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Advice on choosing speakers

Hi all, first some background... I am a music lover first and foremost. I have resisted the urge to upgrade my system for many years now (1973 MA6100 integrated, 1975 4-way XR7's, and a KCD-20 CD player that were all bought used) - but I am getting ready to take the plunge. I plan to buy all new components end-to-end. I believe that the first step is to choose appropriate speakers, and then select source and amplification to match. I listen to a variey of music, and understand that finding speakers that will do all styles well will be a compromise. I listen probably about 40% to acoustic instruments and vocal (bluegrass, folk, country and jazz) and 60% to rock music in a large room. I do not have a specific budget, but let's say less than 10K used. My four criteria so far are:

1. Speakers that are sufficiently detailed and nuanced to reproduce the intricacies of acoustic sound; true audiophile quality sound.
2. Able to handle the attack and low end of rock music at high levels of volume.
3. Have aesthetic appeal - this is entirely personal taste.
4. Made by a company known with a L/T reputation for standing by their product from a parts/service/dealer perspective.

So far, I have listened to very few speakers. I liked the look, clarity and detail of the Nautilus 802's for example, but found then lacking in low end and perceived ease at higher volume levels with rock music. I will next audition the N801's. Am I barking up the wrong tree here?; can you recommend your favourite speakers that will give me that detail and trasnaparency while being able to produce a "wall of sound" at higher volumes?

Thanks in advance for your help!
matt_lane
popbumper
4 posts
 
Matt:

Have you considered Klipsch at all? The horn-loaded designs of Klipsch produce an effortless, open and spacious "wall of sound" with very little power (tubes treat these speakers very well). I own five different varieties of Klipsch HERITAGE (meaning, no longer in production) speakers, and am extremely pleased with their detail, response, openness, and ability to produce huge volumes of sound, as well as excellent bass reponse. Do some research on the Klipschorn, LaScala, Cornwall, and Forte lines.

Good luck in your quest!!

Chris
drseid
201 posts
 
For Rock and acoustics in your used price range I recommend auditioning the McIntosh XRT-28s... They go for 18K+ new, but can be had around 9K used.

I listened to these guys at great length while on vacation late last year, and they impressed me to no end... They are the first speaker at their price point that I can honestly say was worth every penny (even new).

Midrange on the XRT-28s was first-rate, with vocals coming through crystal clear... Bass was tight and punchy (having the capability to go down to a real 18 hz when called for (which is *extremely* rare)), and highs were non-fatiguing... The soundstage on these guys was absolutely huge, and so was the sweet spot. My only minor gripe was the wood veneer trim was kind of cheap looking (especially for an 18K pair of speakers), but with the sound I heard, I couldn't care...

Electronics used were all solid state McIntosh (and the XRT-28s demand plenty of high quality watts to sound their best).

---Dave
warnerwh
539 posts
 
the review pairs. They have all the prerequisites you're asking for and more. I've heard B&W speakers. It's no contest between those and the VMPS per dollar. The ribbon panels are lightning quick and smooth. They simply make most other speaker sound like speakers. There are others like the Von Schweikerts that may work for you too.
pjl2122
83 posts
 
responding to speakers and choices for starters, time aligned loudspeakers if done properly make a noticable difference .Such as GreenMOuntain audio. I have had several big name brands 1st order and other designs .
JUst recently Green mountain put it all together with the allready brilliant cabinet work.Look at 6mmons online . the contunuum-3 ,and now the new callisto.4 patents pending.
They lack nothing in their frequency range .
A good 1st order design will without question image better than any other order designed .a higher order design will appear to soundstage bigger,at the expense of it's wholeness and detail being again out of phase.
also being phase perfect the drivers are moving in unison,
less distortion , more efficient and therefore more musical. other speakers cannot say that.
even 4th order a big soundstage ,technically even if phase coherent,that would be only at the crossover frequency .
after that music is 180 out of phase ,not phase coherent.
dynamic range no longer a problem ,for any sane person.
and the sweetspot is a big sound stage ,non time coherent
there is not a sweetspot compared. Check them out on their
new line , then discuss anything else.
jazzdude
332 posts
 
Matt_lane - Since you mention your concerns about the B&W Nautilis 802 and you seem to place emphasis on high spls and bass output. The only dynamic speaker I would recommend
would be wilson audio watt/puppy. Otherwise you should look at some transmission lines like PMC or maybe some active speakers. And if none of these do it for you check out some of the many horn speakers. I think Duke Lejeune said Classic Audio Reproductions makes some horn designs which come very close to being able to reproduce a full drum kit.

Someone on this thread mentioned some first-order crossover designs. IMO, they will sound the best for various reasons and I have 2 sets of Thiels. But because of the extended output range required of drivers in these designs and the spl levels I think you are after I strongly urge you not to consider them. Firstorder crossover designs cannot handle continuously high spls.
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