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Reference 3A Grand Veena's

Oh no, here it comes again, the dreaded "audiophile nervosa"...

I have a pair of perfectly fine Piega P10s that I've lived with and enjoyed for several years now, and yet I've grown curious about what else is out there. I stumbled upon a thread in which the Grand Veenas were being discussed with some enthusiasm by several who had heard them at shows, in dealer showrooms, or in their own living rooms, and now I'm thinking of driving to Atlanta to hear a pair for myself.

Before I do, I was wondering if anyone would be willing to share further impressions? In particular, I am wondering how they compare to other speakers in the 6-12K price range? For those who bought them, what did you have previously, and what about the Grand Veenas made you take the leap?

I appreciate all input, and understand that there is no substitute for hearing them with my own ears. Be assured, I won't be buying without hearing them first, and I doubt the Piegas will go down without a fight. But still...

Thanks in advance for any and all impressions.
128x128waltersalas
philjolet's avatar
philjolet
2,306 posts
 
fwiw The Absolute Sounds HP's (rave) review:

http://www.reference3a.com/images/43775_eprint.pdf
jbgrooven
3 posts
 
I and 4 of my die-hard audio friends have heard the Grand Veenas and other Reference speakers at the last 3 auido shows and we all agree: Somewhat bright, not smoothly integrated top to bottom, light sounding and while very open transparent they lack refinement and none of us would care to own them. Once again HP must have better drugs than the rest of us based on his review and his other reviews in past couple of years.
rcprince
3,073 posts
 
Having heard them at the same meeting as Dgarettson, I'll add I thought they were well-balanced tonally, with exceptional treble and midrange; lacking in the last octave of bass; and better suited for a smaller room than the very large one we were in. I didn't really notice the discontinuity in the bass, but it is likely there, in a slight amount. Not a head-banger's speaker, and probably better suited to smaller scale ensembles than a Mahler symphony, but a good speaker for sitting back and forgetting hi-fi and listening to music. I agree that at $8K they are a relative bargain in the (admittedly overpriced) world of high end speakers. But I'm not sure if it's a step up from your Piegas but rather just sideways, having also heard them. Worth hearing the Reference 3As, though.
stiltskin
499 posts
 
Jbgrooven that's not my experience with them.

These speakers need room to breath, set up is finicky to get right and under show condition's your not going to hear their sonic virtues like most equipment in venues as such.

My room is large, just under 900 square feet with vault ceilings and my seating position is about 17 feet away as was recommended by a dealer.

With month's of looking for new speakers I did listen to a few great one's new and used that really stood out in the 12 to $20,000 price cagtegory.
However among them ,listening to the Veenas stuck in my head.
During this time a slightly used pair came up for sale locally at a price that was difficult to ignore.

Like I said ,these speakers need room to breath, seating in the far position and time to set up...They most certainly will perform with a wide range of music.

Well , if you don't care for them ,you don't care for them.....

waltersalas's avatar
waltersalas OP
952 posts
 
I appreciate the responses from everyone. Great feedback, and a lot of food for thought. Another possibility I suppose is moving up the Piega line. I'll try to get around to hearing a few different speakers over the summer and see what, if anything, surpasses my P10s. I do look forward to spending some time with the Grand Veenas.

Thanks again for the great input.
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