Speaker Upgrade, Vandy 3a, Thiel 3.6 ect


I am thinking of making a speaker upgrade. Unfortunately I don't know where to begin.

My budget is somewhere around 2 - 3 k and I am considering buying used.

I currently have Mirage OM-10s driven by a ATI 1505 in a HT setup. My room is problamatic for the bipolar design as one side is open and the other closed.

I don't think I will be changing amps anytime soon, I would wont something that would work well with the ATI, which I have heard is on the bright side. I may also try using the ATI to Bi-amp the front speakers.

I think the Vandersteen 3a Sigs and the Thiel 3.6 may fit into my range (used). What do you think about either of these paired with an ATI?

My pre/pro is a sherwood AVP-9080r but if a decide to bi-amp, I'll be using a Yamaha DSP-a1 as a pre for the front and use the a1 internal amps to drive the surrounds.

Anyone have any advice?

Thanks,

Mike
drobert79b96

Showing 1 response by soix

I agree with the others. Both the Vandys and Thiels are excellent speakers, but the Vandys can be very tough from a placement perpective and they may even be a bit too polite on the top end depending on your tastes. Thiels aren't an option with your current electronics and will require big dollar upgrades to do them justice, although the results are stunning.

I guess the best real world recommendation I could make in your situation would be the Joseph Audio RM-25si, which you can get under $3k used and are fairly forgiving of placement and upstream equipment although they will significantly reward improvements in both areas. Another great recommendation would be the Soliloquy 6.2, which is a little smaller in stature than the RM25si but can be had new for around $2500 and I think represents better value overall if it meets with your tastes.

A major reason I recommend these two is that they are both soundstaging champs that literally disappear in a room. I would think coming from an omnipolar design this would be an important consideration for you to avoid disappointment. They are also both very efficient so will work well with what you have or just about anything else you might upgrade to in the future, including tubes if you ever want to go that route. Just thought I'd throw in a couple options in case the Thiels or Vandys turn out to be too much of a struggle. Best of luck.

Tim