2. amps-preamps
  3. 1216232514

Speakers: $3,000-$4,000 on Audiogon

I am moving to a larger listening room (21 x 14) and am looking into new speakers - to pressurize the room, as I tell my wife ;). My current speakers, B&W CDM 9NT, have always sounded to bright in my previous listening room and are currently not at the same level as the rest of my system (click on the system link to see the components and cabling). Cardas cables and a McIntosh have somewhat tamed to extra energy in treble region.
I am looking for a well rounded speaker that excels in all the important areas (dynamics, frequency extension, detail, musicality). If I had a preference, I would lean towards a warmer/less analytical sound but not to the point of sacrificing detail.

Some speakers which I've had my eye on off the top of my head:
Dynaudio Contour S 3.4
Magenpan 3.6
Von Schweikert VR-4jr
Focal JM-Lab 946 Electra

Open to other suggestions,

Thanks in advance
AdamG
adamg
photon46
1,079 posts
 
Adam, IMO you are wise not to take much stock in any of our recommendations. Why, because you don't know any of our bias and preferences for audio reproduction. Ejilf points out the diverse opinions about these matters. Personally, I think Von Schweikert speakers are hyped beyond their performance at their price points. I've heard them in different systems, different rooms, VR4 jrs, VR4 srs, same impression, blah. I much prefer Maggies house sound, but that's just me and my biases. You must listen to these brands to see what YOUR tastes are. I'd also be interested in Zu, Zen Adagios, Nola Vipers, Vandersteen, & Coincident Partial Eclipses given your stated preferences.
shadorne's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
shadorne
7,467 posts
 
If I had a preference, I would lean towards a warmer/less analytical sound but not to the point of sacrificing detail.

A British polite speaker perhaps? There are many but Harbeth's come quickest to mind - they might be "Goldilocks" to your tastes. Detailed but warm and pleasant.
krell_man
827 posts
 
I agree with Curio, I'd add the Thiel 2.4 and also the Meadowlark Osprey (if you can find a pair, they're out of business). These two, along with the Maggie 3.6R, were my three speakers of choice during my last speaker upgrade, but I didn't have a big enough room for them.
wireless200
415 posts
 
I've heard the Mcintosh with JMLabs and it sounded very good. I have an Mc402 as well. If I were to make a change from my current speakers (Aerials), I would put the Focal/JMLabs at or near the top of my list.
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
Theil are wonderful speakers, but warm? The Harbeth line (the bigger ones for frequency extension) would fit the bill, or ProAc perhaps.
More to discover