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Speaker Questions and Recommendations

Let me preface my comments by saying I am not aggressively looking for new speakers but I am always thinking ahead. With that said I have started to give some thought to what might be next. Here is my current set up:

Dynaudio Contour S 3.4 LE speakers
REL T9i subs (pair)
Prima Luna Dialogue HP Premium Integrated Amp
Dr. Feikert Volare turntable with Jelco tonearm and Lyra Delos cartridge
Manley Chinook phono preamp
Innuous Zenith music server
Lumin T2 Streamer
Roon
Bryston CD Player
AudioQuest Niagara 1200 Power Conditioner
Listening room fairly small (13’ wide; 16’ long; listening positing about 8’ from the speakers)

All of the components above are new to me over the past two years with the exception of the Dynaudios and the Bryston CD player. I mostly play vinyl and prefer it to streaming or CD’s. My music tastes are folk, country rock, rock, singer songwriter and some jazz. I tend to prefer quieter music these days but still rock some Zeppelin or Deep Purple from time to time. 
I have been very happy with this current array of components. I like the Dynaudio sound and the overall warmth the tube amp provides. The addition of the subs and the Manley Chinook really brought everything together to my ears.  So with all that said, why am I even thinking about what’s next in speakers? There isn’t a good reason. I like to do a lot of research before I buy anything so my process could take a couple of years. i have thought a lot about stand mounted speakers and have read in some circles that they might provide an improvement in sound over floorstanders when combined with the subs.  I would say my budget is around $6,000 (note I paid less than that for the Dynaudios used). It would be great to spend less for an upgrade in sound but I don’t know if that is possible. 
Anyway, I would greatly appreciate any thoughts, recommendations and commentary regarding stand mounted, floorstanders or anything else. I am biased towards smaller in physical size but value the sound over everything else. 
Thanks in advance.
puppyt

Showing 2 responses by jjss49

jjss49's avatar
jjss49
6,612 posts
 
@puppyt

if you are seeking ideas (not recommendations, but ideas) for what to listen to that may present music beautifully, but differently than your current setup using the dynaudios modern floorstanders, i looked carefully at your system components and have the following comments based on my own travels in this pursuit

1) the primaluna can stand improvement, especially in the transparency and ’air’ it provides compared to better units... suggest you try a modern audio research amplifier, or try an arc c-j or herron tube linestage with an excellent ss amp like pass or ayre (none of this stuff is inexpensive) ... any of the above should make any speaker the primaluna is driving sound somewhat ’better’ imho

2) try non box speakers - magnepans... spatial audio open baffles... vandersteens - very different presentation style that may well please

3) box speakers that produce a much ’bigger’ sound -- harbeth mon 40, spendor classic/sp 100, big klipsches perhaps new cornwalls, perhaps top devores

4) support prior view to make add'l efforts to ensure room treatment and speaker placement is optimized

just food for thought, best of luck to you


jjss49's avatar
jjss49
6,612 posts
 
your system is quite good, and so if you don’t know what specific improvements you are seeking in a component change, much less a speaker change (biggest move of all), there is no way to suggest anything that has any assurance of pleasing you more than what you have

you have to articulate what you wish were better or at least different

standmounts vs floorstanders is a total red herring, especially as you have integrated subs already

you will just get a litany of other people’s wild-ass uninformed guesses to your post, all of which will be pretty much useless to you

you are better off attending some hifi shows, or high end gear retailers and listen to what they have on display
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