speakers for symphony at minimum budget?

You may want to consider B&W's. The 801 has been used by many of the recording studios thar record classical for many years. Good Luck, Doug

Hi! I am primarily a classical listener also,and moved from Vandersteen 2ci's to a used pair of Magneplanar MG3a's(for the same reasons that you wish to upgrade). You can find these used on the net for 750.00 to 850.00,and your 120 watt ARC amp will drive them to satisfactory levels. I've heard the MG 1.6's and think that the MG3's sound better,especially at the lower end of the frequency range. They're taller(6 ft.)and wider(about 2.5 ft.)so naturally ,they will produce a somewhat bigger soundfield. Because they're dipole radiators,you can put them somewhat closer to your sidewalls than you could with dynamic("box") speakers,but you should put them at least 2.5 to 3 ft. from the rear wall. They sound fabulous with orchestral music and love being driven by tubes(I use conrad-johnson pre and power amps). If you have a Magneplanar dealer nearby,give the 1.6's a listen,then listen to the 3.6's if the dealer has them. The MG3's will sound more like the 3.6's,in my opinion. Good luck.If you've never heard Magneplanars,you should definitely check them out. The MG3a's show up quite often on this site and on www.audioshopper.com as well. Enjoy! Bob LaBarca

Magnepans have always been one of my favorites for classical music, though I am not familiar with their recent models. I used to like the sound of them off axis, which is nice if you listen around or out of the room as in a "household full of music". The Mag's are not really dynamic sounding but they sure do get the instruments right with proper equipment and they keep your mind on the music. I recently listened to a pair of Silverline Sonata's that were also very nice on strings, brass and piano when ran with ARC tube gear. I think that they may be over budget though even used unless you could find a very good deal. The Silverlines are large box speakers that I auditioned in a room larger than yours.

I had a pair of Maggie 3.5R's before I got my B&W 801's. The Maggies create a beautiful soundstage when set up properly. I also found them to be tonally accurate. The Maggies are a good choice as well. A pair of new 3.6R's will only be slightly higher than you target price as you indicated. You may be able to stretch it after listening. Good Luck, Doug

I listen to a lot of classical music, and have been very pleased with my Vandersteen 3A Signatures. They pretty much do it all, and you can find used models for about $2500.