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Revel F30, Dyn 1.8/3.0, V.A. Beethoven?

I am looking for a little wisdom and/or experience from the Audiogon knowledge pool-

Specifically, I'd like some opinions on a few different speakers that I am considering (it's time to separate the Audio from the HT). The speakers that I am seriously considering at this point (for the 2Ch system) are:

Revel F30
Dynaudio Coutour 1.8MkII or 3.0
Vienna Acoustic Beethovens
Joseph Audio RM30si

My system is as follows:
Ah! Tjoeb '99 CDP
AQ Emerald IC
Jolida 502a integrated tube amp (~65W/ch)
Goertz MI2 speaker cable

My musical tastes run from Enya type stuff, to jazz and classical. I am running in a very live room and would like all the typical attributes: solid powerful bass extension
(high 20s to low 30s should do it) excellent imaging, transparency, etc. My budget is around 4-5K and I am inclined to buy new or at least from a dealer (I just want to avoid any potential hassles if possible. Of course if Dekay, Cornfed or one of the other numerous regulars has a pair that they are looking to sell I'd strongly consider it :).

So, any opinions or experience with these (or others in the price range)? I have auditioned the Revel's and Dynaudio's fairly extensively, but have not been able to hear the others. At this point I am torn between the bass and midrange of the Revel and the incredible imaging of the Dynaudio's. Of course, not listeneing to them all in the same environment makes comparing a little tough...

Thanks for any info!
elorian

Showing 2 responses by kthomas

kthomas
911 posts
 
If you're going through a dealer and looking at speakers in this price range, you should be able to get a home audition of anything you're serious about and, as everyone will tell you, that's what you really want and need for this type of decision. The speaker choices you list are all extremely well reviewed, top-flight speakers from respected manufacturers, so I doubt anyone will step up and say any of them are bad and should be eliminated from your list.

A couple points to think about - the Dyns are first order x-overs, the Revels are (I believe) fourth order, the Joseph's are (I believe) even steeper, and I don't know about the VA's. There are some very identifiable tradeoffs in x-over choice that are typically important to the listener.

Second, I'm partial to the Dynaudio speakers (I own the 3.0's myself), and have the most experience with them. The 1.8's are MUCH easier to drive than the 3.0's, so if you're staying with the Jolida amp long-term, my guess is you'll much prefer the 1.8's. I have a friend who owns the 1.8's (to his total satisfaction) and originally drove them with 50w/c Arcam, now with a 100 w/ch Arcam. I originally drove the 3.0's with 100w/ch Krell and found the move to 250 w/ch Krell a very significant improvement.

Relish the opportunity for these four fine lines of speakers to win you over by auditioning (preferably in-home), and don't buy anything until you truly love what you're hearing. -Kirk

kthomas
911 posts
 
I agree with Joekras - I would expect anyone who seriously auditioned the Revels and the Dyn's to have a clear favorite (though I could imagine somebody loving both).

Regarding x-overs, I'm definitely not an expert. I have read several places that you can only get time and phase coherence out of a first-order design. That, coupled with the bigger overlap of the softer slope of a first order x-over would lead me to say that you'll get better driver-intergration out of a first-order x-over than a higher order one. This is the opposite of what Joekras says, and I'm definitely not here to say I positively know I'm correct. In any case, better driver integration means that you're less likely to pick out the sound of each individual driver in a speaker and more likely to hear the sound as one cohesive "voice".

Higher-order x-overs tend to generate a bigger sweet spot. The ones I have listened to sounded softer / less-bright as a result of this. This could yield an audition where the listener thought the first-order x-over was more "exciting", though long term listening is what counts and that excitement may easily turn to fatigue. In any case, if you're likely to utilize the speakers in a place where a wider sweet spot is a benefit, you're more likely to get it in something like the Revel. -Kirk

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