If you have the space the Magnepan 30.7 at $30k is hard to beat. |
IME, the German Physiks Borderland Mk IV competes well with any 6 figure speakers I have heard. But, like all speakers, they are not for everyone (but they sure as heck are for me!). |
Daedalus Zeus--heard them at 2018 CAF after spending ten painful minutes in the big VAC/Von Schweikert room (was it $1 million?). The Zeus don't bring bling or boom but the the sound is effortlessly enjoyable and right up there with the best I have heard--all that for $30K. |
With a sub, properly integrated, Revel, Fritz, Joseph YG, Sonus Faber wide body speakers, and the smaller Gryphons, given modest sized rooms, treatment and limited listening location.
I'd put them up against any speaker at any price in terms of soundstaging and ability to play a variety of music very well, and having a smooth tonal balance without artificial harshness or detail.
What I want out of a super speaker is a wider listening location, ability to fill a larger room, and exceptional dynamic range.
But, limit yourself to modest homes/listening areas and there's a number of speakers I would argue would sound as good if not better.
This is one thing I wondered. Could a smaller well made speaker in a smaller well treated room rival a super speaker that is in a huge room? Also could the smaller speaker in the smaller room out perform a super speaker in the same room just because it is a better match for that room? So perhaps the answer is yes to both of these.
If you restrict bass and max output, you can get amazing towers for $3000-$5000, such as the Ascend Acoustics Sierra Tower with RAAL upgrade.
There are very heavy diminishing returns once you go past $5K. Will a $20K speaker sound much better than a $5K from the same brand, sure, but does it sound $15,000 better?
The Revel F228Be for $10K is amazing if you don’t care about bass.
I always recommend subwoofers (unless in an apartment/condo), and I also recommend dual or more subs, as they are easier to integrate and sound better due to the benefit of room mode cancellations.
For $16K you can get the F228Be, dual Rythmik G25HP’s, and $1000 in room treatment, that would be an amazing system.
Thanks. I think I agree with your threshold for the rise of the diminishing returns. Right now my system is PC > SOTM 200 ultra > Denafrips terminator > HE9 > dual 4bsst bryston monoblocks > Paradigm signature s8 v2s (and dual PSA V1800 subs). Its a great system especially for the money imo. My room is small, 12 x 16 x 8 ft. But was thinking of a dedicated listening room and was wondering about upgrading my system to get even more. Today I listened to a 200k+ system [dcs streamer + dac > VAC statement > esoteric m1 monos > Stella utopia evo] and was really immersed in the sound which was very detailed with a wide open sound stage that filled the room which was longer than mine. However its hard for me to say it was worth 10x more money than my system. |
If you can afford $50k then I think you should focus on finding the, in your opinion, best sounding speakers for that amount. Don't worry about more expensive speakers.
If you want to compare $50k speakers with $200k I am no expert. I have heard both the m6 and some Utopias. My memory is that they had dynamics and an effortless that I have not heard from any sub $50k speakers.
A much cheaper speaker that also impressed without being as good was the Kii Three with bass modules. And Boenicke but I only heard the standmounts. MBL 101 sounds very good and starts around 70k if you can push your budget.
Good luck! |
