Good Speakers for Rock and Roll Under 15K


I have nice speakers for acoustics, jazz, vocals, etc. but are not great for rock and roll.  Would welcome any recommendations for speakers that do a great job with classic rock and roll.  I will add some components in my system that might influence thinking:

New Audio Frontiers Tube Preamp, New Audio Frontiers 845 Tube Power Amp, Lampizator Atlantic DAC, Innuos Zenith Streamer, Tchernov cables.

gregjacob

gregjacob

 

B&W 805 (if you like Monitor speakers), Infinity, Thiel or Vandersteen are all great Rock-N-Roll loudspeakers. Keep me posted on your purchase decision. Big Jazz fan here as well.

 

Happy Listening!

Klipsch LaScala's placed about with fronts about 4 ft. out from the front wall or for more money, Klipschorns in the corner.  You system should sweeten the sound of the horns nicely and they's be about right for power.  Dynamic as all hell.  They don't go super deep, but the bass is very potent.  My friend has the corner horns and has broken a couple of his windows from the pressure wave at high volume levels.  He loves them for rock.

Bob

 

+5 or whatever for Legacy. I’ve only heard the Signatures but they were stunning with rock related material.

People are suggesting $25,000 ATC’s (ATC SCM50ASLT) the OP requested $15k price ceiling. Which is why I suggested Legacy Focus XD's, they are a hell of a value for that $.

"Classic Rock and Roll" is a highly diverse genre that encompasses intimate acoustic guitars, dedicate piano passages, weepy vocals, full orchestra (including pipe organ) and, yes, raging guitars and pounding rhythms with more energy than a Jane Fonda workout video.

My guess is that the OP is looking for something that will require a hand gesture to others in the room to turn down the volume because he’s pinned back against the chair and can’t get up.

We go waaaaaay back with speakers that can hurt you before you can hurt them which begin with the legendary Altec A7s (JBL guys referred to these as "Voice of the Outhouse". Today there are many good choices.

As one contributor mentioned, the Golden Ear Reference is worth a listen. Having been a dealer for these and involved with mulitple "shootouts" in side-by-side against very high efficiency (100db +/-) speakers they will not disappoint. If you took a polite British loudspeaker, vintage ESS AMTs, a commercial sound reinforcement speaker and put them in a blender, the concoction would sound a lot like the Golden Ears. The built-in sub is a brute and you may find your furniture rearranged and have to be nudged back into their proper place after a "highly enthusiastic" listening session. You also may find yourself reaching for a tissue after those weepy vocals (when no one is watching, of course).

Good luck with your search for the perfect speaker that will create a purple haze around your brain, and show you a whole lotta love.