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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.

 

aphilc
helomech
1,666 posts
 

Borresen X3 at 11k - its not even close

For new speakers I have to agree. Haven’t encountered anything close to as good for around $10K. The closest performing B&W, Perlisten, Sonus Faber and Revel all retail for at least twice as much. Some of those reach deeper in the lowest octave but the X3s match or outperform them on every other level to my ears. They X3s are the only remotely affordable speaker I know of that can match the speed and transparency of panels/planars, but without the typical drawbacks of panels. Some other dynamic-driver speakers can do this but none I’ve heard under $20K, especially among speakers that can be bought new.

It’s my understanding that Borresen set out to create a new benchmark for performance in this price class. IMO they more than succeeded.

 

 

 

 

aphilc OP
12 posts
 

Just so everyone's clear, I purchased the Vandersteen Treo CTs, not Quads or the Borresons or any other brand. Thanks.

audioconnection
1,271 posts
 

Greetings

 Congratulations on a well-chosen speaker. just to enlighten you as to why these were probably an easy choice for you

Most folks are not aware of the faithful nature of Phase and time correct and how we need to take advantage of this by simply listening in the proper til back zone most speakers today sound pretty good everywhere but Great nowhere this is why many are confused when properly set up with proper performed tilt back the Vandersteens seem in sinc or grab the time of the music easily to hear. this is because their 6 DB crossover allows all drivers to move as a perfect piston together

This to many will seem more faithful to what the Microphone picked up at the recorded event preserving Time by comparison to other speakers having one  or more drivers some going forward and some going backward

 Hey, it's not for everybody but at least you listened and made a fine choice.

 Best JohnnyR

Audio Connection Vandersteen dealer Verona NJ USA

 

 

 

aphilc OP
12 posts
 

Well-said, Johnny R. I’m quite familiar with the sound of musical instruments so the Vandersteen Treo CTs matched what I’ve heard "live" many times...and were the closest match to my Mark Levison 5909 headphones that I listen to passively through a Class A phono preamp. Of course, the Vandeersteen’s deliver more bass than the headphones but also deliver extraordinary detail and musicality in the mids and treble. 

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