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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
mariasplunge OP
174 posts
 
Inspiring words Oregon and much appreciated. Although in some estimation, it is unfortunate to just listen to equipment, it must be great to be able to listen to and expereince such a range of different set-ups. See that where my expereince lacks. I live in Montana. Cold winters. Short growing season. Seems aperfect combo for listening to music. Long dark cold days. Yet most here are poor and spending what I am considering spending and have spent is ludicrious as well as impossible. Somehow I have saved, worked hard and had some luck so i am able. maybe it is priority. I drive a car that cost less than some cables I hace bought. Thats ok with me, because "its the sound man."

Let me ask you Oregon, were you listening to the parsifal encores or ovations. I have heard there is a difference and in my budget only the encores are possible. However, thanks for the vote of confidence with the verty's. Speakers I have always been attracted to simply based on reviews. Which, with you good fellows input is all I have to go on.

Thanks again. I ahve never spent so much time on such a confusing choice. Usually I am such a straight forward kinds of guy. But speaker choices. man who knew it would be more complicated than which type of cattle to invest in:-).

Peter
mariasplunge OP
174 posts
 
Oh ya, like Oregon said, com'on guys. Invite me over. I promise to bring a fine single malt or any libation of your choice!!

Peter
dan_ed
2,451 posts
 
Pete,

You and the real boss in your life would be welcome to visit me and my boss in N.H. I've got 4 different sets of speakers here we can sample and there's probably some other choices around as well. Just a couple of miles up the road from Deacon's place.
mariasplunge OP
174 posts
 
Dan, what do you prefer to drink!?
jtimothya
612 posts
 

I would not describe the larger Audio Physic speakers as warm though they will reveal the character of the electronics driving them. Mid-field positioning is a near necessity for full appreciation of their virtues. That means out into the room, typically closer to the listening position than the back wall. In very rough terms if your couch or chair is against the wall, imagine your room divided in thirds, with two-thirds of the room behind the speakers. On well produced orchestral recordings all the action happens in the space between the the speakers and the back wall. Proper positioning coupled with a narrow baffle bring precise time/phase coherence that yields, among other things, delightfully dimensional imaging. Considering your room description I doubt they could work for you without some serious commitment of living room space. From your system pictures I would ask if your room requires your speakers to book-end your equipment table?

And from your list I'd be inclined toward the Parsifals, but I don't know the boutique electronics so cannot gauge synergy. Or, how about a pair of Wilson Sophias? Have fun with your search!

Tim
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