Seeking feedback/recommendations for new speakers ($1k-$4k "budget")

OP? I'm going to adopt your list of "what I seek" as my new mantra

 

It's important to know that in life.

 

I listened to a lot of speakers in Austin...Revels, Paradigms, Klipsch, Maggies, Tritons...and liked many but loved none. I got Tektons purely on faith and a phone call with Eric. I have Pendragons and love them. I disclaim being an audiophile. I just love music, and they are indeed musical. Holler if you want to hear them. I use a Rogue Sphinx and a VN 150 with a 2m bronze. I auditioned various amps and really liked the Rogue. I already knew I liked Thorens, but Dave at VN takes it up a bunch. Cables are Blue Jeans Belden 12 gauge. Very simple old school set up. I use the phono stage in the Sphinx and like it a lot. I am sure my set up is less than optimal to some super sophisticate, but it gets me going, and that's all I care about. I also have a mediocre but ok CD player.

 

That would be a good thread title "come up with a killer audiophile mantra

 

I am probably much older than you and find myself "drawn" to their vintage design, like a vintage AR , large Advent (which I owned), or any of the vintage KLH designs. With so many speaker manufacturers going the way of say Legacy, creating all sorts of new cabinet designs, I honestly find the vintage speaker design very appealing, and I believe in 15-20 years they will be welcomed on the used market, people will seek out a pair of these vintage style special edition speakers. I fully realize beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, but for me, their appearance is rich, with beautiful cabinetry, and your getting a refined up to date driver and crossover design in a majestic vintage cabinet, and I guarantee they will be the subject of conversation with any and all guests you entertain in your home for years to come, and you are extracting every ounce of power and slam out of your beautiful Raven Blackhawk integrated tube amplifier. I sincerely hope you do go back and think about that great absolute sound review of this loudspeaker. You will have a speaker virtually tailor made for your beautiful amplifier, a match made in heaven, which is why I recommended it so very highly. I suppose I'm just old and appreciate that beautiful vintage appearance, they are not ugly to me in any way.

 

Ok folks, let's have some fun here. We have all seen systems on this site that really catch our attention. In this case, dadonred's really cool Raven Blackhawk tube amplifier, just a stunning piece, especially the red one. The black is very nice as well, but that red or burgundy one really pops. I wish he had posted a picture of his system, would have been nice to see. Anyway, it would be nice to see what some other people on here think about my suggestion to go with the Klipsch special edition speakers with their 99% sensitivity rating. Ok, my first pic is a NEW Klipsch design, about $1,600.00 and to me it appears like 75% of the other floor standers on the market, nice generic offering, and here it is! To me, ok but little excitement.


Not bad, looks similar to a KEF or close to an Aerial or a number of other nice modern speakers on the market, but now let's look at the Special Edition Klipsch, with the vintage WOW factor, and I will picture both, with white grill and my favorite, the rich deep dark grill and look at that finish. Here they are!





HOW MUCH MORE BEAUTIFUL COULD A LOUDSPEAKER BE???



FOR THOSE THAT LIKE A RICH CABINET AND THE KLH WHITE FRONTS, HERE IS THE LOOK

So, let's get some input, we are looking for an extremely efficient loudspeaker to use with a 20-30 watt really cool tube amplifier, look at the amplifier in these pictures, a Bottlehead Crack! Am I just too old, or do a few of you out there agree that this would be a "killer" addition to this man's system! Don't be shy, speak up! The beauty of Klipsch, you buy them and if they are not a fit, you have 30 days to return them for a FULL, 100% refund, that is "almost" as good as going to Best Buy and listening, actually better, as they are in his home. I think these speakers would really WOW this user, what do you think??? Happy listening.

 

For those interested in my system, see post # 74 of this thread for pictures. The Blackhawk is black - that's all that was available when I bought and still would have been my choice.

 

The bench really sets off the entire system, really cool and very different, I really like it. The black amp is very sharp looking, I think I like it better than the burgundy one, just top shelf appearance!

 

They have the Revel line (and others) at A and B. All played with Parasound. Digital media.

 

You might also like to consider Polk's flagship model, the LSiM 707, very well made loudspeaker, priced where you want to be OR the exotic Aerial 7T, which you will probably want to locate used. This speaker is a jewel. You will find it very hard to beat the Aerial 7T, finish wise or performance wise. The Polk LSiM 707 has a rated Sensitivity of 88 db, while the Aerial 7T is rated at 89 db. Many years ago I purchase the Sontos Rosewood Aerial 10Ts and still love them to this day, fantastic speakers.


Above: Polk LSiM 707


Above: Aerial NEW 7T



Above: Aerial vintage 10T Sontos Rosewood with stands (Another GREAT choice on the used market)

 

There is a pretty wide price difference between the Polk LSiM 707 and the Aerial 7T just so you are aware.

 

This is the reason I suggested finding the perfect used pair, and they would be worth the search for sure! He could probably find the 10T in black for $2,000.00 on the used market, and they are wonderful, beautifully built speakers. You are correct, the 7T would be stretching things even in the used market, but certainly worth mentioning. He does not have a great deal of room and the footprint is so small with the 7T. If he caught the Polk half price sale, he should jump on that with both feet, (2) LSiM 707 speakers for $2,000.00, now that would be a deal. Personally, I would get on the phone and find those Klipsch speakers at a good price from a dealer that wants to sell some speakers, oh yes!

 

The Polk are $4000 a pair. Polk does have a couple of sales per year where they discount by 50%. If you can be patient it might be worth waiting for. New Aerial 7Ts are $11,000 list. Ouch!

 

This thread gives me pause: Attack of the Klipsch Heresys! regarding that option. But I'm still investigating.

 

Thanks for that. I may stop by but note the F208 claims to need to be fed by 50W minimum. They sure look nice. Any feedback on their aluminum tweeter and cores?

 

Been a little while but I've heard them. Very nice, but then again Ive never heard a Revel I didn't like. I have a buddy that has the Heresys..not my cup of tea, but then again he doesn't have them set up properly. Night and day Revels and Heresys.IMHO

 

The sensitivity of Revels is high enough for a tube amp like the Nighthawk or Blackhawk. 20 quality tube watts is easily equivalent to 50 or more SS watts.

Revels (like many speakers) can border on the bright side with a bright sounding amp such as those in cheap AVRs. I can't stand the sound of bright metal tweeters. In the past, I refused to give metal tweeters any consideration. MA and Revel proved to me that metal tweeters can sound good if done right.

 

Yes if your looking for a nice speaker in the price range of the F208, they would be a safe bet . Heresys would be a complete toss up with no good odds, people like em or hate em.

 

I guess aluminum tweeters is what I have now with my cf-30s. Hard to say as mine are ilder than current spec on Energy's website. Not objectionable, though. One of the earlier posts got my attention.

 

I agree that what Revels do they do very well. I just found the missing bottom end on the 206s too big a hole and the price tag on the 208s too rich for me. But the 208s are very well rounded. I pay no attention to what is inside. I am the ignorant guy who bases his choices pretty much on sound alone constrained only by price. I am ok with big or small and not finicky about finish (hey, my speakers are black and obnoxiously large). The Revels really are quite attractive, physically.

 

Under 4K there isn't a better more natural sounding speaker than the Harbeth C7ES3 IMHO. If you deal you can get them at a giid discount. My experience with them based on your goals:

• realism in acoustic instruments (guitar, piano); Aerial Boundaries is my main reference. (✔)
• warmth in the midrange for electric instruments; Jeff Beck / Brush with the Blues (✔)
• I want to be moved with the power from distortion & synth; Police/Synchronicity & Walking on the Moon; Boston / Long Time; LCD Soundsystem (✔)
• as strange as it may seem the Harbeths are awesome with electronics- Radiohead, Kraftwerk, etc.
• I want revelation and intimacy in vocals (Mazzy Star, Ainjel Emme, Freda Payne, Sarah McLachlan, k.d. Lang) as well as performances (Miles, Abdullah Ibrahim) (✔✔✔)
• I also want dynamics with jangle-pop & other favorites (The dB's, XTC, Judybats, Spoon) (✔) spoon's "knock knock knock" dynamics blows me away.
• I want my jaw to drop from dynamics and clarity in Supertramp/Breakfast in America and Dire Straits/Lover Over Gold (✔) love over gold sounds triumphant on the Harbeths.

 

I've been curious about them, Avanti, mainly because you've spoken so highly about them before.

I will admit to some intellectual laziness though: didn't want to get into sand filled stands, wondering whether I would need a sub, and then wondering whether my current sub would do.

I don't have the exact model of my sub handy, but it is an older Energy, bought at the same time. The other mental bias is to give compacts a chance vs. tower.

I'm working through it...

 

I auditioned the Tritons a while back and got the same impression as you. How do they get rave reviews? Well they do a ton of advertising in Stereophile and elsewhere. I'm not saying, just saying....

 

Funny, I was just about to mention that Golden Ears are a textbook example of why one should not rely on reviews when choosing speakers. The dealer did seem perplexed by my rather blunt critique, so maybe he actually likes them.

OP,

Others have mentioned a Hi-Fi store in the Austin area, have you, or do you plan to audition their selection?

 

Look at PSB Synchrony One on the used market. The reviews were stellar; made the speaker look like a bargain. I owned their little brother, the Synchrony Two and loved the sound. I'd still own them if my room were bigger.