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Please help with speaker choices

Hi all,
Well the room and time has lead me down the road to upgrading speakers. A most exciting time, but alas, filled with choices and no possible auditioning for me.

So I must relie on this communities suggestions and help!!

First the current system:
Nick Doshi Preamp
Nick Doshi modded Lectron JH50
Amazon Referenze TT
Triplanar Tonearm
CDP-Don't have one yet
Focal 1007 Be Monitors-current speakers

Room Size:
21 by 13 with 8ft cellings

Music:
I listen to pretty much everything. Sorry for being so general. In one listening session I may move from Coltrane, to Cannonball Adderly, to Muddy Waters and Johnny Lee Hooker to Lucinda Williams and electric/folk Neil Young. Throw in some Dylan and then move onto the White Stripes, Beck, if I'm real rowdy maybe some Ramones or AC/DC, then come down with some Edith Piaf and a sip of 12 year single malt.

Reason for wantng change:
One is I find this a hobby. For me that means having fun with experimentation. So far I have only owned the Focals.
Two is now that I moved my system against the short wall and facing out to the long part of the room, the monitors seems lacking, like they are too small to fill the space, like it is too much effort. Three is I have nerver had a floorstanding speaker and the prospect excites me. Four is, sitting wise, I can only get about 9 feet near to the Focals. To place them closer puts them right in the middle of the living room. Not really acceptable. At 9 feet, the monitors just not presenting the soundstage I desire. At that distance with monitors, I am just not in the heart of the music.

Also something important to note is I like listening loud, but do not always have that option as my system is in the living room and out of respect for others cannot always listen loud so I must have speakers that offer low volume detail.

My choices so far (more of course welcome)
Sonus Faber Cremona floorstanders
Merlin VSM-Mxe
Verity Fidelio Encore
ATC 20's passive

At the higher end(only consider if HIGHLY recommended)
Verity Parsifal ovation
Sonus Faber Amati Homage

Monitors I might consider
Focal Mini-Utopia Be
Sonus Guarnari Homage

OK, sorry for rambling so much. Obviously I am putting a lot of thought into this. Any input much appreciated!

Peter
mariasplunge
dan_ed
2,451 posts
 
Hi Peter,

As Nick explained to me, the Lectron was designed for horns by a horn-lover. I've recently hooked mine up to some speakers I've just build using Edgarhorn DIY Titan's. Depending on how much you're willing to take on, these can be done in your price range. I still have some work to do on the speakers but so far the match is great! The only issue that arises is LF extension. But most horn schemes make use of subs. You might be in the same boat if you went with the Merlins.
mariasplunge OP
174 posts
 
Thanks for the help folks. I've never heard horns before and have wondered about their sound. i am surprised no one has put in a vote for the verty's since they recieve such good reviews from folks here

Dan ed, where do I find out more info about the Edgarhorn? I admire your DIY attitude. How mush of a time investment is such a feat, biulding a speaker?

I'll look into the Avantegarde's Chris. Thanks for the suggestion.

How about audio physics? Any opinions there?

Cheers
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
Hi Peter,

I see you are interested in the Verity Fidelo Encore and the Parsifal Ovation. May I recommend the Verity Parsifal Encore? These are what I use, and I love them. I've owned them for 2 years and have no desire to upgrade.
You have to understand that the Parsifal monitor was introduced in 1995. In 1998, Verity added the bass cabinet and the Parsifal Encore was born. The Ovation came out in 2005. My pair of Parsifal Encore's were made in 2004, and you could get a pair for much less than the cost of a pair of Ovations, figure $6-8K depending on finish, age, etc. I doubt you could get a pair of Ovations for under $10K. I believe the biggest difference is Verity went to a larger woofer for the Ovation (8" vs. 6").

Cheers,
John
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,468 posts
 
I can't imagine you not wanting to hear one of the Vandersteen speakers. They all are a steal at each of their price points...
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 

08-07-07: Mariasplunge
Those look interesting Johnnyb. What room size are you listening to those in and how far away are you sitting from them? How do they handle rock?
The living room is nominally about 16'x18', but it's in an open architecture with 15' high cathedral ceiling and an open sweep to the front hall, the dining room, and a half-flight of steps to the upstairs hall.

These omnis, even the small satellites, are particularly adept at filling large spaces with sound. I originally hit on them for my next door neighbor, who was looking for a new stereo to fill a similar space with open architecture.

And Mirages rock. I have a pair of the older full-range bipolar Mirages in my "big rig", and they're linear to 29Hz and with a good amp, deliver plenty of rock-solid thump. The OMD-28s are several generations newer, are more expensively built, and would be even faster, cleaner, and more extended. All Mirages I've encountered can rock hard, while the full-range ones scale extremely well from solo and small-group acoustic to big band and full scale orchestra and chorus at the other end.

When the original Mirage M1 Bipolars came out, they immediately became a Stereophile Class A component at about half the price of the next cheapest speaker in the category. These OMD-28s would be worlds better.
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