2. speakers
  3. 1385125509

Recommendation - Ref 3a, GMA, NHT or Fritz?

Hello, I sold my PSB Gold i's after 10 years of enjoying them. They were just too big for my space. I am now in the market for a pair of monitors (new or used) for my 2 channel system in a 12x12 room. My system consists of a Spectron Musician II Hybrid amp (Digital amp @ 500 WPC), a Prometheus Audio Passive Volume Control, an Audioquest Dragonfly DAC and a Macbook Pro playing lossless music files. From reading reviews and forums here, I believe I've narrowed it down to four monitors. Please let me know if you have compared the following against each other, and which monitor you'd recommend: Green Mountain Audio Rio Chroma, Reference 3A De Capo i, NHT Classic 3, or Fritz Carbon 7?

While I'm not the best at describing my listening priorities, a wide soundstage, clear, neutral sound is what I like. I listen to an eclectic mix of music, but Jack Johnson, Dave Mathews, reggae, classical are some of my favorites at the moment.

Thanks!
canjo07
telescope_trade
555 posts
 
I have owned many GMA's, a few Ref 3A's and an older pair of NHT 3.3's. My rec would be hands down Ref 3A. The Decapo i's meet all of your criteria and more. Have not heard Fritz, but have heard good things about them.
canjo07 OP
16 posts
 
Thanks for the suggestions. Any other Fritz Carbon 7 fans around?
dayglow
1,878 posts
 
Canjo07-I've heard an earlier version of the Decapo and I thought it was to colored in the midrange. I don't know if the current version has the same characteristics. The GMA is designed to use the room to achieve it's lowest bass output. This tells me the GMA is very room and placement sensitive. I've heard(several times) your previous speaker PSB-Gold and know it's a great rock speaker. That is the main reason that I also suggested ATC and Revel.
csmgolf
887 posts
 
Vapor Audio Breeze or Stiff Breeze, depending on your budget.
alexs's avatar
alexs
46 posts
 
I've owned the R3A MM deCapo-i for several years. I had a pair of Carbon 7's on loan from Fritz for several months. Comparing the two side by side, I'd say that the Fritz are more dynamic and tonally accurate, especially on vocals. Bass on the Fritz is way superior in extension and impact. Detail is close on both with the Fritz having better soundstage and imaging than the R3A. The R3A sounded thin and anemic compared to the Carbon 7. The R3A is more sensitive and efficient than the Carbon 7 which should not be a consideration with the OP's amp. I ran the Carbon 7 with a pair of Cary 300B amps and with a Bryston 4B and they seemed to work equally well but different. I did sell the R3A's shortly after comparing to the Carbon 7's. After the Carbon 7's, I owned a pair of Marten Form Floors for over a year and I have now settled on Frit's latest creation, a pair of LS3/5r towers which I consider to be among the best of the best under $10K speakers on the planet.
More to discover