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Time to change. But to what?

I've had my B&W N803 for a while now. Love them. But have a craving for a different type of sound.

I want speakers that play all kinds of music equally well. Excell at soundstaging, imaging, resolution, are NOT analytical, sound natural(this is very improtant...I hate artificial sound), and do the bass so you not only hear it but feel it as well.

I started building a list of potential candidates.
Here goes it:
1. B&W 803D
2. DALI Helicon 800MkII
3. DALI Euphonia MS4 or 5
4. Dynuadio S5.4
5. Sonus Faber Cremona

from the list I am familiar with S5.4, 803D and Cremona. I have never heard DALI speakers.

Room width is about 14 feet. Length is 18 feet. Speakers are on the short wall. Behind the speakers corners are treated with 8th Nerve Rectangles and Triangles, there is an area rug in front of speakers.

I listen to rock music, jazz(vocal and instrumental but dynamic stuff...no smooth jazz at all), acoustic music, solo, chamber and large orchestral classical(Tchaikovsky, Mahler, Bartok, Shoenberg, Shostakovich, etc). I would like the orchestra to be rendered as large and real as possible within the natural limitations of my room, system, listener.

I like to listen on realistic levels when I can, but since I have a 5 year old who goes to bed early, low level resolution is VERY IMPORTANT. I do a lot of late night listening at low levels and want to hear as much information out of the speakers as possible. My B&Ws excell at playing loud without strain. I want this quality to remain with the new speaker as well.

The speaker upgrade will most likely force me to use my Bel Canto DAC3 as a preamp for a while.

I am selling my BAT VK-51SE preamp right now to raise some funds for the speakers. Once I sell the preamp I plan to sell the B&Ws.

DAC3 isn't that bad direct into my Pass Labs X250.5 and I have a feeling I can deal with it for the time being.
No plans to change the amplifier, or anything else. Just the speakers.

What are my options?

Your advise is greatly appreciated.
128x128audphile1
audphile1's avatar
audphile1 OP
5,270 posts
 
As far as I'm concerned, I have put both the Sonata III and Bolero on my list.

I'm just waiting for an answer from silverline in regards to dealers in NYC or NJ area.
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,318 posts
 
Newbee--offer (as email) much appreciated. Here in central Virginia is an audio wasteland. In that regard I miss Ann Arbor. McIntosh, B&W, Thiel and PS Audio are all that can be auditioned in town. Punto. And if they don't float your boat, 2 1/2 hour drive in three different directions to next towns with audio stores that carry anything interesting. And so it goes. Sounds like the makings of another thread...
pops
2,275 posts
 
Hey Audphile, I'm on it, just sounded like you might know. Have you considered Thiel. Sounds like you have a large room and Thiels sound so open and transparent with about 9 to 10 feet between them.
audphile1's avatar
audphile1 OP
5,270 posts
 
I recently heard Thiels, the new models...3.7 may beIwith a round top)? But didn't like them too much. Thought they were a bit analytical for my tastes. No warmth at all. I think it could have been the room they were in, but in any case I don't think this is the sound I am looking for. Thanks.
mimberman
299 posts
 
Okay, I guess I'll chime in here, as we've spoken over email about this, but maybe this will be helpful for others. I own the MS4's and am happy with them. They can be though, as Tvad said, analytical. I find them extremely sensitive to changes up the line (especially with cables) and am going to spend some time trying to find a nice synergy in my system before I entertain switching to something else. They're not necessarily forgiving speakers, and are going to reveal weaknesses in bad recordings, but they do wonderful things with sound-staging, micro-dynamics and vocals. Low-level listening is very pleasant, although I tend to listen at higher volumes. I think given your amplification, most of the speakers you're entertaining will sound good at low levels, because of the Pass's Class A bias.

Now are they the perfect speaker for you, I don't know. I think you should listen to them, but I think that something else to hear is the Verity Parsifal Encore. I really love what these modestly-sized speakers do, especially at low level. They are nothing close to analytical, but are still resolving and articulate. They're pricier new or used, but I think that's a speaker you could be happy with for a long time. It's also nice that you can position the woofer to fire forward or backward depending on your room's setup. They're also beautiful in the Makore finish, IMO.

Enjoy!
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