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Speakers in the range of $3 to $4.5k per pair?

Upgraditis is setting in, and I'm looking at first replacing my loudspeakers. I'm putting together my first list of candidates which will be narrowed down in the next weeks to 5-10 candidates I will want to audition. What's your recommendation for speakers in the range of $3000 to $4500 per pair (prices in the US), for stereo use?

My current system is a Rotel CD player (RCD-1072), pre-amp (RC-1070), and 200 Wpc amp (RMB-1080), connected to B&W CM-4 (2.5 way floorstanders, recently discontinued; CM line is between the 600 and 700 lines). Having B&W and knowing a dealer, my starting point are the B&W 804 Signature, which I can get for $3000 (MSRP is $4000). Having said that, I want to consider other options as well. My new speakers will have to work well with the Rotel setup for a good 2 years. My next step is likely to be in replacing the pre-amp and then amp, and my guess is I will stick with solid state.

Looking forward to your suggestions.

Horacio
lewinskih01
fatcrider5fbc
21 posts
 
Focus Audio FS-78SE. They retail for $3500 and would match with your Rotel gear very well. I just bought a pair of the FS-688 monitors and love them.
philnyc
162 posts
 
Facrider...The Absolute Sound just reviewed the FS-78SE in the December issue...
prs123
58 posts
 
I heard an extensive demo a while back of the ProAc D15, and they were quite impressive....worth an audition IMO.
gene888
8 posts
 
B&W owners rarely like Vandersteens. B&W's (at least from my limited experience) have a much brighter and detailed sound, whereas the Vandys are more subdued and laid back. They are nearly polar opposites on the speaker continuum IMHO.

As Bigkidz pointed out, you didn't say what you did or did not like about your B&W's. If you like your B&W's, I don't think you'll like the Vandersteens. If you find your B&W's to be fatiguing, then give the Vandys a shot. If you find these to be too laid back, try Focal-JMLabs, Spendor S8e or Audio Physic Tempo.

In all honesty, I think people spend way too much on speakers and not nearly enough for amplification. If you generally like the sound of your B&W's you may be surprised to find out how much *more* you'll like them with the right amp/pre-amp. With $4K, you can get quite a big boost in quality if you buy used. Just my $.02.
aball
2,018 posts
 
Yes, I agree JM Labs are much better than B&Ws in general - I was just suggesting they are somewhat similar family of sound.

Which model depends on your room size. If it is greater than 270 sqft or so, I would say the 936. If less, the 926 (which is what I have in my 14x15 room) will have much better bass delivery and imaging. You could also check out the 927Be and 937Be which were limited edition and have the same tweeter as the flagship Utopia Be. All are great if you match them to your room size.
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