Check out the speakers at the end of this Capital Audiofest video. They are being driven by Linear Tube Audio 20 wpc tube amp.
Seeking speakers under $3K for 10x12 ft room and driven by 20wpc tube amp
I currently have a pair of Apogee Acoustics Centaur Minors driven by a new Black Ice integrated tube amp. The small but dedicated listening room means I’m doing near-field listening with me and the speakers forming a 6’ triangle. As you might expect, these speakers have terrific midrange but at 85dB sensitivity they are a bit difficult to drive and feel limited in dynamics. The room is acoustically treated.
I almost exclusively listen to small combo acoustic jazz and vocals and I’m seeking recommendations for something easier to drive and more dynamic that provides a more “palpable presence” of the musicians when played at louder levels. Prefer small floorstanders for aesthetics but not essential and preferably a brand where I might have a chance to audition them (I’m in SoCal). Also open to used (e.g. something like Wilson Cubs). TIA!
p.s. thanks for the Sonus faber suggestion.
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I enjoy my pair of Oriaco G6 stand mount two-ways from Tonian Labs. Lively and natural sounding to my ears. I’ve used with both a 20W hybrid and a 10W tube amp with good results. Work great in near field. In your price range too. Owner/Builder Tony Minasian is in SoCal. Contact Tony and he may be able to provide an in-home audition. https://tonianlabs.com |
I have a similar size room. I bought a pair of KEF LS50 Meta speakers and a Marantz model 30 amplifier. Both are Stereophile "A" listed. At the time, Barry Ober, the Soundoctor, was very pleased with the sound in my room. He had the most educated ears of anyone I know. My hearing has gotten worse, so I can no longer enjoy them as I should, so for $3,000 I will pass both of them on to you. They have barely been used, as I have been busy with business and family health issues. Like new condition. All original boxes and documentation. Also included is a Parasound T-DQ-1600 Broadcast Reference Tuner with remote. |
OP again, posting a followup. I looked into a lot of recs mentioned in this thread and soon realized that I wanted to focus first on speakers that I could immediately audition with my own amp. I also realized, for better or worse (and partly due to aesthetics) that I wanted smallish floorstanders. So I demoed several speakers at my local hifi shop and somewhat unexpectedly ended up getting something that did not get a lot of press - the now-discontinued Quad S5s. The bass, dynamics and sensitivity far surpassed my vintage Apogees while retaining the midrange magic of ribbon tweeters. And I got a great deal on them. Obviously I will never know how the wide range of speakers given in this thread will measure up in my room and I’m sure some of them will outperform the Quads. But hey, I’m pleased with what I got (for now!) If anything, this thread will provide plenty of great recs to anyone else in a similar situation. Cheers! |
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