REFERENCE 3A De Capo BE

Hi Jimspov

I am currently using a pair of REL STRATA IIIs. Adding the first one was a significant improvement in midrange depth and ease along with the added bass. I find less is more for seamless/coherent integration but there are many settings to get things balanced to your particular room and tastes. I set mine up with a spectrum analyzer with an almost flat response at the listening position.

Adding the second brought my wife's attention as to what was going on as she heard the change from an adjacent room. The improvement in every conceivable parameter is readily apparent from dynamics, timbres, clarity, more realistic texture and body to voice and instruments, soundstaging, depth .....you get the idea. And as for bass, well it improves on clarity, smoothness and balance really well worth consideration IMHO. The system plays very big and dynamic with all genres of music including orchestral/choral and rock and with small scale very intimate which the Decapo's excel quite well on their own. I am using a 90 watt Quicksilver tube amp in this setup, it certainly doesn't hurt in my medium size room for the variety of music I listen to.  

jimprov

I have owned the de Capo's. I never took them out into the field to listen so no comment on that listening experience.

I'm late to the party, as usual, but as a owner of a pair of MM deCapo BEs I wanted to make a comment. I bought mine new in May 2017. They are gloss piano black with the beryllium tweeters. I bought the adjustable stands too. At first listen, I thought I made a mistake. They sounded bright and bass-shy. But with time, the bass filled in nicely and the highs mellowed out. And I feel no need for a sub. Initially I drove them with a class A, 20WPC First Watt J2, now I drive them with a pair of class D 200WPC Cherry Amp. I feel these are speakers that will pair well with tubes or solids. In the end, I am a happy camper.

I have been listening to the Decapo-i for ever since they were offered and the Vtl tiny triodes at 35 watts a side in triodes mode.What a great speaker amp combo.Their is as was mentioned a realism to the speakers that defies the mediocre speaker frequencies response graph.Proving among many other factors that specs don't tell the whole story.I will be selling my system in about a years time before I move to Mexico so keep an eye out for my sale on Audiogon.

I've had a pair of MM DeCapo-i speakers since 2003. Have used with an Anthem Amp 1 (40 watts EL34 tubes), and now with a Granite Audio Aspen 800 (8 watt 300B SET). They are uniquely wonderful. I was perfectly happy without a sub for over 10 years, but I bought an SVS SB-12 NSD in 2016, and I like the extra low bass and improved articulation of bass that the sub delivers. But the De-Capos never seemed all that bass shy to me. I believe that the lack of an active crossover network really helps these speakers sound fast and articulate.