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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
aj523 OP
362 posts
 
@twoleftears 

Wow those are the most beautiful speakers I have ever seen!  A little out of my price range even with a discount, but will keep in mind in case I see a demo or used.  Thx
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,460 posts
 
There isn't anything as good for your purpose than good earphones powered with its own dedicated amp.   I have Sennheiser 650's...the sound is many ways better than my multithousand dollar speakers. 
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,318 posts
 
The smaller brother VA Liszt are *very* good too, but these days you could expect some significant discounts, especially on store demos and the like.
audiokinesis
2,735 posts
 
" Has anyone compared Magnepan to Martin Logan? "

I have owned both, so yes, but that was years ago and Martin Logan’s product line now includes a wider range of formats. The ones I owned had a tall electrostatic panel sitting atop a short woofer box. The Martin Logans were better at some things, and the Maggies were better at some things.

But there is one inevitable acoustic characteristic of the tall panel/short wooferbox format that you should be aware of, and unfortunately it’s not common knowledge. First a bit of background:

Sound propagates differently from the point-source-approximating woofer than from the line-source-approximating panel . Sound pressure levels falls off by 6 dB for each doubling of distance from a point source, but only 3 dB for each doubling of distance from a line source.

This means that the tonal balance of a hybrid electrostat with the tall panel/one woofer configuration changes with distance because the relative loudness of woofer and panel changes with distance. The farther back you are, the louder the panel is, relative to the woofer. I have measured this and it’s not just theoretical; it’s real. 

In my opinion the key to a tall panel/single woofer hybrid adapting to a wide variety of room sizes and/or preferred listening distances is adjustability. The relative loudness of woofer and panel should be user-adjustable. I don’t know whether that is the case or not for their current line.

Duke
avanti1960
1,471 posts
 
aj,
Since you are going to need an amplifier, speaker recommendations tend to be somewhat hollow unless amplification is taken into account for compatability and synergy. it needs to be figured out with the speakers.
what is your total budget including amp?
also we need to know your possible room layouts for the best recommendations.
how close can you sit from the speakers? can you position your new speakers four feet from the wall and bring your chair or couch away from the wall behind you?
the reason i ask is that an intimate setting is typically a nearfield triangle and some speakers need space and proximity to sound their best. there are speakers that should be eliminated if your speakers need to be close to the wall and your couch has to be against the opposite wall (not good).
if the speakers are four feet from the wall and three feet from side walls, that would make for a center to center distance of 11 feet on the narrow wall in which case the back of your chair wants to be about 14 feet from the wall in front of you.
give us some idea of your possible room layouts. commiting to this will yield the best results and get the most out of your new system.
suggesting speakers without amp and room considerations is incomplete and could lead to unintended compromises.
tony

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