Speaker Recommendation up to 70k


I have purchased SOTA swiss front end which I can't disclose. They are solid state. 
Got room treated , cables sorted , power supply regulated, a comfy couch and books to read for years. 

Now I need a pair of beautiful and lively speakers to get me up and dancing when the track calls for it. A SOTA speaker that is worthy of keeping for years. Room size is 25 sqm/ 269 sqft. 

Final contenders: 
- Zellaton 
- Stenhiem 
- Tidal- Marten- Wilson 
- Borresen

I don't need (you need to listen and decide) suggestions, I can't travel and we got no dealers with demos. So I'll have to rely on users honest opinions about each brand above and are they worthy of the cost. 

No electrostatics and no horns please. Appreciate if you know how to get the most benefit at the upper botique level of speakers. Some might look fabulous and sound meh. 

Let's discuss. 
128x128emerald
Thank you everyone, I am speechless to the positive comments I am receiving in here and WBF. 

Ch or any brand dealer or manufacturer might recommend a speaker based on their business benefit and sometimes it's political (same country recommendations) and I dont want to go there. 

I have already disclosed my system in page 1 comments, please read through. 

Wilson Benesch , Gobels, Stenhiem and Zellatons are under consideration. 

There is slow used market in Dubai after COVID, mostly sub 5k stuff floating around. Whatever I buy must be initially satisfactory (the most challenging part), or else once used for a day , it will sell for 30-40% off it's MSRP at best if I can't live with it. It's big risk and less rewarding due to the law of diminishing returns. So I have to shoot my shot with 101% confidence to the right match and musicality. 

Hence , the more feedback the more it becomes clearer of which speaker brand is worthy of investing on. 

Thank you again , it's a journey for all of us. 
@emerald
Perhaps a long shot but you can try to network with “local” audiophiles to see if there might be local speaker owners of the brands you are interested in.  I googled “Dubai audiophile” and got a few interesting results.  Doesn’t hurt to make some local audiophile friends.
I have already disclosed my system in page 1 comments, please read through.

Wilson Benesch , Gobels, Stenhiem and Zellatons are under consideration.
So exclusively it is down to those 4 ?
@mofojo --

Add Bose to the list. They are suweeet.

Bose - the finger of Satan dipped in holy (audiophile) water, of something like that. Their Blueetooth iterations may make for a good bathroom background music choice, while contemplating the speaker options for one's home audio cathedral. 
Those “hifi”  ATC speakers are some of the very best you can buy.
he prices are astronomical, but if you say you have 70K to dump, he’ll, that is what I would get. Or the Dynaudio confidence 60’s.
@arcticdeth --

Those “hifi”  ATC speakers are some of the very best you can buy.
he prices are astronomical, but if you say you have 70K to dump, he’ll, that is what I would get. ...

ATC speakers, not least their active versions, are actually very fairly priced when you factor in what's included in the package and the sonic outcome that's produced. Sonically it doesn't matter whether it's their pro line or domestically dressed ditto; the predominant difference is aesthetics and price, while the sound is very largely cut from the exact same cloth. That's why I opted to recommend the SCM300 ASL Pro earlier - the sound is the same, and you pay somewhat less for a non-tower, industrial looks version (that needs a stand). At less than $55k a pair here in Europe, considering what's offered and that separate amp(s) and speaker cables are now out of the equation, that's almost cheap compared to passively configured alternatives without build-in amps, none of which I gather would even approach the dynamic capabilities of the ATC's. 
Sorry, but Revel Ultima 2 is still the end-game speaker. It's just the questtion if you have the skill to bring it all out of them.
[please excuse my bad English]

I saw your tastes a bit later:
I listen to Classical, Jazz, Funk [...] So i would go for a *lively sound, accurate, fast and dynamic*.
=> I am inclined to think that a Stenheim Alumine Three (USD 30K, relatively compact floorstander, 93dB) will do the job perfectly. Not to listen near-field though ( >2.5m if possible; in a not too reflective room if possible; can be adapted with carpets and gentle absorption otherwise).

Here is a short report made by HiFi-advice of a Stenheim-CHprecision system, demonstrated in Munich. It seemed to match very well:
CH Precision electronics and Stenheim speakers – non plus ultra, not only in terms of cost, in sound, too! Based on looks, one might expect boom and tizz, but this system sounded neutral, coherent and transparent in the best possible way. It ranked very highly in my top 5 best systems of this show.
(source)

NB: please note that I have personally never heard a CH-Stenheim combination. But I can testify that a Stenheim Alumine Two + Aries Cerat (lively, outstanding tube gear) association, is genuinely stellar (I mean: well beyond what the usual big names of high-street high-end audio speakers have to offer).


I recommend Stenheim but hope you don't own CH Precision or Goldmund! Gl😆
I think  you should buy a 1000 dollars bookshelf speakers and two heavy speaker stands made of gold. That will get you to 70K
Lolol Limomangus!

Properly set up Harbeth  could run circles around speakers costing $100k!😄
[please excuse my bad English]
During the two ‘Brussels HiFi Shows’, my Harbeths demo created a stir, compared with systems that are ten to twenty times more expensive. (source, in French)
(Harbeth’s Brussels dealer)

Indeed, I attended the show, and can testify that his magnificent-sounding SHL5-based high-end system was Best Sound of the Show, and sounded better than a €80K pair of speakers two room further. But the former was setup by a master...
This demonstrate the uttermost importance of a good, experienced dealer. Online purchase is a mistake which, repeated, will bury high-end dealers alas (of course, in some region which are hifi-deserts, one have no choice than going online, I understand; the constraints are very different in some regions of North-America vs Northern Europe).

Now, *some* extremely well-chosen high-end very expensive speakers (much more expensive than Harbeths), if perfectly setup, can run circles around Harbeth though (I am a Harbeth owner). But I only know 3 or 4 of them. And only if one favors timbres.

That said, TBH, and according to his selection, I am not sure that Harbeths would fit @emerald’s demand (OP), who seems to be craving for speed, transparency and dynamics (on top of naturalness).


Ive heard zellaton. It is equisite but I wouldn't say it's better than magico. I own an m2 and had an s5mk2 before that. all depends on preference and source gear. don't get me wrong, i think the zellaton is real special but, to my ears+with my gear, the magico m2 is a perfect speaker.