Lipinski L505 or L707's. Add a sub if necessary and you won't need floor standers. The only way I'd ever need floorstanders again, is if I moved my system downstairs where someone may walk by and knock a monitor over. In that case floor standers may be a better choice. A good set of stands will help too.
Monitor speakers that disappear:best image/staging
In the past, I've had speakers that could throw an image creating an uncanny impression that, even if the image was on the hard left or right, could not be identified as coming from the drivers or even the speakers (these were Apogee Stages, Wilson W/P6s,
and Kharma 3.2s).
Do any monitors do this (at least fairly well)? (Maybe Focal Diablos, Wilson Duettes, among the big names? What about some of the smaller names mentioned frequently in the threads on monitors)?
Many speakers still make me struggle to find the sweet spot and shift from left to right to get good imaging and transparency, which can be annoying even if the tonality is fine and the sonics are fine in all other respects.
and Kharma 3.2s).
Do any monitors do this (at least fairly well)? (Maybe Focal Diablos, Wilson Duettes, among the big names? What about some of the smaller names mentioned frequently in the threads on monitors)?
Many speakers still make me struggle to find the sweet spot and shift from left to right to get good imaging and transparency, which can be annoying even if the tonality is fine and the sonics are fine in all other respects.
- ...
- 17 posts total
You don't have to spend big $ to get that holographic sound.I am currently alternating between Sonus Faber Toy Monitors & Dynaudio Audience 42's in my computer audio system & both of them have uncanny imaging as well as sound staging with the S.F.showing more natural size to images & slightly better width & the Dynaudio's showing better depth. |
Definitely check out the Shelby+Kroll Nano monitors. No matter where you sit they sound great and the soundstage never collapses. I'm starting to sound like a broken record but more people need to hear these speakers Completely agree! The Shelby + Kroll Nano monitors are simply amazing at what you are looking for. If you need deeper bass pair them with a Woofer Monitor and you'll be a very happy camper! http://www.shelbykroll.com/ |
The Reference 3A Dulcets are killer imagers that, with good setup and the right music, of course, completely disappear and paint a spatially coherent performance that can be thrilling. Same for their bigger brother, the De Capo (which I recently traded up to). I am a confessed imaging/soundstage junkie, so the qualities you mentioned are non-negotiable for me, no matter how great speaker performance in other areas may be. |
If you want that holographic imaging, then mounting them on rigid, inert stands is half the equation. I had an insanely cheap stereo I set up for the kitchen, composed of an $89 powered Audio Authority (Chinese) sub that had a built-in stereo amp to power satellites. I tossed the included satellites aside and hooked it to some 30-year-old EPI bookshelf speakers I picked up for $10. I got really good sound. But when I mounted the EPI's on sand-filled welded steel stands, it turned into a virtual reality machine with *insanely* good sound for that amount of money. Another compact monitor I'd look at for imaging is the KEF LS50 50th Anniversary monitor. It's a 2-way coincident driver model and the front baffle curves away from the where the driver is mounted. A recent review in Stereophile rated it as Class A sound for smaller rooms. Blend in a subwoofer or two and it could fill a larger room as well. |
- 17 posts total