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Listening to what we Like Instead of what we have to

Trying to find my way back to enjoying/feeling music and moving away from analyzing fine details, critical listening etc...

My pinnacle of enjoyment was probably with inexpensive JM Lab bookshelfs, an old Velodyne ULD-12 Sub, and an Audio Research D-60 amp with CD straight in, no pre amp. Currently I am selling my Vienna Acoustics Mozart Grands they never really made me happy. The mids lose it with complicated transitions and they are a touch dry and bright to me. Current amp is an Audio by Van Alstine 60 w SET control amplifier. It runs approximately 90 watts into 4 ohms. Source is a Bluesound Node. Cables are MIT Term. 2 interconnects, and Kimber 8 TC speaker. I listen at low to moderate levels. The room is wider than deep. 12 deep and 18 wide. I can sit about 9 feet away from the fronts of speakers with them about 30 inches out from the walls. I do listen to music a lot when I’m up and about though, I'd like/prefer it to sound good then as well.

I often have to listen to only the most well produced and best recordings of genres I only kind of like, to enjoy the music. I’m really sick of that.

My music of choice is mostly 80s pop/rock/some country and glam rock. With a bit of 70s and 90s mixed in.

I enjoy finding new current music too. Usually pop and rock as well.

Steve Winwood, Phil Collins, Lionel Richie, Eddie Money, Neil Diamond, Kiss, Madonna, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, AC/DC, Eric Clapton, Eric Carmen, 80s Billboard, Johnny Cash, Baltimora, etc...you get the point.

Detail is a good thing, like when you can hear Madonna say God echoing many times at the beginning of the long version of "Like A Prayer" or nice cymbal splash. Not too forward, or bright though. I have a decent REL sub so smaller speakers can work. I like a big soundstage and hearing things in recordings going on up, out and away from the speakers. Overly veiled is not preferable.

I could really use speaker advice or recommendations for under 3k. I’ll move backwards from new speakers through the rest of the system to make improvements if/when needed/ and can be afforded. Does any of this make sense? Thanks.

sirmelvin27
captaindidactic
78 posts
 

I purchased NX-Oticas from GR Research. They come in a kit and you have to assemble them. But, the sound quality is Outstanding! I also purchased Double Trouble subs from Danny at GR. The entire ensemble was under $3k. Imaging, bass, clarity and just over-all sound quality is great! I power the Otica's with my McIntosh MA 12000 and the subs use their own plate amps. 

My room is roughly 15x 30 feet. The speakers are all open baffle. The music fills the room and can be loud or soft as you desire and because it is an open baffle system, it doesn't pressurize the room like conventional systems. This means you feel the bass but it somehow doesn't carry through the walls like normal subwoofers. 

I actually ran into a guy at the stereo store and to my surprise, he had the same speakers as I did. We both compared ours to some $50 k Sonus Fabers and both came to the conclusion that ours are equal to or a touch better. $$$ was of little concern to the other gentleman. I got to listen to his in his 2.5 million dollar house. 

So! Check out GR Research for speakers. Best bang for the buck out there! 

sirmelvin27 OP
3 posts
 

 

Thanks for the help everyone!

I will give Fritz a call.

Also, I'll try to find out where I can listen to Revival Atalante 3s.

I'dl ike to check out GRs upgrade kit for my speakers. Just can't find any feedback on how they sound. I emailed them and they never responded.

I'm in Northern Virginia so I'm sure I can find some places to audition. ( Not as many as there used to be😉)

Do Ethernet cables and optical cables make a huge difference?

verdantaudio's avatar
verdantaudio
1,499 posts
 

Start with the speakers that are right for your room.  That is a good space.  You just need a speaker that doesn't need immense distance from the back wall.  I would also look for something with a better impedance than those Vienna Acoustics.  That was a hard speaker to drive. 

I would probably look at Harbeth or Spendor.  Both will tonally be what you are looking for and are designed to work better near a wall.  Anything rear ported might cause you issues and get boomy.  

Full disclosure, I am a dealer but have no relationship with wither Harbeth or Spendor.  

sns
3,145 posts
 

Don't have any particular advice, but having the right combo of equipment can allow you to have a high resolution/transparent system that's emotionally involving playing a wide variety of music. I play virtually every genre from every era, including the music you listen to, the unfortunate thing is most of these recordings overly compressed such that they suck the life out the performance. No system can add life to wasn't existent on the recording.

laaudionut
261 posts
 

Some years ago I acquired a pair of Vienna Acoustics Liszt's and was crestfallen from my first listen. They were supposed to be an upgrade from a pair of PSB Stratus Gold...the PSB sang circles around the VA's. 

The line falls under the radar of many of our audiophile peer, but for your budget, you would be wise to consider their reference bookshelf or the Passif 50. 

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