Progressive Rock

Wow. I had know idea there were that many of you out there. Thanks for the responses. No, I'm not about to blow 12K on speakers just yet. The point I was trying to make is that many of the people selling high end equipment are not targeting me or my musical taste with their products - hence the dilema. I almost always listen before buying. My current system now consist of the Adcom 5802 amp with 750 pre, big Energy floorstanding speakers (can't bust 'em), MSB Link DAC 3, Velodyne sub and good/moderate cables. My question is, giving the poor recording quality of the 70's stuff, especially Genesis, my favorite, is there really any point in continuing the upgrade path. Or as I suspect, have the I reached the old proverbial "point of diminishing returns"? Your responses, as always are appreciated. By the way, I use live performances of the Musical Box as my benchmark. They recreate 70 vintage Genesis concerts to the tee. Matt...

Well, since I started this thread I figured I would weigh in. Besides for all the new prog rock suggestions, which I thank you for, I have concluded the following: While I agree that a great system should be able to reproduce any type of music, my question still remains; at what price point? Assuming that most of us have some limit as to what we can spend on this hobby/obsession, some tradeoffs have to be made. For example to reproduce the music I like realistically (using live music as the benchmark as opposed to audiophile values or what just gives me the most enjoyment), requires certain basics. One is large, floorstanding speakers, a larger than "average" amp and yes, even a subwoofer - base pedal afficiados know what I mean - all capable of playing @ 100 decibals+. All of this naturally eats into the budget of say more "resolving" equipment just to provide the necessary shear volume and power. Second, there are practical considerations. I loved the sound/imaging/disappearing act of the Martin Logans I listened to. But you can't ride them at the levels I listen (per 2 dealers) or they are going to simply break eventually. Not to mention the size room needed to set them up properly. In conclusion, I'm going to stick with my current system (12K and running) and just modify and tweak just to keep things interesting. That's not to say I won't listen to the ATCs that Lazarus recommended! If they are good enough for Gabriel and Gilmore - enough said! Thank you all again. Matt......

Jsugo, that's my dilema. The Energy Audisey 5+2 speakers I have can literaly take a beating. And they pound out all the base required for the job. Energy also stocks parts going way back, so even if you do break something, you can order a replacement at a reasonable cost. They also can be placed relatively close to the wall - 18". BUT they are not the word in resolution nor do they image that well compared to the MLs. But I totally agree that the volume you listen at is going to limit speaker options at least in my price range. There is always the lottery!
BTW where did you get the UK plum label recording? Thanks, Matt...

Kartracer,
I just saw The Musical Box at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia on October the 20th. Aside from enjoying them, I use them as my reference in upgrading and tuning my system. You may also be interested in this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6064022.stm
Sorry that the link didn't paste as intended but is worth the look. Matt.....

Agithos, I had heard about the Klipsch RF-7s and auditioned them LOUD. The horn tweeters sounded more live than my Energys, but not enough to warrant the additional expense. Which again, brings me back to my point of "diminishing returns". However, they did sound more refined than I had expected. In fact I read where alot of Klipsch fans where disappointed and complaining that this speaker was a "sell out", sounded to high end, etc..