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If you had to choose...

Hi everyone, I am researching my next little “step up” in my audio journey after 3 years.   Upgrading from my current ATC SCM11 v2 speakers to ??

These are my current top 3 contenders.  I am sure there should be others on this list…

Anyone have any comparison experiences between any of them, etc? If you were choosing…. which ones would you be going for? (-:🤔

I have been eying the Alyssa for a couple of years now, but they are out of my budget range, unless I could ever find a great deal and leverage a trade-in opportunity.  Fritz seemed the way to go for me, but then I was just turned on to the Revival.

Based on what everyone has written about each of these, I am very confident that I can’t go wrong with any of these three.  Just curious as to your thoughts and experiences. 

 

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

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FWIW, below is my environment:

I have a small 8'x10' room/home office/music equipment pit, with 9'ceiling. I sit at my desk about 7 feet from the speakers.  I am relegated to this room for at least the next 4 years…

Mostly low volume listening (65db or lower) with occasional turn it up sessions.  So they need to do well at low volume.

Music is alternative e.g. Radiohead/Smile, Mazzy Star, Echo, D. Mode, Simple Minds, Cure, etc.   Classic rock, progressive rock, Bowie, TOOL,  60s psychedelic and acoustic/folk.  All over the place…

Equipment:

  • Black Ice F35 integrated amp w/KT170s and Tungsol 12ax7s
  • Black Ice Audio Glass FX Tube DAC w/Dynamo Telefunken 12ax7
  • Black Ice SS-X Sound Expander
  • Rythmik L12 subwoofer
  • Streaming Qobuz via Sonore orendu and SGC i5 ROON server.  The server also contains my ripped cds.
  • CAT 8 hard-wired ethernet to switches and router
  • Verizon FIOS 1 gig internet service
bogbeat
oddiofyl's avatar
oddiofyl
3,815 posts
 

I have heard great things about the Revival...   there is a thread on them over at Steve Hoffman forum

hilde45's avatar
hilde45
4,974 posts
 

I have not hear the others. That said, I've owned both the Carrera and the Carbon 7 mk2 SE and I much prefer the Carbon 7, and this is the speaker Fritz is going to continue focusing on. Here are a couple reviews:

Written and video

The Carreras' Be tweeter is quite bright and if you have the ear and room for it, quite lovely. But it's a much more difficult tweeter to live with, longer term. That's how things wound up playing out for me.

In short, I'd get the Carbons.

zlone
652 posts
 

I attended AXPONA this year, and the Alyssa was one of the speakers on my list to hear. They are pretty bass heavy, though they were playing music to emphasize that, and might be a bit much for a room that size. On the other hand, given your low volume listening, they might be just the ticket to getting some low end in the mix. 

mofojo
2,289 posts
 

65db or lower sound pressure, is pretty low. IME super efficient speakers do way better at low volumes like that. Although not necessarily hard to drive your choices are all low ish sensitivity. Ever think about something like a Heresy 4?

elliottbnewcombjr
5,346 posts
 

I always recommend limiting your selection to efficient speakers.

Think long, think future amps, think ease of trying tubes: get/keep yourself in a lower power needs situation which has the advantages of: more competition/availability new or used; less cost/weight/size/heat and more placement options (consider remote signal path also).

i.e. efficient enough to need lower power but still get enough power for instantaneous peaks. That's also why I chose the Furman P-1800 with 45 amps ready in a split second

Furman P-1800 PF R

 

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