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Need Help Matching to This System To Speakers

New member here, and I would like some assistance on bookshelf speakers to match a "mostly" new system I have put together over the past year. I am looking to spend between $2,000 and $4,000 for a pair of bookshelfs.....This is only a 2 channell audio set up. It will be a new system, in a new first floor remodel. I will have the tube and solid state amps to drive the single set of speakers.

I am an engineer, and have over researched the subject and am now completely moved to "inaction" by an overwhelming list of speakers. The speakers MUST be bookshelfs, as that was my agreement with my wife when she agreed to all of the new equipment and cable purchases.....the Thiel CS3.6 speakers have already been sold. Something I never wanted to do. I will be adding a REL T/5X or T/7X sub as well.

My listening tastes are classic rock, 80/90s new age rock, southern rock, blues, old school rap, some country, some grunge, some newer rock, etc. I do not listen to classical, jazz, opera, orchestra, etc. Well recorded (if possible) is just as important to me. You are likely to find me listening to Pink Floyd, Supertramp, Radiohead, Gorillaz, REM, Black Keys, Talking Heads, Depeche Mode, Tom Petty, Gary Clark Jr. Chris Stapleton, Little Feat, Alice in Chains, NWA, Eminem. My listening style has changed over the last 15 years, I do not tend to listen at high volumes....enough to fill the space is sufficient for me. I'd like to listen more often, not louder.

My listening area is 12' x 20' with 8' ceilings in a relatively open floor plan, with a sitting position about 8.5' from the speakers, open concept room with hardwood floors. It will have couches/chairs/curtains/area rugs/ but doubt wife will go for acoustic treatments. I will be placing the speakers 12" to 18" at most from the front wall.

Suggestion on speakers is welcome, and hopefully I've done a good job with associated equipment; I found some great information on these threads. Also AXPONA is here is Chicago this year, so I may get to listen to some of these speakers. Thank you in advance for your constructive input.

Speakers on my too large list: Ascend Sierra 2EX, Buchardt S400 MkII, Philharmonic BMR, Triangle 40th Anniversary Comete, Dynaudio Evoke 20 and Special 40, ProAc Tablette 10 Signature, Xavian Perla, Amphion Argon 3S, Totem Sky or Signature 1, Arendal 1723, Tannoy Autograph Mini, Spendor Classic 4/5, Harbeth 7ES-3 XD, Paradigm Founders 40B, ????

NOT a fan of B&W, Klipsch, Focal, Def Tech, Polk, B&O, KEF, ELAC, JBL.

Components: NuPrime AMG-STA Amp, Denafrips Pontus II DAC, Onkyo C-7030 CD Player, Denafrips Hestia Pre-Amp, Tubes4HiFi VTA ST-120 Tube Amp (KT120 Tubes), Bluesound Node (3?) Streamer, Schiit Magni Headphone Amp, Sennheiser HD599 Headphones, Panamax M5400-PM Power Conditioner, Dedicated 20AMP 120V Circuit - Furutech FPX Gold Wall Sockets

Cables: Pangea Audio AC-9 SE MkII Cables (Power Amps) & AC14-SE MkII Cables (Signal Components), Morrow Audio MA-4 Analog Co-Ax Pairs, MA-4 Analog XLR Pairs, DIG 4 Digital Co-Ax Singles, ANTICABLES Level 3.1 Reference Speaker Wires, Wireworld Chroma 8 Ethernet & Starlight 8 USB, Supra Cat 8 Ethernet, Oyaide Neo USB D+, KableDirect TOSLINK Professional Optical Digital

vthokie83
ryder
1,689 posts
 

Yes. A friend of hers has some gorgeous pair ProAc standmounts that look and sound beautiful....that's something like what I'll end up with. It's apparently worth $10,000 worth of new electronics to acheive that for her.

 

Sounds like the Proac Tablette 10 Signature. I've read that the diminutive size belies their performance as they are capable of a big sound and deep impressive bass.

ohlala
1,235 posts
 

I really like the well balanced tone of Aerial 5t speakers, a goldilocks of pleasant vs open/detailed. Unfortunately I have not seen them for demo in some time. First hand experience is the only really experience...good luck.

jrbirdman333
105 posts
 

Hard to go wrong with those Dyn Special 40s. I own Dyns so I'm biased but for me their tweeter is just so dang good. It is very smoothe and integrates with the lower frequencies very well. Good luck. 

pwerahera
121 posts
 

@vthokie83

It would be hard to find a book shelf speaker matching Thiel 3.6, but at least gives me an idea re your "taste." Please include Joseph Audio Pulsar in your list. There are several available in the used market starting at $3,250. There is an excellent review of these on stereophile.

 

Thiel 3.6s can go down to ~30 Hz (essentially covering up to the double bass). Even though frequency response of Pulsar is 42-20kHz, you may not feel you are missing a whole lot at the low end compared to Thiel 3.6. Not only the phase angle relatively low (similar to 3.6s), the impedance remain above 8 Ohms for the most of the audio band. These will be lot easier to drive (no sensitivity given) with nominal impedance of 8 Ohms. But imaging and midrange of Pulsar is where the magic happens.

 

dcevans
180 posts
 

I really love my Vandersteen VLR CTs. I have them paired with a Vandersteen sub3 subwoofer. The tweeter and woofer are in a coaxial arrangement, with time and phase alignment. They are honest, balanced natural sounding speakers. You indicated you are not fond of speakers that are forward sounding, tipped to the treble that sound exciting on first listen, but become fatiguing. I have owned B&W, Focal and Klipsch, and I plan on keeping these for the long haul. If you live in the Chicago area, there is no excuse to not audition them.

While I have not heard them, Fritz speakers have an excellent reputation on this forum and should be added to your list.

 

 

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