Advice on Speaker upgrade vs System Component Upgrade
Hi Audiogonners,
I'm getting a bit of an upgrade itch, and looking for some advice about which direction to go. My current system is in my profile - small room 11x11x8 but sounds pretty good. Dynaudio Heritage Specials with DIY Aleph 60s i just built (fun!) - nice warm mid range / bass which i've enjoyed (mostly speakers), also have a Parasound JC5+ which is nice too. I'm tempted by some of the following speakers but not sure on room size being a challenge for full sized towers.
I listen to a lot of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Bowie - classic vinyl, but mostly on the roon rather than my turntable as my vinyl collection is really small. I love the sound of both digital and vinyl - but my digital is pretty warm with the R2R and the
Looking at stepping up to speakers in the 10-20k range new but buying second hand;
Wilson Audio Sabrina's - $10K ish on Audiogon
Sonos Faber Olympica Nova ii - $7K used at local dealer
Or would i get a better result upgrading something like the DAC or Streamer. I'm just a bit unsure. And yes I know that the two speakers are very different sound character with the Wilsons being super revealing and probably very hard to set up in my small room. I have Kef R11s in the living room with the JC5, which are much more neutral than the Dynaudios, but they also sound great.
Anyway - just looking for some perspectives - I'd like to move up a level with detail / clarity while still keeping that musical mid range..
Thanks in advance
Oscar Trio - Marten ... low order crossover / bass / build quality. From Mfg website:
Bases covered. $11k msrp https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2021/02/14/marten-oscar-trio-loudspeaker-review/ My recommendation is to listen to martens or similar. |
I'd keep the HS in the office and upgrade the KEFs to the Olympica's. They are absolutely gorgeous, I might change out my OG Contours with the Sonettas in my home theater just based on looks. The HS is a near perfect bookshelf, I don't think either the Sabrina or Olympica will be an upgrade, and as soix mentioned could lead to bass issues in a small room. I heard the Tune Tot and Nova I so it was bookshelf vs bookshelf. HS was the best to my ears though that Nova was pretty and the Tune Tot was a cool red color. Not my taste but they looked expensive. And were. |
If you are going to spend money looking for a meaningful upgrade then the only choice would be speakers. As far as asking which one to buy you will need to rely on your ears over opinions. You can add all the fancy cables you want. You can upgrade your amplifier/preamp or receiver. Buy a new CD player or streamer or whatever, it will not erase the sound of your old speakers. Might hear very, very small difference. Nothing compares to a significant upgrade in speakers. |
OP, Be very careful on this possible move to the living room!
I have said often, I would much rather have a small system in a dedicated room than a bigger one in a common area… especially if it is nearer to where my partner sleeps… or will want to cohabitate.
I have heard drop dead gorgeous systems with spectacular imaging and realism in rooms the size of walk in closets. It takes effort… tubes, careful choices, room treatments. But because the room is smaller you don’t need as much power and hence you can get higher quality lower power stuff (amp and speakers). I vote for the dedicated closet and the knowledge that you can create a world class system in it for much less money than moving to a communal space. It also allows for something you can really be proud of for what you achieve by using your mind. Learning the nuances of the acoustics of small spaces and really high quality electronics. |
