Speaker recommendation $10-20K (with some requirements!)


Recent lessons of the developing audiophile:


  • Don’t buy speakers without demonstration

  • Speaker break in is real...but will not fundamentally change DNA

  • Really appreciate the wisdom of this forum!


I recently changed my old B&W Matrix 803 Series 2 with new Dynaudio Countour 60i’s. A number of you helped on my: How important is speaker break-in? post - thanks! The Dyn’s are not fully broken in, but I think I can see where this is going: They have great soundstage, detail, and bass. In comparison, the B&Ws sound smaller, thinner, slightly less detailed overall, and do not throw big bass. (The B&W’s are supplemented nicely with a quality subwoofer, but that still sounds a little more like component parts stitched together, than the way the Dyn’s deliver an integrated output).  


The problem? The Dyn’s are hard in the mids and highs, and my (aging) ears are very sensitive to that. I have some tinnitus that I usually don’t notice...unless a hard or ringing sound sets it off, and these speakers are doing it big time. Immediately fatiguing (unless the recording is just somebody plucking at a bass guitar). The B&Ws are pretty sweet in the mid-range and most recordings don’t trip my hard/edgy line. So, I WILL go demo before buying this time, but I am hoping this group can help narrow the search a bit, and I am letting budget drift up if that helps get it done. Here are constraints and goals, and equipment:


*Absolutely must be smooth and silky - not hard, edgy, ringing, brittle, etc. - in the mids and highs. Ironically, I tend to listen mostly to heavier music, but I care mostly about sweet and detailed delivery of delicate sounds, like vocals and piano. For say, heavy metal, I don’t care if the system reproduces it perfectly, only that it tilts away from ragged, ringing tones as much as possible.


*After that, I want a big, authoritative sound with meaningful bass, detail - everything one would want in a speaker, but compromises can be made.  


*Room Treatments. Room is medium size, does not have treatments, and it is what it is. It is not a dedicated audio room, so I can’t start throwing stuff up on the walls (WAF). (The room does have the benefit of being wood floor applied directly to concrete (with a rug), so at least the floor doesn’t resonate. And it has 2 layers of sheetrock in places). I will live with my room compromises, but the sound coming out the speakers themselves does matter and I want to focus on that.


*Prefer tower style for aesthetics and fit, but open to boxy (e.g. Harbeth) if that’s where I need to go.  


* Equipment: All digital inputs to ARC DAC 8 -> ARC Ref5se preamp -> Bryston 7BSST2 monoblocks (600W). I get that the whole system matters, and that Brystons are supposed to be a little hard. But this problem really started with the new speakers, so that is where I am focusing. If you really think different amps or something are going to turn the Dynaudio’s silky sweet in the mids and high, please say that with some conviction and support.


As always, really appreciate the greater knowledge of this community!



mathiasmingus
I have some tinnitus myself, not bad, I have some B&W 705 s2's, and I find them a little bright at times. I recently bought some Salk Exotica R monitors.  Not bright, very good detail, excellent mid-range, good base for a monitor. I actually understand lyrics I never understood before. The exotica range has some other speakers that may fit your bill.
I encourage you this listen to Sonus Faber Olympia Novas and Gibbons X. 
I listen to a wide variety of music and generally at a level just above speaking levels. I went with the SFs and both were impressive. I tested them with Beastie Boys Brass Monkey, Johnny Cash Hurt, Steely Dan Hey Nineteen, Daft Punk Get Lucky and Foo Fighters Best of You and other songs to hear how they handled different dynamic music.  
Happy Holidays!  OP, I'm on the same journey as you are.  My ears have always been very sensitive to the higher frequencies.  I more recently jumped into 2 channel listing, my main focus prior had been on Home Theater. 

I've swapped out amps (solid state & Tube) DAC's, Pre-amps, cables, HAF and DSP room correction.  Same boat as a limit to how much room correction I can do.  From what I've read room correction will have a larger impact on bass, it will influence the high's but it won't take speakers sounding bright / harsh, fatiguing and re-tune them. 

I recently sold a pair of Focal 1028BE's that I thought would be my main speakers for a long, long time.  At times they sounded magical, breathtaking but with much of the music I enjoy they fatigued, were too bright, harsh, forward, even in the same track you could be mesmerized and then shook by harsh, bright highs.  Frustrating part of the journey is many of the forums or people I talked to hailed the 1028's as fantastic speakers to the point that if I thought they were bright, harsh, fatiguing it was me, not the speaker.  Digging deeper I did find others that had the same issues with the speakers, measurements that showed they were tuned hot for the highs in the 2k + range.  The phenomena that others have referenced as being tuned to sound great in a showroom / at a show. 

Best advice I got was that if a speaker doesn't sound good to you, isn't tuned to be in your sweet spot, move on and find some that are.  Tweaking speakers that you like overall can get you to the next level but no amount of tweaking, different equipment will re-tune speakers that aren't tuned for your ear.  Believe me, I had a lot of people try and sell me a new pick any gear except the speaker hailing it was the missing link for me.  When I stumb[led on those that said, hey, you got to change the spaekers the advice I got was avoid metal tweeters, look for speakers known to be tilted to the warmer side.  Sonus Faber is referenced quite often.  Dynaudio which you have is another brand but dependent on the model. 

I went a totally different direction - a thread popped up asking people for their favorite boutique speaker makers, I live in the North East, saw comments on a small shop, Omega Speakers.  Called Louis, described what I was looking for.  His niche is single driver speakers, when he listened to what i was looking for he recomended a speaker that was a modernized version of the Dynaco A-25, which was one of the top selling speakers of all time.  He built me Dyna Tens - no crossover, 10 inch paper driver, fabric tweeter that has 3 sets of Resistors that can be swapped out at the speaker terminals.  I just got them, letting them break in and I'm waiting on the resistors so the tweeter is running without any type of crossover. 

How will it work out, not sure, just got the speakers, breaking them in and I'm waiting on the resistors for the highs.  I love the look of the speakers, beautifully finished like no speaker I've seen to be honest, retro look.  It was really cool to talk to Louis about the speakers before he built them. 

Will these speakers be the "ones" my wife certanly hopes so.  I'm still breaking them in but so far they do make listening to many of the songs i found harsh, too bright easier, less fatiguing and that's with the tweeter running full out, open.  Bass isn't as robust as the Focals - hoping they'll open up a bit as they break in. 

The other really cool aspect is Louis is a phone call or drive away to help get them sounding as good as they can, if needed.  I picked the speakers up, stands are included but were being directly to my house, Louis loaned me a set of stands!  He's passionate, loves what he does.  The craftmanship shows. 

Good Luck - have fun with the journey!
Millercarbon won't say it but i will. The answer could be tekton design moab or ulfberht. Problem is only way to hear them is if you know someone who has them or find an electronics show where they have a booth. They do allow you to return them if you don't like them. 
@randym860  

Millercarbon won't say it but i will. The answer could be tekton design moab or ulfberht. Problem is only way to hear them is if you know someone who has them or find an electronics show where they have a booth. They do allow you to return them if you don't like them.

Let's be honest, the answer could be any of hundreds of speakers that happen to sound good to the OP. Your mentioning Tekton is just as valid as anyone recommending another brand.  What becomes increasingly suspect however, and smacks of agenda, is when MC recommends Tekton in every situation for every listener. That's like recommending chocolate chip ice cream every time someone says they are looking for something good to eat. That makes no sense as we know that's not everyone's favorite flavor...but it would make sense if you are in the chocolate chip ice cream business ;-)