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New speakers for a new start?

Hi all, this is my first thread on this forum. I am returning to audio after a 20-year hiatus, and I am planning a new-to-me, music-only, 2-channel system. I'm pretty excited!

Other than my Thorens TD-320 series I, I am (re-)starting from scratch. I plan to focus on speakers, then build the rest of my system around them.

I look forward to hearing folks' feedback and advice during this process.

How I listen: I have a pretty big room, 9' ceilings. I can set speakers in a 10' triangle with about 16' clear behind them and 3' to 6' to the sides. I normally listen around 75 - 85db at 10', but sometimes I like to crank things way up. Also, I can't sit still for extended periods of time so I tend to move around quite a bit.

What I listen to: 30 - 40% blues, 30 - 40% industrial, punk, post-punk, noise, and hip-hop, 10-15% ambient, 10 - 15% various pop styles, 5 to 10% jazz and classical. Nearly all are studio recordings. Source-wise, 75-80% digital streaming, 20% vinyl and (very occasionally) CDs.

Things I like in speakers: A generous amount of fast, tight, well-controlled bass with great extension. Little to no coloration - it can always be added in later through component selection. Fast transient response. Detail. Coherence. Transparency. Great dynamics. I'm OK with "analytical" or "dry" within reason.

Things I don't like: Boominess. Flabiness. Ear-piercing mids.

Here are a few speakers I'm interested to learn more about (in no particular order):
- Thiel CS5
- Dunlavy SC-4, SC-5
- Tyler Acoustics D1x, D10
- Nearfield Pipedreams 21
- Infinity IRS (probably not the Reference behemoths though... realistically)
- I am also intrigued by open baffle designs (Spatial, Jamo R909)

I prefer full-range speakers because I don't love subs with music listening. They're a must in a home theater though.

I love planar speakers for their speed and transparency, but the fact that I can't sit still in their minuscule sweet spot for very long, coupled with their general lack of bass probably makes them a less than ideal choice for me.

I will buy used gear unless something I want happens to be available new at a huge discount. I am more interested in value than in staying within a specific dollar limit and be able to resell at par or at a modest loss if, as time goes by, I find I'm no longer as enamored with them as I once was.

I am interested in your experiences, especially with the speakers I mentioned above, but any and all feedback is appreciated. Thanks in advance!
 

devinplombier
devinplombier OP
233 posts
 

I think I would lean towards speakers that handle the reproduction of octave 0 "in-house", so to speak; as opposed to subcontracting it to a pair of subs.

Now that ought to narrow down the field.

I’m not a huge fan of subs, though I have a 12" velodyne in my home theater and everyone loves it, myself included. But conceptually I feel that HT and 2-channel belong in different realms that shouldn’t intersect: different gear, separate rooms. What’s good for 2-ch isn’t good for HT, and vice versa (at least that’s how I look at it). Punchy, forward, bright, bombastic antics are OK with HT, desirable even. But even so, I set my sub’s low pass at 50 Hz which is a bit above where my front towers roll off. The idea being to let the towers do their job and let the sub shake the couch. I tried playing with higher crossover points and it was not enthused.

Now, I’m not suggesting that subwoofers may not be gracefully integrated in a high-quality 2-ch system, but I’m afraid that without active crossovers and DSP I would lack the expertise (and the patience) to do so successfully.

 

mashif
265 posts
 

Then another vote for JBLs. 12 inch woofers move a lot of air. No sub needed.

bigkidz
3,395 posts
 

Here is your end all choice in speakers

Revival top model is $5K

Revival Audio - Atalante 5 Speakers

Best sound I have heard in a very long time especial at this price.

Do you research on who designs them.

Happy Listening.

asvjerry's avatar
asvjerry
4,721 posts
 

@devinplombier ...Re: 'breaking in' as a recurrent 'event'....I find when I've been away out of town for a substantial time in the past, it's taken a day or so to 'reboot' ears and gray gook to to recall my impressions of what I'm used to hearing....

Given what I may have been subject to in the intervening time, I've resorted to chalking it off to 'alien influences', none of which I'd been exposed to if, for example, your audio centricities.... ;) ....some of which may not obvious to me.

You are what you hear.

Kinda goes for all of us; amazing that enough agree to agree that they've noticed the same sonic detailed language that many here agree is 'a bit florid, overused, or (my current fav among excuses) composed by an AI while being, in theory, coached by....?

Having DSP & an active xover is a definitive plus, and a lot of amps @ ones' dispersement ....so to speak...*S*

Anyway....here,  something very different...

littleman
40 posts
 

I have a similar setup and would recommend locating a dealer or user of the mid to larger Martin Logan ESL models with powered bass cabinets, (i.e. Ethos, Montis, etc). No lack of bass and at your listening distance not completely locked into a position.

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