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Tube Friendly High End "Big" speakers

I've been upgrading my system from good to great. I addressed the analog front end first and now have something respectable (Brinkmann Oasis w/ Graham Phantom II Supreme, Lyra Delos, SimAudio Moon 310LP, and Acrolink 8N Reference Phono Cable.

The system is being driven by a PrimaLuna Premium Dialogue Integrated and the speakers are Opera Seconda's in a smallish dedicated listening room. I'm moving into a much larger house, but will no longer have a dedicated listening room.

The room is 21.5' x 14.5' with lots of big windows and a high v-shaped vaulted ceiling which I'll treat with GIK acoustic panels. Not looking on advice on the room. It is what it is. Just giving a bit of info since I suspect it will be on the lively side. Here's a video. The room starts around the 2:10 mark: http://youtu.be/wrDpTsBDD_M

I'm looking to upgrade the Opera's. I really want a "big" speaker, something that will move some air and pressurize a room like this. My preference is for something tube friendly and I'll likely need to use my PrimaLuna for at least a few months. Not really interested in horns though.

I'm looking for a very 3D soundstage that's velvety smooth. Detail is great, but definitely nothing fatiguing as I tend to listen at higher volumes for extended periods. While I do listen to a lot of Classic Rock and Jazz, I also listen to a lot of more modern music. I want something that isn't going to make this stuff sound terrible.

I'm planning to buy used, so anything that retails up to $55-60K might be doable. TAD and Focal are on my radar right now, but it's difficult to read between the lines from reviewers to understand what will work.

Which speakers should I be considering?
128x128bgupton
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 

10-01-14: Branislav
Acoustic Zen Crescendo...and laugh all the way to the bank :-)
Here's Dick Olsher's review of the Crescendo in Absolute Sound.

Not only could he drive it with tubes, he got particularly good results with Triode Corporation M845SE SET monoblocks. According to his measurements and component matching, the Crescendos present a benign impedance curve for tube amps.
gsm18439
895 posts
 
I have Zu Def 4s in a space larger than yours, and they definitely pressurize the room. They are positioned on the long wall of the 22 x 15 x 16 (high) living room, but that living room is one end of a 45 x 22 x 16 (high) volume. That said, with your budget you could consider the Zu Dominance.
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
Hi Bgupton,
Agree, acoustic jazz and vocals are superb with good quality SET. However
with an appropriate speaker match, all music genres are thoroughly
enjoyed. Just ask 213 cobra, Jwm,Brownsfan, Jetrexpro, Ilandmandan,
Gsm18349, Snowpro, Germanboxers and many others on this site. The
problem with the Devore could have been the chosen amplifier rather than
the speaker. A good efficient speaker and quality tube amplifier (SET, OTL
push pull) aren't limted to a particular genre, it's all about getting the
specific match right.
jetrexpro
506 posts
 
"It seems that the guys who are really into SET speakers tend to also be really into jazz and vocalists, so it makes their reviews harder for me to know if this speaker will be good for my other tastes. HmmmÂ…"
Bgupton. I couldn't agree more. It made my amp/speaker search more difficult because my system had to sound good for all types of music. Speakers can be especially frustrating in this regard. Don't settle until you love the speakers your are listening to. Happy searching!

You listened to devore O/96, but have you listened to the Silverbacks? Serious speaker.
Jet
dave_72
1,399 posts
 
I would go with Tannoy Prestige or alternatively JBL Synthesis.
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