You didn't mention how much you wanted to spend on new speakers nor if you have any pre-existent leanings toward any particular type of speaker technology. I myself have always been most satisfied by high-sensitivity fully- or partially- horn-loaded speakers. In this connection, I would urge you to audition a pair of Tannoy System 1200 (or used System 12 DMT) or System 15 DMT II. These are professional studio monitors which you can't buy in hifi shops; you have to go to a pro audio shop. They list for around US$5K but I've though my local dealer sells them for considerably. 90 degree point-source dispersion, 38-25000 Hz freq. resp. (though you'd swear it goes way lower), incredible macro- and micro-dynamics (the difference between sounding live and sounding canned), well-nigh perfect phase response, 98 dB sensitivity, 200 wrms power handling (400 program), the best cabinets in the business, unforgivingly revealing of source material, happy with both tube and solid-state amplification. They're not for everyone, certainly, though most audiophiles don't even know about them because Tannoy Professional only targets the pro studio market. However, I much prefer them, especially for the price, to the much more expensive Wilsons, Thiels, B&Ws, Dynaudios, etc. A lot of people don't understand that despite their high sensitivity, to accurately reproduce the full dynamic range they are best used with high-power amplifiers. Your Classe would work nicely. Vintage Tannoys are much better known and more sought after than the contemporary Professional line -- at least by home listeners -- and if you like that "warm", "smooth" sound so beloved of some tube aficionados, they're wonderful speakers, but if you want unforgivingly revealing accuracy in a speaker that can play quiet chamber music and screaming rock 'n' roll with equal aplomb, a speaker that'll make you shiver so overwhelming is the beauty of the music it transmits, except for the $30K Tannoy Westminster Royal, I can't think of a speaker that I'd recommend as highly. Hope this helps. Joel.
Speakers for a Classe CA-201
I am dying to get something new in my system and am thinking about new speakers. I have Totem Model One Signatures at the moment backed up by an NHT SubTwo. The amp is a Classe CA-201 with an Adcom GFP-750 preamp. My current source is a Rega Planet primarily but I am not going to replace it until I find an SACD player that I cannot live without. Cardas cross biwire wires connect the speakers, an RCA pair of crosses goes from CD to Preamp and I am putting in Red Rose's new premier interconnect with XLR between the amp and preamp as soon as they come. Thanks for your input everyone (P.S. Please avoid LP recommendations, I am looking into vinyl setups right now but want to familiarize myself a lot more with the options before I buy anything)