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Seeking advice on Speakers that create an intimate 2 channel listening experience

So the past month I started a couple of threads on speaker choice on AVS forum (One asked for Powered/Active floor standing Speaker choices and another one around non-active FS speakers for a tube amp I was looking at).

But I've come to realize this was the wrong tact, got lots of flack much deserved and wanted to try to solicit the advice/opinions on this forum which I just discovered.

Short background...Hunkered down in a suburb just outside NYC now for the past 3-4 months, I started to get the itch for a dedicated 2 channel stereo Turntable setup in our living room in May. After much research and twists and turns and immediate upgraditis, as some know on here from other posts, I've finally settled in and now own a Rega Planar 10 Turntable. I also own a Sutherland phono --20/20 with LPS and that's staying. Right now the phono preamp is hooked up direct to a pair of ELAC ARF51 floorstanding speakers (all drivers powered by built in AB amps) which I like a lot BUT ITS HERE THAT I WANT MORE. Btw, I love the ELAC design of mounting the tweeter concentric in the mid driver -- makes sense to me.  I kinda wish ELAC would take the same design and make a reference speaker but thats for another day.

So to swap out the ELACs, I will obviously need an amp, but I will figure that out later and want to focus on getting the right speakers for me for what I want. So what do I want?

1. Floorstanders. Close to full range as possible. No subs.
2. Looks count since in my main living room.
3. Speakers that prioritize Imaging Imaging Imaging. That disappear in the room creating an intimate but 3D listening experience. Clean (Accurate) warm sound. No distortion. I would easily sacrifice low end for untiring highs and warm mids I don't listen to metal or hiphop anymore so I don't need loudness, more like lounge experience if that makes sense. Apologize if I got the adjectives wrong but its personal description of what I'm seeking.
4. Price Point - -$10k-25k. Room is 22x18 with 25 foot ceiling

I would like to audition/demo before I buy and since I live in the Tri-State area it should be possible. But I'm finding that obviously difficult to do right now. I listened to a pair of Salk speakers but didn't love them. And have an appt with the Audio Doctor in NJ in two weeks.

Thanks in advance.
aj523
audiokinesis
2,751 posts
 
If you are interested in being immersed and enveloped in the soundscape on the recording, if you want a warm tonal balance combined with superb inner detail, plus an utterly relaxing and fatigue-free presentation that you can listen to all day long and never tire of, then let me suggest SoundLab fullrange electrostatics. They have models in your price range. And there is a dealer in New York, one in Pennsylvania, and one in Connecticut. Two of the three were customers of mine before they became SoundLab dealers. I have been a SoundLab dealer for over twenty years and what you are describing is what they do well, in my opinion.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about them. I have zero interest in making or participating in a sale as I do not "poach" in other dealers’ territories, but there are few speaker designs that I totally believe in, and the SoundLabs are at the top of my list. I am a speaker manufacturer too, and I aspire to make the second-best loudspeakers. I think mine can do what you want, but SoundLabs can do it better.

Duke
AudioKinesis
jrw1971
62 posts
 
Your inquiry describes perfectly my NOLA KOs.  Love them in my smaller room.  I use Wilson Audio in the bigger room, which I can’t say enough good things about.  But your description seems closer to the NOLAs.  For the money you mention, you can get a pretty nice pair, especially if you consider the used pairs they have at SkyFi (your area), and NOLA’s founder/owner is not far from you.  (And when you go amp hunting, you may hear me advocating hard for Audio Research, again based on your description).  And if you’re in MD and want to hear them, give a holler.  No affiliation.  
jdal
162 posts
 
Take a trip to Brooklyn and check out Bache Audio. I have the latest version of the Tribeca’s with the Eton woofers. They are built around a wide band driver, sans the whizzer cone, and augmented with a horn super tweeter and two eight inch woofers. The crossover is a simple cap on the super tweeter and a coil for the woofers. I have an Emotive Audio tube set up and mostly play vinyl with my Gyrodec/SME 309/Lyra Kleos set up.

Since you mentioned imaging, I do have a pair of Audio Physic Tempo Plus speakers as well as the Tribeca’s. The  Tempos have a warm tone and image like crazy. That said, the Bache’s have more of a holographic sound that is more pleasing. I find that the pinpoint imaging of the Tempos seems to make instruments sound a bit flat and small. With the Bache’s, you get the same sense of placement in a soundstage, the difference is that its more open and bigger sounding.

If you check out Bache and want to listen further, I’m in your area and can play both speakers for you so you understand what I’m talking about. 
akwilson501
50 posts
 
Save your money. Get a pair of Audio Nirvana full range drivers and either build your box or pay someone local to do it for you. I have the 15in alinco classics and the 8in neodymiums classics. I prefer the 8s for speed and transients, and the 15s for tone and richness, being super picky though, as both are amazing. About $700 for the 8in pair and about $1200 for the 15s if I’m not mistaken. They are super efficent and I use a 8 watt Set amplifier(300b) to power them. Best imaging and the "fastest" drivers I’ve ever heard.... by a large margin. Sounds exactly what your looking for. Very susceptible to having a good back end though as they are the most transparent drivers I’ve ever heard. Shows all weaknesses in a system. May get some backlash for this due to their price... o well... 
Commonsenseaudio.com 
vassilis_t
38 posts
 
Dear aj523, I am in the same situation but in Dubai. I have been listening to music via Audirvana, lossless FLAC files, Ideon DAC, Ideon 3R and JBL P708 (active) studio monitors. The level of musicality, dynamics and accuracy is outstanding on a very low budget (approximately $4.5K) comparatively speaking. I own various speakers, several from German Physiks, Harbeth 40.2 and vintage KEF and B&W, but none of them are here.

Thus, yesterday, I took my Mac and the Ideon units and went to YAMAHA. Yes, YAMAHA! I spend 4 hours listening to NS 5000. I was floored. Outstanding speaker with excellent sound reproduction capability, imaging, dynamics and natural sounding. The price I was given was the equivalent of $11K. Excellent finish, and includes its own stands. IMHO, it is very close to 40.2 Anniversary, with better dynamics and looks. Build quality was world class.

I respectfully, urge you to listen to it. Must be one of the best speakers in the market today for  a relatively reasonable price. It checks all your requirements, except being floor standing. It has its own matching stands. Also, if you can put your hands on an Ideon Ayazi DAC, is worth listening. Great sound is not an exclusive privilege of stratospherically priced units.

I have no affiliation, professional or personal, with any of the brands mentioned herein or any other in the audio industry. 

https://europe.yamaha.com/en/products/audio_visual/speaker_systems/ns-5000/index.html
https://ideonaudio.com/product/ayazi-dac/
https://ideonaudio.com/product/3r-usb-renaissance-mk2/
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