Economical full-range floor-standing speaker options?

LSA 20 Statements


https://www.underwoodhifi.com/products/lsa-speakers

"Living Sounds Audio, now owned by Underwood Hi-Fi, is really impressing the staff here over the last year with its growing stable of excellent products, and the Statement 20 is a prime example of why. For a mere $6K you get a big, beautiful speaker (BBS?) that is equally adept at playing all sorts of music. “They are beautiful to behold, and also possess a sonic ‘rightness’ that both excites and soothes [our] spirit.”
The LSA-20 Statement is on sale thru the end of the year at only $3299.00 delivered for the pair.


Read it at: https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2020/12/04/the-best-floorstanding-speakers-buyers-guide-2021/

hth

Salk Song3. They are really tops at that price. 

@bubba12 Those Song3’s are beautiful - Wow! Curley Maple with Silver Gray Die and Burst Edge really hits the spot. https://www.salksound.com/gallery/Song3%20BeAT/s3-BeAT-silvergrayburst.jpg

@atmasphere I intended to do a swarm-like sub system originally (and still might), but maybe not best for a bedroom 2-ch system. Currently using plenty of ATI amp driving LXmini and 4x12" Peerless XLS subs in open-baffle config all running through miniDSP4x10HD. I’m thinking about a simpler system with less of everything (especially less complication).

A great set of speakers (that can play full-range flat) and a NAD M33 would be quite simple (only 2 components + phono). At this point (because I’m spoiled by LXmini), I’m thinking Spatial M3 Sapphire (or other open-baffle) are probably the only options that would satisfy. But the cost, is a factor too - is $10k for the ’simple system’ a good value (I ask myself). Has anyone A/B’d LXmini (w/subs) vs M3 Sapphire? Do the Sapphire’s produce the same ’magic’ imaging?

My other option is to spend more time with LXmini incorporating the pair of Hypex FA123 plate amps I have (for this purpose). Then I’ll need to change-up the miniDSP situation and either use the (all digital) nanoDIGI (which I already have from when I tried to improve SQ by using stand-alone DACs) or get a DDRC-22D to add Dirac capability.

Yes, Salk’s are awesome!  Salks finishes are really cool.  They tend to look even better in person too.  Long wait times though.  I haven’t heard the song 3’s but with those drivers and cabinet size I’m sure they sound damn good.  My speakers use the same tweeter, same with Hilde45.  Its a pretty sweet sounding tweeter.  Theres a pair of preowned SS6M’s for sale right now too that you might look at...

I’d consider a pair of preowned Joseph Audio Pearls too if you could swing it.  Every time I’ve heard them they sounded fantastic and everyone else in the room agreed.  

Salk speakers are interesting. Their response curves are cut off at 200 Hz. Nothing bellow. Disturbing. They use good drivers. Their cabinets look great but there is a problem. They radius the corners and wrap the veneer around the corner. The veneer is only 1/64" thick and is on MDF. MDF is hardest on its faces but much softer in the middle. You can easily see this on a cleanly cut edge. When its edges are radiused it exposes the soft interior which now forms the corner which is the part of the enclosure most susceptible to damage. Although they are using a polyester finish which is the toughest, corners always take a beating. The corners should be made out of solid wood but it is difficult and time consuming to match grain and color. IMHO this is a bad shortcut to take. There is no good way to repair a damaged veneer corner and because the MDF below is a different color and usually lighter it will stick out like a sore thumb.  If you get these speakers make sure NOBODY goes near them. One wrack with a vacuum cleaner is all it takes.  
If I were making those enclosures I would use a very hard contrasting wood like Ebony (Black) or Maple(white) in the corners. Veneer is fine for flat surfaces but bad news on edges. I would also make them out of plywood not MDF. Many do not realize this but plywood is stiffer than MDF. How do I know these speakers are MDF. You can not radius plywood and veneer it. Plus good cabinet grade plywood is 3-4 times the cost.