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Non-fatiguing speakers in $10K range?

Some years ago I downsized to headphones only. Now I have access to a dedicated room again, so getting my absorption panels and ASC Tube traps back from storage... :-) The amp is going to be Accuphase E-800. I like class A, and I owned fair share of Pass gear but Pass integrated (and lower preamps) no longer have tape loop. I also like my gear to look the way I enjoy and Pass went too industrial for me.

Anyway, long story short. Speakers. I prefer relaxed, non-fatiguing sound. My headphones are Meze Elites and I love them. I also own Focal Utopia, but rarely listen to them, too forward for me.

Now, music-wise I do not listen to jazz or classical or vocals, sorry. Classic rock, hard rock, 80s new wave, punk, pop (classic and modern) and African blues like Tinariwen. People tend to insta-suggest forward sounding speakers - you like metal, right???. But I don't like piercing sound and I rarely go to concerts exactly because of this. I listen to AC/DC but NOT at 'realistic' revels. I like rhythm, melody, but I don't care about 120 Db.

The budget is about $10K, give or take, most probably second hand, but I can buy new, if I really like it. Unfortunately, there are not that many high end shops around Seattle with gear I like. Some went selling vintage and some went up selling only $100K+ systems. So most probably will be getting something blind.

It seems I should be looking for ribbon tweeters, I spent hours at youtube - it is definitely not listening in person, but some recordings are pretty decent and many show differences between speaker models.

I also compare frequency response measurements - I can easily tell that I won't like the speaker by looking at the chart. Ex, bump around 2-6K is a no-no since this is what "bright" is. Dip is actually good since this is what makes sound less "in your face/ear".

So far I more-or-less narrowed my search down to Legacy (Signature or Focus), Dali 8, ProAc (D48 or K) and - maybe - Magico A3? Legacy is huge, I am not sure I really need 20Hz extension. Magico has beryllium tweeters which may be bright....

I purchased Tannoy D700 many years ago, still own them, they are part of my TV set up. They sound good, but not as good as I would like it. My desktop speakers are ribbons too - AirPulse, I like them quite a bit.

Anything else I am missing?

mikhailark
mikhailark OP
343 posts
 

@gdnrbob I am in Seattle and to some definition it is a major city. And yet there is very little so listen to. Some list many brands on their web sites but do not actually have anything in stock. Some distributors (such US one for ProAc) shows there is a dealer in Seattle, but when I go to the dealer web site, there is no ProAc and they claim they do not carry any.

Hawthorne Stereo now mostly sells vintage and lower end gear. Definitive Audio is now $$$$. And DA Seattle is actually closed, only one in suburbs close to Microsoft ($$$) is actually open. There is another HiFi store but it is more like a warehouse full of boxes and don’t have any real listening room.

I went and listened to B&W (hard no), Linn (nope), ATC (no), KEF (no), Wilson (maybe...), Sonus Faber (a bit too relaxed already, voiced to classical, I think)

I can listen to AirPulse or Meze Elites for days. It is Focal I want to throw out :-).

As for measurements I simply thought at some point many years ago - why is that some speakers sound good to me and some not. I can read charts, I have masters in applied math (signal processing). So I did quite a bit of research that yielded quite high correlation between certain charts and my preferences. YMMV, of course.

mofojo
2,307 posts
 

Past 2 weeks I’ve been rocking Paradigm Founder 120H. Bought them used for well under half price. Perfect condition. I vote them best rock speakers I’ve ever had. Warm but detailed mids, non piercing highs, Killer articulate bass. Everything sounds good on these but they have knocked Tekton Double Impacts off the throne for me as far as rock music goes. Way different sound signature from older Paradigms IMO. Stereophile measurements show a bump around 10k. I don’t hear that at all. Maybe that was on axis and I’m pointing beside my shoulders. 

ghdprentice
7,323 posts
 

Your yes’s and no’s of speakers seem consistent with your observations of speaker brands. Off the cuff… sorry that Pass is out… I would think Wilson / Pass would be a good combo for you. There are some other combos but not sure the Accuphase is the right choice. You seem to know what you want… you might need to choose the speaker then preamp / amp to get what you want.

soix
9,809 posts
 

I think you’ve identified some good candidates with the possible exception of the A3s that may trigger your treble sensitivity especially with the music you listen to.  Given what you’re looking for I immediately thought Legacy or used Acoustic Zen Crescendos if you can accommodate their size.  There’s a nice pair of AZs available now…

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650110650-acoustic-zen-crescendo-tower-speakers/

ProAc is one of my fave speakers as well, and QLN Prestige 3 is also worth a look.  Best of luck. 
 

dill
2,545 posts
 

Checkout Stereotypes, Echo Audio, Pearl Audio in Portland.

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