Up to $4000US tower speakers for Jazz and Classical Music


Hello All!

My wife and I are musicians who happen to also love listening to music! Last 3 years we have used a pair of Q acoustics Concept 40 tower speakers powered (now) by and Audiolab 6000A integrated. We listen to 90% of our music on CDs (Audiolab CD transport) or vinyls (Audiotechnica turntable). Mostly jazz and classical music in our roughly 53 square meters (550 sq ft) living room. Some other speakers came and went but we have so far liked the Q acoustics more than any other. We like their honesty with a tinge of warmness, but they are also engaging, open sounding, dynamic, airy! We love how chamber music sounds on them: string quartets, piano trios (jazz or classical), voices, big bands, etc... but we do miss a bit of that lower octave the Q acoustics simply don't have. A friend lent me a pair of Elac Adante AS-61 but did no like them much. lots of transient attack (which was good for percussion instruments) but it somehow changed the color/timbre of other instruments. I work also as a mixing engineer and have a pair of Neumann KH310 monitors in my treated room so I can say I'm picky with sound. Of course we don't want the analytical sound of the Neumanns in our living room (completely different beasts) but we want speakers to still be honest, but engaging, open, dynamic, airy. We are looking for a pair of tower speakers around $4000 that will provide us with a more believable orchestral crescendo, pianissimo, fortissimo, and that lower octave of a double bass the Concept 40s can't provide (by the way, we don't want a sub; tried several and simply did not like the overall presentation). We are looking at possibilities in Crutchfield, Music Direct or Amazon in case we need to return them (we live in the countryside and can't audition any speakers nowhere near!). Our list includes: Klipsch Forte III, Definitive Technology Demand D17, Kef R7, JBL HDI-3800, Dali Opticon 8MK2, Revel F206 and B&W 703 S2 or 704 S2. They will have to be efficient as the Audiolab does not have a ton of power! Any suggestions, greatly appreciated!! Thanks!

langelo68

I also listen to a lot of classical (and jazz).

I would encourage you to check out open baffle speakers.

Spatial Audio speakers are highly regarded, as @81m800m800m suggested.

I’m not familiar with all their models, but the ones I have heard are excellent.

I have Emerald Physics 2.8 open baffle speakers in my system, and while OB speakers fill a room differently than a "box" speaker, they are something to behold. Absolutely exceptional for classical. I’m not sure I could ever go back to a traditional "box" design, to be honest.

I also have a pair of Tektons (Enzo XL’s w/ Be tweeters), so I am familiar with their design and line-up. Not a bad speaker, but again, OB speakers are hard to beat (at least for what I am looking for out of my system). This is predicated that you have the space to position them and the room to allow them to "breathe" (which it sounds like you do).

 

As mentioned above, an open baffle should not be missed before spending your budget. You may never go back. 

I too dig Revel Petforma3 F206. I have a set and listen to Jazz. They are hooked up to a Naim Uniti Nova not lox. Also klipsch Herritage.
If only you could demo these and others.