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Speaker upgrade - please advise.

Hi, I'm looking to upgrade pretty soon - most likely speakers, and I'm looking for any ideas you guys may have on the right choice. I'm looking to spend up to $6,000 used. My current system is listed on in the 'virtual systems' on Audiogon, but here goes:
Bryston 4bst power amp
Sonic Frontiers Line 3 Preamp (with tube upgrades)
B&W Nautilus 805 speakers
MSB Link DAC III & Monolithic Power supply & Upsampling
Muse Model 5 Transport
Kimber KCAG, Cardas Golden Cross analog interconnects.
Nordost Silver Shadow digital interconnect.
Stealth Triple Ribbon & PC Premier speaker cable
PS Audio 300 Powerplant
3 Shunyata Sidewinder Power Cords.

I'm thinking of moving to tube amplification at some later date (BAT or Sonic Frontiers), so will need speakers to match that set up. The speakers I'm really considering are Dynaudio Confidence 5. I'll also consider B&W Nautilus 802, but suspect there's better out there at the price. Anyway, any advice is much appreciated (also, if you see other potential upgrades in other components, let me know). Thanks!
John (Outlier)
128x128outlier
macm
116 posts
 
The Talon Khorus speakers need to be on your short list. They can be had used for under $6k. They may not look as cool as the N802's, but they're an attractive speaker nonetheless. Check out their website for professional reviews and more info at www.talonaudio.com. Note that they've recently modified the look and weight of the cabinet and now call it the Khorus X.
jvr
105 posts
 
i think that you would do better with the tube power amp/s before the speaker change. there have been alot of good speakers suggestions. i like the merlin vsm m's. good luck.
vader007
121 posts
 
Kennyt, I agree with your assessment on the bryston/B&W
combo, that may not be the best match, but he is using a tube pre and cardas cables. That stuff is warm. The kimber will cause it to sound bright. I would avoid them in this case. I'm a box man myself, Transparent amd MIT. Thats what works in my system. I had planned a couple virtual systems,
put them together at my dealer, auditioned them, and bought
the components piece by piece untill It was complete. Of course I am constantly upgrding but that is the nature of this quest.
leafs
414 posts
 
Coincident Super Eclipse at 5495.00 new or the Total Eclipse if your room is big enough are a better choice than BW.I listend to BW 25+ different times at many local dealers.Went with Coincident instead.
subaruguru
1,375 posts
 
You didn't describe your room...nor listening geometry.
My setup required nearfield (7.5' triangle) 10' out from the front wall. Nautilus simply doesn't cohere in the nearfield. I ended up blowing the wad on Parsifal Encores
(truly amazing), but for less than 1/2 their demo price would have bought Revel F30 new ($3k) over Nautilus, Aeriel 7b, 8, Thiel 2.3., if my wife and I could've lived with their California-moderne look....
I cannot emphasize enough the requirement to listen IN YOUR ROOM. Frequency response issues, bass-loading, and geometry of listening position are overwhelmingly determined by the speaker/room interaction. Buying a speaker to match a previously-chosen amp is completely ass-backwards.
Get the transducers right first: speaker, then source, then electronics, finally cabling.
Good luck! Ernie
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