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Looking for a warm sweet speaker

That images great and resolves without etched treble. I love the british sound, but want something a little more modern sounding. The big Harbeths sound good to me, but the price is just out of my reach. Any American brands that you could suggest? In this day and age it’s getting harder to find brick and mortar dealers or even by appointment dealers that stock the type of speakers I am looking for it seems.

I have analog and digital sources.
mckinneymike
jsm71
141 posts
 
Scan the usual sale sites.  Used higher end Thiels would meet your needs, I'm sure.  I'm still running almost 30 year old CS3s anchoring my home theater.  They are full bodied yet accurate and not at all etched in the HF.
chrisoshea
387 posts
 
Another vote for Audio Note & Spendor
bondmanp
1,820 posts
 

Warmest line of speakers I have heard are the Opera line from Italy. Also, the Silverline speakers are pretty sweet sounding. I hate in-your-face etched sounding speakers as well. In general, you might wish to avoid metal dome tweeters, and instead look for cloth domes or ribbon tweeters. I am quite happy with my Ohm Walsh 2000s, which use a soft dome tweeter. Overall, they might work for you and save you some money, depending on your room size (Ohm scales its speakers to fit your room volume).


All that said, steakster has a point. Ample, clean power will help a lot. But everything matters, from the cablling to the source components to the amp, power source and the speakers. It took me a long time to vanquish the hard, brittle, etchy sound of my system. In the process, I replaced almost all of it. But it is possible to get to what you seek without breaking the bank. Just make well-considered improvements all through your system, one at a time, and make sure nothing you do is irreversable or permanent. Insist on trying everything in your system before you commit to buy, or make sure you have a good return option with little or no restocking fee.

jburidan
803 posts
 
Tannoy 15" DC or Vandersteen 5A
kahlenz's avatar
kahlenz
274 posts
 
All the hi-fi speakers I have ever listened to sound good to me.  There are certainly differences, and I prefer some over others.

So much depends upon listening habits, room acoustics, and system synergy.  System synergy is the easiest to tackle, as most modern equipment is designed to work within standard parameters.  It is fun and rewarding to learn the electronics required to make informed component decisions based on specifications and actual performance.

Listening habits will help you determine whether you want a warm sound for cozy vocals and a lush musical presentation, or if you prefer a more analytical and accurate reproduction of music (It's really a spectrum, with anything in-between possible).  This is where the value of good dealers comes in.  You really need to listen to different systems.

In addition to sonic preferences, listening volume will also help determine speaker choice.  I use Harbeth P3esr speakers in my 13' x 22' office/sitting room (some help from an REL sub).  Works fine for me, but I do not blast my music.  The Compact 7s probably fit my room better, but I found that the exquisite sound of the P3s (and their sealed box design, which is very forgiving when it comes to placement) is simply delightful for my application.

Room acoustics is probably the most difficult undertaking.  There is a lot to consider here, from reflections and resonances to aesthetics and practical considerations.  If you start with speakers you like, you will have an easier time figuring out where they should go and how you should treat your room.

You stated up front you like the Harbeths.  Take a look at the line and figure out which ones will work best for your application.  You will be happy!
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