I'm running a Schiit Saga (SS/Tube, model), and the Cambridge CD transport. Modi 3 DAC. These are my examples of inexpensive components that together amount to what is practically a revelation in audio, in my space. I owned Vandersteen 2CI's for over twenty years, and often frequented the local high-end stores. Most recently, I auditioned the Maggie 1.7's and the Klipsch Cornwall IV. The 1.7's have no bottom end, to speak of, and if I'm going to add twin REL subs to a system, I might as well look for other options. The Moabs don't need any added bass boost. I also auditioned, on two occasions, the Cornwall IV, for sale at the princely sum of $6600 and they play big. A gorgeous sounding speaker, for sure, but about $2K more than the Moabs. I don't think they are any better, although the Klipsch is somewhat easier to drive. I had not heard the Moabs, nor any other Tekton (before purchase), but I'm a researcher and I felt that the roll of the dice was worth it, plus it included a valuable "adventure" into the unknown element, and I'm not at all unhappy with the result.
These Moabs are incredibly involving speakers, and as many owners have said, they reveal everything downstream. My experience is that you really don't have to spend $2-3000 to $10,000 on every component in a system, to get the real thing: big, effortless, vividly real, involving, at times mesmerizing sound. And no, for those pondering the Beryllium, I don't think you are going to see some sort of great "improvement," only a somewhat different presentation, and the situation is such that it's almost impossible to compare the beryllium with the non-beryllium option, which is kinda cool, actually. I went non-beryllium, because I like the idea of utter coherence between drivers, and they delivery fully- the speakers sing.
I have previously cited an experience I had at a Jazz event in January, where the sound of the drum stick hitting the cymbal metal released sound that was not metal, was almost not metallic at all. The sound was of pure beauty, not harsh, not hitting, just a releasing of pure distinct, shimmering notes. The "purity" of the live event called on me, again and again, during that intimate setting. With a good recording, where the perceptive insight and planning of a sound engineer are maximized, the Moabs produce a sound event that leaves me just about as satisfied as my experience in the jazz club, back in January. I'll leave it there...
@mrdecibel I bought the cable you recommended, around the time I bought the amp you recommended - the STA200. So, the low impedance of the speakers, when the bass notes are maximized, can call for more juice than it wants to convey. The speaker/amp combo does produce some awesome "crunching" drum impact; it's the VERY big and low notes - the "the cars that go BOOM!" impacts that leave the amp somewhat withering, certainly not rising to the occasion.
@jl35 I'm running the Schiit Saga pre. Loving the combo with the STA.
@jengelmann What tube amp are you running and how are you measure the impedance on your Moabs? Terry London claimed they were a nominal 4ohm load... I understand "nominal" to mean they do not drop below 4ohm, but I don't know that he measured the speakers...
@bigshutterbug Does the Job handle a 4ohm load? Is the power rating specified for 4ohms? How about 3.1, assuming Jengelmann is accurate... I don't want another version of the same problem I'm facing with the STA200. When I looked, I could not find a 4 ohm spec for the 225 (Job).
Where are the sellers of the Crown concept, backing up their claims with vivid examples on equivalent equipment?
Anyone familiar with Lofty's Roach Soufflé?
