2. speakers
  3. 177814-154134

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
audiotroy's avatar
audiotroy
3,599 posts
 

sorry wrong direction you love your speakers why don’t you upgrade to an even better amp?

 

the next class of amps 3 to 5k should get you some impressive gains in overall performance

 

if I were you I would visit a local dealer and borrow a few amps

 

 

madrac
13 posts
 

+1 on the Ascend Acoustics Sierra Towers with RAAL. 

 

stevehardy1
77 posts
 

Other than lacking some low end, it sounds like you’re quite happy with your current speakers. If so, why not just add a subwoofer (or 2)? I have 2, REL T/7xs in my main system with Magnepan 1.7is and 1, T/5x in my family room with KEF LS50s. In both systems, the sound is seamless and I have all the low end I could ask for. The great thing with REL subs is that they don’t require a separate feed from a pre-amp. You simply run the cables from your amp’s speaker outputs.

Their T/x series are priced from $700 to $1500. I just checked their website and they offer free shipping and a 60 day trial period, with free shipping back to them. I’ve tried a number of different subs over the years, but I always heard the sub as being separate, as they never integrated well with my main speakers. I don’t hear that with the RELS.

Paul McGowan of PS Audio, wrote this about REL connections.

https://www.psaudio.com/pauls-posts/subwoofer-connections/

Ag insider logo xs@2x
bvk_houtx
12 posts
 

I wouldn't shy away from anything created by Jim Salk or Dennis Murphy.  Years ago I had the pleasure of hearing the Ellis 1801 speakers at a co-workers house. They sounded fantastic.  Mr. Salk has a floor standing version in a transmission line cabinet.  I would talk to him or Dennis before I made any purchases.

passthedutchie
42 posts
 

After two years with them, I remain smitten with my Tekton Moabs. They go down to 20Hz and are very efficient, as you require, but much more importantly, they sound like real music. Even recordings with huge dynamics, like a Steve Smith drum solo, or The Snow Maiden performed by the Minnesota Orchestra, are lifelike, with the appropriate scale and precision. The Tektons do subtle and subdued, they do loud and boisterous, and everything in between. Transient speeds are unheard-of good especially considering that these are dynamic drivers you’re listening to, not panels. The Moabs are big and not especially pretty, but if you can get over that, they should provide years of outright joy. The price tag was four grand two years ago, $4,700 now. I’ve heard speakers that sound better, but not under 25,000 dollars.

More to discover