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Considering a POSSIBLE replacement for speakers. Opinions?

Upfront, this isn't for Home Theater, just two floor standing speakers and a separate subwoofer. So there is full disclosure. The speakers I am considering replacing are 2008 Monitor Audio Silver RS8's.

Sadly, unlike the Neolithic Era of high end audio, it can be very hard to find a brick and mortar store to visit, listen and compare individual components. That's the way it was done waaay back in the day
 Now, comparisons seem easiest to get by asking questions like this and finding a consensus. So, if you were looking to replace 12 year old speakers that are highly regarded for their day, what are some brands you'd consider without losing your mind and deciding you need $4,000 speakers? And thanks as always.

j
stereoisomer
audioconnection
1,271 posts
 
Make sure you also hear the best selling high end speaker of all time.The 3.2 k newest Vandersteen 2Sig 3 Its offers amazing potential in that it works great with your B&K and well beyond will give you a more sophisticated level of performance then typical box designs.Achieve the proper tone with voices guitars and timing of the recording venue that are MIA in conventional Box/ steep crossover designs. JohnnyR
  • Time and phase-correct

  • Minimum-area baffles for driver mountings that eliminate most cabinet edge and grille diffraction anomalies

  • Midrange and woofer use cast baskets

  • Tri-woven composite midrange

  • Filled poly cone woofer

  • High quality hand built crossovers

  • SPEAKER SPECIFICATIONS -


    • DESIGN -Sealed individual enclosure Loudspeakers

    • TWEETER - 1” Exclusive Dual-Chamber, Transmission-Line Loaded, Ceramic-Coated Alloy Dome with Ferrofluid Voice-Coil Cooling

    • MIDRANGE - 4.5” Reflection-Free Tri-Woven Composite Cone with Die-Cast Aerodynamic Basket and Magnet System with Ferrofluid Voice-Coil Cooling

    • WOOFER - 8” Mineral-Filled Polycone with Die-Cast Basket, Dual-Layer Voice Coil with Ventilated Aluminum Former, 40 oz. Focused-Gap Magnet Structure

    • ACTIVE ACOUSTIC COUPLER - 10” Critically-Damped Long-Fiber Cone, Heavy-Duty 1.5” 4-Layer Voice Coil with Ventilated Aluminum Former, 40 oz. Focused-Gap Magnet Structure

    • FREQ. RESPONSE - 29Hz to 29kHz

    • SENSITIVITY - 86 dB

    • IMPEDANCE - 7 Ohms

    • POWER HANDLING - 40-160 Watts

    • DIMENSIONS/EA - (LxWxH) 10.25" x 16" x 39.75"

    • WEIGHT/EA: 69 Lbs each
    • Bases filled 30 LBS


    • jjss49's avatar
    Ag insider logo xs@2x
    jjss49
    6,612 posts
     
    @audioconnection 

    johnny - curious to hear your take on how the vandy 2ce sig 3 (what a word salad!) compares to the vandy 3a sig, one step up richard's line...


    avanti1960
    1,467 posts
     
    I am a big fan of the Harbeth sounds and would recommend a set of C7ES3.  They will sound more natural, more refined, have better vocal imaging and presence, better instrument recognition and a larger sound stage than any of the MA Silver series.  
    bdp24's avatar
    bdp24
    9,746 posts
     
    @noble101: Tim, give Danny Richie---the designer of the OB Sub---a call at GR Research. He is a very nice guy, and will be happy to advise you on adding the sub to your system.

    Danny is one of the true experts in the world on the subject of OB speaker/sub design. Also check out the GR Research Forum on AudioCircle, which has a number of threads dedicated specifically to the OB Sub. 
    ghdprentice
    6,898 posts
     
    Since you are investing a significant amount of money, why not consider a trip? Are you a 4 hour drive from a city? That’s a day trip. Call up in advance, make appointment. Know what they carry, read reviews in advance. Have a play list. Live further? Overnight trip. Take your time.

    I really do not recommend acting on a consensus here. Your tastes are probably unique, and the performance of speakers are highly system dependent. A good audio dealer should be able take into account your system, tastes and help guide you. Find out the store owner or manager in advance, make the appointment with him. You want a seasoned professional, not some summer hired kid.
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