@ditusa Tannoy D700 are concentrics, not horns to any extent.
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?
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"Classic rock, hard rock, 80s new wave, punk, pop (classic and modern)". I like these genres too. The frustrating thing is often these recordings sound better on car stereos and headphones than they do on high end systems. For example, about 15 years ago I heard Atmosphere by Joy Division in my mom's car. It sounded great, lively with great frequency extension. Not on my stereo systems, nope, sounds lifeless and dull. If you turn up the volume to liven it up and hear some of the inner details that I heard in the car, it just hurts my ears. So to find a system or speakers that work well with that music/recordings. It is a challenge for sure. Speakers aside, maybe try a tube DAC or a source that is going to send a warm signal through the system. I have the Klipsch Cornwall IVs, they say it is a great rock speaker. I don’t know, I have had my challenges with it. Getting a Tube DAC (Black Ice Audio) and damping the mid horn and tweeter sure has helped. For example, playing The Stone Roses now, sounds pretty darn good, before it sounded dull, lifeless and harsh, almost unlistenable. It doesn’t sound like Roxy Music’s Avalon or Dark Side of the Moon, but it was a lot more enjoyable than before. I would only recommend the Cornwall IV if you are willing do the work. Two other speakers that are easy on the ears and good with the music the OP likes are the Wharfedale Lintons and the Polk Audio R700s. Neither are nowhere near the 10 grand mark. I haven’t heard them but I have heard great things about the Rosso Fiorentina Certaldo 2, from their description they sound like what you may be looking for.
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@mm1tt77 - Looking at Revel Salon 2, it sounds nice actually, but I have concern with 86 Db sensitivity while my amp is technically 30W Class A (although Accuphase does spec 60 and even 120 W to 2 Ohms, I guess class AB). F328Be appears to be 91 Db, but may people prefer Salon 2 sound. |
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