REFERENCE 3A De Capo BE

Jim,

I'm not sure about the current BE iteration of this speaker, but the previous version had just a single capacitor used as a high pass filter for the tweeter (I think this is still the case). The mid-woofer runs full range, connected directly to your amplifier, using no crossover.

All Reference 3A speakers that I have ever heard are very good. I enjoyed a pair of Reference 3A MM DeCapo i's in my system for many years. I've tried to buy a pair of the larger floorstanders a couple of times, but lost out via higher auction bids.

As a company, I highly recommend Reference 3A. However, I'm not a fan of the dull finish on the current DeCapo BE. Mine were finished in beautiful piano black gloss and they were very attractive IMHO.

Superb speaker, I've lived with the BE for 4 years. They do require more than a "casual" listen in a dealer showroom. There is a SUBSTANTIAL breakin time for the BE tweeter to realize their potential. They ARE NOT bright after breakin but again it takes time. What to expect in a good set-up is a very natural presentation of the sound field with natural timbres of voice and instruments. Excellent bass and dynamics for the size but most special of all to an ability to convey the musical message in a most compelling way which is what I require over ALL else. 

Read the review on What'sbest forum by Al M. It can be accessed on the 3a website. The other reviews are fluff from professional reviewers with the exception of the Art Dudley Stereophile review of 2003 which isn't current. It is the direct connection from amp to speaker with the high pass filter to the tweeter being the only thing between you and the music, it makes a difference, much like the EPOS speakers. 
 

A fantastic all around speaker. Very easy to drive, even with low powered tube or solid state amps. I have owned 3 different versions of them over the years, and eventually moved up to the floorstanding Reference 3A Episodes. The BE version is slightly better in the highs, but I wish they still offered them with the much more attractive natural wood finishes. The gloss maple and cherry were very beautiful.

@bigshutterbug - Good point about the ease of driving this speaker with just about an amp. I used them in a moderately sized room using 2A3 tube amp (3.5 w/ch), 300b tube amp (8 w/ch), 35 w/ch solid state and 150 w/ch solid state. All of them drove the DeCapo very well IMHO. Maybe in a larger room, or with highly dynamic symphonic music, would you need more than a few watts to drive them.

The beauty of this is that you don't have to spend a ton of money for high powered amps to drive the DeCapos. 

Thanks all. I have a 30 watt Prima Luna Prologue "classic" (original) tube amp. My room size is about 12' x 15', but not entirely closed off.

Hardwood floors.

A local high-end dealer has a pair 8-months old that he took on a trade-in.