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Quad 12L2 or 21L2: Detail vs. Fullness?

I posted a question about warm monitors for a hearing loss and due to all the great help here, I have narrowed my search down to the Quad 12L2 or 21L2, Dynaudio 52, Spendor 3/5 or possibly Vandersteen 2. I included the Quad floorstander because there are deals here on Audiogon but I have not heard it. I have found with some floorstanders that the the fuller bass seems to muffle the highs at even medium volumes. (This may be true for me specifically because of my hearing loss.) Does the 21L2 lose some of the detail I heard on the 12L2? I would also be interested in general comments on floorstanders vs. monitors on this subject. Thanks!
lalo23
lalo23 OP
5 posts
 
Well, if they are more lively than the famously bright B&Ws, then that is not the speaker for me. (See above where I am looking for a warm speaker.) So you helped me decide against the Totems :- ). Seriously, Totems are well regarded but they are tough to find to audition and apparently, there is no "Totem sound." But I do love the names of their speakers and their cool website.

Actually, I pulled the trigger on a pair of used 12L2s from a vendor here on Audiogon. Thanks everyone for the help!
uncertainsmile
88 posts
 
congrats on your purchase. i wouldn't necessarily equate lively with bright and i'm not sure the 685's really carry the signature B&W brightness, but i felt the dreamcatchers just had more bounce in their step. the B&W's sounded great, but i felt lacked a bit of air and accuracy with their imaging, maybe it was due to the equipment powering them at the shop. anyway, oddly enough, i had the quad 12l's as well-beautiful speaker. i found them more open and rich than the totem mites i had before them. but still, i prefer the sparkle of the dreamcatchers. good luck in any event you made a very good choice.
lalo23 OP
5 posts
 
Thanks! Actually, the more we converse,the more I think we (and some others here) have in common about speakers in this price range. I liked the 685s and thought them very detailed but found the bass not very full and after listening to them for 10 minutes, their highs were just too accentuated for me. Of the 685, Paradigm 20, KEF IQ30, Dynaudio 42, Silverline Prelude and even wonderful Spendor SA1s, I found the 12L2s to have the most lively yet warm presentation. Sounds like maybe the Dreamcatchers are in that world too. Hopefully, my 21L2s will be too!
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