Speaker Recommendation Help Please.


Hello,

I  am hoping to get some advice.

First, I'm in Canada so when I talk budgets I will use gear, not numbers, as that is probably the best way to remove the "currency" factor ($100 USD is very different than $100 CAD, but a NAD M33 is the same item on both sides of the border). 

Second, I actually have pretty minimal experience with speakers.  I was an avid headphone listener for years as I used to live in a condo so speakers, due to space and neighbours, was not an option.  I've owned most TOTL headphones - HD800, Focal Utopia, LCD4, Abyss, Code-X, SR-009/007, etc.  

Third, I'm looking at speakers for now, only.  An amp and source will come later so let's ignore it for now entirely please.  Assume whatever speaker I end up with, I will get an appropriate amp.  I am trying to keep this as focused as possible and I have to start somewhere, and I've decided the speakers are the place.  If I have a budget of $X, I am happy to spend $X on speakers and wait to buy an amp rather than spending $0.5X on speakers and $0.5X on an amp today.

Fourth, some information about my listening preferences...  People ask, "what kind of music do you like".  Well, as Justice Stewart might say, I can't define it but when I hear it, I know it.  I'm pretty varied and probably listen to much of the same stuff every audiophile does.  I don't listen to a lot of classical, chamber, techno, EDM, rap or country.  Take whatever is left, and that's probably me.  I love detail - It's what I love about the HD800 and Utopia's - there is so much nuance, air and separation.  I love that.  I also love texture, which is why I love the LCD4's.  The resonance of a guitar body, the natural tone of a voice.  And I love slam...  This is my guilty pleasure.  I used to drive my Abyss with a PassLabs INT-30A (30 watts of Class A into headphones) and you could almost feel the impact in your chest.  If you need more detail, or have specific questions about any of this, please let me know.

Fifth, my room is the biggest small room there is (well, not really).  The speakers on going on an 13 foot wall (that extends out to about 60 feet) and the room is 28 feet deep.  The speakers can only be about 12-14 inches from the back wall (I have a wife and it's our family room) and my ears are about 10 feet from the speaker wall.  Oh, and the ceilings are 12 feet high.  Here's my crummy drawing of the room.  Each square is one foot by one foot:

 

(Hopefully you can read all that).

 

The speakers are going on the left side and there is fireplace in between.  Behind the couch is the kitchen and, if you are sitting on the couch, to your left, it opens up to the font of the house.  Here's what is actually looks like and the new speaker will go where the current ones are:

 

 

(The speakers are Paradigm Active 20's for those playing at home)

To the right is the back of the home which is mostly glass.

Now, as for options.  I don't love the signature of the Paradigms.  They have a  "dark" sound and have a recessed mids.  What I call an "American sound".  I am looking for something more neutral or even slightly warm.  

Locally, there is a pair of Sophia V1's which is my current front runner.  I think they will give me everything I am after with the right amp but they are a little big.  They are also my #1 choice due to price.  I worry about placement and that being a big problem.

I am also considering Wilson SabrinaX's,.  I worry the Sabarina's may be too small sounding for the room (not that I need to fill it, and I don't listen loud), but I love the foot print of them.  Also, because they are Wilson, I again worry about placement.

Next would be Sonus Faber Guarneri Traditions.  I think I would have end up adding a sub down the road which technically makes them the biggest option (by foot print).  I LOVE the look of them.  I also would consider Serafinos if I don't need a but I feel like we are getting into next level stuff with those so everything, like the amp budget has to climb as well.  Right now, my top choice amp for all options is a Hegel H390 or H590 so you get an ideal of budget.  Tubes aren't an option.

Next would be Focal Sopra 2's.  Visually, these are the bottom the list for me personally, but I think they are a bit of a middle ground sonically between the Sabrina's and GT's...  

I am going to listen to all 4 speakers this week.  

My question is which of the 4 would work best in my room given the placement restrictions?  The Sophia's may be a no brainer here because of the price and that they are second hand so they have already depreciated so I could buy them and change to another option later.  Are their others that you would strongly suggest?  Maggies aren't an option due to looks.  Magico isn't an option either.  

Thank you for reading,

-Paul

bigfatpaulie

The more I listen to my friends Lii Audio Crystal 10 Reference Single Driver Loudspeakers the more I love them. These could be my End-Game speakers. 

Lii Audio has come out with a new model now called Silver-10 Reference that uses speaker cabinets made out of Marine Wood that sounds even better. The older Crystal-10 Reference model used common plywood for their speaker cabinets.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVez8PTTeAI&t

As a Wilson Sabrina X owner, first I congratulate you on your choice.  Second, I have to respectfully disagree with those who say that the Sabrina X's are bright speakers or that they are "hard to drive."  That has definitely not been my experience.  I find them to be wonderfully voiced and definitely not bright or fatiguing at all.  I also have no desire for more bass, although they are near corners so maybe that brings out more bass.  As for being hard to drive, I use a Pass Labs 250.8, which into 4 ohms is obviously a bruiser anyway, but is a fantastic match.  On the other hand, I can easily drive them with my PrimaLuna Dialogue Premier HP tube amp as well, so I think that those who believe that they are hard to drive are just relying on the impedance curve from Stereophile rather than actually trying them in the real world.  Congratulations on your purchase.  Oh, and just a word about placement.  The same Stereophile review states that a Wilson dealer moved the speakers .25 inches and got more noticeably more bass and focus.  I call total BS on that.  Unless the reviewer's head was in a vice, in the real world, we sit in our listening chair, move around, bend our heads to read, sit slightly differently in the chair, etc., all of which move your head more than .25 inches to one side or the other or forward or back.  So the idea that changing the placement of the speakers by 1/4 inch does anything significant in the real world is just illogical, unless, as I said, you like to sit and listen to music with your head in a vice so that you can't move.  Enjoy them.  they are beautifully made, look great (IMHO) and sound great!

@bigfatpaulie

First of all…Congrats on your choice! Great speakers!!!

My suggestion would be to have your dealer set them up for you since you bought them new, assuming you bought them from the dealer.
I’m still experimenting with the speaker placement in my room (15x14) and I can tell you the Sabrinas can sound like several completely different speakers depending on how you position them and how they interact with your room depending on how far from the front wall and side walls they are, toe in, etc.

So having a trained dealer perform the set up for you is essential. Take advantage of if it if there’ an option.

Secondly…I drive my Sabrinas with Pass Labs XA30.8 and I can’t detect any signs of amplifier straining. I hear synergy between the Pass amp and the speakers. They sound amazing.

Let is know your thoughts once you’re up and running.

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