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Need advice on which speakers I should audition?

Hi everyone, need a little help getting a list together on which speakers I should audition!

I have been in this audiophilia for many years now, and have heard and personally owned many speakers, but haven't listened to anything new lately! I am speakerless as of right now and all my equipment is boxed and put away, as I am finishing my rec/sound room in my basement! My room will be 14'x 21' x 7-6"
ceilings. I like most music except opera and rap, my favorite is hard rock/metal and blues! I am looking for a full range floor stander possibly bi-ampable?

I own different equipment but for this system, I will be using Quicksilver mini-mono amps, SAS 10A pre, and Original A8 Super CDP! am open to using S.S. amp/amps to drive woofers if needed!

Budget for speakers is up to $3000, but if something cheaper does it for me, I have no problem with that.

Speakers I have owned in the past were: Magnats, Scientific Fidelity Tesla's, Martin Logan CLSII's, Vandersteen 2ce, Cerwin-Vega 317P

Below is a list of speakers I made up just from good things I a have heard ...have not listened to any yet except the Thiel CS2.4 for a short time! Obviously some of these speakers won't be synergistic with my current equipment and some of these speakers are not available in my area, so you can see why I need a little help and advice!
I'd like to get a reasonable list together, maybe you can add to , delete or recommend some that are on my list!

Revel F12
Totem Sttaf, or Hawk
Salk Sound Song Tower QWT
VMPS RM2
Energy Reference Connoisseur RC-70
PSB Imagine T, or Synchrony Two
Epos M22i
Usher CP-6311
Dynaudio Focus 220
Vienna Acoustics Mozart Grand
Spendor S8e
Thiel CS2.4
JM Reynaud Euterpe

Thanks for your help!
John
johnm846
johnm846 OP
8 posts
 
"The Quickie Mid Mono's would be great with The 94 DB Proac Studio 140 and later High passed with Vandersteen 2Wq sub
if this is too much start with The 90 DB Vandersteen 1C and then High pass w/ the Vandy 2WQ sub as well.
Cheers John"

I haven't heard the Studio 140's but always liked ProAc's in the past! As far as the Vandy's , never been a fan of there sound, to me they seem to lack in the dynamics department, vey thin and dull sounding.
I'll have to add the 140's to my list!
johnm846 OP
8 posts
 

Revel F12
Totem Sttaf, or Hawk
Salk Sound Song Tower QWT
VMPS RM2
Energy Reference Connoisseur RC-70
PSB Imagine T, or Synchrony Two
Epos M22i
Usher CP-6311
Dynaudio Focus 220
Vienna Acoustics Mozart Grand
Spendor S8e
Thiel CS2.4
JM Reynaud Euterpe
ProAc Studio 140
DeVore Fidelity gibbon 8

From the list above, the following speakers I am able to audition locally;

Energy Reference Connoisseur RC-70
Dynaudio Focus 220
Vienna Acoustics Mozart Grand
ProAc Studio 140

Are the other speakers from the previous list worth driving at least 80 miles to listen to???
bvdiman
491 posts
 
Back in mid 80s I remembered replacing my ML CLSII to the then new Energy Reference Connoisseur 22 (a model with wooden stand integrated to the speaker as one single unit, nice and solidly built, pretty heavy too). RRP then was around the range of CLSs, $2k-2,5k. Drove them with a Sony ES cdp, VTL Ultimate Pre, and VTL225 Amp. The ERC 22 were truly transparent, coherent and neutrally balanced speakers with excellent smooth highs and great bass extension that belie their size! Pop, Rock, Jazz and R&B were their forte. I still considered those today to be one of the more musically satisfying set-up I've had.

Eventually looking for a change, I replaced them with the MGIIIa in '87, but thereinafter found often times missed the Energy's overall all round musical abilities. I am not currently familiar with their line-ups, nor to which direction the helm been taking the brand since. But assuming they have progressed right, I'd certainly place them high amongst your must audition list. Having owned and lived with the Response 3.5 & 4s, I'd also vote for the ProAcs, excellent speakers, however, harder to get right and more demanding of upstream components compared to the Energy (if memory serves right).
magnumpi205
504 posts
 
Audition as many as possible but you have to realize there are dealers that can't set up a system.
Compile your listening experiences to written reviews and user reviews to validate opinion.
Trust yours ears. Remember that you will be listening to these speakers for many years. We can lead you to the watering but that's it.
dwhitt
347 posts
 
trust your ears...trust your ears ,,,trust your ears,,,reviews are great and some info here is great, there is some bad product out there for the money, but there is alot more these days,,,good listening...dwhitt
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