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Requesting Advice on Speaker Upgrade

Hello,

I am in the market for a new speaker upgrade. I am hoping to receive recommendations on brands and models to look at. I have already demoed some Kef and Totem speakers, which I really enjoy. I really have my eye on the Totem Rainmakers. Not sure if they will be a good fit for my room or amp though.

I’d also like something that will be flexible with integrated amp upgrade possibilities down the road.

I’d say it’s a small to medium room size at approximately 15’ x 20’. There is a large picture window to the left of the listening position that has curtains covering it. To the right of the listening position is a half wall that goes into an open kitchen. Behind the seat is a floor to ceiling stone hearth and fireplace wall.

My budget tops at $600-$900, but $1100 will be the absolute max. Looking for bookshelf monitors and I’d like to be able to include stands within that budget.

I enjoy a balanced sound profile. I don’t necessarily crave super clarity or very bright sounding speakers, but enjoy a neutral sound. Sharp, clear bass is great, but I’m not super into hard, thumping bass. I’m still new to audio so pardon if these descriptors aren’t exactly clear.

My current setup is a Rotel RA-12, Project Debut Carbon w/ Ortogon 2M Blue cartridge, and a DTS Play-Fi streamer (for Tidal Hifi and Spotify streaming). Current speakers are stand mounted Polk RTi-A1s.

I have a toddler that wanders around this space. So grille covers are a must. I am also welcome to floorstanding recommendations, but thinking stand mounted ones will be ideal since it’s less he can mess with on the floor.

Sorry for the super wordy post... But one last note: We have a lot of mid-century modern furniture in our home. So looking for options with a clean, simple design and aesthetics.


Thanks, and cheers!
Matthew


stereosanctity

Showing 6 responses by gdnrbob

gdnrbob
4,485 posts
 
This is a bit of a challenge. 
You have 60 wpc, so you are limited to fairly efficient speakers. Perhaps a pair of used Zu speakers might fit the bill.
Your room is nicely sized, so I wouldn't expect super deep bass without subs.
Otherwise, I would suggest a pair of used Vandersteen 2's, non signature models are well in your budget.
B
gdnrbob
4,485 posts
 
Thanks Bomd,
Zu sells direct, but you can find them used here on Agon and Ebay.
If you buy new, they do give a trial period, but I have to say they do require break in to sound their best.
One of the reasons I recommend Zu and Vandersteen is that they stand by their products. I own Vandersteen Treo's (3a sigs beforehand). If I needed help, I could call Vandersteen and would receive a call back, often from Mr. Vandersteen himself. Zu, also is very accommodating. They repaired a defective binding post at no charge even though I was not the original owner(-I also had some other work done, which I paid for).
I own a pair of Zu Union (Omen predecessors), and compared to my new Treo's, I have to say they were remarkably close in reproduction. Though the Vandies are much more refined, I was impressed by the fact that the Zu were doing it with a single driver.
B
gdnrbob
4,485 posts
 
I agree, leotis, it took my Omen Bookshelf more than 2 weeks to break in, but, when they did, I was very happy.
@leotis,
Thanks for the comparison between brands. I never heard the Tekton's, so I always wanted to know how they compared with the Zu's.
I will be putting Revel on my list to hear, too.
B
gdnrbob
4,485 posts
 
You've gotten lots of great info. 
@bomd, are there any Vandy dealers near you? It would behoove you to give them a listen. 
Quad's and Maggie's are both fine speakers. If I weren't a Vandy fanboy, I would have them in my listening room, but since I have limited space, they will have to wait.
I will say that I had a pair of Zu Union (Omen predecessors), and when run with a pair of Atma MA-1's and MP-3, the sound was pretty darned close to my Vandy Treo's (I did have them hooked up to the Vandy 2w subs at the time). The Vandy's had a better dispersion and presentation, but they also cost a lot more.
Bob
gdnrbob
4,485 posts
 
Wow, $100 bucks for a near $2k speaker? You really did score.
The Stereophile review gave them a pretty good rec. Perhaps you should think about getting some subs in the future? They would be useful if you ever got the Quads, Maggies or Vandy's down the line.
B
gdnrbob
4,485 posts
 
@Bomd, you still did great. I have never heard Kirksaeter, but knowing how serious German's take technology, I can only assume that they sound pretty good, probably very good.
And, indoctrinating children with well reproduced music is a great way for them to learn what instruments should sound like.
Bob
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