Speakers with Audio Research LS25MKII & VT100MKIII

I have the same electronics as you do.Rather than tell you what i am using, i think it best to audition a variety of speakers,to see what you like.The combination you have can drive alot of speakers out there.Listen for yourself and trust your own ears!

I agree, but as the variety is huge, I was looking for a kind of short list that suits well with the amp.
Marc

It's worth auditioning Alon speakers. I have had the Alon V MkII and now the Circe, both with a VT100MKII (although I use an Audio Valve preamp). I've tried these speakers with a number of other tube amps in the $3k to $6k range, and the ARC sounded best. The combination is open, extended, neutral, and incredibly dynamic. In addition, I have recently heard the newer Lotus line from Alon, and it sounds fabulous.

Good luck

Larry

What's your $ range? I've run my VT 100s with both my old ProAc Response 2s and I've bi-amped my new ML Prodigy speakers with a pair of VT 100s. The ProAcs are monitors, probably available for ~$1K, although there are newer models. That combination sounded great to me for a wide range of music, which makes some sense as I've been told ProAc uses ARC equipment to voice their speakers. My MLs ran closer to $6K used, but the combination of tubes and electrostatics is magic to my ears--especially for the kind of source material you are talking about (while the MLs can rock, the ProAcs definitely had punch for that kind of thing).

The combo you have works very well with just about anything. It's time to go and hear a couple of good speakers and decide what you like. Your choice of speaker's defines your system's sound more than any other component. What size/kind of room do you have ?
How far from the rear wall can you place the speakers ?
Will you have a tv or anything between them ?
Will full range speaker's disturb other's while you are listening ?
What are some of your favorite speaker's from the past ?
How much do you want to spend ?

Proac is a great match if you like the full bodied, slightly laid back sound. A set of 2.5's would be high on my audition list because of their sheer versatility.

Best matches I've found at home were the vandersteen 5 followed by the Audio Physic Avanti. Very different sound. Van 5 was a match made in heaven. Awesome bass and natural presentation. Required very expensive cables to get it to produce sufficient resolution. Avanti is lightweight, but has world class resolution, soundstaging and low level detail. The AP virgo is also quite good.

I use a vt100m2 with a bat vk-5i. I previously had an arc ref1 preamp.

Thank you for your answers.

I will try to find a place to listen to vandersteen, Audio Physic Avanti (I live in Paris and I don't know if they are sold in France) and ML.
I was also considering BW 802 or 805 signature.
Budget is an even more important question in France, as far as prices are about 50% more as in the US ! But I will look for used material probably.

Marc

Why is it that the ProAcs always pop up when ARC gear is mentioned? If these speakers are voiced with ARC gear, fine.....but who cares! And why these speakers are so expensive (other than imported markup) is beyond me.

I had the ARC LS5III with the VT130....very similar to your electronics but a little more rich sound. I auditioned the ProAc 2.5 and yes, the imaging was awesome but these speakers have a tonal balance all over the place! The lower mids had a deep valley and the lower treble had quite a peak.

The B&Ws might not have the last word in resolution, but they are more coherent through the midband. I could suggest a list of speakers to try but surely the best thing to do is go to your ARC dealer and have them swap speakers in and out of the system just like yours .... only you can determine what fits your priorities to the kind of music you like.

The Vandersteen 3A Signatures have been known to perform at a lofty level with this equipment.