2. speakers
  3. 1353601230

Top monitors 3K - 6K range

Hello all,

I am looking into some flagship monitors and I'd like some help/recommendations. I don't have a single sound I like and my tastes in music are pretty diverse too. Currently I have a few nice speakers including Harbeth SHL-5, B&W 805N, Magnepan 1.6 and PSB Imagine B. These speakers are all pretty different and I do like them all. I have owned Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor M which somehow did not do it for me, amazing imaging but a little thick. Also I have had the Merlin TSM MMI which was great but my amplification is SS which seems to cause some restrictions.

My room is 12x16, speakers on the short wall. I do tend to like a slightly warm sounds but I also love dynamics, pinpoint imaging and sexy looking cabinets.

I am currently looking into:

B&W 805D
Totem Mani 2 Signature
Dynaudio C1
Focal Micro Be
Usher BE-718
Volent VL-2
Evolution MMMicroOne

Any recommendations? Am I missing anything?
128x128michaelkingdom
rlwainwright
1,904 posts
 
I've been reading great things about the Tekton M-Lores, perhaps they should be added to your list, $649/pr....Very efficient speakers, too. And the Tekton Model 81T's look to be very nice for only $650/pr.

Gallo Classico CL-2s are getting great reviews, too..And only $795/pr.! If you simply must spend more, take a good look at the Gallo Stradas ($999 ea.), Audiogon member Dave Pogue swears by 'em, and Dave surely knows great sound...

BTW, all of these speakers are available direct from the mfgrs. and have 30-60 day in-home trials - woo-hoo!!

-RW-
polk432
1,142 posts
 
You really need to hear Lipinski L505 or L 707's. Fantastic sound. The only way I'll ever sell my L707's is to move up to the bigger models @ 10K each. Happy listening.
yashu
196 posts
 
I recently went from Proac response 2.5 to the Dynaudio C1 and have been quite pleased. Just about broken in, and I feel as if I'm in a live venue.

Quite a significant upgrade.
teajay
1,702 posts
 
Hi Michaelkingdom,

In the last year I have been on a kind of marathon reviewing two-way stand mount reference level speakers for the website hometheaterreview.com as a staff reviewer. No, I did not audition the speakers on your list, but have a very good take on six of the seven you mention based on actually heraing them, and would very highly recommend you put on your list the Lawrence Audio Mandolins, that retail for around $3500.00, which includes stands. These have turned out to be my favorite stand mount for the following reasons: 1)Great dynamics and extension on the bottom end for a small speaker. 2) Seamless intergration between the Ribbon tweeter and cone driver. )Beautiful/natural timbres and tonality. 3) The best soundstaging/layering of any two way that I have heard for review.

The build quality is first rate and the Mandolin's physical apperance is quite attractive indeed. If you have never seen what they look like go to the Lawrence Audio website for pictures and other reviews on these speakers that praised them very highly.

Because Mr. Lawrence and his speaker models just got to the states in the last cuople of years, they priced them to be a great bargain because of all of the above mentioned details.
More to discover