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Requesting Advice on Speaker Upgrade

Hello,

I am in the market for a new speaker upgrade. I am hoping to receive recommendations on brands and models to look at. I have already demoed some Kef and Totem speakers, which I really enjoy. I really have my eye on the Totem Rainmakers. Not sure if they will be a good fit for my room or amp though.

I’d also like something that will be flexible with integrated amp upgrade possibilities down the road.

I’d say it’s a small to medium room size at approximately 15’ x 20’. There is a large picture window to the left of the listening position that has curtains covering it. To the right of the listening position is a half wall that goes into an open kitchen. Behind the seat is a floor to ceiling stone hearth and fireplace wall.

My budget tops at $600-$900, but $1100 will be the absolute max. Looking for bookshelf monitors and I’d like to be able to include stands within that budget.

I enjoy a balanced sound profile. I don’t necessarily crave super clarity or very bright sounding speakers, but enjoy a neutral sound. Sharp, clear bass is great, but I’m not super into hard, thumping bass. I’m still new to audio so pardon if these descriptors aren’t exactly clear.

My current setup is a Rotel RA-12, Project Debut Carbon w/ Ortogon 2M Blue cartridge, and a DTS Play-Fi streamer (for Tidal Hifi and Spotify streaming). Current speakers are stand mounted Polk RTi-A1s.

I have a toddler that wanders around this space. So grille covers are a must. I am also welcome to floorstanding recommendations, but thinking stand mounted ones will be ideal since it’s less he can mess with on the floor.

Sorry for the super wordy post... But one last note: We have a lot of mid-century modern furniture in our home. So looking for options with a clean, simple design and aesthetics.


Thanks, and cheers!
Matthew


128x128stereosanctity
gdnrbob
4,460 posts
 
You've gotten lots of great info. 
@bomd, are there any Vandy dealers near you? It would behoove you to give them a listen. 
Quad's and Maggie's are both fine speakers. If I weren't a Vandy fanboy, I would have them in my listening room, but since I have limited space, they will have to wait.
I will say that I had a pair of Zu Union (Omen predecessors), and when run with a pair of Atma MA-1's and MP-3, the sound was pretty darned close to my Vandy Treo's (I did have them hooked up to the Vandy 2w subs at the time). The Vandy's had a better dispersion and presentation, but they also cost a lot more.
Bob
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stereosanctity's avatar
stereosanctity OP
75 posts
 
@gdnrbob // @willowbends 

 
Hey guys,

Thanks again for all the feedback and suggestions.  Long term I might be thinking Quads will be my speaker of choice.  

Money-wise, I ended up shifting things around to account for bigger summer/house project expenses, and decided to hold off on my main speaker upgrade.  To help satisfied the itch I did score a pair of Kirksaeter Silverline 60s for only $100.  And they are in perfect condition.

They're easy to drive, and really musical for my taste.  Plus the grilles aren't the easiest to move; ideal for my (now) 20 month year old who is very curious.  The wood trim offers some style, but I'm not too concerned about the MDF cabinets with the toddler playing around them.  

I know some of you may be scratching your head.  Wondering why I would prioritize my speaker choice with a toddler in mind, but the stereo is in a shared family space, and don't want to invest up to $1000 when I'll mostly be worrying about a hyperactive little boy playing around them.  So figure I'll keep saving, keep listening, and one day will start building a next level system.  

Thanks again.  And always be open to more input as I grow my system.

Cheers!
Matthew

gdnrbob
4,460 posts
 
Wow, $100 bucks for a near $2k speaker? You really did score.
The Stereophile review gave them a pretty good rec. Perhaps you should think about getting some subs in the future? They would be useful if you ever got the Quads, Maggies or Vandy's down the line.
B
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