A used pair of Daedalus Ulysses just came on the Audiocircle for $8k. Grab them!
Best full range loudspeaker for the used price of 10 to 13,000 dollars
I've been very happy with my Reference 3A Grand Veenas for quite a few years now,what did I like about them?
Well first off they are a critically acclaimed product not an unknown
Secondly I thought the parts matched the price I agreed with the value
Third they sounded like I'd read they would ,and just as they looked like they would .Full range, disappeared completely,easy to understand midrange and easy to drive.
I'm ready to take a step forward now,these will be set up in my main living space(no wife)so they must be valuable. I would like a beautiful sonic asset to live with,Dazzle me!
Well first off they are a critically acclaimed product not an unknown
Secondly I thought the parts matched the price I agreed with the value
Third they sounded like I'd read they would ,and just as they looked like they would .Full range, disappeared completely,easy to understand midrange and easy to drive.
I'm ready to take a step forward now,these will be set up in my main living space(no wife)so they must be valuable. I would like a beautiful sonic asset to live with,Dazzle me!
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@cap, I was disappointed in the Dynaudio Contour 60 demos in the 3 room. Most of it was too loud. In one room, I requested for the volume to be turned down and they seemed to loose that magic when turned down. Also, when these were driven by a pair of Mark Levinson monos, they sounded very good (but too loud), but anything less might not work that well. This is my take of the demos. On the other hand, the TAD Micro Evolution One defied their size. The Salks were also very nice sounding loudspeakers, driven with low wattage amps. One speaker that really wowed me was the Kii. I completely agree with you on the Magico and YGs - looks like our experience mirrored w.r.t. these 2 brands. |
Having heard many at AXPONA this past weekend. The Salks were a great sound as well as the TAD and the new Dynaudio . They had a pair of ESL from Serbia that were damn near liquid too.. Its system synergy that pays the piper.. We all have heard speakers that sound great one place and bad another.. Room to room the Magico and YG sounded great to average .. Its set up and pairing ancillary gear |
I would second the recommendation to consider the Proac D48R. I auditioned these extensively just a few months ago. Ultimately I chose the Vandersteen Quatro CT (which I would also recommend you consider). I have always enjoyed the Proac sound and the D48 with the ribbon tweeter is one of the best I have heard. |
You may need to listen to some single driver designs, like Omega, Ohm, etc. to gain that same mid-range purity. After all, that is one of the keys to the purity of the mid-range in the Grand Veenas. The fact that the mid-range driver is run full out, with no crossover to interfere with the sound. There are other drivers added to articulate the highs and lows, and they are rolled out, but the mid-range driver is ran wide open. That is what makes the Grand Veenas so hard to beat. |
Well I first, do love the addition of the REL S2 .After listening to all of your suggestions I'm going to listen to the Harbeth 40.2,Acoustic Zen Crescendos,Revel Salons.But I have to say that Imaging and voices are where I need the strengths of the final design to be.Mind you these are exactly the characteristics of the Reference 3A Grand Veenas.Like I said I'm in NewYork for the next few months.I will keep you all posted. |
+1 mr_m My limited experienced suggestion is the most copied of your dynamic speaker choices. The one that hasn't been significantly changed since its inception on a count of they're that good. If your like me you won't be able to realize them fully until you get them home. The problem I've experienced first hand is if you run that REL sub using their fakakta high level connection, it robs good degree of delicacy from those speakers stunning sound stage. |
There is a pair of Vandersteen Quatro CT dealer demos for sale here. https://www.audiogon.com/listings/full-range-vandersteen-quatro-wood-ct-speakers-2017-03-30-speakers... Highly recommended and right in your budget. |
george Break out of the mold and get something that you will live with for a very long time and love for a very long time. A speaker that will exceed your expectations. A speaker that will reward all your future equipment upgrades with improve musical enjoyment. A speaker with exceptional midrange, ( because there is no crossover to suck out the music ). Sure why not you say. http://wilson-benesch.com/products/vector-floor-standing-loudspeaker.html |
"THE BEST" in speaker performance is subjective. To properly compare A vs B variables must be controlled. Ideally listening should be blind where the listener has no idea of the brand or physical characteristics. Connections are made to the same components with the same interconnect. Comparisons are done quickly to eliminate the loss of acoustic memory we all experience. Ultimately the goal should be to accurately reproduce the original image. Achieving this goal results in a satisfying experience as the listener is exposed to to new and different types of sound. The speaker should be relatively tolerant of its environment. REVEL has a custom platform allowing them to quickly compare speakers using the above guidelines.
With this in mind the REVEL speaker is an excellent place to start. Vast R&D resources, (Harman Luxury Audio Group), and excellent guidance from Director of Technology Kevin Voecks, result in a superb speaker at all price points. Voecks has an outstanding pedigree and the results are evident. Nuff Said. |
I will not tell you about what I think or hear say, will just tell you about what I know. Best fullrange I know is Tannoy Westminster GR, but good luck with finding a second hand pair for $13,000. Many stated in threads here are good, but one beats them all without the shadow of a doubt in my opinion and would beat many at over $25,000, it is the XTZ Divine Alpha. Just plain amazing for the price, $8,000 new. Swedish stuff, all first batches of production are pre-sold. These will absolutely dazzle you or i know nothing after 30years of audio mania. |
If great dynamics and power handling along with clarity are your thing, the Vapor Audio Nimbus black or white speakers would be about that range new. There is a pair on the east coast for sale at $7500. They just went off but will probably come back on. If you were so lucky as to have a pair of Vapor Joules come up used, they would have even better sound. The Nimbus is a funky cool looking speaker with a whole lot of live sound to it. The finish on all Vapor stuff is gorgeous. |
I second the Olympica IIIs. If you like musicality over analytical/detail, the Olympicas offer a rich musical sound I've yet to see hear in that price range. Very non fatiguing sound and fantastic with Jazz, classical, acoustic rock, etc. Wonderful midrange is the Olympica hallmark in my opinion. Doesn't hurt they are one of the most beautiful speakers aesthetically as well. There are some used pairs available on audiogon and USaudiomart depending on where you are located geographically. |
You can likely find a pair of used Vivid Audio K1s in that price range. The K1s changed the game for me. I updated up the Vivid line, but the K1s took engagement and disappearance to unexpected levels. They are also very forgiving to placement and have an exceptionally wide sweet spot. Value is exceptional at regular prices, but at used prices they are really worth considering. |
Agreed, the Double Impacts leave the amplification up to you. I run mine with Marantz Reference gear and think they sound great with solid state. While you might use some lower powered tube gear it would not be my first choice. But a combination such as what mofojo suggests certainly will please many. In no way would I suggest your solid state gear would be a poor match or go to waste. |
Mofojo... Tube pre and SS power is my current favorite combo too... BTW just noted the equipment posting in the above thread. I also noted some B&W 802 D's in gloss black for $8495 here on AG, way less than retail! Give them a local listen if you are able... 802 D's are a remarkable speaker with exceptional build quality and this pair are priced nicely here on AG. Enjoy the chase and the music! |
I know everyone has their favorites... My many years of experience in the audio addiction biz (now currently in partial remission) tells me that this is a very multi-factored question... Unknown room size and acoustic properties, unknown musical listening preferences and unknown associated equipment... Very hard to be accurate in recommending anything with skill while all those parameters are missing... What would I buy for my own system for this $10-13K money? I like Maggies, B&W's and my current favorites, Sonus Faber Olympica III's... My wife even loves the Oly's for their stylish visual qualities! A win/win for me... I found on the sales floor that women tend to judge speakers by looks 1st... then... they have to sound amazing too! All of the above speakers need to have several feet of "air" around them to image and develop clean frequency responses properly and it goes without saying that everything in the signal and power path matters too. |
Tekton Double Impacts. The only problem you will have is the cost. They're $3000. Oh, if you need bling you can opt for an automotive or gorgeous veneer finish. And do the cap upgrade. Even the you'll not even hit $4500. Think I'm off the mark? Read Terry London's review and see what he did with his $$$ reference speakers. |