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If you listen to anything other than Classic Jazz, don't read this.

:)  I'm a Jazz only intermediate audiophile looking to improve my system. i ONLY listen to jazz, and i think that matters. If you are of the opinion that great speakers make all music sound good then move on to the next post, because the premise here is that speakers for Acoustic Jazz ( Big Band to Post Bop) have different requirements. My jazz audiophile buddies and i hav A/B'd lots of different speaker/amp/turntable/cartridge combinations as a fun hobby for the last 3 years. i've gone through at least 3 whole systems to get where i am now:
All Rega System - Rega Exex-R, Rega P3, with upgrades, Rega MC Phono Pre,  Rega Apheta 2 Cartridge, Rega RX5 Speakers. 

It sounds really great, but want to get to amazing if possible, and have recently done some speaker comparisons with some Paradigms and Harbeths that show the RX5's could have a tighter, deeper bass and bit more high frequency... 

The challenge is threefold -
1 )information out there is hard to come by, often confusing and  i haven't found much information specifically on what speakers jazz heads prefer.
2) I want to be able to put them up against my current system in my room, which seems a difficult task
3) They have to look good. Aesthetics matter to me. Tektons and Magnapans are cool But Ugly AF, and not going to work for me.

i want someone to tell me this is the best my system is going to get and just enjoy it (which i do 82.5% of the time), or recommend a few things to try, hopefully with recommendation for speakers to try, but i'm open to other suggestions.

I look forward to your comments :)

sincerely,
Eric the Jazz Snob
128x128ericmbass
ericmbass's avatar
ericmbass OP
7 posts
 
This is why i love audiogon!   I'm really loving all the feedback and suggestions, and welcome it all, including the insults, which i deserve.. i was in fact serious and also attempting some dry humor as well to try to hone in on what i'm looking for. All of your comments and suggestions are helpful.

@soix I appreciate your suggestion..  don't be sad, i do listen to other stuff.. and appreciate your feedback.
@whoopycat thank you for that-i will look into Loki
@douglas_schroeder i am grateful for your frank comments. . it was 90% dry humor, but i am also guilty of both a little pride and a lot of ignorance... 
thanks also to @lancelock i will look into the Jansen
ozzy62's avatar
ozzy62
3,195 posts
 
I love classic jazz, along with just about everything else. But I opened the thread anyway, even though I was warned.

I doubt anyone else who posted fit your criteria either. I’ve only known one such person in my life, sadly he is no longer with us.

I agree with wolf. A good speaker is a good speaker and will treat all music equally well. If it doesn’t, it won’t make my short list. Good luck with your search.

Oz
douglas_schroeder
3,281 posts
 
Ericmbass, ah, how lovely that it has not become "eric embarrass "!

(Glad I relented and took a lighthearted approach to response)

Any speaker pictured in my virtual system is reviewed at Dagogo.com and would yield it's own particular flavor of wonderful with Classic Jazz. Curious about brands, just ask. 

I strongly suggest as matter of first priority that you get sorted out what genre of speaker (i.e. dynamic - as currently, hybrid dynamic, horn hybrid, full range, panel, open baffle, etc. You would likely enjoy based on attributes. Sysrem development will follow. If uninterested in changing system, then perhaps stay with dynamic, hybrid dynamic, or full range.  
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,903 posts
 
I love the (small) amount of jazz I play on my JBL 4319 monitors, which you can get for $1500 less than what I paid for them a year and an half ago. A very underrated speaker and a steal at that price ($2500). 

I seriously wonder if the JBL L100 would sound any better at their $4000 asking price. Try to audition a pair if you can.

All the best,
Nonoise
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,896 posts
 
If you are of the opinion that great speakers make all music sound good then move on to the next post, because the premise here is that speakers for Acoustic Jazz ( Big Band to Post Bop) have different requirements. My jazz audiophile buddies and i hav A/B'd lots of different speaker/amp/turntable/cartridge combinations as a fun hobby for the last 3 years. i've gone through at least 3 whole systems to get where i am now:

I guess I don't have to move on- not yet anyway. I'm not of the opinion.

I happen to know rather than believe. You simply can't, and I mean **can't**, design a speaker or amplifier or preamp or whatever, to favor a particular genre of music. This is arguably the biggest myth about loudspeakers in particular- that they favor certain genres, the classic being JBL L100s are best at rock.

The simple fact is that all musicians make music in the same set of frequencies, and speakers have to get this right. The speakers themselves don't have taste, neither do amplifiers, so they don't know or care what you play through them. What makes a speaker good for jazz also makes it good for classical or death metal. The better you get it to play one genre, the better you get it to play **all** genres.


It really is that simple- and isn't a matter of debate (even though somehow it is, despite this being the 'information' age...). FWIW I'm telling you this as a degreed engineer and designer of audio equipment (we get nice reviews in the high end press); there isn't a class or even a day in engineering school where they reveal how to make anything electronic work particularly well with one genre as opposed to another.
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