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Dazed & Confused

Listening to mostly jazz, solo instruments and vocals I find my Martin Logan Spire hybrids to sound awesome, but recently I was listening to some both "Busy" 90’s rock and classical (lots of instruments playing loudly together) and I find the music starts to sound garbled and annoying (to bright), so much so, I turn it off.
I was wondering if you all might have some suggestions on some speakers that would be a little more forgiving with busy/loud music that I could possibly switch over to when listening to different types of music. That is unless I can find speakers that can handle all styles of music, then I would consider taking the hit ($$$) on selling the Spires.

Without getting into room size and dynamics, lets just call it a standard room, I was also looking for something more efficient. The Spires need a huge amount of power (and volume) to sound good. Looking more for something I can listen to loud but also still enjoy the music at a much lower volume if that’s at all possible. Neutral and not to bright.
Living in the sticks, I can’t just jump in the car to go demo speakers. Only once, in the past, did I purchase a set of speakers online and unheard, going solely on the sales person’s recommendations. I learned the hard way to never do that again!

Equipment now: Coda CSiB integrated amp with W4S 2v2 SE Dac running Roon Nucleus.

I also wanted to mention that the Spires have phenomenal base, so much so I sold the 2 subs I was originally using with them. Floor standers and bookshelfs have come along way in SQ these days, but if I need to purchase another set of subs the budget is starting to dwindle.

No vinyl or CD’s, just Tidal.

$3,000 - $5000 budget, new or newer demos.

Thanks for any suggestions or advice you may have to offer!
Paul
high-amp
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,570 posts
 
No high-amp I do not think it is your ears. I know all those cuts intimately.
You have a rising response in the upper midrange. I would guess it is the interaction with your room. Hang a rug behind your system rack and run a line of acoustic tile on both sides of the fireplace.   https://www.parts-express.com/sonic-barrier-fwp122-studio-acoustic-foam-wedge-panel-12-x-12-x-2-black-12-pack--260-547   If you have any control over frequency response drop the treble 6 dB at 20 kHz. Push the MLs another foot apart. Another solution would be room control. Check out Anthem.
Even with room treatment ML's are going to get harsh when you push them hard. They are really are not for people who like to listen over 90 dB. As for easy to live with dynamic speakers check out Sonus Faber Sonetto 8's 
tostadosunidos's avatar
tostadosunidos
1,197 posts
 
Though those two albums were recorded at about the same time I would expect the Yes to sound better than the Zep.  That has been my experience with those two bands FWIW.
In my book nothing should ever sound as shrill as you described.
erik_squires
16,073 posts
 
Room acoustics. :)

I find poor rooms sound much better at low volumes than high.  Room acoustics help the room sound great at all volumes.
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high-amp OP
508 posts
 
All great input, much thanks you all. 

I purchased electrostatics without doing enough research and was pushed hard by a sales person at the time. With the same music (played on a tube amp), the ML's sounded better (with the same song, can't remember what it was) compared to Vienna Acoustic Baby Grands and Focal 1028's, although the ML's were also 2 1/2 times, so they must be better, right?

I would still like to venture into some smaller conventional speakers to place behind on either side of the Spires, just to play with. Again, difficult to audition equipment in my area, but from reading multitudes of threads here some contenders might be Klipsch Forte III (everyone says they are good for rock). Spendor 7, Kef R700, Zu Audio Omens, there are multitude of others. 

And yes ,I know it's only my ears that can decide, but even if I drove to the city (Seattle being the closest) many of the speakers that are discussed on Audiogon don't seem to be available in the area.

I did like Dan's suggestion of Tannoys. How did you "Build" a manufacture's speaker? I'm a hands-on guy, sounds like a challenge.

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