@ghdprentice covered top brands and described their house sound. Now, a good size audio show would allow you to hear the top of the line of various brands and this would give you a sense of what you like. Then make note of the electronics. Many manufacturers of electronics also have a “house sound”. You can then find a local dealer to hear speakers from that brand and others that they might A/B.
Your thoughts on best audiophile speakers in $10,000 neighborhood?
I know the best way to select a speaker is to auditioon them at a dealer or in my own home. However, living in a rather rural area in northern Michigan, there's only one reputable dealer (Sonus Faber) in town so I may end up relying on reviews and your feedback.
I used to own Vandersteen Model 2Cs in the late 1980s, but finally want to step up my game. I currently have a legacy Nakamichi receiver / amp with 1000wpc, but will probably upgrade that once I select a new pair of speakers. Currently I'm playing mostly LPs on a Technics SL1210G. I now listen mostly with a Mark Levinson 5909 headphone connected to a small Class A pre-amp, so I treasure detail and transparency and don't lean toward "warm" speakers.
Room is good size since it encompasses living room and opens to dining room and kitchen behind it. Cathedral ceiling is about 12 feet high.
I'm considering the following speakers: Vandersteen Treo CT, Wharfedale Elysian 4 (perhaps too big for my room), Monitor Audio Gold 300 and the Sonus Faber Sonetto VIII. These all fit within my budget. What are your thought about any of these...or do you have others to recommend?
Thanks for whatever guidance you can give me.
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@ghdprentice Always gives good advice. To take it a step further up the chain, I would first let us know the type of music you like. In my opinion, certain speakers work better with certain music types. Based on the type of music you listen to (or maybe you are an all types kinda guy), then get advice on what speakers are voiced to bring out the best with that type of music. This dovetails with the type of sound you like - do you like a lot of micro-details, do you like a warm sound? Bass heavy or not so much. Then, the speaker list can be narrowed. Keep us updated. |
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