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Looking for speaker recommendations that I can purchase on Amazon.com

Budget: under US$5000 and would prefer a price point of less than $3000/pair. The most expensive speakers I have owned so far are Polk RTi A7's, so this will be a big jump for me.

Purpose: music

Room: I tend to move every few years, so I don't want speakers that will work best only with very specific room conditions. Currently, I will be using these in a medium size room of about 22 feet x 18 feet. The room has carpet and window treatments.

Music sources: CD's, lossless music files stored on computer and MP3's when that's all I have available. I don't ahve any SACD's yet, but I plan on purchasing more high quality music once I have this system set up.

Music styles: acoustic, Indian classical (sitar, srangi, flute), alternative rock (Portugal. The Man, Sleeping with Sirens, etc.), older rock (e.g., Rush).

The speakers should sound good playing the Tanpura (aka Tambura). It is a classical Indian accompaniment instrument in the "drone" category. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanpura) Example of sound here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7tlqXix_eo
With bad equipment that sound is fatiguing to me. Live it is beautiful and relaxing. Hopefully I can find speakers that will do it justice.

Personal Preferences: I am looking for non-fatiguing, warm, musical qualities. In another discussion topic here on this forum, @mtrot and I agreed about "smooth, sweet, soft, silky treble" and "shimmery, airy cymbals" as goals.

Amplifier: Yamaha P5000S

DAC: to be determined, but probably something like the Teac NT-503

Finally, the speakers of choice must be sold on Amazon.com, Bestbuy.com (or possibly some other similar retail website). I have personal reasons for this limitation. It isn't always true that I will need to buy all my speakers or audio gear from one of these sites, but for the moment, it is a requirement. Please don't recommend anything that isn't available on one of these sites. Thanks.

lowoverdrive
zufan's avatar
zufan
563 posts
 
Also a fan of Indian classical. I've seen Zakir Hussein live several times. Also, and you won't believe me but it's true: I shook Ravi Shankar's hand backstage after a show in MN, in 2003. His daughter was 1st set, and both 2nd set. Anyhoo my dad knows him, sort of. My pops was a tabla player.
Check out Tabla Beat Science - Live at Stern Grove.
imhififan's avatar
imhififan
2,217 posts
 
Add the Sonus faber Chameleon T to your list
https://www.amazon.com/Sonus-faber-Chameleon-Floorstanding-Orange/dp/B01ARALQIW/ref=sr_1_3?s=aht&...

https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/904-sonus-faber-chameleon-t-loudspeakers
reubent
7,056 posts
 
Can you use other websites like AudioAdvisor and MusicDirect? If so, it may open you up to some other quality choices.

The Yamaha P5000S is described on the Yamaha Website as a 500 W/ch. "Club Series" amplifier. It's a Pro amp made to play really loud in a club environment. Smooth treble performance for acoustic and Indian Classical music may not be it's forte. Admittedly, I have never heard that amp. However, I personally would not be pairing that Yamaha amp with a pair of quality audiophile floor standing speakers. It may work and it may be great, but it may also be hard and fatiguing. 

BTW, I'm not making any judgement on the amp because I've never heard it. Just saying that the amp might not provide the type of sound you are hoping to achieve. How does it sound with your current speakers?
lostbears's avatar
lostbears
538 posts
 

 Take a look at these  Mistral SAG-350 on ebay. I wondered if they sound like B&W speakers. They sure look like they should.

 
lowoverdrive OP
169 posts
 
@reubent  The Yamaha P3500S was recommended to me on this forum. I recently purchased it. I picked the 5000 over the 3500 because the price was almost the same for either at the time I purchased.

Forum member willemj justified his recommendation of this power amp in part by this review:
See here for a very favourable and rigorously scientific test of the latter model: http://www.homecinema-fr.com/forum/amplificateurs-de-puissance-haute-fidelite/mesures-ampli-yamaha-p...
The review is in French, which I don't read, so I took his word that the amp would be appropriate for my goals. He has heard the amp (his son owns one) and (I think) he knows what I want to achieve.

A couple other people recommended Yamaha amps in the same family, so, having no experience, I took the recommendations and that's how I ended up with this amp. I have not used it yet, but I have used the 801 and it seems to have a nice sound on first impression.

But I am throwing some challenging music at it currently with speakers that tend (I'm told) to be a bit bright (Polk RTI A7).

If I purchase new speakers on Amazon, returning them should not be a problem if the combination of my amp and my musical tastes are not a good match for the speakers.

Regarding AudioAdvisor and MusicDirect, it is unlikely that I can shop either site right now. I did send each one a few questions, but I'm almost certain I will need to stick to BestBuy or Amazon.
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