Reference 3A Grand Veena's


Oh no, here it comes again, the dreaded "audiophile nervosa"...

I have a pair of perfectly fine Piega P10s that I've lived with and enjoyed for several years now, and yet I've grown curious about what else is out there. I stumbled upon a thread in which the Grand Veenas were being discussed with some enthusiasm by several who had heard them at shows, in dealer showrooms, or in their own living rooms, and now I'm thinking of driving to Atlanta to hear a pair for myself.

Before I do, I was wondering if anyone would be willing to share further impressions? In particular, I am wondering how they compare to other speakers in the 6-12K price range? For those who bought them, what did you have previously, and what about the Grand Veenas made you take the leap?

I appreciate all input, and understand that there is no substitute for hearing them with my own ears. Be assured, I won't be buying without hearing them first, and I doubt the Piegas will go down without a fight. But still...

Thanks in advance for any and all impressions.
128x128waltersalas
Jbgrooven that's not my experience with them.

These speakers need room to breath, set up is finicky to get right and under show condition's your not going to hear their sonic virtues like most equipment in venues as such.

My room is large, just under 900 square feet with vault ceilings and my seating position is about 17 feet away as was recommended by a dealer.

With month's of looking for new speakers I did listen to a few great one's new and used that really stood out in the 12 to $20,000 price cagtegory.
However among them ,listening to the Veenas stuck in my head.
During this time a slightly used pair came up for sale locally at a price that was difficult to ignore.

Like I said ,these speakers need room to breath, seating in the far position and time to set up...They most certainly will perform with a wide range of music.

Well , if you don't care for them ,you don't care for them.....

I appreciate the responses from everyone. Great feedback, and a lot of food for thought. Another possibility I suppose is moving up the Piega line. I'll try to get around to hearing a few different speakers over the summer and see what, if anything, surpasses my P10s. I do look forward to spending some time with the Grand Veenas.

Thanks again for the great input.
How about The pair of Piega's that MSS is selling right now. I just thought it would be worth noting. They are the C-10's if I am not mistaken. They retailed for 27K, which does not guarantee you will like them better than your P-10's. No affiliation w/ MSS, but have done some business with them.
I was also at that meet where the Grand Veenas were demo'd by the manufacturer. I would agree with most of the previous comments. They are very smooth and detailed. There were a few times during the demo that I noticed a bit of glare in the lower-treble/upper-mid area, but I am very sensitive to this range, and it may well have been the source recording.

That said, if I had $8K to spend on a pair of speakers, I'd probably stretch (or bargain with the owner) and buy Silverline Audio Boleros. While not a neutral speaker, it is achingly beautiful in its reproduction of recorded music. The Grand Veena is similar, but more neutral. It is technically a better speaker, but with most source material being poorly recorded/mixed/mastered, I'd rather have the Boleros.

Just my $0.02. YMMV.