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A dilemma: Modern sound, Musical Bliss or both?

Hi,

I'm in a crossroad between different audiophile paths.
I have heard many speakers in the $10-$20K range.
So far, I was most impressed by the following:
- Brodmann/Bosendorfer VC7
- Devore Orangutan O/96
- Avalon Indra

They can be divided into 2 sound categories:
1) The Brodmann VC7 & the Devore O/96 are not "accurate" speakers - they both sound extremely musical and "lack" the properties of modern sounding speakers (transparency, quietness and extreme dynamic abilities).
2) The Avalon Indra is a modern sounding speaker but I enjoyed listening to it very much - but it can sometimes be non-forgiving to recordings, although not as much as other high-end modern sounding speakers I've auditioned.

My dilemma is - will I be able to enjoy both worlds with the Indra and the right setup?
When I listen to the VC7 or the O/96 - I enjoy them very much - but after auditioning the Indra I found out that I am missing many recording/musical insights that I have not experienced with the VC7 or the O/96.

What would you do?
iaxelrod
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,590 posts
 
Try to get in as much audition time with the Avalon as you can before buying then decide. Try to audition with the rest of the gear you will be starting with in the same system. Do not discount value of minor tweaks like ICs, clean power, etc. as needed to fine tune the sound.
vicdamone
850 posts
 
I went around and around with speakers that I thought covered all the sonic bases. Unfortunately, my inexperience was my enemy.

Long ago someone with far more experience suggested that I try Avalon Eidolons. I listened to them at shows and long sessions at brick and mortar stores. Regardless, they seemed sleepy sounding leaving me unimpressed.

After yet another failure on my part a pair of used Eidolons became available at a price that would make resale easy. In just a few moments of listening to them at home their superiority became glaringly obvious to me and everyone in my family. They are not sleepy at all.

It turns out that all the sonic cues I was listening for in those other speakers were weaknesses. What did I know?

After living with the Avalons the only other speaker that I've heard that sounds correct to me is the Vandersteen 5s and 7s. But then again my experience is very limited and I have never heard the Indra's.
mlsstl
1,452 posts
 
I'm somewhat out of sync with the popular trends in high-end systems; in fact I don't care much for the image conjured by the term "audiophile".

To the point, I find many of the speakers that are popular with the audiophile crowd to be subtle caricatures of accuracy, presenting what one might term a "Kodachrome" version of a recording. There's an extra emphasis that one doesn't experience with acoustic instruments and voice heard live and unamplified.

You may be thinking of the first two speakers as more "musical" simply because they are doing a better job at practical realism.

Just as looking through a magnifying glass can certainly show you details that you wouldn't otherwise notice on a painting (and that may be important for an art curator), that isn't necessarily the best way to enjoy the painting for what it is.

So, as others have also suggested, get as much listening time in as possible before you buy. This will let some of the initial "wow" factor subside. Looking through a magnifying glass can certainly be interesting, but isn't necessarily the way you want to walk around day after day.
buconero117
2,311 posts
 
Doomed, you are. A terminal 'want better' has now befallen you and no speaker, at any price, will do. Sad. Enjoy the music.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,039 posts
 
The Indra should not be used with tubes, unlike the Eidelon. Its my opinion that you can get better sound with tubes, so I see this as a weakness in the Indra and also the Isis.

But if you are using transistors maybe you will like this speaker just fine.
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