Speakers in the 5-6K$ region & their components


Hi all,

This is my 1st post here.
I'm a long time audio enthusiast and even worked in high-end audio sales for a few years a while back, but I've been out of the loop for a few years now. I'm looking now for a new pair of speakers in the 5-6K$ range to replace my current Merlin TSM. The type I'm looking for is a 2 way 6-6.5'' speaker, preferably a floorstander. I know many brands and models and went through a lot of speakers in the past, so my question is a technical one:

I'm looking only for speakers in this range which use high end componenets. which ones are there?

I've already done some research, so here are a few examples of what I mean:

Proac in its response range is using Scanspeak D2604 tweeter (48$/unit).
PMC in its "i" series - Seas 27TFFC (45$/unit).
Spendor, "A" series - Seas 29TFF/W (52$/unit).

I can go on and also bring examples of the woofers used and more speaker brands, but I think the picture is clear. These are all quality units of well acclaimed manufacturers, but are by no means high-end units. Which are?
My research brought me this far to the following (All in my price range):

Kudos audio Super 10/Super20: Seas T29CF-002 tweeter (330$/unit) + a version of Seas W18NX (196$/unit)

Marten Form Floor: Accuton C173-6-095 woofer (over 300$/unit) + a ribbon tweeter I was unable to recognize (anyone?)

Merlin VSM (as second hand only): Dynaudio D330/A tweeter (over 400$ per unit) + Scanspeak 18W/8545-01 (173$/unit).

BTW, my current Merlin TSM is using Morel MDT30 tweeter (80$/unit) + Morel MW166 woofer (124$/unit) and sounds wonderful to my taste, despite a considerable lack of bass (being a sealed- box design). 

So, given all that, does anyone have any more ideas for speakers I should consider?
roylindenfeld
I don't think that the premise is faulty, it is just not the only one possible. But I would be cautious about price/performance correlation. High quality is always expensive but average quality can be expensive as well. I too believe that the drivers themselves are the most important part of a speaker. $20 drivers in $5000 speakers? No thank you. And I doubt that any designer can make them sound spectacular, pretty good perhaps but nothing more.
What kind of overall sonics are you looking for within your budget? Musical, detailed, warm, neutral, laid-back or a forward presentation?
http://pbnaudio.com/speakers/speaker-kits/scanspeak-b741

Build your own, the above kit use the very best drivers ScanSpeak has to offer.  It however also includes a fully developed Cross-Over Schematic, that ensures the drivers work together properly - you can go as crazy as you want on parts quality here - an All Duelund CAST component Crossover ? :-)

Good Listening


Peter


 
The PBN is a very good deal. If you are looking to spend a little less, the Klang Tong Nada would be around $3K, with ScanSpeak Be and 6.5" woofer.

You can have it built as a floor stander by TaylorSpeakers.com or as a stand mount.

Commercially, based on parts quality, this is a $20K speaker system if it had basic parts. With the upgraded Mundorf caps it would be higher.

Comparing the PBN and Klang Tong kits to commercial speakers, Gryphon uses the same line of woofers, and the current Magico tweeters are built on the same tweeter motor.

The impedance of the KT is easier to drive. Without hearing it in the room it’s hard to tell, but for me the PBN may be a little too flat, especially in the bass, whiel the KT has a bit of a boost I would probably prefer. However, this is not very accurate criticism to make via charts alone.

The 3-way design and dual woofers of the PBN will give you a lot more dynamic range, but the KT will really amaze you all by itself. :) I say this owning similar woofers in my reference system.

Best,


Erik
Have you considered any  high quality loudspeaker companies that make their own drivers?