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Folded tweeters vs. dome?

Good day, I am searching for main speakers which will replace my Kef IQ5's.  I want them to be a step up in soundstage and transparency, but only have a $1200 budget (family man you understand).  I have a Klipsch 12" sub so the deepest bass is not an issue.  My question is, in the opinions of those posting here, which tweeters will serve my purpose best, folded or dome?  I see a lot of speakers in the price range I'm searching, both 2.5 and 3-way but have not been able to audition any as of yet.  I'm watching used sets of Golden Ear Triton 7's, Wharfedale PI-40's, Quad Classic 23L among others.  My listening is a mixture of music and theater, most genre's.  I have a Marantz AV7005 pre/pro, a Rotel RKB 650 bi-amping the mains and (Kef) center, with a Rotel-RMB 1565 driving the surrounds (B&W and Klipsch). Thanks in advance for your input, so many questions, so little space.
128x128wisciman99
freediver
1,162 posts
 
I've only heard the Martin Logan Motion 35XT & Motion 20 but felt they didn't stage as well as my Dynaudio Excites.Imaging however did seem a touch better defined in the Motions...
wisciman99's avatar
wisciman99 OP
75 posts
 
Thanks, Eric.  I would absolutely agree that the sound is king, but I am looking to gauge tendencies and opinions since central Louisiana has a dearth of high end stores and auditions are complicated if not too expensive and time consuming to get to.  I don't have much to go on but reviews, and I value the opinions of all the AG buyers and sellers. I got lucky when I bought the Kef's unheard, so I'm hoping for another bit of lagniappe.
erik_squires
16,046 posts
 
OP - 

We should talk about what you like and dislike about your current speakers then! That may help you get ideas. 

Also, describe the room, and any acoustic treatments you may have. Often happiness lies there instead.

Best,

E
wisciman99's avatar
wisciman99 OP
75 posts
 
Thanks again Eric.  My living room is about 25x16, with the speakers about 8-9' apart and 12-13' from my ear on the shorter axis.  Three solid walls, with tapestries hung front and rear on the cathedral walls and I have some foam in the corners, The fourth wall opens into the breakfast area.  I have played with speaker placement until I feel I have accomplished the best imaging and sound stage I can, but it still lacks a little presence and realism.  I understand I am at the 'entry' level with the separates, but I feel there is something to gain with the speaker upgrade.  I would move the Kef's to the surround position for the theater processing, but I prefer to listen in stereo mode much, if not most of the time.  What I would really love is for the mains to 'disappear' and the sound to originate behind the speaker plane with a much larger sound stage.  I would say I tend to lean more toward the realism than the musicality.  I know it's a pretty tall order for a $5k system.
tcatch
36 posts
 
If you like the KEF sound and you have $1200 to spend, consider the LS-50's. (Standmount monitors) They are available new for $1200 now (used to be $1500), and you could probably find a used pair for under $1000.  They image like crazy, still rated class A by Stereophile, and you've got a sub to supplement the somewhat-lacking low bass.  They are fairly low sensitivity (85-ish) so you do need serious amplifier power.  You could order a new pair and try them out for a few weeks and send them back if you find them too small for your room.
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