This is getting interesting.Some very good points.In my own experience,I found the "bast speaker" was always a moving target.
Often I liked something,only to get tired at a later time.I've had great non audio show demoes of stuff like BIG Infinity 4 tower designs(I've owned two systems of these in the past),The Nola Exotica Grand set up with mega buck German origin amps,Big designs from JM Labs(the the Be series),to Pipe Dreams,to TAD speakers.
In the long haul,though I too like orchestral big bang stuff,the vast majority of the Big Boys simply gave me a head ache,after the initial shock of so much energy.Well set up or not.
Though I "did" have a fantastic demo of three different mfgrs(all present)putting their own sets of electronics on the JM Labs Nova Utopia Be's.This might have been my own personal "best in what I've been most impressed with to date"!
There was Zanden,VAC and VTL....all both analog and digital,and we'd go back and forth between each set of electronics on the speaker....in a huge room.Low,and high power(the Zanden was pretty low-ish tube power,but came in first,to me and a few other lucky listeners.
Fortunately the speaker was an easy load to drive...but...for less than half the asking price,the VAC stuff was 95% as good,Imo.
That's just me,and why I'd opt for a simple,somewhat full range design,in my old age -:)
I kinda' think with technology these days,the time of the BIG speaker is coming to an end.There are some amazing small-ish designs coming down the pipe.
I don't care to measure anything as long as I think it sounds good.
I'll probably change my mind again before I turn around -:)
Good luck with it all
Often I liked something,only to get tired at a later time.I've had great non audio show demoes of stuff like BIG Infinity 4 tower designs(I've owned two systems of these in the past),The Nola Exotica Grand set up with mega buck German origin amps,Big designs from JM Labs(the the Be series),to Pipe Dreams,to TAD speakers.
In the long haul,though I too like orchestral big bang stuff,the vast majority of the Big Boys simply gave me a head ache,after the initial shock of so much energy.Well set up or not.
Though I "did" have a fantastic demo of three different mfgrs(all present)putting their own sets of electronics on the JM Labs Nova Utopia Be's.This might have been my own personal "best in what I've been most impressed with to date"!
There was Zanden,VAC and VTL....all both analog and digital,and we'd go back and forth between each set of electronics on the speaker....in a huge room.Low,and high power(the Zanden was pretty low-ish tube power,but came in first,to me and a few other lucky listeners.
Fortunately the speaker was an easy load to drive...but...for less than half the asking price,the VAC stuff was 95% as good,Imo.
That's just me,and why I'd opt for a simple,somewhat full range design,in my old age -:)
I kinda' think with technology these days,the time of the BIG speaker is coming to an end.There are some amazing small-ish designs coming down the pipe.
I don't care to measure anything as long as I think it sounds good.
I'll probably change my mind again before I turn around -:)
Good luck with it all