Non-fatiguing speakers in $10K range?


Some years ago I downsized to headphones only. Now I have access to a dedicated room again, so getting my absorption panels and ASC Tube traps back from storage... :-) The amp is going to be Accuphase E-800. I like class A, and I owned fair share of Pass gear but Pass integrated (and lower preamps) no longer have tape loop. I also like my gear to look the way I enjoy and Pass went too industrial for me.

Anyway, long story short. Speakers. I prefer relaxed, non-fatiguing sound. My headphones are Meze Elites and I love them. I also own Focal Utopia, but rarely listen to them, too forward for me.

Now, music-wise I do not listen to jazz or classical or vocals, sorry. Classic rock, hard rock, 80s new wave, punk, pop (classic and modern) and African blues like Tinariwen. People tend to insta-suggest forward sounding speakers - you like metal, right???. But I don't like piercing sound and I rarely go to concerts exactly because of this. I listen to AC/DC but NOT at 'realistic' revels. I like rhythm, melody, but I don't care about 120 Db.

The budget is about $10K, give or take, most probably second hand, but I can buy new, if I really like it. Unfortunately, there are not that many high end shops around Seattle with gear I like. Some went selling vintage and some went up selling only $100K+ systems. So most probably will be getting something blind.

It seems I should be looking for ribbon tweeters, I spent hours at youtube - it is definitely not listening in person, but some recordings are pretty decent and many show differences between speaker models.

I also compare frequency response measurements - I can easily tell that I won't like the speaker by looking at the chart. Ex, bump around 2-6K is a no-no since this is what "bright" is. Dip is actually good since this is what makes sound less "in your face/ear".

So far I more-or-less narrowed my search down to Legacy (Signature or Focus), Dali 8, ProAc (D48 or K) and - maybe - Magico A3? Legacy is huge, I am not sure I really need 20Hz extension. Magico has beryllium tweeters which may be bright....

I purchased Tannoy D700 many years ago, still own them, they are part of my TV set up. They sound good, but not as good as I would like it. My desktop speakers are ribbons too - AirPulse, I like them quite a bit.

Anything else I am missing?

mikhailark

@deep_333.....Like I said, you don't have a clue. You put everything down from every manufacturer and promote 1 Brand and 1 Speaker....There are Many speakers mentioned here by many posters that are just trying to be helpful to the OP........Crapbox , huh......Are you talking about the Bullies....

Post removed 

Hi @mikhailark I just got back from T.H.E. Show audio expo in SoCal last weekend. Addressing your specific question I listened to 2-3 speakers that might interest you. The Legacy Aeries was auditioned in the room and for a ribbon tweeter, sounded smoother than I expected; certainly smoother than what I have heard before. Maybe the Signature SE or Focus used is an option for you. They use similar components, and owning a ribbon speaker myself, fatigue or harshness can be an issue. Also the beaming quality. The Aeries had none of that.

Have you heard of Lansche speakers? Their 5.2 was what they were playing through and that’s $60K. But their entry level 3.2 I found used for $12K (new $30K). Same plasma tweeter and OMG what a sweet pleasant sound! Extremely coherent sound as well. One of the few speakers that sounded well balanced. Haven’t absorbed all the tech concerning the plasma tweeter but it sounded so easy to listen to.

I did also enjoy the Fyne 502SP but since the Tannoys didn’t quite do it for you, maybe skip the Fynes? May be worth a listen? Let us know what you do!!

- PS - How much room ya got to the front wall? Those Borrensen X3 would be great but need a lot of room to breathe. The Fynes are bottom ported, so is the Lansche I think so closer to wall placement s/b OK. Legacy sealed so those are good for closer placement, too.

@mikhailark , thank you for the additional information.

That’s a nice big room, which imo implies that you will probably want fairly high voltage sensitivity for use with your 30-watt Pass Labs amp. You might consider speakers with a voltage sensitivity in the 94 dB ballpark. By way of comparison, this would put you in the same SPL ballpark as a pair of Revel Salon 2’s driven by 200 watts per channel.

When faced with the prospect of having to move fairly heavy speakers up and down driveways and stairs, I invested in a dolly with large pneumatic tires and nylon stair-skids. It wasn’t cheap, but I’ve gotten nearly two decades of use out of it for a variety of roles beyond moving speakers. Something like that might widen the range of options you can consider.

Another possibility is planning from the outset to use subwoofers for the bottom end, so that the size and weight can be distributed among multiple smaller loads, even if the total size and weight ends up being greater.

The Pi Speakers 3Pi with the Delta Pro 12 upgrade, or the 4Pi, plus at least two subs, are what I would suggest. Normally these are kits but I think Pi Speakers either has a builder or can put you in touch with one. The things I do are conceptually similar and imo Wayne Parham is a superb designer. The custom-designed horn he uses is excellent, and Wayne was one of my crossover-design teachers.

Duke