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Up to $4000US tower speakers for Jazz and Classical Music

Hello All!

My wife and I are musicians who happen to also love listening to music! Last 3 years we have used a pair of Q acoustics Concept 40 tower speakers powered (now) by and Audiolab 6000A integrated. We listen to 90% of our music on CDs (Audiolab CD transport) or vinyls (Audiotechnica turntable). Mostly jazz and classical music in our roughly 53 square meters (550 sq ft) living room. Some other speakers came and went but we have so far liked the Q acoustics more than any other. We like their honesty with a tinge of warmness, but they are also engaging, open sounding, dynamic, airy! We love how chamber music sounds on them: string quartets, piano trios (jazz or classical), voices, big bands, etc... but we do miss a bit of that lower octave the Q acoustics simply don't have. A friend lent me a pair of Elac Adante AS-61 but did no like them much. lots of transient attack (which was good for percussion instruments) but it somehow changed the color/timbre of other instruments. I work also as a mixing engineer and have a pair of Neumann KH310 monitors in my treated room so I can say I'm picky with sound. Of course we don't want the analytical sound of the Neumanns in our living room (completely different beasts) but we want speakers to still be honest, but engaging, open, dynamic, airy. We are looking for a pair of tower speakers around $4000 that will provide us with a more believable orchestral crescendo, pianissimo, fortissimo, and that lower octave of a double bass the Concept 40s can't provide (by the way, we don't want a sub; tried several and simply did not like the overall presentation). We are looking at possibilities in Crutchfield, Music Direct or Amazon in case we need to return them (we live in the countryside and can't audition any speakers nowhere near!). Our list includes: Klipsch Forte III, Definitive Technology Demand D17, Kef R7, JBL HDI-3800, Dali Opticon 8MK2, Revel F206 and B&W 703 S2 or 704 S2. They will have to be efficient as the Audiolab does not have a ton of power! Any suggestions, greatly appreciated!! Thanks!

langelo68
tim_p's avatar
tim_p
361 posts
 

+1 for Monitor Audio, Gold/Silver series is well in your price range. 

moonwatcher
447 posts
 

Good luck. I note the latest incarnation is the 8th version Vandersteen 2CE Signature III. $3607/pair. You have a room large enough though for some Maggies, and Ohm though, if you can pull them away from the walls. Nearly everyone (at least many reviewers) seem to be in love with open baffle speakers like the M3 Sapphire or X4 from Spatial Audio regarding their sonic advantages over box speakers. I can see why, but I could never put such large heavy speakers 5 or more feet (more like 8 feet ) into my room and leave them.

The idea one guy had above of taking a day off and going somewhere to HEAR some of these for yourself is a worthy one, and would save a lot of possible regret and second guessing later on.

And as another noted, your room is large.  Don't discount a well set up sub-woofer.

johnto
1,023 posts
 

I'd try to find a used Magnepan 3.7i or 1.7i and add a sub. I listen to lots of jazz on mine and it's like you are there.

Happy listening

listener2
12 posts
 

I agree with twoleftears in recommending a pair of BMR towers.  I just bought them.  With shipping, they were pennies under your limit.

Dennis sells them directly so there is little chance you will find them in any showroom, audiophile or mass market.  You can listen to mine, or maybe Dennis has a small showroom.  Certainly ask him about a return policy.  You won't need it, but ask.

jjss49's avatar
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jjss49
6,612 posts
 

Thanks again for the incredible input! no plans to upgrade the Audiolab as we just upgraded the amp (by the way, we find the synergy between the Audiolab amp and its CD transport to be excellent). We are aware it does not have a lot of power but we are amazed at how good the Q Acoustics sound with the Audiolab. Sooo much better! We will definitely need a pair of efficient (high sensitivity) speakers with the Audiolab, so Magnepans (for what I’ve read), unfortunately, will not work for us.

to spend 4 grand on a pair of better speakers to play jazz/classical, yet have the choice limited by an audiolab integrated amplifier power output is unwise, in my opinion - especially as the 6000a has pre outs to drive a power amp

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