Speaker Recommendation Help Please.

Hi @sbank !  Not only have I never heard Larson's, I've never heard OF Larson!  Thank you for the suggestion.  It looks like they don't have a distributor, much less a dealer in Canada, but I did just email the closest distributor to see what my options are (if any).  Thanks for the suggestion!!

I also appreciate your candor about Wilson/Focal likely not being a good option due to only having 12-14 inches behind the speaker to work with (assuming a, about, 20 inch deep speaker).  Would Sonus Faber be in the same boat?  I suspect so...  One reason I was considering the Guaneri's is that they are shallower.  The same goes for the SabrinaX's (on the top).  You bring up a good point: when I audition, I should move the speakers to where they will be in my room (ie close the walls) and not where the dealer puts them for best performance.  

Thank you so much for all the replies everyone!!  If I don't reply to you specifically, please know that I have read and taken note of your advice.  Thank you :)  With all the replies I just can't reply to everyone individually.  I really appreciate all the kind support and help from the community!!

@auxinput HAHA!!  Thank you so much and I had a chuckle at you going all Columbo, "Just one more thing."  I completely agree that a grain of salt is always needed.  Please know that whatever advice I get, regardless of the source, I will do my own research and listening.  At the end of the day good sound, to a degree, is personal and everyone has their own priorities and preferences.  

I've heard the same about Wilson stuff and I am concerned about it (fatigue).  I believe the newer stuff (with silk domes) are less so, but it is a big concern for me.  I also appreciate the advice on front ported speakers and Revel.  I can't seem to find a Revel dealer in Toronto, but I know there used be several...  I wonder what happened with that.  I will reach out to the distributor about this and see what my options are.  

I also completely understand (and can relate) to your comments about horns.  I am familiar and it isn't my preferred sound.  Based on reading alone, the SF's are likely going to be closer to what I like provided they have at least some grunt (AC/DC is my guilty pleasure).

@grinnell I've very curios about the Reference 3A de Capos.  Their head office/factory isn't too far from me so perhaps I can arrange a visit.  Thank you.

@spenav Yes - I have the book coming today from Amazon :)  I noticed the first sticky on the speaker forum that talks about it.  Honestly, reading though that, I have half a mind to keep my Active 40's (which are at Paradigm getting fixed) and working with some room treatments and EQ.  That may be all I need and be the best use of money.  Though, I keep the same boring look (regulars black boxes) of my speakers.

@havocman I understand where you are coming from (in my case it's a Chord DAVE) and I absolutely agree with the garbage in -> garbage out idea, but I have to be concerned with how the speakers and room work together.  The DAC, after all, doesn't care about my room.

@eugene81 This is a very real consideration, especially based on the other comment about the Duette.  The dealer has a pair so I can listen to them as well and they may be a really good option. 

@rbstehno What I said was, "my room is the biggest small room there is".  It is a big room in size - 16 feet wide, 28 feet deep with 12 foot ceilings.  But it's small because I have sit close to the speakers and really only have 10 feet from my ears to the back wall.  It's a odd space.  My cousin has Totems (I can't recall the models) and, for me, they didn't sing.  But it could be his room, source, or just that model.  They are easy enough to audition so I will likely do so.  Thank you.  The Ushers certainly look nice (much like SF).  They don't have a dealer/distributor in Canada however.  Is there something about them (aside being front ported) that makes a good choice for my space?

@fthompson251 Thank you!!  There is a dealer about 20 minutes away from me.  I will absolutely audition them.  

 

Thank you for the suggestion and no, I have not heard them.  The trouble is I have limited access to pre-owned kit being in Canada so sourcing and auditioning a pair will be very problematic.  I will certainly keep my eyes open, however!

@spenav Thank you.  I tried to be as complete as possible.  I appreciate you taking the the time to read it all.  The trouble with pushing my speakers out 4 feet is that 1) they would then be 6 feet from my ears and 8 feet apart and 2) it would be a no-go with my wife :)  The reason I am starting with speakers and looking for advice is, as you have aptly pointed out, placement and the room is the biggest factor.  I am looking for guidance of what would actually work in a space like this, in this location.  I fully agree and acknowledge the challenges of my room which is why I went into as much detail as I did about.  To my earlier point about Magnepans not being an option, that's strictly because of my room and the lack of space behind the speakers.  The speakers playing well in my room, I believe, will be the biggest determining factor in the success of my stereo.  I am looking for speaker/room synergy here (if that's possible).

 

@erik_squires Excellent advice!!  Thank you.  And yes, room treatment will be essential.  You can't see it in the photo I provided so here is the other angle, facing the kitchen: 

 

 

In addition to your suggestions, I am thinking treatment will be a good idea above the cabinets on that blank wall (about 2 feet tall, to the ceiling).  I really, really appreciate the specifics!  Thank you.  I'm not sure if these are available through a dealer here, but I am pretty comfortable buying room treatments online.  I also never thought to consider a narrow dispersion speaker; this is the kind of advice I was hoping for.  

Hi Everyone,

 

I wanted to start by thanking all of you for your thoughtful suggestions, help and kind words!!  Thank You!

 

Second: I bought a paid of speakers (YAY!!).  More on this in a minute.

 

Third: What happened.  Many of the suggestions were basically impossible to audition, unfortunately.  They just simply were available to audition, at home or otherwise.  I reached out to basically all the brands suggest and many were really helpful as they could have been, one of which offered that if I flew to the US to hear the speakers, and bought them, they would pay for my air fare: A really nice gesture.  The risk, however, was too great to take trips around the USA, flights, hotel, food, and so on, and I may still not love the speakers.  Not to mention the time needed away from the office...  I have to be practical and things that I can hear in my city are what ended up making the list.  So what made the list?

Sonus Faber Guarneri's
Wilson SabrinaX (and Sophia V1's)
Focal Sopra 2 & 3's
Paradigm Persona 7F
Klipsch K-Horns, Heresy & Cornwall's

Not the most comprehensive list, but it's what I could hear.  The closest Revel dealer is more than 6 hours by car away, so it also didn't make the cut.

Briefly  Horns (read, Klipsch) aren't for me.  That's not a knock on them, and I can certainly see why so many love them, but they just aren't my jam.  Again, no judgment, we all have personal taste, and variety is the spice of life, and others will not care for my taste.  And that's okay.  You do you, I'll do me :)

The Paradigms were really nice but have a "house sound" that is very similar to my Paradigms (recessed mids).  They are fantastic for classic rock.  Like, really, really good.  But I listen to more than that, and after having Paradigms for 20+ years, I want a change.  Been there, done that.

The Focal's.  I like the 2's more than the 3's.  Judge me for it.  I'm okay with that.  The 2's felt more "together" or, I guess the audiophile term is "cohesive".  They were easier to listen too, less "hifi" sounding and more just...  Good sounding.  I found the 2's less bright than than the 3's, but in the end, both were brighter than what I want.

Sonus Faber Guarneri.  Wow.  These are EASLITY the most beautiful speaker I have ever seen.  They had the Serafino's as well which are also stunning, but the Guarneri are just...  Something else.  I was heavily biased towards these from the get go.  Heck, I want a pair to have in my home, I don't care if they are even hooked up!  The sound...  They are the best speaker I've ever experienced (and this experience is limited) with vocals.  Especially female vocals. If I listened to that only, this would be the speaker.  People talk about sound having flash and bone.  I get what they mean now.  If you've never heard these, you owe it to yourself to hear them.  The are so unreal, they are human sounding.

Wilson Sophia V1's...  These made me well up.  There was an immediate emotional connection for me.  20 years ago I was sitting with a dealer and I asked what made a good speaker good.  His answer stuck with me forever: If the hairs on the back of your neck are standing on end, it's a good speaker.  My hairs we on were on full salute.  These are very special speakers to me.  But, and there are a few buts, they are old and the tweeters did have some deration on the surrounds.  I was concerned about longevity as the Wilson dealer warned they are likely near impossible to replace.  Apparently Wilson does not have back stock of them.  Second, and this was the nail in the coffin, they have a sharp leading edge.  They sounded good, amazing in fact, for a bit, but they the end and I didn't want to keep going.  Perhaps with tubes and tweaking it can be tamed, but I'm not going down that route.  For the money these go for...  What a steal.

Wilson SabrinaX's.  What can I say...  Take the emotion of the Sophia's, get rid of the leading edge, add in 95% of the vocal magic of the Guarneri's and put it in a small (albeit challenging to drive) cabinet and you have the SabrinaX's.  To me, it was the clear winner and there really was no second place.  These speakers have been getting very good reviews, and I get why.  I really do. Yes, the carpet in the front is terrible, the looks are polarizing, as is the brand, but to me, these are very, very special speakers that do very little wrong.  What is wrong?  Well, they don't image or do vocals as well as the Guarneri's (1 way vs 3 way, big cabinet vs small) they don't have the bass impact of the Sophia's (but a sub can be added if needed), they are demanding to drive (we all know about the wild impedance curve) and, so I hear, placement is a bugger.  But when amps well, and placed right, oh baby do these girls sing, and rock!  

 

So bought 'em.

 

Are they they best option for my room?  Almost certainly not.  They are pretty shallow so I should have about 22 inches from the wall to the back of the cabinet.  In the end, I made an emotional decision, taking into considered the best information I could get.  The speakers are made to spec (apparently) so after selecting the cabinet, grill and spike colours, they should be ready in about 10 weeks.

 

Now I have deal with an amp...  But that's for another thread.

 

Thank you all again for your help and I hope some of you aren't too upset with my decision.  Hopefully the speakers are Jekyll and Hyde in my room, but time will tell.  As long as the essence of what I heard (and it was with a Hegel H390 with a Zen streamer, off a Nucleus, Tidal + Roon) I'll be pretty happy.

 

Best,

-Paul