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Alternative after Soundlab. Horns? Heil Tweeters?

Dear all, I had to part from my beloved electrostatic Soundlab due to space limitation. (I didn’t want to hear them nearfield)

Now, provided my type of music is acoustic and vocals – I am looking for a budget price speaker that with all its limitation compared to Soundlab, can still reproduce vocals lifelike, transparent (no drilling ears tweeters please) and emotionally involving.

Due to a cat presence I have excluded Magneplanar but I have considered speakers based on the Heil tweeter like the Oskar Kithara.

Which other speakers shall I include in the list to audition for my targeted taste ? (Range 4000-6000 USD)
Are Horns a possible target? (Acapella and Avantgarde seems too pricey)

It can be both a small monitor or a floor speaker. I am not a fanatic of hard bass also because in the new room it will just be too much.
Many thanks and hope you will accept to respond, it looks a struggling experience downgrading but sometimes priorities shall be different.
Daniel
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elevick
2,636 posts
 
Cats love grill cloth. That rules out 80% of the speakers out there.
Horns are tough at near field. They tend to need more space.
Wall hung Martin Logans with a metal grill may do it? This would be my choice.
Piegas have metal grills???
Finally, what about something wall or ceiling mounted that the cat can't get to like the ceiling mount Thiels?
Personally, I find that declawing the little creatures a cheaper alternative but, I don't love cats......
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
The metal grill is a great idea. Hook it up to an electric fence charger.
hiradi
25 posts
 
After Quads with Tympani's as subbies and several good cone speakers,I bought the Horning Alkibiades and found them to be the best all round speaker I have heard...if at all possible I would recommend you to have a listen to his speakers...the Agathon and Perikles are the smaller ones and you would love the tweeter...just dissappears...I have listen to the Acapella and Avantgarde in Germany and found them both not to my liking...the Horning is a very musical and well balanced speaker...Good luck ,Helmut...
http://www.horninghybrid.com/perikles.htm
gliderguider's avatar
gliderguider
294 posts
 
How about the Fab Audio Model 1? They may be a touch over your price range, but I know they'd do the trick. I have mine in a 13x19x8 room, and listen to them quasi-nearfield (~9 feet from driver to ear) and they integrate just fine. They're a bit odd looking , and the driver complement doesn't make intuitive sense (10" paper cone with a 3/4" aluminum dome). But, but, but...

They're 97dB efficient, an easy load (flat 6 ohms), and as clean, clear and articulate as you could ask for. They have very natural but not really deep bass, and with the right amp they can carve people out of thin air. They sound very fast and very dynamic. I drive them with a 6 watt PX-25 amp to all the volume I need, even on symphonic music.

Before I got them I was thinking of trying to shoehorn Soundlabs into my room, but I realized it wouldn't work. Since I got them I haven't even thought about electrostatics.

You can see them in my system photos, and the web site is http://www.fabaudio.com/Model1.htm
gliderguider's avatar
gliderguider
294 posts
 
Here's another suggestion that's well within your price range: the Reference 3A MM de Capo i. A friend has a pair hooked up to an 18 wpc SET, and they are absolutely terrific on vocals, jazz, chamber orchestras etc. They have a very nice tweeter, are good for semi near-field listening, are very transparent and have excellent bass for their size.
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