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what speakers to buy

so this is my 1st time posting. the question is what speakers. i am going into this blind trying to put together a decent system on a budget. i live in a city where bose is considered the high end of high end and the nearest audiophile shops are hours away.
over the years i have owned a lot of vintage gear and still collect some of it. solid state and tube. some of the tube gear was marantz, macintosh, dynaco, heathkit, radio craftsmen, pilot etc. also the usual solid state marantz, pioneer, kenwood, adcom. speakers jbl, polk, altec (model 19 and vott), paradigm, klipsch, bozak, sansui, AR, advent. all the usual suspects
so far i have purchased a copland tube pre cta-305 and a pair of rogue audio m180 amps. all mint condition all under a year old for under half price of new. i also have a denon DP-60L TT 
(with sumiko pearl cartridge)
speaker budget is around 5000 give or take a 1000. if i'm patient i think i can find something that was originally in the 12-20k price range for what i want to spend.
so far i am leaning towards ew andra ii, dali euphonia 800, canton reference 3.2, revel studio ii. size is also a factor and all of these are within that limit.
i have a fairly large area open concept living /dinning and breakfast nook with high ceilings.
and i know "dont buy without listening" but not an option
so looking for some opinions/options

after speakers i will be getting tuner, cd and music server, current interconnects and speaker wire are all ZU mission


dragonbutx
studio1
99 posts
 
Friend

You can get much done within your budget.  Focal is a very safe route to go to ensure quality. Your Amplifiers should easily power most Loudspeakers on the market including Magnepan.  Decision will be dependent on your taste of presentation.  

In a live event - the presentation will be different from venue to venue; and if live is your standard you must find those Loudspeakers that come as close as possible to matching that presentation.  

It will be well worth the drive within reason to audition different brands.
dragonbutx OP
12 posts
 
so i picked up a pair of legacy signature se that are about 3 years old that were updated several months ago with the latest midrange and crossover upgrade. mint condition in the premium rosewood finish. since i havent heard any of the other speakers that have been suggested i cant say how these compare to any of them. but my impression of these is very positive so far. i find i cant stop listening. good deep bass, very clean and detailed treble, the midrange is also clear and not overpowering which is exactly what i wanted. they seem to be well balanced. imaging is good with voices dead center. sound stage depth seems a bit lacking but still working a little with positioning and i feel pretty sure some of this is my room and where the speakers have to sit. overall i am pretty happy. 
hifiron
102 posts
 
Nice! Congrats on the acquisition! Looking forward to some long-term impressions.

-Ron
dragonbutx OP
12 posts
 
i have been living with the legacy signature se speakers for 6 months now. overall i am very happy with them. sometimes i am listening to something and find myself just sitting here listening in amazement at how good they sound. all of my initial impressions still hold true. great bass, sound stage, imaging, detailed highs, smooth natural midrange. i am sure there is better out there but i dont know that i could be happier. i think for the price i paid it would hard to do better. thanks everyone for their advice.
milpai's avatar
milpai
2,407 posts
 
@dragonbutx,
Good for you. It is you system, your money and most of all, your ears. If you are happy,  that's what matters the most.
Better options? Heck, yeah. But be ready to spend $$$$. Have fun and enjoy your music. 
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