Looking for loudspeakers under $4,000


I am intersted in auditioning loudspeakers witha cost at or below $4,000 (new, not used). Associated equipment: Wadia 850 CD player, Linn Klout power amp. Room size 18 x 26 x 10. Music: mostly accoustic jazz. Current speakers: Magneplanar 3.6 R's: Wife can't live with them; I want to continue living with wife. Ideally, I would like to match the 3.6 R's sound, with "better" low bass. Any suggestions? Thanks for your thoughts.
richmonk019c
You have a tough situation, Richmonk. Wife, speakers - wife, speakers: hmmmmm........ My best suggestion for a speaker in this price range is the Vandersteen 3A Signature. I have owned planar speakers, too (Acoustats, back in the dark ages), and their mid-range transparency and quickness is hard to beat. However, the Vandy 3A Signature is also very transparent and clean, with excellent bass response. I recently upgraded from the 3A to the 3A Signature, and it was worth every cent. The 3A Signature is one of the best integrated speakers, from top to bottom, that I have ever heard. In listening to disks that I know really well, I am absolutely amazed at what I am hearing that I hadn't heard before. I think the 3A Sig particularly excels at acoustic jazz and small chamber classical, as well as small-group vocals. I have said many times in these pages that for $3500 you can get a speaker that sounds DIFFERENT than the Vandy 3A Signature, but you won't get better. Infact, I strongly believe that you won't get better for less than $5000-6000.
hey, aren't monks supposed to be poor? and un-married? ;~) look into newform research nhb645's or r645's- uglier than the maggies, but much narrower, & easier to place. these are ribbons, sothat should make you happy. check their www, & check the user-reviews on audio review. w/the money left over on your $4k budget, you can afford a pair of vmps subs, an active x-over, & an amp to drive 'em with! good luck, doug
I'd look at the Dynaudio Contour 1.8 - lists for about $3500. Obviously a different approach than Maggies, but very transparent, very nice low end. Just curious - why are you limiting yourself to $4K speakers with a $6K CD player and $20K in amplification?