I agree..
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?
- ...
- 179 posts total
tomic601, I'm in Port Townsend as well and drove around [Narrows Bridge] to hear the Vandersteens in Tacoma. You mentioned Wilsons. I had the opportunity to hear some very Nice Wilsons within Jason Victor Serinus' reference system. The ones Jason had were quite a bit north of your price range, but I could certainly appreciate their DNA. |
I saw a recommendation for Harbeth. I had Harbeths for a number of years and for your musical preferences they are about the last speakers I would recommend. They are great for vocals, jazz, etc, but I found them really lacking for rock. I had KLH Model 5's and Fritz Carrera BE's and both rocked much harder than my Harbeths ever did and still sounded great. |
@mbmi - I am sure Borresens is a nice speaker. However - I don't need speaker for "all kinds of music" - jack of all trades is always a compromise at a given price point. Only X2 is my price range and there are no dealers anywhere close to PNW. Borresens Web site is rather frustrating, such basic information like specs is nowhere to be found, just nice pics. |
- 179 posts total