Time to move on, Quad, Coincident or Ref 3a


I am feeling like it is time to take the plunge and try another new speaker, after all life is short to experience one too long. So here is my short list, Quad 2805/2905, Coincident Super Eclipse 3, Reference 3a Grand Veena and VR4 SR. Musicality is one aspect I cant give up. Any comments and experiences will really be appreciated and help to ease the process.

Thanks,
ahmet1969
All are quality designs..I can only speak with regard to having owned the Quads and VSA speakers..."life is too short"...I agree. Ive been with more than a few speakers over the years.

My personal favorite of all the speakers owned would definitely be the Quads..even with their well documented short comings in areas of real life dynamics. The way they present music so naturally is captivating. Thats said, I can honestly say that the Emerald Physics CS-2 is a better speaker in every regard. They have the natural tonality of the Quads with the dynamics and gusto of expensive box designs. I would try to get a listen if poss. You may end up with a speaker that gives all the attributes you are looking for. The caveat is that you need to bi- amp them, but hi dollar amps are not required here.
i am looking to change speakers as well. the quads i am considering are the quad 57, 2 pair rather than one in stacked mode.

i have no interest in the current quads. i owned the 63s for over 6 years. the 57 has the least inaccurate midrange i have ever heard.

the current quads are reworked 63s. you can check with quad to verify what i have said.

before considering the current quads, i urge you to listen to a pair of 57s.
i have had a ref 3a grand veena for about 3 months. to maximize performance it seems to like being placed so that it fires down the long wall maybe 9-10 ft between speaker and you if speakers are 50-60 inches apart due to 3 ft distance between the highest and lowest driver of each speaker (for intergration). my music reference rm 9 mk 1 has three different feedback/dampning levels and likes the least feedback the best. a new pair needs 250 hours to open up. it will reveal all other shortcomings in your setup. good luck
Rlw3,

The basic question: are you happy with them??

Franks :

I will be using antique sound labs cadenza 845 push pull or antique sound labs 805 explorer single ended. Both splendid machines imho.

Kehut :

Thanks but that sounds like a step into terra incognito. I may not be prepared for it yet.

Regards,