Dali is a 2 dimensional brand. For 3000-3500 you can buy 3 dimensional speakers. You would be a fool to spend this kind of money on 2 dimensional standard audio speakers.
I send my clients to shops who sell these speakers. To make clear how big the difference is between 2 and 3 dimensional sound. Audio can be that simple and convincing.
I sold Dali for over 8 years of time, so I know exactly the properties and what they can. |
DALI Zensor 7s ($1,300.00, Amazon)
Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum w/KT120s ($2,300.00)
You will be hard-pressed to find a more open ,warm, and dynamic musical experience for the money! |
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The MA GX200 need 400 hours to brake in the ribbon tweeter. It will become more open and less harsh. |
Bel Canto is a brand who also can build a deep stage. This is not a bad option.
When you use a good amp the GX200 can give you a level almost no other speaker can give to you.
I had a discussion with MA Holland about the amps they and other shops use. I did take a look what amps other shops use who sell Monitor Audio. Most of them ( more than 95%) use 2 dimensional amps.
They don't know what they are doing. MA will come to me in a few weeks. I will take them to a few different clients of mine. I want to show them that I have created with all different Monitor Audio spakers a stunning physical 3 dimensional image everywhere.
They demo it also with 2 dimensional amps. What can I say! |
Update: I bought a pair of MA GX200 and I'm pairing them
with my Bel Canto c5i.
Impression 5 hours into listing:
1. I've unplugged my subwoofer. No need.
2. Holy cow, the resolution is nuts; depth is pretty good
for being 10 inches from the real wall (I'm space
constrained, unfortunately)
3. These are some good looking speakers-wife likes 'em
4. I have owned both Pathos and Pass,and I can see where Bo
is coming from. The Pass would flesh these guys out a bit,
the Pathos would make them disappear completely. |
Class D amps are not sterile, that is a thing for sure. The first ones could be quite harsh. These days it is a different world.
But when I compare the best Class D amps with the best Class A amps. They still have more flavors in the mid freq. Compare them with classical music with 4-12 instruments.
Enjoy the comparing. It can be a lot of fun. I hope you like it as well.
Goodluck! |
I really like what Clayton is doing over at Spatial Audio. Check them out. His Lumina series looks excellent. I've heard his earlier works at Emerald Physics and these are supposed to be better. |
To get a musical sound and a 3 dimensional stage: Pathos. |
>>Class D amps have come a long way. Listen with your own ears, before you take someone's advice.
THIS is good advice from Ricred1. Blindly ruling out Class D amps is myopic and dumb. Try one first. I made the mistake of giving too much credence to comments on here about Class D amps being "sterile" and "cold" and "clinical" and "non-musical", then decided to try one for myself. There are many fantastic choices in Class D, with small footprints, lower heat output, lots of power, and without spending 4 mortgage payments. Peachtree, Bel Canto, Wyred4Sound are just a few. Listen for yourself and enjoy. |
What's an amp that's not as large as Pass that works well...? (other than Primare) |
Monitor Audio uses very good crossovers. But....most audio shops use 2 dimensional amps. They will sound like many other.
When you use an amp what can give a deep and wide stage it changes. That is why I only sell amps which can give a wide and deep stage.
Pass Labs is one of the best brands in highend poweramps. Because they can give a wide and deep stage. But also the class will let you hear all the differences in timbre.
Just read the reviews. Audio is all about how you use it.
From 2007-2009 I sold a lot of Primare with Monitor Audio in a shop I did run at that time. I could send my clients to any other shop to listen to: B&W, Dynaudio, KEF, Focal, Dali etc.
Because for that money all other shops sold 2 dimensional sound.
It was so much fun, people came and said often: But we do'n't want 2 dimensional sound. It is very easy to teach people the difference between 2 and 3 dimensional sound.
After that the overall sound does it's work! |
Thanks, gents. Apprciate it. |
Class D amps have come a long way. Listen with your own ears, before you take someone's advice. Bo1972 consistantly recommends Pass and Monitor Audio. I have listen to several Monitor Audio speakers and submit they are nothing special. Pass amps are okay, but they produce a lot of heat. |
Noooooooooooooooo Class D. The primare class D are for class D vey good. But if you want to go for stunning you need to look for better. Used XA30.5 is stunning with the GX200. The GX200 have on of the best crossovers in their price range. So use them!! Or go for a used older Primare class a/b combi. You need an amp which can give a wide and deep stage. Only then you get the max out of them. In my country most ( stuppid) shops ( I guess over 95% are) sell 2 dimensional amps wiht these speakers. Most people in audio overhere have the knowledge and insight of a rock! |
Bo, what power rating amp would you suggest with the GX200...?
I'm curious about the ribbon tweeters impact on the choice of amp.
Class D amps? 50-60 watts? |
Lipinski L-707 or L-505 (smaller speakers) sound great with any type of music that I've played throught them. Tube or SS friendly. |
Listen to Monitor Audio GX200. The biggest difference with most competitors is the speed and wider and deeper stage. Monitor Audio is exeptional good in making fine crossovers. this make the stage bigger so you get a better separation of all the parts of a recording. Thgey also have a faster response. And there ribbon tweeter hadles high with more openness and authority than standard tweeters. Just take a listen! |
A used pair of Dynaudio Special 25 |
Adurlabhji -- Within the stated $3000-3500 how about the Amphion Argon 3's? There's also the newly upgraded ATC SCM11, which has been very well reviewed over at http://www.whathifi.com/review/atc-scm-11-2013. Both of these candidates appear to be some of the best bargains in their price range, but of course an audition is required to see (i.e.: hear) whether they suit your audible taste. |
Magneplanar 1.7s plus $1500 worth of subwoofers, which, for example, could be a pair of Gallo TR 1D-8's at $1198, a single JL E110 ($1800 list), or a pair of SVS NSD-12SDs for $1198. These panel/sub combos would give you the honesty and immediacy of the 1.7 panels combined with the speed, slam, and bass extension of any of the subs recommended here. I am confident that you wouldn't find a $3500 full range speaker to match the Maggies with any of these subs. |
A used pair of Clearwave towers or monitors would trounce most others in the same price category. |
If musical, open, dynamic and a touch of warmth is what you're looking for, I'd take a look at Harbeth and Zu.
Actually, there's a Druid MKIV with nanotech drivers upgrade listed right now for $1900 asking. |
Maybe not your cup of tea, but hometheatershack.com is just in the voting stage for their $3k speaker (pair) evaluation thread. The $1k and $2k speaker threads were really well done, so it may be worth some reading time.
http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/home-audio-speakers/71707-3-000-speaker-evaluation-event-nominated-speakers-voting-poll.html |
The Gallo Ref. 3.5 is, IMHO, the very best speaker in that price category. It does soooo many things right: virtually crossover-less, 0 diffraction "cabinet", incredible tweeter and mids that are VERY fast with sweet-spot a mile wide, time aligned drivers, and on and on...
-RW- |
AURUM CANTUS - V3M would be great, great sound, great value. |
I auditioned a bunch of speakers in that price range and settled on the Dali Mentor 6. They're an excellent all-around performer, easy to drive, and have a very classy design and furniture-grade finish. I have a sweet spot for female vocals and their hybrid ribbon tweeter really nails it for me. Conversely, I also listen to a lot of extreme metal and it holds its own in that realm too. Pair it with a sub if you need to dig deep on the bass and you can't go wrong. |
I like the Vandersteen 3's. The only caution I would give you is that you have to match them to other components carefully. They're very revealing and will easily point out any flaws in your system. |
