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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
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
136 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.  
richopp
760 posts
 
No speaker is better than Magneplanars IF you have good electronics and source material.  Here is the acid test:

LISTEN to them for as long as you want at any volume or with any genre of music you like.

NO listening fatigue, period.  THAT is one of the important tests for "forever" speakers. 

Try that with ANY OTHER box speaker, electrostatics, etc.  Unfortunately, you will want to stop listening to any other brand eventually.  Never true with Maggies unless your source material is unlistenable.  NO speaker fixes that!

Also, they reproduce what you send them.  If you can live with that, your quest is over.

Cheers!
wassaicwill
62 posts
 
I personally have loved my Rega RS5, which have exactly the qualities you're looking for, but the RS7 would improve the bass. The soundstage is huge, they need no toe in -- I much prefer them straight ahead. 

The mid/highs are nothing short of extraordinary. I've compared them to many speakers in the 3-5K range and am always blown away by the Regas. But the RS5 probably wouldn't have the "forever" bass. 
sc0ttc00ter
26 posts
 
Used GoldenEar Triton Reference, perhaps? A bit larger than your preferred size, but my Triton Twos sound amazing and the Reference add shiny piano black enclosures. 
They may be too big for some rooms.

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