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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
amcmeen
1 posts
 
Just purchased my 3rd pair of Revel Ultima Gem2 speakers: yes for different rooms. They are frequently sold as the surround-sound speakers for their big floor-stander sisters, but they are amazingly small and beautiful for a 3-way.
 The beryllium tweeter, 4" titanium midrange and sealed 8" titanium woofer precisely cover the frequency range down to a 70Hz roll-off, perfect for matching with a fast, sealed subwoofer. The quality of the sound is similar to an electrostatic, but can be positioned anywhere with multiple electronic adjustments for different heights and nearness to the wall. Reportedly used as studio masters; see the Absolute Sound 2008 review.
 These still retail for $5,000 each, but are available used on this site and others for half that. There are stands available, and I have one pair wall mounted, one pair on Revel stands, and one pair on stands I made. 
primarist OP
9 posts
 
Phew, too many comments to keep track of! There are a ton of awesome suggestions and waaay more speakers that I could demo, but I'll try to tackle some of these. I hear a lot of people suggesting the Tekton Moab, which looks very nice but are enormous and much too big for my room. I hear quite a bit about the Vandersteen Treo and (I know this is nitpicky) but its not super great looking. For what its worth, I did get to hear a pair of Dynaudio Confidence 20 the other day and they were quite possibly one of my favorite speakers I have ever heard. Though they are way out of my price range, I wonder if the older generation C1 Platinums would be close? Though they had amazing bass for standmounts, I worry that I might be dissatisfied with the lack of LF someday. Anyways, thanks for all the ideas!!
paul77e's avatar
paul77e
32 posts
 
Was lucky enough to find a good used pair. of 

Joesph Audio Pulsar ($4000) and our apartment has never sounded better. Good luck and have fun with your search.


clhs04
62 posts
 
while you’re likely chasing the endless rainbow like we all are...
how about one of the traditional larger boxes from the likes of Harbeth, Stirling, or Spendor ?
gcdrum
62 posts
 
I thought I had my “forever speakers” when I purchased Tekton Double Impacts. Incredible speakers!
But, now I’ve sold them and I await the arrival of my Tekton Moab loudspeakers. These will be my forever speakers, surely, because I actually promised this to my wife. And I don’t lie. Seriously.

These may not fit your requirements due to size or whatever, but to those reading this thread the Tekton line of speakers is really something special.
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