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What speaker – under $10k – has the best timbre and tonal qualities?

Several years ago, a prominent reviewer had this to say as he was praising the natural and life-like tonal qualities of a particular speaker:

It’s [speakers] like these that make me question the priorities of audiophiles who relegate accuracy of timbre to secondary status. How are the richness and color of instruments, voices, ensembles, and textures to be reproduced in all their infinite variety and beauty if a loudspeaker has less than accurate reproduction of timbre? What do dynamics, imaging, detail, transparency, and the like matter if voices and instruments don’t sound like themselves?

I’ve come the same realization, late in the game. I recently made a lateral move from one of the most popular of recent speaker models to a different speaker, because it sounded so much more natural and realistic in timbre. I sacrificed a touch of image precision in doing so, but it has been well worth it. The sound is so much more engaging. It’s like going from a high-resolution black and white photograph – which is very detailed and impressive – to a color version of the same photo, but with slightly less resolution. The color version offers so much more in terms of realism.

So I’m now contemplating the purchase of what I hope will be my last speakers, with the objective of realistic, natural, and rich (but not artificially warm) tone being the primary attribute.  

What speakers, under $10k, would you recommend? (I’m driving them with a PrimaLuna Prologue Premium)


wester17
cd318
2,636 posts
 
@1111art,

"The most expensive Dali you can find/afford. So rich I can’t seem to listen with my eyes open"

Another contender for the ’must listen to’ club.


@wester17 ,

"Ahh yes! The audio merry-go-round. I’m truly ready to get off. Over the past two weeks I have sold three sets of speakers and a tube amplifier. The basement looks so much more uncluttered now! It actually feels good!"


Can’t say I blame you. This hobby has a strange way of turning from pleasure into pain, and then sometimes back again.

It sure sounds as if you’re ready to get back into your music again.

Tonal accuracy rather than pursuit of detail is the way to go. I’m sure of it.
One = pleasure, the other = analysis.

You won’t go far wrong with Tannoys but you might also be able to do a smidgen better with something else. @prof has written extensively on this subject so it might also be worth reading some of his posts.

Anyway, what are you using currently? It might possibly help those who are a little further up the same mountain path give you a few pointers.
p05129
512 posts
 
You can’t rely on millercarbon for speaker advice because he rates all Tekton speakers very high even if he hasn’t listened to them. You want to have somebody that actually has heard or owned the equipment before giving any advice.
As for good quality speakers used for under $10k, I would look at Wilson, revel, usher, totem, golden ear, and and Others.
jaudio1
121 posts
 
Tekton Encore
hilde45's avatar
hilde45
5,039 posts
 
I’m not sure if you’re looking for towers or bookshelves, but after listening to a decent range of speakers, Salk and Fritz speakers consistently evoke the word "honest" when I listen to them. In a musical piece, the represented instruments -- whichever they are -- consistently remind me of the live occasions in which I’d heard them played, and the vocalists seem immediate and present in my room, to a startling degree.
tweak1
3,679 posts
 
Check out Danny GR Research. He mods many speakers XOs which seems to be the Achilles Heel of most speaker companies. He has a YT channel you might want to watch a few episodes


He also has some speakers that he bought a container full and is selling them at a great price

Personally, I have Emerald Physics 3.4s (not longer made) they have a 12" concentric driver with a polyester tweeter.  MSRP was ~ 6K, you might find them or 2.8s for a great price used

Also +1 to whomever mentioned Spatials, I'm an open baffle fan


hth
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