Soundstage and explosive dynamics?

Although they don't get much press, Lowther speakers set up well do everything you're looking for. They are a very dynamic speaker that absolutely disappear & through a wide deep stage. 

Soundstage and explosive dynamics?

I’m looking high and low for speakers with the following attributes:

1. Wide and deep soundstage. Speakers can disappear from the soundstage.
2. Decent imaging.
3. Explosive dynamics with force and surprise.
4. Costs less than $10k.

madavid0

I had so many great ideas until I got to your 4th attribute.

 then you haven't heard enough speakers. 

@bondmanp

+1 Good observation. This is why large studio main monitors are all built into walls so they behave like an infinite baffle. Studio main monitors are exactly what "explosive dynamics" is about - they are designed to impress the hell out of a bunch of musicians and producers - a pretty tough audience to impress as these folks are in and around music daily.

My speakers have a gently curved wide front baffle and definitely disappear completely despite their massive size - incrementally more than the big box versions of my speaker that I have owned in the past and which like to be mounted in a wall.

Audio Physics disappear and so do most narrow baffle speakers but it is rare to find a design that houses 15 inch or larger woofers in a massive box (design requirements which are absolutely necessary for "explosive dynamics".) Audio physics sound great but get tuckered out and sound flat and strained at quite modest volumes. Soundstage tests some speakers to 95 db SPL (which is hardly explosve) but Soundstage readily admit that most speakers can't even handle even 95 DB SPL and many would self destruct at these modest levels (hardly high fidelity but nobody seems to mind as long as the speakers look cool)

Nothing I have heard combines the best dynamic range with a disappearing act. That said, I would look at omnis like Ohm, German Physiks, and MBL for the disappearing part. Subwoofers will help the dynamics on these. Dynamic range can be very good on some omnis, because they have a lot of radiating surface relative to driver size. For the best dynamics, high efficiency models like horn speakers excel, but few that I have heard can disappear. One exception to that which I have heard is the Volti Audio speakers. These are horn hybrids that offer the advantages of horns in terms of dynamics, but without many of the downsides of horns, such as beaming, the "cupped hands" effect, or sound that seems anchored to the cabinets.

@markus1299 Did you get rid of your 40.1s?

To give the most sound advise  it would be good to know first Budget,
what you have amp type,wpc, preamp ,how big is your room,
room treatment  how far away are you sitting .  

Classic Audio T-3.3 Field Coil speakers is where it's at

Those would be:

1.  Linkwitz Audio Orion's or LX521's
2.  Legacy Audio Aeris (pre-owned for about $15,000)
3.  Audiokinesis Dream Maker, Zeprhin, Prisma, Jazz Module...

Or, if you don't mind a monitor, which sounds like a floor standing speaker - a real "giant killer"...

4.  WaveTouch Audio Grand Tetons / Anteros

For about five grand, I built custom Tannoy HPD 315 (12" Dual Concentric drivers, ca 1975), using enclosures that are nearly two inches thick, 150 liter bass-reflex, custom built crossovers with top-drawer components, and had the driver surrounds converted to hard edge.

They sound explosive and dynamic as hell, and I am able to drive them effectively with a 9 Wpc SET 300B amp, or 500 Wpc Class D. I honestly don't think they can be equaled by any commercially made speaker systems at this price.

In my experience, they are effective at producing music on a scale that sounds appropriate to whatever music you wish to play.

Just my two cents, but then my opinion is jaded by my daily enjoyment of great music listening.

Hope you find what works for you, with the budget you have to work with.

Regards,Dan

According to numerous threads the Tekton DIs should fit your requirements.

Fans can indeed be a problem. However, there are also pro audio amplifiers with variable speed fans that do not come on in domestic situations. I recently bought a 2x250 watt rms Yamaha P2500s for my son for just 300 euro. It has a fan, but we have not yet heard it come on ever. Maybe one day, when he throws a wild party and plays his music so loud that the police will come.
It is a very well made and robust piece of gear, with Neutrik and XLR connectors and optional adjustable high pass filters. The larger 2x350 watt P3500s was recently tested and measured as well as many times more expensive audiophile gear. See here: http://www.homecinema-fr.com/forum/amplificateurs-de-puissance-haute-fidelite/mesures-ampli-yamaha-p...
It also sounds fine (with nice speakers).

Read here for a summary of the results (in French):

CONCLUSIONS
. La puissance annoncée est largement obtenue (370W Rms sans remontée de distorsion, pour 350W Rms annoncé)
. Bande passante extra-large (ceux qui lui reprochent de manquer d'aigu, faudra m'expliquer...)
. Distorsion infime à bas niveau, très faible jusque la limite de l'écrêtage
. Pas de distorsion de croisement, toute petite remontée de distorsion dans la zone 0.5W - 8W Rms; pas mal vu le faible courant de repos de l'étage de sortie!
. Un ampli que l'on peut utiliser en utilisation domestique comme en sono de qualité
. Quant au prix... "honteusement bas" pour un appareil de ce niveau de perfs (400 euros chez Thomann...), de puissance et de protections.

Je suis content d'avoir acheté cet ampli et son grand frère P5000S pour mon système tri-amplifié, ce P3500S va donc rejoindre mon rack pour driver les médiums CMCD-JBL. Je suis convaincu, attachant une grande importance aux résultats de mesure.
(Je suis électronicien de passion et de métier)

Petite anecdote je n'ai pas entendu le ventilo se déclencher pendant les phases ou je le faisais travailler à puissance max le temps de la FFT..
La résistance de puissance, elle commençait à sentir le chaud!

Que reste-t-il aux "classe A" ésotériques et infiniment plus chers? je ne rentrerai pas dans ce débat...

Read more at http://www.homecinema-fr.com/forum/amplificateurs-de-puissance-haute-fidelite/mesures-ampli-yamaha-p...

Agree with Shadorne recommendations and also add PMC. For a couple of under the radar choices, consider the Volti Audio Rival and a couple of the offerings from Duke Lejune of Audiokinesis. They would include Prisma, Zephryn 46, and the newest model Azel. Duke’s speakers sound terrific and he is one of the good guys in audio. You could check out Seaton Sound as well. A word of caution, though. I approached them both 4 years ago and again 3 years ago at Axpona about how inadequate their website was in checking different models specs, etc.. They agreed and I was told both times it would be up to speed soon. Looking at their site today, I can see that it is still incomplete. It would be up to you if you would want to pursue them given that red flag, but they do check the boxes that you want checked. They are also active speakers with DSP. Very dynamic speakers. When looking for speakers with explosive dynamics and ease, there is no replacement for displacement IMO.

willemj

A large room and a beefy (pro audio) power amp are other parts of the equation, of course.

I disagree. Professional amplifiers often rely on fans, which help lower cost, increase available power and pose no problem in most professional settings. But the noise of those same fans often intrudes in a quiet domestic environment. It's usually worth the cost to use an amplifier intended for home use, which would typically rely on heatsinks for cooling rather than a noisy fan.

A large room and a beefy (pro audio) power amp are other parts of the equation, of course.

Focal Utopia should do it. There is one here for sale for about $12k, you could probably have it for $10k. It can sound a little bright with some solid state equipment and wrong cables.

RCA shearer horn system you may have to do a bit of set up but you can buy the parts for about 10k

What you are looking for may be a larger speaker rather than smaller.  

I am loving the dynamic shading I get from the Klipsch Cornwall speakers.  Very hard to beat for the money.

Try to find a pair of used pro studio main monitors. These are the big speakers that are often mounted in walls - Westlake, ATC, Genelec. Meyer etc.

Maybe build the system from the bottom up, with multiple really powerful subwoofers (plus room equalization).

JBL Synthesis horn speakers with large woofers will give you a wide stage and fast bass. With that being said the listening room plays an important role. Demo what you can before making any big decisions.