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Speaker advice for listening to Blues music

Hi, new to the forum, and hoping I can get some help finding the right speakers... I'm a Blues guitar player and have a dedicated music room for my guitars/amps. I usually spend time playing my guitars and recently decided to setup a decent system for listening to my Blues music. I first started with a Marantz integrated (PM8005) and some Kef R300, source is a Marantz ND8006 and I mostly play FLAC files from a NAS, but also started streaming from Spotify and now trying Tidal. This setup was great at first, very revealing, but found the R300 were not the right speakers for the kind of music I listen to, but they were great for some Jazz and did well with good recordings, which most of my Blues recordings weren't, specially live albums. I also found them to be a little boomy in that small room (12' X 12'), so I moved them to the living room instead and added a matching center, they're perfect there.

Next came the LS50, read so much about them I had to get a pair to try. Wow! I still can't believe what these small speakers can do, the details I hear, soundstage, imaging, it's all there. But, just like the R300, since they're so revealing they're horrible with my favorite Blues recordings. It's great to listen to excellent recordings and enjoy the music these speakers are making but I want to enjoy MY music, the Blues greats I've been listening to for over 30 years. If it sounds great in the car then I should be able to find the right gear to duplicate at home, right? On some good Blues recordings it sounds excellent, but most of my favorites aren't good recordings.

Since I only play my guitars through old Fender amps I figured I should replace the Marantz integrated with a tube amp, so next came the PrimaLuna integrated. I wanted to get a "warmer" sound and hope it'll fix the issues I was having with most crappy recordings... I want to hear BB's beautiful guitar tone and crank it up, without hurting my ears. Both Kefs were too fatiguing to listen to. And on most live recordings guitars sound way too thin and bright, not what I'm used to hearing. A good example is Albert King's Wednesday Night in San Francisco, that Flying V can be painful to listen to after a couple of minutes! Not so in the car or even just using headphones and my laptop. I understand that it's because the system is more revealing, but is it possible to have both, revealing and musical so that one can enjoy the music they love? The PrimaLuna did help and it's staying, I like what I'm hearing so far, and I get to play with tubes, something I enjoy doing already :)

Right now I'm breaking in some Wharfedale Denton 80th, I wanted to try something with a soft dome tweeter, something less fatiguing than the LS50. I'm at 70+ hours so far and they're sounding much better, not as fatiguing, but something is missing... I prefer the LS50's soundstage and details, but they're both not that great for electric guitar. The Dentons are more forgiving but I don't find them musical and they don't disappear like the LS50s do.

So what are my choices? Do I stick with bookshelf, try some floor standing? What about single driver speakers (Omega, Zu...)? Are those the answer to what I'm looking for? I need something more forgiving, musical, efficient so I can crank it up when I feel like playing along some times... I want the guitar to sound full and not thin and bright. It's a small room and not a lot of space due to my guitar gear. My budget is also limited, would like to keep it under $2k, I already have a hobby and don't want this to get out of control :)

Forgot to mention, I also have a Rel sub, so not too worried about the low end. Sorry for the long post and thanks for any help!
cedarblues
cedarblues OP
32 posts
 
If you can find synergy between your source, amp, speakers you will enjoy any type of music on your system. If not it will never sound right. You can't just throw a great pick up in a great guitar body and expect it to sound great, ( buddy of mine love to mod his pick ups he about drove himself crazy) same with "revealing " 2 channel gear.
I know all about swapping pickups, caps, strings, tubes, speakers... that's where I waste most of my time :) that's why I want to keep the whole audio thing simple. 

I don't really have the time or patience to wait 500 hours to decide if I like something. In that case I'll never be able to audition something within 30 days and return it if I don't like it. I gave the Dentons 100 hours, and even though the highs are a little softer it just doesn't do it for me. I knew I kinda liked the LS50s within the first 50 hours. This evening I decided to hook the LS50s back into the Primaluna. While breaking in the Dentons I was also breaking in a new set of EL34, so they're both at around 100 hours now. I also swapped the two 12AU7s with some Mullards just before I got the Dentons. I can't believe how beautiful these LS50s sound! Once I got 'em dialed in the soundstage, depth, vocals, and details were so much better and the highs even got smoother. The live recordings are still a little harsh with the guitar sounding a little too bright and thin, but I can live with it for now, it's not as fatiguing. I just wish the electric guitar had more body to the tone with the LS50, and not as bright, but the clarity of an acoustic guitar is incredible! And there's this beautiful reverb going on in the room, which I really love since I always have reverb on my guitar amps.

I will compare tubes over the weekend, to confirm if that's what's helping, and give the Dentons another listen before I decide if they're going back or not.
tinger1's avatar
tinger1
1 posts
 
@Cedarblues,

If you decide on the Heresy3s.. I bought a pair from ebay recently the 'chipote' edition.  No raiser / grill for $1100 pr.  completely brand new.  The seller has 2 pairs left.
Unfortunely, I'm in the process of organizing/packing or you can come over to listen to them (i'm in downtown orlando).  I definitely dont have golden ears, but I enjoy my quad57 &  .7s for blues & jazz.

best,
ting

kahlenz's avatar
kahlenz
263 posts
 
I have owned many speakers over the years.  Here is my general take:

Horns:  delicious, sweet sound with lots of dynamics.  Huge and directional.  Sound best when loud.  Example Klipsch Heresys.
Electrostatic:  Detailed and resolving, very directional.  Example Magnapan 1.7s.
Floor standing dynamic:  Versatile and balanced, sound quality varies but you generally get what you pay for.  Example:  PSB Imagine X2Ts
Stand mount dynamic:  Much like floor standers, but more versatile.  Will likely need subwoofer(s).  Example:  Harbeth P3esr with REL sub.
Properly outfitted with appropriate electronics and with the right placement in the right room, all of these speakers can sound great.  If you have a small room, smaller stand mounts will probably be the best fit.  Having a seperate sub (or 2) will allow you to find the best location to reduce unwanted resonances (I could write a book on this, but you wwill find plenty of good advice in these forums).
I am a guitar player (both acoustic and electric), and I play and listen to a lot of blues.  My current main hifi rig consists of Harbeth P3esr speakers, Sound Anchor stands, and a single REL t5i sub.  Adequate solid state amplification, tube pre-amp, and varied sources.  I was able to move things around in my 13' x 22' room to get supurb, balanced sound that suits me perfectly.  I cannot recommend the Harbeths enough!
jmolsberg's avatar
jmolsberg
467 posts
 
Because of this thread I spun junior wells - hoodoo man blues, roosevelt sykes - hard drivin blues, and sonny terry & brownie mcghee - midnight special, and they sound fabulous with my omega 3xrs high output! I left his morning to take the kids to swim school and came back to find hoodoo man on side two, meaning my wife gave it a spin 😉
cedarblues OP
32 posts
 
If you decide on the Heresy3s.. I bought a pair from ebay recently the 'chipote' edition. No raiser / grill for $1100 pr. completely brand new. The seller has 2 pairs left.
Unfortunely, I'm in the process of organizing/packing or you can come over to listen to them (i'm in downtown orlando). I definitely dont have golden ears, but I enjoy my quad57 & .7s for blues & jazz.
Thanks for the tip and the offer!

If you have a small room, smaller stand mounts will probably be the best fit.  Having a seperate sub (or 2) will allow you to find the best location to reduce unwanted resonances
That's the setup I have and want to stick with if possible. I can always make adjustments with the sub, but with a bigger speaker in the mix it might not work in that room, but I'm open to suggestions and willing to try something different if it gets me the results I'm looking for. Heresy or single driver speakers, not sure.

I am a guitar player (both acoustic and electric), and I play and listen to a lot of blues.  My current main hifi rig consists of Harbeth P3esr speakers, Sound Anchor stands, and a single REL t5i sub.  Adequate solid state amplification, tube pre-amp, and varied sources.  I was able to move things around in my 13' x 22' room to get supurb, balanced sound that suits me perfectly.  I cannot recommend the Harbeths enough!
You don't find the Harbeth too small sounding? I worry that with my gear it won't play loud enough when I need it to and will sound small for guitars... I want the guitar to have more body to it, the small speakers I've tried so far can't deliver, I think a bigger driver will help?

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