Non fatigueing speaker under 1500

Thanks for all the input. I've decided on PSB Stratus Silvers or Bronze. They are forgiving,have a small footprint and are reasonably priced. Many good future options were presented for when the speaker upgrade bug hits again.
Jack

Hi Gooddomino,

I noticed your 1st two choices were a bit, um, forgiving… Then I see your tentative final choice, and what you have to say about them: "…the speakers are forgiving…" didn't you know that, in audio, *forgiving* is just a polite way of saying *veiled*? ;~) May I suggest, perhaps, a pair of original larger advents? *Those* are forgiving! :>)

For a truly pleasurable audio experience, I suggest you look further upstream as to what is causing the fatigue, as opposed to hiding it. Other suggestions already made, will get you started in the right direction. A truly enjoyable non-fatiguing audio experience *can* be had w/all the detail present & accounted for.

Audio is a lot like life - you can hide the truth, ignore the truth, but it won't go away. Ultimately you'll be happier with as honest & truthful a presentation as you can get. As in life, get *all* the info there is to get, don't be fooled into complacency, hiding behind veils. Ain't that right, Rg? ;~)

Dug Seed In

hi jack,

here's a response w/a bit more specifics... ;~) if ya liked the thiel .5's but they didn't *jam* enough for ya, for ~$1500, if you're patient, you'll find a used pair of 3.6's. these are full-range, plenty of detail, & they will disappear as well as any monitor. while jim thiel is known to come out w/a new model every now-n-then, there's a reason this particular model hasn't been changed in, what, ten years, at its price point...

i also recommend picking up a used tube preamp down the road. (i'm partial to melos, there's several f/s on a-gon at present.)

for amazing digital on the cheap, pick up an art di/o dac from boldercables.com for ~$120, have it sent directly to wayne @ boldercables for mods that run ~$265. then add a $4 upgrade power-supply from hosfelt.com, & pick up a couple $300-$600 isolation transformers on ebay for ~$25-$50 each - one for the transport, one for the dac. absolutely amazing performance, considering its price. amazing performance *period*, imo, even *not* considering its ridiculously low price. if you're handy w/a soldering iron, you can buy all the parts needed for ~$100, & diy, instead of sending it to boldercables.com.

you will have a system that does *not* hide the truth of the recording, yet it will still be eminently musical...

oh, and, re: subwoofers, for possible future consideration: even the thiel 3.6's, full-range tho they are, will benefit from a quality subwoofer system, imo - outboard electronic x-over, outboard amps, and a *pair* of quality passive subs. my old thiel 3.5 certainly did, & they go even a few hz lower than the better-in-every-other-respect 3.6's...

regards,

doug s.