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Efficient speaker: Zu, Tekton, Volti, Klipsch, Fleetwood?
We’re moving and I’m looking for a high-efficiency, high impedance speaker that can fill a very large “great room” with smooth, open, detailed sound, both for serious listening and casual background music. I currently have Devore Super 9s, but those will be going in a separate dedicated listening room. I thought about getting another pair of Devores (maybe the O/93) for the great room because I love this brand, but I’m interested in other possibilities The new speakers will be on either side of a 6-foot TV console, so they’ll need to sound good fairly close to the wall behind them. And they will need to have a reasonably good WAF. They will be played mainly at low-moderate sound levels and our tastes include rock, classical, world music and “spa” type relaxation stuff.
Anyone who is familiar with any of the following candidates, please feel free to sound off. As you can see, price ranges are all over the place:
Zu Soul Supreme
Tekton Lore
Volti Razz
Klipsch Forte IV
Fleetwood Deville
Others?
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- 146 posts total
It all really comes down to personal taste. I've only heard Zu and Tekton at shows so I don't have much to offer on those. I've owned Forte IIIs and have upgraded those to Volti Razz and from the Razz to Volti Rivals. I wrote a quick review for Greg for the Razz that's on his site and can be found here (it's the one that mentions the Forte IIIs): https://voltiaudio.com/razz-press/ He also left the link up for the Rivals that I have now which are here: https://voltiaudio.com/RivalSErosewood.shtml I liked all three speakers but I can't foresee ever getting rid of the Rivals. I think you will find any of these pretty different from the Super 9s, which I think are definitely a little hotter on the top end (a local dealer sells them and I've auditioned them twice). The Rivals are being driven by an LTA Z40i w/Mullards (updated to the latest version a couple of weeks ago) and the main source is an Innous Zenith music server going into a Border Patrol SE-I DAC. I'll add a turntable this year. I have another system that I've been deciding whether to do something similar or something completely different and after toying with the idea of speakers from Marten, QLN and Joseph Audio (which are all great) I decided I kind of love horns and bought a pair of Fleetwood Deville's yesterday. The Deville's throw out just an unbelievably layered soundstage and the way voices and instruments just kind of fall out of the speakers in an effortless way is pretty intoxicating. For me, it's all about engagement. I either find the music coming from speaker X engaging or not, and the one I want to keep listening to is always the right choice. It sounds obvious, but trust me more folks end up buying based on some perceived audiophile trait than don't. The other speaker that I really love (but it's a bit too nearfield for my room) is the Harbeth 30.2 (just to draw a reference point for you). I hope some of this helps. Good luck. |
@badgerdms - What size room will you have the Fleetwoods in, and how will you have them set up? |
- 146 posts total