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Yet Another Speaker Choice Question

Greetings fellow A'goners,hope your having a great weekend.A tragic collision early yesterday,during the unauthorized incursion into my sacred music chamber by my girlfriends rowdy 6 year old son & her equally rowdy 3 year old german shephard,has left 1 of my Dynaudio Audience 52 SE's unable to sing without surgical repair from the Danes that gave her life.Realizing that since this is a discontinued model,donar organs(spare parts) may not be available,it may be time for a new mistress.I REALLY like MOST of what the Dyn's brought to the table except for an occasional hardness in the treble(at louder levels)and wouldn't mind a little more warmth in the midrange,although I realize the Dyn's are probably being close to truthfull in this area(what can I say).After spending hours researching possible choices I have pretty much narrowed it down to a pair of Dynaudio Excite X16's or the Sonus Faber Concerto Domus that are currently on sale here on A'gon.Front end is a VTL IT-85(& yes I tried tube rolling the slight treble hardness out with no luck),room size is currently 12'x16',although that may be downsized in the future.Musical taste varies from classical/chamber,reggae,acoustic/electric blues & classic rock with a smattering of metal(Metallica,etc..) thrown in when I really need to vent.So what do you think guys,which way would YOU go & why?Thanks for your input,take care.
freediver
steveaudio
331 posts
 
I had a VTL ST-85 power amp for a few years, & used it in roughly a 10x10 office room with fairly efficient speakers. It only had so much power, & pretty much "crapped out" in a larger room, or with less efficient speakers, but it had it's tube-y charms.

As far as: "an occasional hardness in the treble(at louder levels)and wouldn't mind a little more warmth in the midrange", if VTL gear isn't giving you enough warmth (!?), I'd look for a diff. brand of speakers, like Merlins perhaps.

Or go to a SS amp, & stick w/Dynaudio's.....just my 2cents.
buconero117
2,311 posts
 
The first choice should be to dump the girl friend. The 'trio', her, son and dog have proven you must give up music. The Trio will not give you any other choice. Hey, it happens. Sad.
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knownothing
1,606 posts
 
Agree with Steveaudio. The Dyns will crave Solid State, so if keeping the amp, I would look elsewhere for speakers. The Sonus Fabers are a COMPLETELY different direction - warm to a fault perhaps, boardring on rolled-off. Their Classic series is spectacular, while I find the Domus to be just "nice". I might suggest Harbeth P3ESR or Avalon NP Evolution Series, or somthing French and very efficient (Focal, Triangle, JMR, etc.).
afranta
180 posts
 
I missed that you have a tube amp and agree with the comments above about Dynaudio and solid state. You'd probably do better with more efficient speakers. Knownothing made some great suggestions. If you want to try a tiny and affordable option, I drove Silverline Minuets with a 12 wpc tripath amp with excellent results, and the reviews suggest that they're great with tubes.
krell_man
827 posts
 
You probably know this already and have accepted it, but Buconero117 brings up something to consider in your speaker choice.

First, you are going to be moving your system into a smaller room. If it's because of your relationship, is that okay from your perspective?

You've only got so much money, so who is going to pay for a six year old or dog breaking your things? After you replace these, what about the next time, and then the time after that? You could be pouring a lot of money that doesn't have to be spent into replacing your system, not upgrading it if you want.

Why would a six year old, who's old enough to be given boundaries on what's acceptable and what's not, be allowed to break your things? How's the rules and discipline situation?

As Buconero117 hinted, your girlfreind may be telling you through actions that your stereo has no place in her eyes. If that's the case, how do you feel about that?

And if that's the case and you accept that, maybe you should sell it and use the money for what she wants.

My first wife could never understand or get past the fact that I had my stereo to help unwind. It wasn't that I loved my stereo more than her, it's that I loved me as much as I loved her, and the stereo was a part of me. I've played music as well as listened to it all of my life.
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