New Speakers $10K -$20K


Hi everyone. A few bullet points and thank you all for your advice! Sorry for the length just trying to help you to help me.

* A Florida family room untreated and large. 30’ x 30’ with 12’ cathedral ceiling.
* I sit basically on left half of the room, the right side of the room is billiards and wet bar.
* I just turned 65, so these are my forever speakers!
* I am 70% HT and watching TV, and 30% 2Ch, but with a little room improvement 2ch listening will go up. I want better sounding 2 ch but I’m in a very live room.
* The front wall “half width” of my room is a stacked-stone marble wall.
* to my rear is a 16’ opening to a large kitchen.
* to my immediate left is a window 40” and 12’ of sliders looking into pool.
* just sold Paradigm Persona 7F towers, (2) Persona subs and Persona center ch. Amazing speakers in a poor large room. But I do think the Be. mid-range became a bit fatiguing.
* I need a company that also makes a great center ch for HT., Legacy Audio does.

Based on WAF etc. some treatments will be done but not greatly. More pillows, a defuser or two, maybe a bit more.

My needs: warmth, no harshness at the top, not massive speakers, WAF!
I still love movies with the grandkids, big subwoofers won’t be approved. “Eye Candy” is what she likes beautiful cabinetry, Sonus Fabre, and custom finishes available from Bill D. at Legacy.

Current candidates are:
1. Sonus Fabre Amati Tradition in the red stained finish - “gorgeous”, her favorite!
2. Legacy Calibres in a custom veneer with 2+ subs that are not too big. I really love the Aeris with Wavelet processor but they are too tall for her! Remember this is a family room.m we use for everything.
3. Sonus Fabre Serafino Tradition in the same beautiful red stain wood veneer.
4. Spendor, not terribly familiar but they do make a center ch, and are respected and are considered warm. Really wish Harbeth made a center ch.

Now I am looking forward to your suggestions!
Related equipment:
Classe’ CAV 180 - 5 x 180W
Marantz 8805 Pre-pro
Oppo 203
Innuous streamer/DVD ripper
Kaleidescape movie server 
Sonance DSP 8-130 MK2 for surrounds
Paradigm in ceiling (3pr) for surrounds 

Thank you all!
Dave





dave1980
Thank you all. I’ve decided on Focal Kanta 3’s which are in budget and front ported. Money left over to consider room treatments, possible 2ch integrated and 1-2 subs.
Congradulations. I’ll be interested in hearing your observations. 
Always zero or two subs. 
Focal's are good choice when you listen dynamic musics and movies compared to Sonos Faber’s. But you cannot taste the beautiful sound of SF’s when you listen soft and romantic music from Focal’s. 

Dutch Dutch 8c is a balanced good speaker but cannot compete with SF’s as a musical leisure...  
I have no idea why nobody has mentioned Goldenear's Triton line. Maybe I'll be accused of being a neo-audiophile just for bringing it up. Their reference speaker is $10,000. So they're at the bottom of your price list, but damn I think they are wonderful speakers. I have the Triton 2+ which retails for $4,000 a pair. Other equipment: TNT VPI 3, Audio Research PH-7, Audio Research Reference 2 Mk. 2 Preamp, SMC Audio Amp (upgraded McCormack) and McCormack SACD player. The speakers are the new boys in the neighborhood and I love them. You should read the reviews. All amazing. The only ding was their looks, but they've changed that in their newer reference speakers. My 2+ speakers have the black sock cover. Looks-wise it doesn't bother me, and more importantly my wife thought they were a big improvement over my Apogee Slant 8's.