymbals was eerily realistic, but they definitely compressed when the volume was turned up.  I did make the mistake of listening to a pair of B&W 802's, which were quite impressive, but way out of my price range.

As you can see, I'm in a blender, so any direction would be most appreciated...I'll likely be powering the system with a 150wpc solid state amplifier.

Thanks!
seadweller

Showing 4 responses by seadweller

Thanks everyone!  I'll be driving the speakers with a Parasound A23 and matching pre-amp that I have sitting new in the box.  Of course, my Altec 604 system didn't need that kind of power, so I've been using a Parasound Z-Amp (40/wpc) and Z-Pre for many years.

Altec 19's are going for quite a bit of money these days.  They're a big speaker that takes up a lot of real estate, and they just don't have a high WAF.  I may very well own another pair someday, but now's not the time.

On the heels of my Altec 19's, I owned a pair of Magnepan 1.6's, and shortly after that, a pair of Martin Logan Sequel II's, but missed the way the 19's sounded.  The Sequel II's were far too "polite" for my taste, and the Maggie's just didn't have the "punch" I desire, particularly in the lower registers. I play drums, so I'm very sensitive to having the proper impact and weight in that area.  I'm also a Stanley Clarke fan, so bass is very important as well.

My prior Von Schweikert VR-4's (the originals) were not too bad, but I found that I could only sit down and listen to them for so long without losing interest.  There was just something missing.

I will admit, the Maggie 1.7's were quite the surprise when it comes to speed, and they actually represented drums about as good as anything I've heard in recent years, plus cymbals were amazing.  Again, my concern is the "weight" of the lower registers.  I don't know why, but I'm having a hard time warming up to a tower speaker like 100 companies are making (tall, slim, with a stack of drivers), as they just seem, well, typical.

I'd love a pair of Avantegarde horns, but don't want to make that kind of an investment, which is why I've limited myself to a $2,500 max.  I also don't want to buy a 5+ year old pair of speakers.
Maybe I'll do a little more research into the Zu speakers...I'd absolutely love to have a pair of ATC, PMC or Westlake Audio speakers, but I'd have to sell my car!
Thanks gang!  What about the Dynaudio Focus 260?  Seems to have gotten rave reviews at it's original $5K price point, and now they can be had for under $3K/pr. new, which is over my planned budget.  My only concern is their diminutive size.