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As Advised, Starting With Speakers First.

After licking my wounds and on the mend financially, I’m getting poised to rebuild. My wife and I are going to be doing a little touring around WA & OR last week of December and wondered what any of you Pacific Northwester’s thoughts were (yes you too Chuck being a local, but not thinking Tektons just yet) are on some of the local dealers around the area? There’s Tune Hi Fi, Hawthorne Stereo, Definitive Audio, Kitsap Audio and Gig Harbor Audio that all offer some interesting products. Also Reference Media in Bellingham. Any others, pros & cons, general advice, are all welcomed!

These establishments will not even graze all the speaker options out there, so if you have any other speaker recommendations, please let ’em fly. I know, there’s are a ton of threads on speakers, and I am trying to go and hear what I can with my own ears, but I would like to hear of peoples experiences where they order factory direct, which is fairly common these days, sight unseen/unheard and if they are getting/hearing what they want when purchasing blind. Or are you all spending a lot on return shipping?

The listening room at the new digs (ya, even sold the house too) measures 24’ x 15’ with a slightly vaulted ceiling and an L shaped opening to a small kitchen about halfway down. The two end walls that are 15’ wide both have doorways in them so speakers would be in the way. Probably best to have them on one of the long walls. One wall is solid for the first 2 feet then widows 5’ up from there the total length of the wall. The other side is solid, but my back would be to the view whilst listening. All hard surfaces.

Listen to just about every genre of music except Country & opera. Floor standers would be nice bypassing subs, but I’m open (maybe not the wife though, it’s a small house!) Had Martin Logan Spires in the past. Fun to listen to in the sweet spot but got fatiguing during long listening sessions and very unforgiving to poorer recordings. You get what you play.

Budget, well, I sold my previous entire $20K system for about half that so maybe in around $10-12K to replace amp, Dac, source and speakers inclusive.

Thanks
high-amp
high-amp OP
508 posts
 
patrickdowns: awesome, I forgot all about Advanced Audio. I had then bookmarked a couple of years ago, but they seemed to escapes my radar, they didn’t even show up on a Google search of the area. They will definitely be on my To-Do list.

Hey big_greg, I have not really researched Portland as of yet but will definitely add Echo Audio to my list. Thanks so much for that!


glupson

"I am not sure about Mike Lavigne, though. It must be an experience, but do you want to feel inferior for the rest of your time?"

Gee, I don't know what to say. Most of your comments, since I have been on AG, are pretty trivial and with no real substance. I'm thinking unless you can offer me some sound advice, maybe you could just keep your comments corraled? Thank you.



high-amp OP
508 posts
 
jjss49 I think you hit the nail on the head! The big buzz these days is open baffles. The Spatial's seem to be the flavor of the day but I'm not sure how they would work in that room and how close they can be to the back wall to perform effectively. I like the theory behind them and it would save a trip south, just gotta pick up the phone and order! Maybe a call to Clayton is in order?
fuzztone's avatar
fuzztone
5,511 posts
 
I'd rather experience Mike's music room than any dealers zillion dollar conglomeration. Bring some tapes.
high-amp OP
508 posts
 
+1 fuzztone, thanks
jjss49's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
jjss49
6,612 posts
 
op

spatials need 2-3 ft min from front wall, similar to side walls - i also think they also benefit greatly from symmetry in placement relative to room boundaries given their unique bass radiation pattern - i got m3 sapphires after speaking to clayton, enjoy them a lot in my dedicated listening room, but you shd know that they are very ’alive’ sounding speakers, treble is extended/strong even driven with tubes ... i suspect a sound signature like tektons, proacs, kefs i have heard (with all the open baffle benefits of course), they are not at all a ’more reserved, romantic’ speaker

this being said, i have heard older spatial models are more rolled off in the treble, m4’s and m3 turbos - you should be sure to check out pictures of them make sure wife will accept - they can dominate a room, especially a living room

given your ’hard’ room, you might consider spendors or even upper wharfedales, they have a warmer signature with terrific vocal/midband reproduction and solid bass - if stand mounts, harbeths and buchardts are exceptional - another idea is golden ear tritons...

good luck have fun
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