Speaker recomendation


I just bought a second home and the room where the new system will go is quite large (60’x20’) with a wall of windows.  I’m looking for a pair of speakers that will be more for listening in position close to the system but that can still move enough air for when we have lots of people over.  Budget is about $10-15K for an amp and speakers.  I have a Moon 340i but fear it doesn’t have enough power to move the speakers I’ll get.  I was thinking about Golden Ear reference but my wife and I are more classical and jazz listeners and these are better for rock?  Suggestions appreciated!
lgoler
I have a similar space and a wide range of musical interests (renaissance to 20th century classical, chamber to full orchestra and chorus, classical rock to jazz, female vocals. . . ). My 14.5x23' living room is at one end of a huge 23x45x16' space. I wanted to be able to listen while seated in the living room near the speakers, but also fill the larger space with music during other times. I tried various speakers and ultimately settled on Zu; I now own a pair of ZuDef4s driven by a 300bSET. But it was trial and error - both for the speakers and the amplifier. 

You have a couple of good options, the Tekton’s are a great value, they are however, ugly as sin and are a very boxy looking speaker, we have heard them at two seperate demos and the speakers do a lot of things well but are a bit on the recessed side. 

You can get a pair of Legacy Focus for $10k and they move a lot of air, have very deep bass and are very efficient 95.6db and they sound fantastic for all music. The Legacy’s are quite attractive for a good sized speaker and can come in many different veneers so you and your wife can find something that you both like.

The Golden Ear Reference are a decent choice they are a love or hate in terms of their looks and sound quality, we have heard them Golden Ear Reference twice and both times were not blown away.

You need a big speaker with prodigous bass, which means a physically large speaker, you can go the other route and use subwoofers, but then you have an acoustic integration issue as well as one or two large and ugly boxes in your living room.

As per amplifier, you can most likely find a nice power amp to use with your integrated and viola you have a nice new setup.

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ
There's a very nice demo pair of Acoustic Zen Crescendo IIs here now for $12k.  They are an easy load so should work fine with your current amp, but they will certainly reward you for upgrades down the road.  Best of luck. 

The Acoustic Zen are okay speakers and were never worth their original price point we heard them on numerous shows. Also they are not 96db efficient so they are not going to play as loudly as easily to fill up a large room as the Legacy's. 

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ
My listening space is 16.5' X 34' w/cathedral ceiling. I built a pair of custom Tannoy HPD 315 (ca 1975 12" dual concentric drivers), that are rated at 94 db sensitivity. I get very enjoyable sound with either a 500 Wpc Class D amp, or a 9 Wpc SET 300B.

You may want to opt for the 15" version for your situation, should you consider them. They treat all genres of music equally well (with the possible exception of Hip-Hop or electronic synth, which I've never heard through them). I used vintage drivers, as I could not afford the current Prestige line of Tannoy, which are beautifully enclosed in fine cabinetry.

Tannoys will reflect improvements made in the gear that drives them, are explosively dynamic when called for (they still scare me at times, even after eight years of listening to them), and are very robust.

Just another avenue for you to consider, and in my mind, a very suitable one for your needs.

Best of luck, regards,
Dan