I listen to popular music (50's to now) and want mini-monitors (bedroom-corner system, not desktop, sitting 5-6 feet away). My goals are [1]silky but realistic, rounded vocals that have detail and are palpable with details and character; [2]bass control; [3]limited piercing brash highs that make me wince.
I have a good tubed headphone amp/preamp in this space (it's now a headphone system) so active speakers are fine, but passives with a small amp could work too. So what would be a good speaker or speaker/amp combo?
My 1st try was active Quad 12Ls (because I love my Quad 9Ls on my computer), and I kind of like them but I'm looking for that does the silky-midrange-vocal + sweet-highs thing.
My source in an EMM cd player.
(If you have thoughts on getting what I want out of the Quad 12Ls, that would be fine too.)
Have never heard many of the speakers mentioned so can't speak to their characters but have just read 2 glowing reviews in as many months re: Wharfdale Diamond 10.1.
The Ref 3a di Capo is a slightly larger box, but tonally it barks right up the tree you describe. OTOH, while I happen to like the Tablette quite a bit, I wouldn't put it in the more "polite" (Shadorne's apt word) tonal space you seem to seek.
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