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Proac Studio 125s

I am considering buying these little guys because I love the Proac sound, but cannot afford to move up to the Response series. However, I have not really had a chance to compare them with much of competition. I am concerned that at this price point, I probably have a lot of very good options of which I may not be aware.

The question is: At their price point, do the 125s offer enough of the Proac sound to be good value, or are there other speakers out there that offer more of the strengths of the higher level Proacs at the same or lesser cost?

As a sidenote, the Proacs do have the advantage of high WAF. My wife likes the ebony veneers as much as I like the way they sound. So please avoid suggesting aesthetically challenged alternatives :-)

Thanks for your input.
curbach
sfar's avatar
sfar
1,766 posts
 

There is a pair of Studio 150's on ebay now, in an auction that ends May 15:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1351071948

I have a pair of the 150's, myself, and agree with the posts above about them, they're absolutely beautiful and the sound is wonderful. They don't have as much bass extension as many other speakers in the price range but, for my taste, more than make up for it in musicality.

I recently spent a very long day auditioning speakers in the $3,000/pair price range, trying to help guide a close friend to a purchase. We heard several nice speakers from Sonus Faber, Linn, Vienna Acoustics and others but when we got back to my house I still liked my Proacs, by a good margin. I paid $1,300 used for a mint pair about a year and a half ago.

When I can afford something in the Response series I'll move up but the Studio 150's still surprise me every time I listen.
gumbydammit
186 posts
 
Sfar: what is the rest of your system?

If you had to pick your three favorite recordings what would they be? (What really showcases the system well?)
gunbei
2,327 posts
 
Gumbydamnit likes Tab50s too! Watch out, I think your pony pal Pokey likes B&Ws though. :•)
inscrutable
313 posts
 
I particularly enjoy vocals and acoustic instruments (mainly strings) on these. I'll reach for Guitar Trio, Ottmar Liebert, Leo Kottke, Holly Cole, Dave Brubeck, Maura O'Connell, and Renaissance (among others). Top 3? ... probably "It Happened One Night", "Take 5", and "Friday Night In San Francisco".
sfar's avatar
sfar
1,766 posts
 

The Studio 150's are driven by all-McCormack electronics, SST-1 transport, DAC-1, TLC-1 and DNA 0.5 Deluxe.

It would be tough to pick just three recordings. A few of the ones that sound great to me are; Talking Timbuktu - Ali Farka Toure and Ry Cooder, Temptations - Holly Cole, Breaking Silence - Janis Ian, Wicked Grin - John Hammond.
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