Speakers with the most detailed midrange? (non-ESL/planar)

These MPD tweeters (micro pleated diaphragm) are very fast. If you listen near-field as I do at the moment the transients may be a bit to much. They’re hard, almost hurt. Maybe you can call that "un-musical" or as Shadorne means the highs are standing out from the mids. In that perspective they may be different from what ATC monitors give you. I’m not sure that’s a good thing, but very much a good experience and reference. They don’t have the power and authority of the ATC. I wouldn’t play the Studios very loud. To enjoy these you must prefer a very detailed and revealing sound (also in the upper bass) that adds nothing and leaves no prisoners. I do, mostly, but wouldn’t have these as my only monitors. You need something more "organic" besides them for a rest. Will do some A/B soon.

I have been working with the Decware FRX2 driver for years now. I like the midrange that it produces with tube amplification, but not the bass so much. So, I am going with SS power amp driven by a hybred tube pre. AS expected, I have to watch the midrange more, per the SS amplification, and am working towards some kind of balance. In short, these drivers reveal a bit too much on some of the recordings such as rock, and will give up recordings that were 'impressive sounding' through other systems. Given a good clean recording, I prefer these drivers. They have some unusual design concepts, such as a special transformer mounted behind the driver, that adjusts the midrange for better transparency. It affects the frequency response as well as the impedance response? Sorry, you would be better off reading the white papers at the Decware site. In short, you sometimes have to be careful what you wish for. Listening to Jethro Tull right now is great, but an old Fleetwood Mac album before that just made the midrange bite more than it always does with this album (Rumors). Last note, drivers MUST be broken in or you pay the price of hardness and little/weak bass.

I can only vouch on those products I’ve heard; ATC and Dunlavy showcase midrange nicely. 

celander,

  Never heard Dunleavy speakers before, and always had hoped to do so.

Anyone who has heard the RCA field coil 1428/1443 drivers will tell you they are the best for midrange reproduction. With a wide frequency response of ~300 - 7500 Hz, they reproduce everything from the subtlety of a finely nuanced passage to the complexity of a massive orchestra. 

They are built like a tank, weighing about 50 LBS per driver, and that’s without the horn! They don’t make them like they used to.

They come up on eBay every so often for about $7500 for a pair. Horns (conical are best - no coloration) run a few thousand. And you need to add an upper bass and sub.

Don’t know how to insert photos here, or I would show you my 3 way system that is based on the 1443s.