Which speaker for Musical Fidelity a3.2 ?


Hi!

I'm a total Rookie...and you can save me from dropping wads of cash that I do not have in my crusade to build a sound sytem that can amaze me. I have just picked up the following,

Musical Fidelity A3.2 Integrated Amp
Musical Fidelity A3 CD Player
Transparent Music Link Super Interconnects

Now I need a speaker. And I'm completely confused! I can spend as much as $2k and would prefer to buy used cos' I want to get more for my money.

I heard a pair of Aerial 5s and I thought they lacked a warm lower end (not that I know much about the darn lower end, I just knew that it was lacking substance)

I heard B&W 603 S3s and they were a little bright and a little punchy with their low ends. I kind of liked them but I'm trying to look ahead to a time when I'll want more transparency.....perhaps as my tastes evolve.

I heard 602 S3s but they were outclassed...though they did offer a great bang for the buck. Infact I'm still tempted by them.

Any advice you can provide will be very appreciated. People have asked me to go hear the following,

Triangle Celius
Audio Physic Spark
Magnepan Planar (1.6QR??)
and Thiel 1.6s

Please Advise.

Thanks,
Udai
umathoda
Thiel 1.6 are a nice speaker, the Thiel 2.4 ($4200) are by far the best speaker I have heard on Musical Fidelity equipment. 1.6's seem to have issues with the tweeter going out at higher volumes. So if you listen loud, then these may not be a good option.

My experience with Triangle has been limited but it seemed like it needed hardware that was able to keep the bass tight. The A308 was very good at this, but I am not sure about the 3.2.

Recently I had a pair of T+A TAL XM bookshelf speakers and was blown away by them. This time it was a Musical Fidelity x-150 and these were by far the most transparent sounding. The range is down to 35hz, which is good for a bookshelf, but a tougher speaker to drive. The x-150 had no issues with it so I would expect 3.2 to have no issues. Though tough to find (www.audioport.com), at $2K msrp, these are worth trying out (www.taelektroakustik.com).

BTW, I am selling B&W 603 S1 speakers for $525 (includes decent cables for free). By all means if you have 2K to spend don't waste your time with these but if you want something to get started with let me know (kryptos1@yahoo.com). The 603's are going to be hard to part with.
The Thiel Dealer I visited recently is also a Musical Fidelity dealer, although he was demoing the 1.6 with Rogue monoblocks, and they sounded fantastic in that setup, MILES above a B&W 603. The Thiel 2.4s are much more authoritative but in another price range.
I think with that low standard (B&W 6 series) of entry the Celius, Theil & Magnepans (as long as you dont want very large dynamics) would be a huge step up. The Celius 202 would probably have the most impressive bottom end of that list, but I think the other two have better mid-ranges and overall clarity and coherency (I have heard all three but not side by side). One other caveat about the Magnepan's is they do need careful placement and perhaps room treatment to get the very best out of them as they are dipolar (radiating sound front and back), but will sound great if setup right.
For what it's worth I'd add the Totem Hawk to that list, which was The Absolute Sound's pick in that price range over the others you mention, and although not as efficient as the Thiels would still be easily driven by your MF amp as long as you are not looking for 110db levels.
Save yourself alot of money and buy paradigm studio 40v3.Good stands and you are ready to go.Bass is incredible after long break in period.Total cost will be less than $1300.You can't do better at this price.Good luck!!
Hi Udai,
I had an A 3.2 and thought it was a great integrated, I was sorry I didn't keep it a little longer. At 115 watts you shouldn't have a problem with most speakers out there including Dynaudio since the A3.2 is rated at 140 watts into 4 ohms.
Again it depends on what you want. A full range speaker is always more satisfying IMO, I have tried many different speakers within your price and always come back to a full range.

Some suggestions:

Meadowlark Osprey's, they are beautiful, sound fantastic and can be had for a very reasonable price. Build quality is top notch. Bass is very tuneful and accurate, not extreme.

Vandersteen 3A sigs. Lots of room filling bass, an excellent all rounder, maybe not the best at imaging and detail ( some may differ in their opinion) but an excellent speaker if you can find it at your price.

The Revel Performa F 30, Very good sounding speaker, big and not real pretty but it sounds fantastic top to bottom.

PSB Stratus Gold i , a very good speaker that will not leave you dissapointed, especially for the used price!

Go listen to some Dynaudio's if you get a chance. They may not impress you much in the first three minutes but give them a good listen.

good luck!