Speaker Suggestions $30K Sasha DAW competitor?


I have been contemplating some new speakers - I have Wilson Sasha 1's which sound fantastic, but the highs can be screechy on some songs.  I listen to rock, alternative, punk at concert volumes.  I am looking at the Sasha DAW's and ??  I just heard the Alexia V's - they are what I want, but they come with a $70K price tag - just too much - man did they sound absolutely stunning - I think they are THE BEST Wilson's in the entire line - if anyone has that kind of cash you should go hear them - stunning.    I wanted to consider the PS Audio FR30's (which I have not heard) before I made a final decision, and was going to Boulder to hear the FR30's, but PS mandates that you have to be vaccinated and boosted - my doctor said don't get the booster - PS can do whatever they want - but I draw the line on my health - so that one is out (I have their DAC and support has been great).  One of the reasons I liked the FR30 is the ribbon tweeter tech which I perceive might be good in that speaker - I find them pretty smooth (have heard similar tech in the Martin Logan stuff - and they are smooth indeed).   Not a fan of Magico, Sonus Faber or Elac - in my view and for my taste - they are not musical.  Looking for floor standers.  Thanking you all for your speaker input. 

plaw

Showing 2 responses by mlsstl

@plaw -- "...Only happens on some songs."

So, you really like your speakers but have a few songs that sound screechy.  It's no secret that there are albums out there that just aren't well recorded.  Or, they were mixed and mastered using studio monitors that had different characteristics than your Wilsons -- things sounded perfect in the studio and not so perfect on your system. 

That's an inherent dilemma with ANY stereo -- sound quality is always dependent upon the recording.  A system that sounds great with some recordings is not going to sound that way with others.  The one possible fix is to be able to adjust equalization, but that also has drawbacks -- another component in the chain, and the hassle of changing the settings with every new album or song -- at some point, most people want to listen to music instead of putzing around with adjustments. 

Odds are that if you change speakers so that the harsh recordings sound better, you'll end up finding other recordings that used to sound great no longer have all of their magic. 

@plaw -- "... had a salesman once tell me...."

That's a great opening line for a statement!  

Actually, one of the issues with how recordings sound involves vocals.  I find vocals the most common source of harsh, spitty or forward sound on recordings.  Which microphone was used, how close the singer was to the mike (some musicians seem to want to show us their tonsils) and the gain/equalization compared to other instruments are all choices made in the recording and mixing studios.  And, don't forget to add dynamic compression and volume limiting to the equation.  

And, like a scrambled egg, not much can be done to undo those intentional recording choices once the LP, CD or music file is being played back on your system.