KEF, ProAc, Monitor Audio and others


I've been busy listening to speakers in the 10-15,000 price range and even convinced my wife to join me (not an easy job).  Recently, I've heard the Vandersteen
Treo CT, ProAc D48r,KEF Reference 3, Monitor Audio PL300ii (briefly), Vienna Acoustics Liszt and several others.  I appreciate all the suggestions on this board.  

Some observations: I liked the Vandersteen but would love to consider one of their higher end models.  However, as I posted before, the local dealer doesn't carry those models and the nearest dealer who does is several hundred miles away.  Also, the necessity of electricity for the higher models is problematic for me. I really like the soundstage, imaging and musicality of the KEF Reference 3.  Would like to hear the KEF Reference 5, even though it would stretch my price range, but can't find it at any local dealer.  Some say the 3 is actually better so they don't carry the 5. Didn't like the Liszt compared to the KEF. Plan to hear the Monitor Audio again since I was impressed during a brief listening. Also, I've been told that Revel-- and possibly others--will introduce new models in January at the CES.  Right now, the KEF 3 is at the top of my list and my wife reached the same conclusion.  May wait until January to see what's announced at the CES.  
brownsf
Interesting comment "much of the music we listen to was mastered on them." well actually no,  there was a time in the early ninties that some studios were using Proacs.

Most of the popular recordings rock and jazz were and are mastered on ATC, and if you look at ATC's website you will see just how many people are using ATC professionally and they have been the dominant force in studio's for the last 40 years, sure there are others competiting in this market, ADAM, Myer and many others.

The Yamaha NS 10M was the dominant monitor in the 1970's thanks to Bob Clearmountain's endorsement and by today's standards the NS 10M was a horribily colored speaker/

As per Proac vs Monitor vs KEF these are all great speakers and differ in tems of how they present the infomation. 

As per Proac's playing the music and sound effortless doing it all three of these speakers will do the same thing.

It will come down to Ribbon tweeter, Proac, which tend to be extremely detailed, vs AMT, Monitor Audio's, which have a slightly more laid back top end compared to a true Ribbon vs the seemless quality of having all drivers made out of the same material in the KEF, plus the soundstaging capabilites and imaging that come from a true point source.

We would say this is a hard choice all these speakers are excellent comes doesn to presentation, price, styling.

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ
"The Yamaha NS 10M was the dominant monitor in the 1970's"...

You seem to be clueless as to why the nasty 10M was used and I assume that this might color your speaker endorsements as well.

DeKay
Dekay you miss my point, the NS 10M were everywhere because of one partiuclar engineer  who endorsed them.

I am not saying they are good, just the contrary, the reason they were used was an endorsement deal between Bob Clearmountain who was one of the biggest and most prominant mastering engineers in the 70's with the thinking that if your mix sounded good on NS 10M then they would sound good on car stereos and other devices. 

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ
Does 4d involve eating something? 4th dimension universes? I've been around pro studio stuff since the late 60s (my guitar licks in an airline commercial haunted me for years) and I'm amazed at how talented engineers got great sound from Heils and NS10s and the like. Whew...For my own home recording studio needs I've used more pleasant sounding monitors but I get it…Auratones anybody? Whew again...
We sell Monitor Audio Platinum II as well. It is really funny to see how limited most people in audio are.

You need to understand first the full potential of a loudspeaker. You have to know all the properties before you can choose the right stuff and cables.

The facts proof over and over again that most Monitor Audio Platinum speakers are demoed with 2D audio. It is the same as when you put a Ford engine in a Ferrari. I will be a totally different experience.

People hear in real in a 3D spectrum. So it not even more than normal when an audiosystem delivers a 3D spectrum.

The AMT tweeter needs the right cables and equipment. Many pictures proof that people have no idea how to adapt a system to any loudspeaker.

For AMT tweeters you need a different approach as well. But when you use it the right way it is so much better than a ribbontweeter. But....you need to understand how they work the best way.