Also Sony ss-3b
Help me replace ancient speakers - or not
Looking forward to your collective wisdom...
Short version:
Should I replace my 40 year old Allison One speakers with something made within, oh, the last couple of decades?? And can I get something reasonably full-range, that can fit into my small NYC living room, for, say, $2500 or less? Used is fine.
Long version:
I've had these Allison Ones for about 10 years, and they replaced Allison Sixes that I purchased new in 1982 or so. So I've had very similar speaker "sound" for a verrrry long time.
I've been interested in hi-fi since the 80s but rarely purchase anything new - clearly! I'm a musician and equipment/hobby money has usually gone to instruments and music instead. I try to get improvements on a small budget.
Rest of the system is a NAD C352 integrated (Craigslist find!) with Tara Labs jumpers, a Marantz CD6005 cd player, and an Auralic Aries MIni streamer, the last two running through an Audio GD r2r DAC. This is all cheapish stuff, but it sounds good in our small apartment, or it does most of the time.
I'm listening to a Geri Allen trio date with Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette, and her piano sounds full and tonally correct, and the bass and drums are balanced and impactful. There isn't a huge amount of imaging - Allisons don't really do that - but it all seems pretty correct. BUT - maybe I'm just used to it?
Other factors: we like to listen to everything from jazz to opera to poorly-recorded music from all over the world, at realistic volumes. Scale is important, imaging not so much in my book. My ears have taken a beating from years of loud gigs so I favor a warm-ish sound, but am open to trying something totally different. I'm always drawn to the Audio Note rooms at shows, and a pair of AN-E's would be my dream. Thinking of Klipsch Heresy's too, for some reason. Gosh, I guess these are pretty ancient designs too.
Any thoughts welcome and sorry for the novel.
Short version:
Should I replace my 40 year old Allison One speakers with something made within, oh, the last couple of decades?? And can I get something reasonably full-range, that can fit into my small NYC living room, for, say, $2500 or less? Used is fine.
Long version:
I've had these Allison Ones for about 10 years, and they replaced Allison Sixes that I purchased new in 1982 or so. So I've had very similar speaker "sound" for a verrrry long time.
I've been interested in hi-fi since the 80s but rarely purchase anything new - clearly! I'm a musician and equipment/hobby money has usually gone to instruments and music instead. I try to get improvements on a small budget.
Rest of the system is a NAD C352 integrated (Craigslist find!) with Tara Labs jumpers, a Marantz CD6005 cd player, and an Auralic Aries MIni streamer, the last two running through an Audio GD r2r DAC. This is all cheapish stuff, but it sounds good in our small apartment, or it does most of the time.
I'm listening to a Geri Allen trio date with Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette, and her piano sounds full and tonally correct, and the bass and drums are balanced and impactful. There isn't a huge amount of imaging - Allisons don't really do that - but it all seems pretty correct. BUT - maybe I'm just used to it?
Other factors: we like to listen to everything from jazz to opera to poorly-recorded music from all over the world, at realistic volumes. Scale is important, imaging not so much in my book. My ears have taken a beating from years of loud gigs so I favor a warm-ish sound, but am open to trying something totally different. I'm always drawn to the Audio Note rooms at shows, and a pair of AN-E's would be my dream. Thinking of Klipsch Heresy's too, for some reason. Gosh, I guess these are pretty ancient designs too.
Any thoughts welcome and sorry for the novel.
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- 33 posts total
- 33 posts total