Ok, so get the speakers that your Classe amp will properly drive, are within your budget and sound the best to you. And you'll be in business.
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FWIW, I have used a Classe Audio DR-15 with my Sonus Faber Electa Amator speakers for the past twenty years, and I’m still happy with the results. I can’t comment on the effect of the 4 ft knee walls (or even what they are-LOL) but I’m certain that the above recommendations for Thiel, Spendor and Vandersteen speakers are good ones. |
cwright950, I think if you're looking for speakers to match your amp, you're going about things backwards and it's not the best method for assembling a system you really enjoy. Instead, I suggest you take the following steps or choices in sequence: 1. Determine how you want to position your system. Your options are to have a rather narrow and deep room (if you decide to place your speakers along one of the narrow 12' walls) or have a wide and shallow room (if you decide to place your speakers along one of the wide 22' walls). This is a critical decision since the room acoustics will be very different depending on which configuration you choose. Speakers also have various radiation patterns and positioning requirements that will be more or less suitable to specific room sizes and configurations. I suggest you may want to become more knowledgeable on these matters either through your local dealer or through your own research. There's a wealth of relevant information available on this as well as other internet sites. 2. Search for speakers you really like the sound of that would also work well in your room. 3. Only decide on amplification once your speakers are known. You're much better served by matching the best amp for a given set of speakers than matching the best speakers for a given amp. It seems like you're very satisfied with your current Classe 15 amp. My opinion is that it's a very good amp that would work well on a wide variety of speakers, perhaps even on the speakers you like the sound of best. My main point is that you're going about this backwards if your goal is achieving the best sound in your given room. Speakers are the primary determinant of a system's sound and therefore should be chosen before you decide on which amp to use. Choose speakers you really enjoy and then choose amplification that will optimize their performance. Thanks, Tim |
cwright590, You stated: "Well i don't have the funds to purchase speakers and a new amp as well. I have listened to the b&w 803s and dynaudio contours. Still something in the mids missing. I also have a coda 10 in another system." You also said your budget is about $3,000, $4,000 at most, for new speakers. Given this further info, I now think the first response you received on your post from paraneer is likely the best advice: " Ok, so get the speakers that your Classe amp will properly drive, are within your budget and sound the best to you. And you'll be in business." I understand you're basically just searching for a good pair of speakers and posted in an attempt to narrow your search based on your existing amp. When I gave my initial advice, I was under the impression you were looking for more comprehensive advice on how to improve your overall system performance in your given room. I still stand by my advice that you're going about this backwards and should decide on room configuration 1st, followed by speakers and then amp. However, the reality is that your Classe 15 amp is capable of properly powering just about any pair of speakers you would possibly choose so some of my points become moot. Your amp is rated at 175 watts into 8 ohms and 375 watts into 4 ohms which is sufficient to power almost any speakers I'm aware of. You're going to get responses recommending various speakers but, to find speakers that really sound good to you, the truth is there's no substitute or short cut for doing your homework. This means lots of research and lots of listening at dealer showrooms. You're going to hear some you like and some you don't before finding the speakers you're willing to buy. Power is one consideration in matching speakers with a good amp while tonal character is another; the resulting tonal character produced by the amp and speakers combination needs to meet your preferences, too. I recommend you request an in-home audition of the speakers you eventually choose prior to purchase just to make sure they sound good to you with your amp in your room. Tim |
http://www.wavetouchaudio.com/products.html You will find nothing <$10,000 that sounds better than these. People are replacing their "high-end" speakers with these - they're that good (see all the reviews). If you don't mind their look, you can get them for a trial period and return them if you don't like them - but, you won't. I've had the predecessor for 3+ years (Grand Tetons) - and they sound as good as any of my others, or any I've heard. And... of couse... the price is right. |
I’ve got them in a simlar sized room, and they sound better than most any floor standing speaker made. Go to the link and read all of the reviews. You’ll understand. They’re besting Wilson’s, Avantgardes, Tannoy Kensington GR, etc., etc., etc. Almost nothing has better resolution, transparency, dynamics, soundstage, image, etc. And... they do have plenty of bass - quality bass, not boomy bass like so many floor standing speakers. Do they best the Legacy Aeris, or Legacy V, or the best Gamut’s, or Nolas - no, nothing does - but, virtually everything else mentioned in this thread. And... importantly... there is no risk in trying them - to prove it. |
I second noble100's comment. If you are near a metro area, you should be able to get some listening time at a few dealers and get an idea of what you like. Your subs aren't the worst, but not the best for high fidelity reproduction. Once you have settled upon a speaker, you should consider an upgrade in the future. Your amp is no slouch and should be able to power most speakers. In fact, I would consider it a keeper. Bob |
I've recommended these a couple of times around here... The very big problem is that its a kit. I've been designing and building speakers for years. I've known and sat in front of countless speakers with their designers. These would be hard to touch for under $6000 in production, but you'll need to finish them. Jeff Bagby is the designer, he could easily work for any of the big names out there, these are smooth, detailed and will disappear. Not too many on Agon would do these because of the labor and a bit of skill needed, but if you're up to it, these are an outstanding value. http://www.parts-express.com/solstice-mltl-reference-tower-speaker-kit--300-708 |
I've looked at this kit many times, it sells out regularly, it'll be back in stock in a few days. This kit is all Morel drivers. Driver cost alone is $700 to $800 range... Jeff did not use any impedance compensation on this kit, that means that it will stray upwards in impedance at certain frequencies, but it won't stray lower. This is a protected Proprietary kit, they won't show schematics or curves without a purchase. I have used the parts included, they are all great sounding. I trust very few speaker designers, including some fairly well known manufactures. Jeff is a solid designer, these will sing. |
Hi cwright590, Thanks for the info, I took a look at these drivers. The good news is that the tweeter has a better impedance curve than most. The bad news is that both drivers need to be notched. and you would need some steep slopes and the woofer need Z-comp.. In the end, it could be very good, but it requires some crossover work. If you'd like, your welcome to pm me. If not, I understand, I hope this helps, Tim |
I'd wait on speakers until you give the Scan Speak a try, I've looked them over, I'm sure that they are capable a singing.... Here is the basics of what I'd do to these... I'm not sure if you are running a speaker program or not, but if so, plug this in: Crossover, 12db L/R on the tweeter @ 2k, impedance at crossover point is 6.3 ohms. You'll need to notch the tweeter 3db from 2k to 4k... Ideally, you need a notch filter on the woofer, I worry about what phasing will do by crossing these within the notch without running these on a program, please check that out. For now, i'd run 24db L/R on the woofer @ 2k, crossover on an impedance of 4.5 ohms, you'll need zobel on the woofer for that crossover point to work. You'll still be dealing with a slight peak in the woofer... without notching it, it won't go away. I'd listen to these with a slight tow in, that will take care of it... Another option would be to completely notch out the peaks in both drivers and cross between the notch at 4k... my experience says that the option that I laid out above will sound slightly better, but not much and with the 4k crossover, you could use a much simpler crossover approach. 6/12 butterworth with zobel on the woofer only... I hope that this all makes sense, Tim |
"wolf..." - no, I'm not a dealer... I'm a customer - have had the GT's for 3+ years - which is why I know how great they sound. They sound every bit as good as all of the customers / reviews have reported. And... it's because its so hard to believe they can sound that good... that motivates me to "tell their story." It's amazing... quite frankly. |
"Legacy are a great choice and so is the Shahinian Obelisk but they have different presentations. The Obelisks would likely be easier to integrate into the room no matter which wall you place them on." +1 on Legacy; I've owned many models of their speakers over 11+ years and they are an incredible value, no ear fatigue, play every kind of music and HT I ever threw at them and more and weigh in against much more expensive speakers (and win)... |
It seems I'm the only one here who truly CARES about people, so to the OP specifically, I have to say there are no speakers currently made that will work in the room described so, unfortunately, you’re out of luck. Otherwise, when you move into a space EXACTLY like where I live, you can buy the speakers I prefer (Silverline Preludes with 2 REL "Q" series subs) and live happily. I’ll send you a list of all my furnishings and room dimensions so you can get started on your move. You're welcome. |
I agree with Noble 100, choose the speakers to fit the room. 12x22 is a fairly large space. Use the amp you have and if it's not enough then save up and upgrade the amp on your next purchase. Buying spreakers that won't sound good in your room will create problems that can not be solved by upstream equipment. I'm sure you can find something that will do both fit your room and work with your amp at the price you are shopping at, if shopping used. I would never buy a new car, I always buy one year old and save a bundle. Same on audio, most audiophiles take such good care of their gear, there's little risk in buying used, and save a significant amount over new. |
