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New speaker with imaging

I have a pair of B&W matrix 804's, original owner and about 12 years old. I like how they sound with timbre and dynamics. I have a high current amp. I mainly listen to orchestra. I would like something with better imaging and less as a point source. I want the B&W sound however with imaging that spreads about 6-10 feet wide at my listening position about 8-10 feet away. Can I get it for under 10 grand? My short list includes Legacy Focus and Von Schweikert VR4-jr or VR4.
drjjpdc
wberdan
86 posts
 
Vandersteen 3A Signatures would be my choice.

Will
fedreams
107 posts
 
For orchestral music try a line source or an electrostatic type speaker. Ones that come to mind are Martin Logan, Quad and Wisdom Audio. Depending on your price range.
s7horton
1,077 posts
 
If you like the B&W sound you have now, by all means, stick with that line. As suggested above, the 803D would be a substantially improvement over what you have now. And at 8K with a discount, you'll be doing alot better than your budget of 10K. And you'll have a speaker that you will hopefully enjoy for quite some time, and also have great resale if you decide to sell.
joekras
60 posts
 
Here is an Audiogon discussion link where there are many good recommendations on speakers that image.

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?cspkr&1053643146&read&keyw&zzlegend
bombaywalla's avatar
bombaywalla
1,958 posts
 
IMHO, Squidboyw has offered the best advice so far. Given that you have NOT told us anything about what you have done to improve the sound thru you M804 speakers, we have to assume that you did nothing! Might be a very bad assumption but you gave us no choice so far!! :-) Please tell us about your room & its acoustics & what you have done to ellicit the best from the M804. Again, IMHO & being a former B&W owner, if B&W made a series of speakers worth owing then it was the Matrix series. It's that M801 sitting in George Lucas' studio that's B&W claim to fame. The Nautilus series speakers, in comparison, failed. IMHO! If were you, I optimize the setting before letting go of this gem. Or, finding a M801 as a replacement if you cannot optimize the M804. \
Most people buy & use audio gear as it is manuf in the factory rather than buying a good pedigree piece of gear & then modifying it for improved performance. Often, I have found that the performance of a good pedigree piece of gear, when modified or optimized in its setting, far exceeds the purchase of a new piece of "latest & greatest" gear.
Anyway, FWIW. IMHO.
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