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Best speakers out there for Midrange and Highs

Hello Everyone!

I would like some advise about what are some of the better speakers out there for a 2 channel system - with use of subwoofers.

I currently use a pair of significantly large - full range speakers (Revel Salon2), that go down below 20hz. Even though my speakers go down so low, I still desired more air movement / sound pressure in the room - to make the sound as palatable as possible.

I found that combining the Salon2 with an external active crossover (JL Audio CR-1) and 2 Subs (JL Audio F113s) sounds excellent. Soundstage is close to like being at a concert, and surprisingly to me, was that imaging has not been lost. Furthermore, adjusting the phases on the subwoofers basically made the speakers and subs act like a singularity and helped the system sound even more exciting. I cross over at 90hz with a 24Db decay.

However, can’t help thinking about the obvious - that I am waisting all that available bass capability on the Salon2s. So I was wondering what speakers out there could be even more appropriate for my configuration. These speakers need not go down so low - Down to 55HZ would be more than enough. On the other hand, Salon2s also have a very strong midrange and highs, so I would like the new speaker to be either:

1) Better in the mids and highs (whether same price as the Salon2 or possibly more expensive), or
2) As good in the mids and highs as the Salon2s but less expense

Very much appreciate your recommendations.

Thank you in advance!

jmarshak
p59teitel
314 posts
 

"Yes, i should have mentioned too.. My room dimensions are 25"Wx30"Lx8"H Right now, I am running BAT Tube Monos, with a Simaudio Preamp and an Esoteric front end."

The Salon 2s should be able to fill your room with sound on their own, but in looking at the current BAT tube offerings I don't see any that output more than 150 watts.  Salon 2s are power pigs that thrive on high-current solid state designs, so I'd have to guess that your issues with them - including light bass output - stem from the relative lack of grunt your amps are providing. 

In my own system I found that they worked very well with a Plinius SB-301, and even better with Symphonic Line Kraft 250 monos that have huge capacitance and transformers.  I'd suggest either getting more efficient speakers that your BATs can drive, or getting more powerful amps that can feed the Salon 2s what they need to be at their best.     


jmarshak OP
157 posts
 
@p59teitel - Yes, that’s correct about the room and your point about larger amps has occurred to me before. (Those amps you mention are beautiful looking by the way) - perhaps in time :).

I’ve tried Pass labs X250.8 and even the X350.5. Both were wonderful amps, and both would take a bit of time to get going, but once warmed up (after about 2.5 hours) each handled the Salons2 very nicely. I think the BATs (mostly because they are tubes) grab the Salon2 earlier and do a great job on their own. But what the 2 x 3,000 Watt F113 can do with bass, it’s hard to beat. First of all, the Salons and the Amps do an even better job on the highs/mids once the bass duty is removed from the equation. Also, one really needs to hear how well the Subs and Salons2 are integrated in the system. Though, Id be open to see otherwise, I really don’t regret the set up as is now.

Really, I just wanted to see if I can spend less for, or get more Midrange/High by possibly eliminating [what I thought was] redundant bass on the Salons2 since I use subwoofers. And lots of speakers were recommended on this thread :) - But it's also Interesting that some people on the thread mentioned having similar Large Speaker/Sub [with active crossovers] set ups, and really like them.

Aside - Interesting who has looked into/heard the Paradigm Personas- specifically the 9H with the 4 built-in subwoofers. I heard them. Sounded very good.
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
Best speakers out there for Midrange and Highs
Always ESL's, then Planer then Cone drivers, to cover mids and highs.
 It's all about the mass to get the best in mids/highs.
The very best in just the highs are Plasma, but they are HF only, they have no mass as they ionize the air around the Plasma flame and that becomes the diaphragm.

Cheers George
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
10,259 posts
 

I dislike applying the adjective "Best" to anything (except J.S. Bach and The Band ;-), but I’m with ya George. Hearing my first ESL’s was a game changer: the Infinity Servo-Static I and 2000A, the ESS Trans-Static I (a pair of which I now own), the RTR ESL6, the Fulton Model J (which I bought new), and finally the original Quad (also now owned). Cones were dead to me. Then The Magneplanar Tympani---finally, life-size instruments and image height! Plus cut-from-the-same-cloth timbre reproduction, and very low coloration. Not as transparent as ESL’s, but ya can’t have it all.

There is a loudspeaker available now with the widest-band planar driver I know of---the Eminent Technology LFT-8b. The dual-LFT magnetic-planar drivers (a push-pull design) cover 180Hz to 10kHz, with NO crossover! A ribbon tweeter comes in for the top octave, and an 8" dynamic woofer in a sealed enclosure does 180Hz down. With a pair of real good subs (Rythmik, the OB/Dipole model if you’re very serious) added, you have a killer budget system for under $5,000 total.


p59teitel
314 posts
 
jmarshak, every so often a used Plinius SB-301 pops up here for sale at prices around $5K.  It is really a great amp for the price, with smooth highs and the only drawback being that it runs hot.  If I hadn't come across a ridiculously good price for the Symphonic Line monos, the Plinius would likely still be here.  
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