Fast: Not sure where you are located but you may want to add Daedalus to your short list. I recently visited Ferndale (north of Seattle) and had a chance to hear Lou's new Apollo series speakers (the Apollo 11). Lou has been refining his designs for over a decade now, retaining the warm musicality of his earliest work and increasing resolution, dynamics and soundstaging. The Apollo series feature a new 10" woofer and a new Eton tweeter, along with redesigned cabinets, internally sealed crossovers, upgraded crossover topologies and exotic parts, and other enhancements. The introductory pricing on the Apollo series speakers is in your range and given your room size you could go with either the Apollo or Apollo 11 (probably the former would work best--talk to Lou). I firmly believe that Lou is making some of the best loudspeakers out there, regardless of price. He is a pleasure to work with and the artisan woodworking and finish are exceptionally beautiful to look at while listening. If you are not in the PNW, he will be at Axpona in Chicago and then DC in the fall. Very much worth a trip out to visit and listen--I stayed in his charming cottage on the water and got a tour of his design and manufacturing facility. Good luck with your journey.
Still looking for speakers in the 10-20,000 range
I’ve heard Proacs, Personas 3 and 5, Ryans, Wilsons, Wilson Benesch, Monitor Audios, B and Ws and several others in the 10-$20,000 range. My favorite so far is the KEF Reference 3. I would consider the Reference 5 but, as I’ve posted before, there is no place to hear them within 400 miles. Still plan to hear the Focal 2 and 3. Unless I love the Focals, I'm inclined to either go with the KEF Reference 3 or wait a couple of months (or more) to check out the new Magico A3. My room is 24x18. I have Audio Research electronics and 20 plus year old Proac Response 3.5 speakers. It’s been a long process and I’m not sure if I’ll be relieved or disappointed when it ends. Hard to decide if the Magico’s are worth waiting for. Thoughts?
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Magnepan 20.7s for a mere $13,895. You have enough money left over to get a pair of JL E112 subwoofers, and *that* would be en engaging, dynamic, and true full-range setup. |
Fast, we have a number of superb reference speakers on display. We have the Aeris, the Paradigm Persona, and the Kef Blades. We also have a demo pair of Polymer Research and the Dali Epicon 8. So technically that is five reference speakers on display. You may find it easier to fly into the New York Metro area where you can hear almost every reference speaker system out there. We just had a guy who flew in from the Midwest to visit our shop which is 15 mins from Newark Airport for that same reason. It might make it easier you can also save a boat load of sales tax which may or may not be offset by the products shipping. Each of these reference speakers have their charms. The ability to hear a number of great reference speakers under the same circumstances in the same room is a great thing and can be very helpful. Dave and Troy Audio Doctor NJ |
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