Floorstanders for $3500


Has anyone compared Revel F206, PSB Synchrony or Imagine, Vienna Acoustics Mozart, Acoustic Zen Adagio, Von Schweikert, Spendor, KEF, etc. I would like to hear opinions of towers in this price range & what one thinks is the best buy, new or used.
Thanks
Ag insider logo xs@2x47ghibli
Rhljazz, is your statement about my list of speakers not being tube friendly based solely on their efficiency ratings (sensitivity in db)? If so, 90-100 watts/channel is more than many tube amps & I thought sufficient.
I believe it's also important to look at impedance perhaps even more so than sensitivity given your amp's relatively generous power rating for a tube amp. For example, the Revels drop below 4 Ohms at two different parts of the frequency spectrum (NRC measurements) despite having a stated nominal impedance of 8 Ohms. I'm no audio engineer by any stretch, but I'd think that could potentially be a bit of a tough load for a tube amp or even many solid state designs. I'm sure your amp could drive them, but it might not let you get the Revels to fully open up or perform at their best. That's one reason I recommended the Joseph Audios above as I don't think they drop below 6 Ohms. Anyway, maybe just something to consider.
47ghibli, it's not only efficiency but also an impedance that does not vary all over the place. Tube amps for the most part will have an easier time driving a load above 8 ohms with a 6 ohm minimum. That's not to say a 4 ohm speaker won't perform well if using the 4 ohm tap from the amp but you still don't want a dip to 2 ohms in the power regions.

Ralph from Atmashere posts all the time about this. His website has some valuable info you should read.
Well the last pair of Infinity IRS Beta's on the 'Gon sold for about $4900, so if you up your budget just a bit, you could get a pair of speakers which would spank all the speakers mentioned so far.
I have the PSB Imagine T2, they are a great all around speaker that can be purchased for under $2K for a used pair. The bass is surprising for a small speaker and they are regularly included on the Stereophile list of recommended components.

I use them with a tubed amp (Rogue Cronus Magnum), from the 4 ohm taps with no issues.