Opinions wanted: 10-30K Speakers for Jazz/Folk

Hi, I have an Audio Note system and my main listening genere is jazz. I started in a different direction but ended up with AN. The sound is extremely musical. You will be immersed in it, not listening to the system. Set up right, the speakers disappear. There is only a big wall of three dimensional music, where every instrument is separated, distinct, enjoyable. It is not as detailed or clinical as other brands, but musical like no other. You must listen to AN before you make any decision. I run AN-J She speakers with a Meishu Silver 300B amp (only 8W/CH) all tied up with AN cables and wow, it is magical.
But, you have to listen for yourself and most of all, enjoy the process...

Although - I’m reluctant to suggest any speaker (system), when you’ve not fully identified all the relevant "specs" - I must agree with "Willgolf" (as I have elsewhere on the forums) - the Viking Acoustics speakers are exceptional - especially with jazz, classical, country (all things acoustic).

While Willgolf has one (or two) of Viking’s more expensive speakers, I have their Berlin R MKII stand mount monitors, which are superb with tube amps and "all things acoustic." I also have a collection of several other speakers (including Maggies, Harbeth’s, Linkwitz’s, LaHave’s, etc. to name a few)... and... the Vikings provide the most lifelike sound with tube amps of those I have (though they all sound superb with the right setup). They provide a sound a bit similar to the higher end Tannoy’s (Canterbury, Westminster, etc.)

And... as Will noted, I had Dave Counsel modify my Berlin’s caps and woofer / midrange to provide a bit more detail resolution, clarity and dynamics than the original design - though all his designs provide superb sound in all respects. I bought mine when Viking was known as dc10Audio - and Dave made the changes promptly with a minimum of cost with me just describing the sound I preferred.

As you’ve seen his product line is in your price range. And... if... you want to avoid the crowds of AXPONA (or similar), you might want to vacation in Santa Fe to hear the Viking’s - great place to visit any time of year, especially if you like to ski, or just enjoy Southwest cuisine, and interesting art. Or, I think Dave also makes some of the shows to demo his wares - so, you might check that out also. You won’t be disappointed and will have a great time, whichever. And... if you’re going to invest that kind of money, as indicated in your headline, it would well be worth your time and money.

I like the Tannoy. Beautiful cabinets. I heard Turnberry @ 6k a pair. They were smooth and effortless. They bigger ones should sound even better. Also Sonus Faber. The ones i heard were about $22K new. Preferred over Sasha DAW.  Rockport gets good recommendations.  Also curious about open baffles. Those would sound very good I think.  You can audition some of these at home.

nhb1, I live in southern New Hampshire. In about two weeks I will have a pair of Sound Labs Speakers set up. Even though you are leaning towards Dynamic speakers you are welcome to have a listen.
Mike

I think it is important to think of not just the speaker, but, the combination of speaker and amplifier.  If you already have, or have in mind, certain electronics, it would be useful information about compatibility.  For example, Magnepan and Soundlabs have been mentioned above, and they are certainly very good brands, but, they may not quite be right if you have low-powered tube amplification.

It would also help to know what you have already heard and liked and disliked and the reasons for these opinions.

As to your specific question about Audio Note speakers, they tend to be unimpressive and undistinguished--AT FIRST BLUSH.  But, if you go into the audition without a critical mindset and just listen for enjoyment, I think they will show you what they are about--musicality, relaxed sound, fully saturated harmonics, dense texture, and natural sounding dynamics (realistic attack and decay of notes).  I find the upper bass to be a bit excessive and bloated (if I put my critic's hat on), but, that might be part of the charm and I easily ignore this "issue."  Although they are only moderately efficient, they are an easy load and work well with low-powered tube amps (my favorite kind), and that is a BIG plus.

Among my personal favorites, at any price, are the speakers from Charney.  I've heard their Companion range with the Voxativ driver and with the AER driver (they offer different choices of the single driver).  Both sounded terrific to me, although I favored the AER driver (located in Northern New Jersey, no dealerships).  This is very efficient system that can be used with SET amps.  Other brands that I think are worth looking into are Trenner and Friedl (Austrian, I believe) and SoundKaos (Swiss, I believe).

If you are ever in the Washington DC area, you should check out Deja Vu Audio (Tyson's Corner, a suburb of DC).  It is a dealership that also makes its own gear (amplifiers, phono stages, linestages, preamps, DACs and loudspeakers).  Most of the custom made speakers utilize vintage drivers.  They make speakers in your price range that would be terrific for your choice of music.  They also carry Audio Note speakers.

Good luck in your search