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spendor 3/5 vs era vs avi vs vienna acoustics hayd

i may violate the cardinal rule when making a purchase. i may take a big chance and make a mistake.

i am looking for a mini monitor and have narrowed it down to:

spendor 3/5, era ($600), avi neutron 4 and vienna acoustics haydn 2.

i will not be able to compare them and may not be able to listen to all of them.

i will have to rely on judgements from dealers, manufacturers and serious listeners. i may be able to use logic and "common" sense (hope i have it) to try to wade through all of the comments on these products.

ok: i am trying to find a speaker under $1500, decent bass response (flat to 60 hz), little cabinet resonance, somewhat laid back and a soft upper mid/lower treble response.

which of the 4, if any would be the best choice, and why ?

this would be a second speaker. my primary speakers are quad 63s and maggie 1.6 .

thanks for your help.
mrtennis
aktchi
274 posts
 
I have long acquaintance with the Spendor line and can assure you that 3/5 is a fantastic speaker. However, as I don't know the other two models, I cannot offer more meaningful comparative feedback.

Given your tastes and budget, I am not sure why you are looking for a mini-monitor. Is the space for this system extremely limited? You can probably find more satisfying alternatives (with respect to bass at least) among floorstanders.
bokifeac
22 posts
 
I have VA Haydn Grand and your description is what you look after: it goes officialy down to 42hz, and I think bass goes pretty low, cabinet is not only gorgeus but very sturdy and thick, sound is laidback ( VA is using Seas tweeter which in my book are smooth and not shrill or harsh).

can't comment other speakers, so it's up to you.
jaybo
4,478 posts
 
if you're not really going to put them on bookshelves, i would say get a fullrange speaker too. otherwise the smallest harbeth or the sterling ls3/5 or the gradient bookshelf or the totem 'one' can't be beat. you can get a castle harlech used with heirloom build...likes any amp....and sounds better on any genre of music than a much pricier proac 3(castle builds the proac furniture)....and its cool as all get out.....
snipes
119 posts
 
I can only comment on the VA Haydn, but it matches up to your requirements exactly. I had the Haydns, not the newer Grands for a while and still have the floor stand version in the Bach's. If memory serves me correctly these two speakers share the same drivers, but the Bach is a floor stander. The silk dome tweeter is to me, the definition of silky smoothness. There were many times my wife and I listened to them for hours on end w/o fatigue and my equipment at the time was very modest. In the end though, they just couldn't handle loud Rock. If that is not your requirement than I'm sure you would enjoy them. Also, the cabinets are gorgeous.
bignerd100
515 posts
 
THe Spendor is hard to beat at that diminutive size. If you have room you may also want to consider the Spendor SP3/1P (ported, bookcase placement not an option) or even the little Von Schweikert VR1.

Good luck!
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