Speakers for string Quartets

Thanks for all the perspective!!!!

I’m leaning towards the “British Invation”…

question…with a pretty large room, open to kitchen/dinning room, I’m hesitant to go for bookshelve/monitor size. 

I believe Quads would be great, but I don’t know if I could go to something with so little dynamics after loving my horns for all the dynamics!

Harbeths seem to be my go to to audition, but I’m sure you pay a lot for the name.
interested to see if I can find a way to Audition Spendor, Stirling, ATC (which I’m super interested in!) .

Any thoughts on the current KEF line up? Somehow I don’t think they’re very “British” anymore.

Out of left field I’ve become interested in Great Plains Audio Altec 604 coaxial 15” drivers. From what I’ve read it may have possibilities.

thaks again!

I have KEF Reference 5 speakers (not the brand new Meta version).  I love string music, especially cellos.  I am amazed at the realistic way these speakers reproduce the woody sounds of cellos, violins and violas.  They’re not cheap although big discounts are available now that there’s a revised model.  The KEF Reference 3 has similar sound characteristics with a little  less bass at a lower price.  I’m really eager to hear the new meta version.

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Agree with Sailboat & zgas.  I too spend much time listening to live performances of small ensemble string & piano.  Nothing will qet you closer to reality than Quads.  My 63s are highly modified but stock speakers will be magic if properly set up.  Match them with Spectral electronics if you can.  If you need dynamics & high volume look elswhere or get a second system.

Stradivarius.....jk... Big string quartet fan here, and I love my Harbeth P3 ESR XD's in my desktop setup. I bet their bigger brothers would sound terrific in your large room. I also love a ton of jazz and the Harbeth's really capture the intimacy and warmth of that genre as well. I had an opportunity to see the Borodin String Quartet perform the entire Shostakovich string quartet cycle over the course of 3 days, some years ago. It was truly a life-changing experience.

Why people use a subwoofer with magnepan i cannot understand. Put the money from the sub into your amp. Magnepan has the most natural instrumentale  bas not a pumping low instrumental low. And if you want the best musical low buy the dwm from magnepan.