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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
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
So the other night I put on Springsteen The Ghost of Tom Joad. Several of these like Highway 29 are pretty much just Bruce sitting there playing his string guitar. The sound is exactly that, as if Bruce is right there in the room. Could hardly be more intimate. 

Then I put on Doug MacLeod, Exactly Like This. Same thing, very intimate, like he's right there. Right size, right everything. 

Nancy Bryan, Lay Me Down, holy smokes! Not all of them are small and intimate, but the ones that are wow, never heard better. 

So what are these speakers that create such a wonderully intimate 2 channel listening experience? Tekton Moabs. Just get em.
nyaudio98
420 posts
 
For the money  fritz speakers...look at his reviews. I loved the reference 3a mm decapo...but a reviewer said his fritz were better
maynardgkeynes
7 posts
 
Harbeth, Harbeth, and Harbeth.Does that count as one vote or three? :)
Seriously, Harbeths are not for everyone or every room, but as far as intimacy, that's what they are all about.
headphonedreams
525 posts
 
+1 on Focal Sopra. I have not heard all models but those that I’ve heard has been great. Their Kanta 3 is also good at around $13k.

Another brand to try is Fyne with Fyne F701 for about $12k or the F1 which may cost from $24k up to $30k. I’ve heard the F701 and it images great! I have also listened to some cheaper models and they were very good for their price.

https://stereo-magazine.com/review/fyne-audio-f1-10-review
aj523 OP
362 posts
 
UPDATE
I made my decision, drank the BBC Kool aid, and purchased the Harbeth 40.2 Annie’s, all in with the TonTrager stands.

At the proverbial end of the day, for me, I just really felt such an emotional soothing connection when demo’img it with my records that I didn’t get from most of the others. Very musical, warm, engaging and so natural sounding, the 3 drivers really do come off sounding like one big driver they are so seamless. Voices are the best I heard and the bass is very musical, not that one note blurr. No shrill at loud volumes, non-fatiguing and not analytical which I internally associate with being cold. Heavy metal not my thing but for soft rock, folk, blues, jazz where the vocals are front and center its smooth as silk.

On the downside, to my eyes they are not aesthetically pleasing as speakers are designed these days,, and not anything I would have thought of getting but they are seriously HUMONGOUS in person, these are not satellite speakers as I tend to think of that design. And they definitely don’t image as well as the other floorstanders, so that was major compromise for me, but close your eyes its not such a big deal.

Well all adventures must come to an end. I learned a lot and it was a fun but an overwhelming 2 months.

And a huge thanks to the key peeps who reached out on this forum and guided me along, keeping me straight -- I tend to be impulsive which is not a healthy trait in this hobby. Will see how things go, but at least I made some new friends.

And of course I’ll leave the door open in the sense that if I can demo future speakers in my room against the Harbeths I certainly will. But for the near term I’ll let contentment settle in....
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