I am about to embark on my next upgrade journey


Hey Audiogon Community-

The basics of what I have now:

12x15 room with cathedral ceilings.

2x Schiit Aegirs in mono

Gustard R26 Pro

2x REL T/5X (next for an upgrage)

MAC Mini M1 with Audirvana Studio

Various cable upgrades and power conditioning

Back wall is treated.

What I want to upgrade are the B&W 705 S2 speakers on 30” stands.

I have enjoyed the B&Ws but I feel I am missing some general musicality, presence and depth.

As the impedance curve heads down to 4ohms on the B&Ws, the Aegir’s seemed to run our of steam.  Otherwise, the amps sound quite amassing for what they are.

I have limited options for brick-and-mortar retailers to do in person listening.   The closest oner to me made me feel like I was buying a used car.  They immediately started discussing a $20K before even qualifying what I currently have, or about ny tastes or listening room.

I need a stand mount that is a stable or as stable as possible @ 8ohms and 89db efficient.

I have narrowed my choice to the Sopra N°1and would appreciate some feedback.  Open to other options as well.

 

Thank you!!

upward_bound

When I read this post and saw the Sopra 1 mentioned I thought of recommending the Fritz speakers.  So a third recommendation for them.  I recently listened to the Sopra 1 and it has nothing on the Fritz Rev 7 SEs I have.  The Sopra is certainly a bit brighter and does not go as deep as the Fritz.  I haven’t heard the Carrera BE or the Carbon but I think it would be worth listening to especially at less than half the price.  The Fritz has all the attributes you mentioned that you feel are missing from your current speakers.

It all starts at the source.

You're not getting the best out of your system with a laptop at the beginning of the chain.  Get a real streamer.

Since you are asking about speakers, I also recommend Fritz Carbon 7SE MK2s. They fit your desired specifications. A very easy to drive and like speaker. I own a pair and use them in at room much like yours. John, the owner of Fritz,  offers 30 day home trials. I encourage you to give him a call. Very nice Web site also.

I also agree that you could make advances with the improvement of your source. A subject for a different thread possibly.

Good luck in your search.

 

I’ve owned many speakers over the years mostly British made as I prefer their sound characteristics. Recently purchased Harbeth C7es-XD pair. If you want something that sounds like real music with no hype then  Harbeth is a wonderful brand with several models. They all sound musical. 

I own a set of Fritz carbon 7se  MK2 in a smaller listening room with very good electronics (IMO) and a SVS SB 3000 sub. Listen to only Rock, they are so GOOD. I told Fritz during a recent conversation, after listening  for 3 plus hours that I would never sell them. They look so simple and refined, but sound so good. The call was just about telling him How much I enjoyed them. Robert TN