2. speakers
  3. 127676-87565

Looking for a Speaker Recommnedation

Looking to upgrade from my current Rogers LS3/5a + AB1 REL 328 setup .  While I love the smooth mids of these speakers (especially on voices/acoustic instruments), I tend to play harder music more frequently (alt/rock/punk/etc) which these do not excel at. I like to play music loud and have a real world living room my system is in (cathedral ceiling, open on one side, many windows. couch between my speakers) so setup is a challenge. I hate harsh sounding speakers.

My current playback system consists of a Oppo-BDP105 (or primarily Roon/JRiver via Ethernet) into a PS Audio DirectStream Jr DAC > Conrad Johnson Premier 14 Tube Pre > Conrad Johnson MF2500a Amp.  All run by a PS Audio P5 with a combination of Nordost/Shunyata cabling.

Looking to spend around $4,000-$7,000 but could be flexible. Used or new is fine.

Currently considering:

PSB Imagine T3
Vandersteen Trio CT
Spendor D7
Mangepan 3.7i (don't think this will work with high SPL)
Endeavor Audio E-3
Revel F208
Golden Ear Triton 1
Dynaudio Excite X44

Any other speakers I should be considering based on my equipment, volume preference and music? Anything I should eliminate?

Looking forward to hearing everyone's opinions & thank you in advance
fdemello
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,880 posts
 
CooL

do not over equalize !!!!


stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,440 posts
 
I have Vanderseen 5A driven by all Ayre electronics...  When I moved from New Jersey to Arizona, Richard himself led me to set the speakers up properly.  I thought him going that extra effort was extremely valuable to me, and its so nice to be treated so well like that.  John Rutan is another A+ member of this community.  Someone said that the 5's aren't impressive.  The better the speaker the more important the ancillary equipment...electronics, cables...even wall plugs....all make a very big difference.
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,440 posts
 
..just read a post above about cabinet finish.   I had a pro to do cabinet work in the kitchen.....he looked at my 5A's and told be that those speakers are finished the best he's ever seen  ( I have the Kawazinga finish). He offered his opinion without prompts. They are works of art.
gdnrbob
4,441 posts
 
Though I am glad Vandersteen made a more stylish, well built cabinet, I am surprised by the move.
After all, he (Richard) originally chose to put all his effort into the works of the speaker rather than blinging out the cabinets- Hence, the 1,2 and 3's.
This resulted in outstanding performance at a low price point.
I guess market pressure forced him to make changes.
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,880 posts
 
The market moves - he sold a quarter of a million Model 2 - that does not exist anymore so yes WAF and aesthetics have enteeed the equation - but I would put model 3 a sig up against anything at $10 k
above that price point people want Vandersteen or automotive finishes.
the 7cabinet with the carbon fiber is not capable of veneer Hence the paint
Richard is still hyper frugal - pretty much everything earns its way sonically into the product

More to discover