Upgrade to my system - Speakers maybe
@steve59 Thanks. That makes sense now. It's already starting though. I have the speakers for a few days and I am wondering what I am missing because of my amp. Same thing happened years ago when I stepped up from an old pair of Infinitys to the Revels. Had old Yamaha gear and moved to the Rega and was super happy with that change. Suppose I ought to post over in amps and preamps then to find the right amp. |
Sorry, can’t say anything about the AVM components. The reason I brought up the hegel was because of the profound effect they had on some older revel’s I owned, though if you had an opportunity to demo one with your existing speakers you might decide to keep them. That ship has sailed so take your time getting the components right with the new speakers. Bring your dealer a coffee cake, take home a demo for the weekend. |
Sunujing wrote: "Styling does matter and this is a better fit for me. Glad I learned about your speakers though. Cool designs. Thank you.
" I appreciate your feedback, and agree with your opinion that styling matters. My one current design (the round-wooden-horn Gina) which might have scored well in that area is outside your price range. Also BIG congratulations to @verdantaudio on what is obviously an excellent-sounding design that does not trade off styling! Duke |
@mesch Thank you! Had some from hanging crap for my kids birthday. Works perfectly @steve59 The guy from Verdant was pitching AVM as amplification. I am opposed to tubes and want SS but don’t know this brand. Do you have any thoughts on AVM vs Hegel? Wouldn’t do it till next year but it is always nice to have a plan. @audiokinesis styling does matter and this is a better fit for me. Glad I learned about your speakers though. Cool designs. Thank you. |
Decision made. Visited Verdant yesterday in Jersey City. Not ideal as demos are in his apartment and have to be in the morning. I brought my Rega and listened to several Verdant products, Scansonics and he had a pair of Revel M105s for comparison. Easy. Hands down, Nightshade 1. Once I heard them, took about 10 minutes to decide. Soundstage is bigger. They give more detail and the sound was fuller than with the Revels. Picked up a pair of demos for $6K he had from a review. They are the same size as my M106s so I am using my Revel stands. Only thing is I need to get a rubber pad or something to hold them in place. They are a lot lighter than the Revels and I worry they will slip off the stands from the vibrations. Something with a little grip. Spent last night listening to them and I think they sound better in my room than during the demo. Thanks for everyone's advice. Am still going to get a better cartridge and 2nd sub. |
@steve59 Since it was local pickup I didn't even look at the images. That is a big scratch. @ebm I will pass on the 19 hour one way drive for a pair of speakers with a huge scratch in them. @audiokinesis I am not in love with the look of them. I am intrigued by any best in show and I like the sensitivity. Not ruling out but will explore other options first @rocray Thanks! Fire V2 looks like an option. I am heading over to Verdant Audio for a demo tomorrow to listen to a few speakers. Will report back. |
I did a quick google for Totem pricing. Here’s a link. https://hificentre.com/collections/totem-acoustic No affiliation. |
Sunujing wrote: "@audiokinesis, if it is the speakers that I am seeing at James Romeyn site, they are different in terms of styling. Which ones are you recommending?" The Azel Stand-Mount ("SM"), with your subwoofers providing the extension south of 60 Hz. The Azel Stand-Mount can go up against the wall if the cabinets are toed-in aggressively, which in turn results in a very wide sweet spot. The ports can be plugged as well, depending on how much boundary reinforcement the speakers are getting. You might contact Jim Romeyn and ask about the demo pair shown in the photos. Duke |
@audiokinesis If it is the speakers that I am seeing at James Romeyn site, they are different in terms of styling. Which ones are you recommending? @yogiboy I like the look of the Spendor D7.2s. They are an option but a bit pricey for my taste. If these other options don't work out, I will try and hunt them down. @ebm Disinclined to buy a speaker used that I can't return when my integrated is clearly incapable of driving it. Additionally it is for local pickup in MN when I live just outside of NYC. Pass. @steve59 Get your point about amplification. Not sure what you mean about damage. At this point I am interested in a few products. Verdant has a pair of demos of their Nightshade. It is similar in size to my Revels and I ought to be able to use my existing stands and it looks like they are extremely easy to drive. Also looking at the Raidho X1s. The review at The Absolute Sound suggest they are brilliant but am a little worried about my Rega paired with them. Same dealer so that is easy and they are local to me in NYC metro so won't even have to pay return shipping, just gas and tolls. Going to try and find a Vienna Acoustics dealer to listen to as they look really nice. Beyond that, I think the Elys2 will go and maybe I will upgrade to an Exact2 and find a second HRS. Nice thing is that if I don't like the sub, I can probably return it. |
It's like asking which condiments to put on your hot dog. Local dealers usually will allow home demos of display and used equipment if you have the means to collect...Revel products that I've owned in the past were quite vulnerable to amplifier changes and I remember when I had the salons I had an Anthem 225I that was OK, then I moved to the Parasound A21 using a 2000 era krell as a pre and bass and things went from a 3 to a 5. Then I tried products from Hegel and the H360 brought the sound up a couple more clicks. I go further to say each improvement wasn't a trade off as the case so often when swapping speakers, but upgrading the amps on my revels removed layers and each upgrade got me closer, didn't change the way the speakers sound staged, just offered more clarity. |
You should check out Spendor. I’ve owned a few models and I always enjoyed them!! https://store.acousticsounds.com/index.cfm?get=results&searchtext=spendor |
Sunujing, I know you said that the size needed to be similar to your Revels, and that they couldn’t be placed more than 3 feet out into the room. Might speakers considerably larger than the Revels be a possibility if they are designed to go up against the wall? How about if the top of the speaker was a nice friendly flat surface, instead of domed like the Revels, so that they gave you back some usable space? Duke speaker manufacturer |
Here you go sunujing,
https://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2020/04/13/klipsch-cornwall-iv-speaker-review-the-gentle-giant/ These speakers are very efficient, sound great and as an added benefit sound just fine right up against the wall, maybe even better! You will have more room and save 1 grand on top. |
sunujing: Years ago I heard two familiar systems which were updated with a second sub, and the change in SQ was not subtle. One used vintage Diatone speakers with huge (18"?) Velodyne servo subs and the other Vandersteen 3A Sigs with Vandersteen subs. Didn't understand the why of it @ the time, but there has been much discussion on the use of multi subs since then. Wasn't aware of reasonably priced conditioners with voltage regulation (Googled Panamax)... Something I will look into if I ever start using my vintage tube amps again. DeKay |
Why do hi-fi companies avoid listing prices anywhere consumers can find them? This is just stupid. Half these products are impossible to find pricing unless a US review exists. Price is a screener. I don't want to waste my time with products that are too expensive or too cheap. @rocray - I have never heard Totem products. Look great and a ton of options. HiFi+ review of Element Fire V2 is really cool. These guys are impossible to find pricing on though. Really hard to shop them. @verdantaudio - I am interested in Raidho. Great reviews. The Nightshade looks interesting but is too expensive. Spendor is fascinating. Hate the look of the Focals and my wife would never let me get the B&Ws. It may be my room but she will say the "microphone on top looks stupid" for the next 5-10 years. @twoleftears - yep. they do. And I could find pricing. Thanks @dekay - I will look into it. I have a Panamax Voltage Regulator but a second sub is an interesting idea. |
If you like the sound of the speakers think about adding a 2nd sub (you could purchase another new HRS8 online for $500-$600 + whatever cables you would need). You might also look into a decent power conditioner that will handle both digital/analog gear, if you do not already have one. Both can be used with future gear while offering an improvement in sound now. Your room is not too large for the Revel’s, especially with subs. DeKay |
It sounds like your room is pretty well setup. 3' from the back wall is ideal for a lot of speakers. I would look at a few products: Raidho - the X-1 and XT-1 are brilliant speakers. They fit neatly in your budget and are brilliant sounding speakers. The soundstage is addictive and the Raidho tweeter delivers amazing detail. A subwoofer is necessary but will work with your HRS. The sound is neutral to a hair warm in my experience and might not work with your Rega integrated. I would look at a more neutral/forward integrated with them. Musical Fidelity would be a good option. Verdant Audio Nightshade 1 - This is a touch above your budget but would work well with your rega integrated. I would take your Revel's on trade. They are very easy to drive and are my soundstage kings. The special thing about this speaker is that the cabinet is fiberglass with a nomex core. The cabinet is more effective at damping than MDF and the result is more detail and a bigger soundstage. Scansonic has a few smallish standmounts that are interesting. MB3.5B is an interesting speakers but with side firing woofers. Might be a challenge in your room as it is relatively narrow. The MB5B would be an excellent option. Scansonic is Raidho's entry level line. The tweeter is similar to Raidho's but is not exactly the same but you can tell it has Raidho DNA. Amazing soundstage and much better bass response. Again, probably would need another integrated amp. Other options. Might be worth looking at the Spendor D7s. You will need a different amp to drive them but they are wonderful sounding speakers. Small stature and super refined Check out the Focal Kanta and Sopras. The stand mounts will fit in your budget and the small no 2 floorstanders could be had used. They have a beryllium tweeter but and although a hair forward, not as metallic as the Revels Given your budget, you have to check out the B&W 805 D3. Again, you may want a different integrated amp but it is a definitive speaker in this price range. Full disclosure, I am a Raidho, Scansonic, Musical Fidelity dealer and obviously I make Verdant speakers. I have no affiliation with the other brands. PM me if you want to discuss pricing. |
That’s a big room. You might consider floorstanders instead of stand mounted speakers to maximize your space with low frequencies. I don’t recommend a particular brand. You’ll have to pick speakers with a free return policy and try them in your space. No brand recommendation here is worth anything. Everyone Here pushes what they own or are selling. |
Wait for it...wait for it....any moment now we will be graced by a poster who will exclaim: "Tekton! The best speaker in the world at any price and you’d have to be an idiot who can’t hear well and/or enjoys wasting money to even consider any other speaker brand." Advice that’s always chock full of hyperbole, shaming, and admonishment. What more could you ask for from a friendly audiophile community board? ;-) |
