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Forever speakers around $5000

Hi Audiogon! Your help has been invaluable in the past so I’m back yet again. I think I’m close to purchasing my forever speakers and am looking for recommendations of what to consider. Here are some qualities I’m looking for, in order of importance:

  1. Amazing soundstage. I really enjoy a speaker that can throw a BIG soundstage.
  2. Fun, slightly U-shaped frequency response.
  3. Tight, punchy, musical bass.
  4. Airy and clear high end, think Magnepan.
  5. Good R&D and technology. If I’m paying this much for a speaker, it better not just be a damn box with some bargain paper cone drivers in it.
  6. Nice looking. This is a speaker, first and foremost, but it is also a piece of furniture. It really does have to look nice (I hate to say it, but this probably disqualifies offerings from GoldenEar).
  7. Semi-compact. I like a speaker that has a good physical presence in the room (not too small) but not something massive like a Magnepan (been there already) or Wilson. I like units no more than 45" x 10" x 16" or so. Also cant weight a million pounds as we are still in a rental and will have to move these.

I currently own a pair of LSA 2.1 Signature floorstanders, which have certain qualities I like (soundstage/imaging due to rear firing tweeter, size/weight, U-shaped). But things I feel are missing (bass feels a bit loose, build quality could be better, feels very low tech with paper woofers and unbraced MDF cabinet). I listen to a wide range of music, mostly a lot of intimate jazz combos, some experimental electronic and IDM, funk, some rock, black metal, and a bit of classical.

Here are some speakers I have heard and liked:

  1. Magnepan MMG - amazing detail, imaging, mids and highs
  2. LSA 2.1 - for all their shortcomings, they check a lot of boxes
  3. Dynaudio Focus 20 XD - awesome balance and great bass for a standmount
  4. B&W CM10 - I really like this speaker, though I’ve seen some measurements that have turned me off
Speakers I have heard and were disappointed in:

  1. KEF LS50 - honestly seemed very shrill and shouty to me
  2. Martin Logan ESL - weirdly didnt get a great impression of these
  3. GoldenEar Triton 3 - not only ugly, but I found these a bit boring to listen to
So, any ideas? I'm willing to consider new or used (if it can be found somewhat easily) speakers around $5000. I can give more info if you have questions, thanks!
primarist
nzastro's avatar
nzastro
21 posts
 
Please don't overlook the Harbeth range of speakers. 
I've just purchased a pair of SLH5 plus 40th anniversary speakers and I think they better anything I've heard at over 2 times the price.
They're the last speakers I'll be buying. 
Cheers! Tony. 
jdesj's avatar
jdesj
24 posts
 
If it helps, I’ve persisted with cm10’s for over a year. Bass is nearly non-existent until turning up the volume on the MC452. Top-end and mids are amazing however bass is horrid: missing frequencies, befuddled. 
To save my investment, I treated my room extensively with bass traps which helped minimally. 
Installing two ASW CM10 S2 subs produced more bass but still exact same problems. 
Solution was to replace all BMW speakers with a two year old pair of Faber Sonos Amati Futuras. Best sound I’ve ever heard. Forever speakers!
Good luck!
trombonist's avatar
trombonist
28 posts
 
Agree with Ishkabibil about amp.
Find solid amp w good sonic characteristics then balance that w speaker characteristics.
Joseph Audio /upper Parasound or Aerial 7b or 9's with same or Bedini 802
Love my Counterpoint NPS but hard to find ..
halvis
15 posts
 
" Forever speakers around $xxx"

There is no such animal. Trust me. Been into hifi for over 50 years. Seriously, if you find the ultimate motors for you that are "forever speakers", I don't think your really listening. I really liked ever speaker brand we sold at my store, back n the day... Vandersteen, B&W, Mordaunt Short, Klipsch, Spendor, Eminent Technology (LFT3), and I knoe I am leaving some out, along with those I owned such as Apogee, Acoustat, Magneplanar, etc... Now at 60, I'm really digging on classic JBL & Altec Lansing, Electro Voice, etc. 

Bottom line is there is no one speaker design that does everything perfectly. Period stop. There is a lot to be said about many different designs amd speaker brands and models. Whatever floats yer boat is a OK, but something else may come along in your repertoire and thats ok too.
hifidream's avatar
hifidream
135 posts
 
Someone mentioned it already but a 1.7 or 3.7 Maggies with a small distributed sub array of four subs gets you the best or both worlds. All the illustrious mids and highs with perfectly integrated base. If you go active with a mini DSP you can do room correction with a good microphone and Room EQ Wizard and plug them measurements into Multi Sub Optimizer which will create all the crossovers for your mini DSP. Sonic bliss and perfect integration with the mains and room.  
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