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Your thoughts on best audiophile speakers in $10,000 neighborhood?

I know the best way to select a speaker is to auditioon them at a dealer or in my own home. However, living in a rather rural area in northern Michigan, there's only one reputable dealer (Sonus Faber) in town so I may end up relying on reviews and your feedback. 

I used to own Vandersteen Model 2Cs in the late 1980s, but finally want to step up my game. I currently have a legacy Nakamichi receiver / amp with 1000wpc, but will probably upgrade that once I select a new pair of speakers. Currently I'm playing mostly LPs on a Technics SL1210G. I now listen mostly with a Mark Levinson 5909 headphone connected to a small Class A pre-amp, so I treasure detail and transparency and don't lean toward "warm" speakers.

Room is good size since it encompasses living room and opens to dining room and kitchen behind it. Cathedral ceiling is about 12 feet high. 

I'm considering the following speakers: Vandersteen Treo CT, Wharfedale Elysian 4 (perhaps too big for my room), Monitor Audio Gold 300 and the Sonus Faber Sonetto VIII. These all fit within my budget. What are your thought about any of these...or do you have others to recommend?

Thanks for whatever guidance you can give me.

 

aphilc
fredapplegate
95 posts
 

@yyzsantabarbara 

I've read the review in Absolute Sound. And from the specifications tab in the link you sent, i see that the front firing tweeter, midrange and mid bass drivers are made of the same material. Vandersteen insists that this is very important. The down firing subwoofer is aluminum and the rear firing tweeter is ceramic coated. So, the same idea as the ns5000s, which I've heard. The Yamahas are remarkable speakers, especially for the money. Okay, they're not cheap but they're a lot less than the Vandersteens.

I have Model 5s. The price of entry was a lot lower then! Thanks for the reply and happy listening.

yyzsantabarbara
4,524 posts
 

The Vandersteen is not exactly the same idea as the NS5000, that is why I mentioned it in my first post. No cone speaker has all 3+ drivers with the same material. I hear something special when the bass driver is made with the same material as the tweeter. There is an incredible coherence to the sound.

The price if the NS5000 reflects the economies of scale of Yamaha.

bbarten
28 posts
 

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I'd look at Paradigm for a little under budget and Legacy for slightly over budget.  For even more under budget, SVS and Emotiva have some exciting, new things out.  Some here seem to have blasted the $10k mark.  lol

 

 

 

 

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zuesman
29 posts
 

I have two good suggestions for you, the monitor audio gold 300g3 or the audio vector QR7 SE or you can look at the audio vector R series as well from audio vector.

wtfents's avatar
wtfents
5 posts
 

Pre owned Legacy Focus 20/20.. 2500-3k$.. 175lbs a piece, formidable speaker, revealing, holographic, disappear nicely in my room as giant monolith haha ,, anyway great value .. factory is in Illinois , great people. Should have pre owned in stock, fun road trip .. 

Whatever ya choose happy hunting, tons of fun!

Bill

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