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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
pops
2,275 posts
 
Johnny, I hear you! I've always been a fan of mirage. I almost went that route with the M-3si and ended up with Thiel. I like the robust sound you describe and get that when I switch from Kimber Select to MIT's.

I'm currently auditioning 1030's with 1011's and 3035's and the precision and microdynamics are excellent but I don't quite get that driving, organic sound I get with all 1011's or MIT's.

Hey Audphile, glad to see you added Wilson, I would think that would be interesting, certainly would for me.
audphile1's avatar
audphile1 OP
5,350 posts
 
I just heard my friend's system with the Dynaudio S5.4 today, and again, I was very impressed. I have a major feeling I will end up with either the Dyns or the Wilsons. Dyns are cheaper and sound awesome. Wilsons are more expensive and sound great as well, but are they worth the price difference? Are they really better? I will have to hear the Sophias again to know what they pack that the Dyns are missing. I find the Dyanudio S5.4 to have a great balance top to bottom. Excellent detail retrieval, soundstaging, imaging, clarity, bass. Everything is there.

2-ears, the reason Ushers aren't on the list is that I never heard them.
shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,477 posts
 
I just heard my friend's system with the Dynaudio S5.4 today, and again, I was very impressed. I have a major feeling I will end up with either the Dyns or the Wilsons.

Dynaudio make their own drivers. Very high quality and are good at loud without strain. Good value. That would be my choice now you have narrowed it down to two speakers.
audphile1's avatar
audphile1 OP
5,350 posts
 
The Dyns are easy for me to listen to and evaluate in my friend's system. I do love the Dynaudio sound.

And I have been a fan of Wilson speakers fo a long time as well, but the Sophia are not that easy to audition in a properly set up system. As I said, last time I heard them wasn't really with the electronics of my choice and everything else wasn't set up correctly either.

Dali are very good as well. Their resolution is like nothing I have heard before. Absolutely crazy. Danger in that is that it can work for and against you. But they give you the clearest view on the recording. I am still shocked at how much information there was on CDs I was familiar with, the details that were faint or even inaudible on other speakers. Really, you got to hear it to beleive it. It's outstanding.
mimberman
299 posts
 
I'm going to chime in here again. Audphile1 and I are going to listen to my Dali MS4s with his pass 250.5 and my bat vk 250 running from the aesthetix janus and the Bel Canto DAC 3, so it'll be interesting to see what happens. I just took delivery of the Pass INT-150 today and couldn't wait to warm it up, so am listening to it cold with the Dali's. I have a thread on my initial impressions of this integrated that I'll update, but I'll just say that I think Pass electronics and Dali are a good combo, and this is from a non-broken-in unit. The high resolve of the Dalis is there, but any stridency has been taken out of the highs, and the sound is much rounder. Sure, bass is a little bloated at the moment, but I'm hoping I'm onto something here. The Dali's will not be forgiving with a recording, but they'll reproduce a good or great recording so well that it's hard to forget. I still say if you want more forgiving yet engaging speakers that Verity has some great stuff in nicely designed and proportioned packages, FWIW.
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