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Speaker advice for listening to Blues music

Hi, new to the forum, and hoping I can get some help finding the right speakers... I'm a Blues guitar player and have a dedicated music room for my guitars/amps. I usually spend time playing my guitars and recently decided to setup a decent system for listening to my Blues music. I first started with a Marantz integrated (PM8005) and some Kef R300, source is a Marantz ND8006 and I mostly play FLAC files from a NAS, but also started streaming from Spotify and now trying Tidal. This setup was great at first, very revealing, but found the R300 were not the right speakers for the kind of music I listen to, but they were great for some Jazz and did well with good recordings, which most of my Blues recordings weren't, specially live albums. I also found them to be a little boomy in that small room (12' X 12'), so I moved them to the living room instead and added a matching center, they're perfect there.

Next came the LS50, read so much about them I had to get a pair to try. Wow! I still can't believe what these small speakers can do, the details I hear, soundstage, imaging, it's all there. But, just like the R300, since they're so revealing they're horrible with my favorite Blues recordings. It's great to listen to excellent recordings and enjoy the music these speakers are making but I want to enjoy MY music, the Blues greats I've been listening to for over 30 years. If it sounds great in the car then I should be able to find the right gear to duplicate at home, right? On some good Blues recordings it sounds excellent, but most of my favorites aren't good recordings.

Since I only play my guitars through old Fender amps I figured I should replace the Marantz integrated with a tube amp, so next came the PrimaLuna integrated. I wanted to get a "warmer" sound and hope it'll fix the issues I was having with most crappy recordings... I want to hear BB's beautiful guitar tone and crank it up, without hurting my ears. Both Kefs were too fatiguing to listen to. And on most live recordings guitars sound way too thin and bright, not what I'm used to hearing. A good example is Albert King's Wednesday Night in San Francisco, that Flying V can be painful to listen to after a couple of minutes! Not so in the car or even just using headphones and my laptop. I understand that it's because the system is more revealing, but is it possible to have both, revealing and musical so that one can enjoy the music they love? The PrimaLuna did help and it's staying, I like what I'm hearing so far, and I get to play with tubes, something I enjoy doing already :)

Right now I'm breaking in some Wharfedale Denton 80th, I wanted to try something with a soft dome tweeter, something less fatiguing than the LS50. I'm at 70+ hours so far and they're sounding much better, not as fatiguing, but something is missing... I prefer the LS50's soundstage and details, but they're both not that great for electric guitar. The Dentons are more forgiving but I don't find them musical and they don't disappear like the LS50s do.

So what are my choices? Do I stick with bookshelf, try some floor standing? What about single driver speakers (Omega, Zu...)? Are those the answer to what I'm looking for? I need something more forgiving, musical, efficient so I can crank it up when I feel like playing along some times... I want the guitar to sound full and not thin and bright. It's a small room and not a lot of space due to my guitar gear. My budget is also limited, would like to keep it under $2k, I already have a hobby and don't want this to get out of control :)

Forgot to mention, I also have a Rel sub, so not too worried about the low end. Sorry for the long post and thanks for any help!
cedarblues
cedarblues OP
32 posts
 
However, I have trained my ears to still listen to them, if I am liking the musicianship. I will turn these recordings down a tad, in volume.
That's exactly what seems to be happening with me, I'm learning to accept the way some of these recordings sound and end up turning it down a little so it doesn't hurt my ears.  This is a new world for me, my focus was always on guitar tone, and most of my listening was done in the car or on headphones, and seeing live Blues.

I think for great Blues you need a speaker that is very good at reproducing strings. Acoustic strings are an important part of much Blues...if the speaker can reproduce acoustic strings exceedingly well..then the rest will follow, IME.
Acoustic guitar sound wonderful through my system, can't complain, it's the overdriven electric guitar that's not working for me, but only on some recordings.

It's sometimes hard to get a true dirty/clean blues sound with hifi gear. I grew up on live blues and jazz born in New Orleans.Maybe you should look at and listen to high efficient single driver speaker, with a simple crossover, you can always mod the crossover to your liking.
That's exactly the problem I'm having! The way a hifi system reproduces those overdriven guitar tones can sound horrible to someone like me. For all these years any cheap system or even headphones make everything sound "smooth", sure details are lacking but man at least I can enjoy the music! Growing up in New Orleans with all that beautiful music must've been something! I went to the Jazz Fest in the early 90s and got to see my hero Albert King there before he passed away, and many others of course.

Or a lush el34 amp could work. Omega makes nice budget single driver think it's called the super 3 and retails for $700 but used much cheaper.
Already have the EL34 amp, Omegas are on the top of my list right now. I did talk to Louis this week and recommended his CAM speakers based on what I told him.

cedarblues OP
32 posts
 
Appreciate everyone's suggestions so far. Here's the list of recommended speakers:

  • Harbeth P3ESR: I think these might be too small and not efficient enough
  • Tannoy: Would something like the XT 6 bookshelf work or am I better off with the XT 6F?
  • Klipsch Heresy
  • JBL 4307
  • Vandersteen (might be too big)
  • Omega
  • Zu
  • Tekton
Really like the idea of a single driver, so I will keep an eye out in case something used pops up.
paulcreed
569 posts
 
Sorry didn't read all your post now seeing your looking at single driver. I'm putting together a second system for blues and jazz now. I'm voicing it a little dark and slow. It's very enjoyable and plays blues well. Soft dome would work nice. If tubes are electro hamonix maybe change to JJ's if on a budget. If you can find some NOS or used for cheaper price Winged C's or better Mullards pBlackburn plant. Some smooth Preamp tubes. Power cords can give you tone. There can be over priced but make a difference. It may be a hassle but build some using some 6 gauge wire for $50, if you want to add vibration control, use tubing and sandblasting material and palm sanderand to pack it closing it with hot glue and clamps. You can make decent interconnects with magnet wire and packing tape. Change some caps in your amp.Everything adds up and helps to play music. Now this one will send you down a rabbit hole get a turntable.

rbstehno
1,552 posts
 
If your room has a bunch of windows and/or hardwood floors, you are going to need a miracle to get the room right. I listen to Keb Mo, SRV Tin Pan Alley, Robbin Ford, many other blues artists as well as a lot of jazz and rock. You don’t need a specific set of speakers for blues. If you have a Rel sub, maybe look at the Totem Model 1’s signatures. A floor standing speaker that sounds way over its price point are the Usher Compass series, the cp-6381 or cp-6311. I had the 6381’s andyou wont need a sub. They have a soft dome  tweeter and I used a Rogue Cronus Magnum tube integrated with them with excellent results 
beernut's avatar
beernut
299 posts
 
Well, I've been down this path many, many times. I own 900+ cd's of mostly blues. I've tried many, many combinations of speakers and amps (still experimenting). The best combination I've had, bar none, was Klipsch Heritage (Heresy III and Forte III) and a tube amp or McIntosh solid state. I've had some nice speakers including those KEF's but many "sanded the music too smooth." Most blues is raw and immediate and Klipsch do that. Zu are also excellent. I had a Rogue Sphinx/Heresy III combo that was plain awesome. The Forte III's were my fave but a bit overkill for my studio style apartment. I listen to SRV, Johnny Winter, Otis Rush, Roomful of Blues, Anson, Little Charlie, Albert King, Roy Buchanan (human guitar lesson), Ronnie Earl etc. New Klipsch Heritage were the ticket....Heresy's are easy to place, better bass than expected (quality, not quantity) and cool looking to boot. Find a nice McIntosh integrated, say an older MA 6200 and you'll be in blues heaven. 
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