Monitor Audio for classical music

The RX series is the updated version of the RS so they remain similar, you can check the reviews by Stereophile of both series of speakers.

As for the GX300 they have a ribbon tweeter, I have not had chance to really audition them, I have heard them on a couple of occasions, once at the Montreal audio show. But the room was so badly laid out you could not really hear anything.

I also heard them at a shop, but it was quick listen, they played some random demo CD and the speakers were driven by some mid-fi HT gear, so I wasn't impressed but I think it had more to do with electronics than the speakers themselves.

From a cost perspective MA is hard to beat.

One note regarding listening to classical music, before I built my system I was never really drawn to classical music. My father always listened to it, so I was familiar with it. Once my system was built and as it evolved, my appreciation for classical and opera grew. The systems ability to recreate the dynamic swings of the crescendos as well the emotion expressed in the subtle details of the quite passages portrayed the music as it should be heard, or almost. It not quite the same as hearing a live orchestra.

Before letting this one go, has anyone heard the Monitor PL200? This was the speaker that I read a review of that got me thinking in this direction.

The older RS series had a reputation for being forward and bright. The Stereophile review of the Silver RX-6 states that the new series solves that altogether.

I have auditioned both the Silver RX-6s and RX-8s, and there's no glare or harshness to be heard. In fact, when it comes to classical music I'd put them on the short list at their price range. They are good all-rounders, which would give you bass extension and dynamics for large orchestral pieces, a linear tonal balance that doesn't draw attention to itself, good imaging, large soundstage, and good speed, ambience, and inner detail.

They may not have the speed and inner detail of planars or minimonitors, but they are not slow and dull either, and they have better dynamics and bass extension than similarly priced planars, let alone minimonitors.

They can also be tuned to the room and optimized for speaker placement better than most: They have both front and rear-firing ports and foam plugs for both. This gives you four different bass damping options.

There are a couple other speakers I'd consider in this price range: the GoldenEar Aon3, which is $998/pair but stand-mounted. Even so, the bass extension and clarity is competitive with small floorstanders. All GoldenEar models also benefit from Heil-type folded ribbon tweeters that are devoid of overshoot and ringing.

Second, GoldenEar is releasing a new, smaller floorstander called the Triton Seven in June. It has an MTM array on its narrow baffle front and two side-firing passive radiators near the bottom. Target retail price is $1400/pair.

Having heard both the flagship Triton Two's and Aon 3's, I suspect the Triton Sevens will be a serious contender at that price point.

johnnyb53 Thanks, things can indeed get solved in newer models, so I assume you have not heard the gold or platinums? I will check out the others you mentioned. The Monitors are the best looking speaker I have seen in it's price range, which is a big plus

Dorningarts,

You say you're looking for speakers in the $2K range, but have a long-term budget of $10K. Does this mean you're looking for $2K speakers to anchor a $10K system, and the other $8K will go to electronics, cables, possibly a sub, etc.?

I suspect you're trying to figure out whether to put your money into something close to a full-range floorstander or put the money into a faster, smoother tweeter, such as a ribbon or beryllium and use your upgrade money later to fill in the bottom octave of bass.

When shopping electronics, I suggest you look at the Marantz Reference series of integrated amps. Even the entry-level one, the $999 PM8004, is natural, neutral, fast, and detailed with a -125 dB noise floor. I heard one powering a pair of $10K Sonus Faber Cremona Ms and the amp was in complete command of those speakers, showing speed, linearity, grainless transparent midrange, and clarity and control over the bass that you don't expect from a $1K integrated amp.

The PM8004 and Monitor Audio Silver RX6 or RX8 would be a tremendous combination. It would also power the GoldenEar Aon3 or Triton Two or Three very well. Remember, the GoldenEars have excellent motion transformer ribbon tweeters and very fast, transparent midranges.

Another approach would be to spend the $2K on a pair of Magnepan 1.7s and use some of your upgrade money for a good subwoofer. This would expand the soundstage and dynamic range.