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open/energetic but not harsh? what am i describing

hi guys, long story short, i loved the energy and openness of the b&w n805's but i couldnt stand the harshness of the metal tweeter after extended listening... so i need to replace them with something that is equally airy/open but a lot smoother

i've been demoing speakers but its been hard to find something similar.. i think the fact that the 805's have the tweeter out in the open like that, contributes a lot to their great imaging and open sound

i need some guidance as to what speakers i should look into... most of the speakers ive tried so far do sound smoother, but have that boxy/recessed sound and are not nearly as airy as the 805's

any advice is appreciated, thanks
koven
13 responses Add your response
mcfarland
356 posts
 
Are you sure that you want diffent speakers rather than different upstream components (pre-amp/amp). Knowledge of your other equipment/cabling would be most helpful in recommending something that would resolve your issues.
donjr
1,335 posts
 
I think Mcfarland has a good point. I own CM7's which have the Nautilus tube loaded tweeter. I was running new 2 channel Rotel seperates and wanted to jam a screwdriver into the tweeters every time I listened to music. I finally got to the point where I couldn't take it any longer, and sold off the Rotel gear and bought a Rogue Cronus Magnum tube integrated. I didn't even recognize my speakers after that. Problem completely solved. every last bit of my music sounds great now, where I was previously picking only the music that was produced perfectly. I was shocked and can honestly say that I think I'm ok for five years now.
xti16
1,525 posts
 
Check out the Dynaudio lineup. Personally I have the C1's with a Rel B3 sub and couldn't be happier. I can listen for many hours only wanting to hear just 1 more song - one more cd. Oops now it 2 am and I have to go to work at 7am.

I've checked out many but not all other speaker brands and when I heard the C1's I stopped looking/listening. No regrets at all.
koven OP
94 posts
 
Mcfarland & Donjr, thanks for the input but i'm fairly positive i want to switch speakers... ive tried tube/ss amps like audio research/mcintosh but ive come to the conclusion that these are not the speakers i want to keep

Xti16, im going to try and demo some dynaudios, thanks for the advice. have you heard b&w nautilus series? if so, how would you say they compare?
shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,477 posts
 
Try to audition PSB Imagine T
thorman
1,262 posts
 
My wife about 40 years ago.!!!!!!!!!!
koven OP
94 posts
 
LOL Thorman, that is freakin' hilarious!!

Thanks Shadorne, I will definitely go audition some PSB's. How do they differ from the B&W Nautilus sound? I see that audioadvisor has PSB Image T6 towers for 1200/pair, good choice?
sufentanil's avatar
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sufentanil
782 posts
 
Koven,

You might be a candidate for planar or electrostatic speakers. At the risk of generalizing, they tend to have a very open sound without harshness.

Just something to think about.

Michael
xti16
1,525 posts
 
Koven I have only heard the 'D' series not the nautilus. I still prefer the Dyns especially in the mids and high end. Also the B&W's for me lacked some dynamics.
jlamb
150 posts
 
Some years ago, the only local hi-fi shop in town paired them with classe gear. They (along with the other nautilus's B&W in the lineup) sounded outstanding in a very well treated demo room. At the time I couldn't justify the coin for new 805N's, so I eventually went with a used pair of Joseph Audio monitors. Have never looked back. Very neutral speakers, require good upstream gear. YMMV.
bondmanp
1,816 posts
 
I thought my Vandersteen 1Cs were harsh because of my electronics. I replaced almost the entire signal chain, adding a tube preamp, new amp, cables, power cords, etc. Things improved, but I ended up realizing that the speakers were the culprit. Either the metal tweets or the roughness in the crossover range was to blame.

I am now trying Ohm Walsh 2000s. These speakers are a bit different, but in no way harsh on almost any material I throw at them. Very open, dynamic and lively, but only when the source material is as well.
rackon
301 posts
 
I would strongly recommend that you check out the Nola speaker line - very open, unboxy, coherent, yet very dynamic. They have a lot of that airy sound I like in planars and stats but they are more dynamic. Pleny of detail but without any harsnhess or treble tilt. Huge soundstage, and they disappear.

The Ohm Walsh line is another option for "unboxy" sounding speakers. Their presentation is a bit different than most conventional box speakers but it is very airy and compelling.
koven OP
94 posts
 
thanks a lot for all the recommendations.. i am currently trying to locate local dealers and planning on having a field day

one side note though, what do you guys think about totem? i called a totem dealer and they were able to offer me a great price on a demo set of Forests. are they overkill for a 10x14 room? how would they sound compared to b&w nautilus?

thanks again
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