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I need help from GMA Europa owners

I'm hoping one of the many Europa owners on this forum can help. After A/B-ing between between Thiel CS1.6's and Europa's, I've decided to keep the Europas -- but I'm having one problem with their sound.

While the Thiels have a remarkable clarity and purity with female voices, the Europas have a slight bit of a haze. The clarity seems to be missing a bit. I'm not sure if it's a bit of distortion, simply the nature of the speakers, or something else.

I'm feeding the speakers from a Musical Fidelity 3.2 CD and Musical Fidelity A308 integrated, through Virtual Dynamics Nite cables. The Europas are sitting atop homemade MDF stands with a sand-filled rectangular center column.

Maybe its the stands, maybe its just the sound of the Europas (they have a soft dome tweeter vs. the Thiel's hard dome). I don't know.

Any insights you Europa owners can offer would be much appreciated. I love the speakers with the exception of the slightly hazy top end. I hoping someone else may have had a similar experience.

Thanks in advance for your help.
richs
richs OP
14 posts
 
Scotty,
I've had great experiences with Audiopoints. Have them under my CD and amp, and made a component rack to Robert's specs with Audiopoints and brass rods. The problem with the Sistums for my speakers is stability. I have a kid and pets, and they could be bumped into. I'm considering finding metal stands from Parts Express or elsewhere and fitting them with Audiopoints. Not as good as a Sistrum I'm sure, but moving in that direction. Thanks for your thoughts.
warrenh's avatar
warrenh
2,299 posts
 
Spoke to Robert over at Starsound, and he told me that they are going to exhibit at two shows in the Fall. The Chicago Audio Society in September, and the Rocky Mountain show in Denver in October. Finally they'll be out there for people to hear their electronics and speakers. It'll be here before you know it. Will be very exciting. Since I know, already, what the audiophools, who attend those shows are going to (as far as the Caravelles and Sistrum are concerned) hear; it is very exciting. Looking forward to hearing the buzz....
phasecorrect's avatar
phasecorrect
2,013 posts
 
Interesting...the top end of the Europas varies considerably according to who you talk to...some consider them very revealing...others claim the are mellow(like the original poster)...alot of this is very recording and equipment dependent...as a GMA owner...the Europas are not the last word in detail or "sparkle"...however...hard to find something more musical or enjoyable than these in their price range...enjoy
mauiaudioman
171 posts
 
Phasecorrect,
I found that the Europa's to be very revealing of interconecting cables. I agree with the recording's and related equipment comments. I find many, if not most speakers add "something" or "take away" something from many recordings. I find the Europa's to be "pitch on" accurate....something I cannot say about most speakers. Their remarkable ability to let the sound of the instrument or voice be heard, with all the complex harmonics and nuances is truly amazing for the price. Most good speakers allow you to determine that your listening to an accoustic guitar. I find, as a guitarist, with the Europa's you can tell it's an accoustic, nylon strings and plucked with a finger, not a pick. I can easily hear the difference between a Martin's big bottom end and the more resonant graphite guitars built here on Maui that I hear almost daily. Vocals are the same. The emotion comes thru on this speaker so well it gives me chills at times. I'm enjoying re-discovering my music collection PLUS tons of new music that I just never connected with prior to buying the Europa's. Lets hear it for Roy for providing us with a remarkable speaker at an even more remarkable price!
Mahalo Nui Loa Roy (Thank you very much)
dr150
9 posts
 
I'll chip in to the thread:

The Europas are some of the finest monitors regardless of price.
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