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$9000 speaker Orangutan or speaker + amplifier

Hey guys,

Wanted to see if I could get your opinion on this question I am noodling over.

I really need a speaker upgrade. Of all the speakers I have heard (which are not many) I really like Devore Orangutan (Priced $8000-$12000).

I also liked Harbeth (SHL5).

Am wondering if I should get the the Harbeth (used) and buy a nice set of new amps (Coincident Dragon $6500). Which could cost me about the same as a new pair of Devore Orangutan (cannot find them used).

So my question is :
Devore Orangutan + Pass Aleph 3 (my current amp)
OR
Harbeth SHL5 + Coincident Dragon

What do you think ?

My current system.

Clearaudio Concept
Triode TRX-1 Preamp
Triode DAC
Pass Aleph 3
Pyle pro phono amp ($15)
Stager silver interconnects.
Cheapo AQ speaker cables (will move to something silver soon).
Vienna Acoustics Haydn

I mostly listen to Jazz, Indian Classical, Piano, Vocals
essrand
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,344 posts
 
Kidd,

Not aware of the concept of an octave being applied to light/eyes, so not sure how to digest the comparison to sound/ears, but I'll buy the timing considerations being more difficult part as mattering when it comes to playback of recorded music.
kiddman
341 posts
 
Hi,

Am octave is just a doubling of frequency. The ear can pick up a span of TEN of those doublings! The eye: only a bit less than one doubling. Color perception is a frequency based phenomenon, just as sound is frequency based. Eyes pick up an electromagnetic wave, ears pick up a mechanical wave. But look how much wider the range of our perception is with sound!
nvp
317 posts
 
I will add that the sensitivity of our ears and in particular the range of intensities that they are capable of detecting (i.e. their dynamic range) is much more impressive than their ability to detect 10 octaves. The dynamic range of the human ear is 130 - 140 dB. If we consider that one dollar represent the intensity of the softest sound that our ears can detect, that the very loud intensities that represent the threshold of pain for our ears are on the order of ten thousand BILLIONs dollars. I am not sure whether we (i.e. humans) are actually able to manufactures microphone with such a wide dynamic range.

With movies and pictures the situation is much simpler. We have cameras that are significantly better than our eyes, plus the quality of a picture is not affected by interaction with ones room.
unsound
7,329 posts
 
Though the perception of a picture can be affected by interaction with ones room.
essrand OP
297 posts
 
Thanks to everybody for your help and suggestions.

My latest update is that I bought a pair of Coincident Dragons (used) . Amazing is the word, my Vienna Acousitcs Haydns sound almost (85-90%) as good as the Devore Orangutans (O/93) driven by Nagra that I heard at the dealer.

While I am recovering from the financial damage, am going to the RMAF to hear all the possible speakers.
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