Here is my vote for Magnepan or Harbeth too. I have owned serveal pairs for both over the last 30 years. You might consider owning both. For large orchestal / choral music use the Maggie's. For chamber music or jazz use the Harbeths. Magnepan's are terrific bargains and you don't have to go to the top of the Harbeth line to get a fantastic speaker - or - consider buying used. Listen Up in Albuquerque carries Magnepan. I have been a customer of Listen Up over the years and can recommend them. You should go listen to Magnepan before buying them - they are not universally loved. Good luck! Happy New Year!
Speaker upgrade for classical music
Hi, I need recommendations for a speaker upgrade. I’m a classical violinist and listen almost exclusively to classical, opera and jazz. No movies, Atmos, etc. I have a 17x14 listening room (doubles as practice room) with acoustical treatments (phase coherent diffusers at main reflection points and regular ones elsewhere).
Half my listening is in stereo and half in multi-channel (4.0 and 5.1). All my recordings are either CDs or high-res—DSD and FLAC—audio files. I don’t have a turntable.
My current system: Marantz SR 8012 amp, Yamaha S1000 CD transport, Exasound e38 DAC and Sigma streamer (connected to the Marantz with analog 5.0 inputs). Speakers: Polk Rti A7 stereo, CSi A6 center, Rti A3 surround, and dual REL T/7i subs.
What I want: speakers with improved musical detail and clarity that really reproduces the expansiveness of the symphony hall or church. I like a warmer sound than a drier one. What’s most important to me is to hear what the recording engineer heard. Budget: say 8k or less.
Recommendations? One other thing: Can I try them out? And how? I’m in Santa Fe, not a huge metropolis with lots of audiophile shops.
Thanks very much.
Half my listening is in stereo and half in multi-channel (4.0 and 5.1). All my recordings are either CDs or high-res—DSD and FLAC—audio files. I don’t have a turntable.
My current system: Marantz SR 8012 amp, Yamaha S1000 CD transport, Exasound e38 DAC and Sigma streamer (connected to the Marantz with analog 5.0 inputs). Speakers: Polk Rti A7 stereo, CSi A6 center, Rti A3 surround, and dual REL T/7i subs.
What I want: speakers with improved musical detail and clarity that really reproduces the expansiveness of the symphony hall or church. I like a warmer sound than a drier one. What’s most important to me is to hear what the recording engineer heard. Budget: say 8k or less.
Recommendations? One other thing: Can I try them out? And how? I’m in Santa Fe, not a huge metropolis with lots of audiophile shops.
Thanks very much.