Alternatives to Dunlavy speakers?

I am not a Dunlavy fan, I will admit that up front. Dynaudio lost my business when they introduced the new Confidence and Temptation with two tweeters and two mid/woofers design. I have never heard a speaker with very good and precise imaging when multiple tweeters or midranges are employed. I used to own Dynaudio Confidence 5 which has one tweeter and one midrange dome, sitting at 6' away from the speakers I was able to create pin point imaging. Listening to Dunlavy or Temptation require at least 10' from the speakers for the sound to emerge and sound focus. Even then, it is still not perfect.

Tannoy and Lowther build their markets on one point, literally one point, point source is the only way to create precise imaging. Yes, the new Confidence and Temptation are more advance than your typical MTM design in the crossover by varying the output and crossover point on every single driver. So no two drivers have identical output or crossover frequency in the new C2/4 or Temptation. But end result still requires a larger than normal domestic living room to create precise imaging.

Some designers stick with this theory and will never go above one tweeter or midrange driver per channel. Look at Verity Audio, Sonus Faber, Aerial, or Revel, they will rather sacrifice a little power handling than building a giant speaker to create giant sound. Go listen to Pipe Dream, see if you can tell the height of the performer.

Just my 2 cents.

Snook2

The boomy bass you had was not the fault of the Dunlavy's---it was the way they interacted in YOUR room. Very few really good high end speakers that I can think of (and I won't name the ones I can) have "boomy" bass if carefully placed in the room with the listening position also carefully place. The bass may not be to your liking but it should not be boomy. None of the Dunlavy's have boomy bass (that still does not mean you will like them, of course)

You are correct Audioguy 123. They did sound great in the store which had a smaller room and they were on the long wall. All walls and ceilings were heavily damped with room treatments galour. Even Dunlavy used an anechoic chamber to do his tests and listening. I couldn't get the sound right in MY room. The piega's are a better match.

Inner Sound Eros planars?

We went from the Vandy 2ce to the Dunlavy IV, and after a sidestep to the Sonus Faber Extremas...:-), to the Acapella Campaniles. Now we are dealers for the Campaniles, even though (or maybe because? :-) they look like Dunlavy Vs with a horn pasted on the side :-) But Acapella speakers are phase and time correct, efficient, and tall - for that BIG sound we like - just like the Dunlavys. If someone made the IVs and Vs with a nice look (rounded back maybe, exotic woods) and used high-end components instead of generic while keeping the price down... they'd have a hell of a speaker and, I think (BWDIK), a nice customer base. Peiga's seem close - but a little on the 'short' side maybe...?

Mike.