Help finding the right new speakers for me

I'm somewhat in the middle as to the auditioning of speakers at the dealer vs. buying without hearing.....on one hand the above posters are absolutely right, there's no way they're going to sound the same at the dealer as they will when you get them home. That being said, you may be able to get a handle on the "flavor" of a speaker, especially if it's a radically different design than you're used to. For example, I would have a hard time switching from a conventional speaker design to a full range electrostat or horn design such as an Avantgarde without seeing what I'd be dealing with first since the sound will be so different in many ways. I bought my Avalons sight unseen simply because it was almost impossible to find anyone anywhere online or elsewhere that had anything negative to say about them......in this day of the internet that's pretty unusual.

- Buck

 

I think you can tell a lot about the signature of a speaker after a few minutes. It helps to rule out sounds you dislike (pipe and slippers, boom and tiz, etc)...but yes, you'll never know you've found THE one until you've lived with it for a few months.

 

Sonus Faber or a brand like Revel are great with Mac gear. Hell, you might even try Mac speakers. I hear great things about PMC, though. I know they were a good match with Bryston which is similar to Mac.

 

Back to the original question. Another speaker to look at is the Proac D40. I have heard the D38 and thought it was exceptional. It was replaced by the D40 which I haven't heard, but it's in your price range.

 

while it is true that you will never know how a speaker sounds in your system until it is in your system, there is a lot to be learned from an in store demo.

one of the benefits of making upgrades over a period of time and always auditioning new products is learning what stuff sounds like. When you learn what a power conditioner or tube amp sounds like, you won't confuse that with the sound of the speaker and be disappointed by how in sounds different when you get home. Over time you also get a sence for how your room sounds and how it is different from the domo space.

A great thing about a store demo is being able to plug several different speakers into the same rig. There is only one variable, the speakers, and you can clearly discern the differences between them.

Every time i have done this i have found the b&w diamond to be the clear winner. I have also found paradigm signature series to be very good.

 

I just learned I have a chance to pick up a floor model pair of Focal 1038 BE's for $6500. They are $13k speakers and I liked the lower model Focals I heard tonight at a local store. I am going to hear them tomorrow. If I like them, I might pull the trigger! What do you guys think, that sounds like a pretty good deal to me. Full warranty also

 

I can see that. I have an easier time crossing speakers off my list then adding them to it.

 

I have Focal's and really like them. I say go for it.

 

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I don't think I've read a bad review on anything Focal makes. If you like them that would be a great buy.

 

definitely listen to them in your home. the berylium tweeter can be bright depending on your room. the inverted dome has extremely wide dispersion and if you have reflective surfaces near by it can be overwhelming. if not, it can be amazing in a big, plush room with a listening position that is ~ 12 feet away or so.

 

This. I've got Focal Utopia BEs in my car and man....that tweeter. Thank God you can tune a car audio system or else my ears would be bleeding by the time I got home! That being said, after taming them, they sound sublime.

- Buck

 

Yes. Front/rear cancellation means very low bass just doesn't happen the way you want for the music you mention. You simply MUST have a bass cone somewhere for what you are listening to. So the Magneplanars would need a sub, the Martin-Logans have a cone built in to their base. Planar speakers are just a different animal, and REALLY interact with your room a lot. They need to be well out from any walls-do have or do you want to dedicate the space and appearance of that?
--> Please post pictures of your current and future room, and we could comment more specifically.

Speakers are SO idiosyncratic, you need to spend some of your budget (and time) traveling to give a listen. Of course, speakers will sound different in your room due to reflections, but the initial-sound character does not change, so even listening at a dealer with different amps can tell you a lot.

B & W Diamonds /800s I think would be very hard to go wrong with. Also the top KEF models. Again, you kinda have to listen as each brand has their own sound. Consider you don't have to buy new-a higher-up recent model gently used might be your best value since speakers don't wear out. Back when I was making a living as a speaker engineer, I heard a demo of B&W 801Fs and they were simply awesomely transparent. Their Matrix successor is like $5k on eBay-amazingly holding value, a testament to the clarity and neutrality of sound.

On a different note, for that kind of music, more efficient speakers can have a certain liveliness that others don't (maybe because rock and roll is mixed on "rock and roll" monitors? I don't know exactly, but it is not just about SPL and power). Most of the horn hybrids are DIY kits, but you should try to listen to Klipschorns. Also the speakers from http://gedlee.com where the extremely smart Earl Geddes has spent years dedicated to designing horns properly to keep the goodness of their sound and eliminate various artifacts that can give horns a bad name. I also like http://www.zuaudio.com which of course also have their own sound.

At that budget, you might also consider pro monitors which may be more to your "rock n roll" tastes, such as http://www.genelec.com which I've heard at surround sound and other conferences. Not sure if they have unpowered models. Others can undoubtedly chime in about this category, which is really getting back to my comment that I think you will like more efficient speakers.

 

Essential Audio in Barrington

 

You come out of the dealers shop with a heck of a lot better idea how the speakers sound than if you didn't audition them at all. I can't imagine spending $10K on speakers without hearing them. But some audiophiles have more money than common sense. The speakers are what "sounds" in your system.

 

Another offer has come in for the Sonus Faber Olympica 3's demo for $9400 ($13500 list) I just heard them and they really blew me away. With that said, the room was extremely well treated. My biggest fear is they wouldn't sound half as good at home

 

I'm just saying that the conventional wisdom that listening in a foreign environment on different equipment is vastly overrated. In the end we can spend weeks listening to every possible choice and it will still sound different once it's in your room on your equipment.

Most reviewers get the overall impressions of a speaker pretty spot on in my experience. And if certain combos have a reputation for working well together, that speaks more to me than anything.

 

I love the look of Focal's. Honestly, slightly used is the way to go with speakers. Let someone else break them in and then reap the savings.

This is enough savings to do a really top notch job treating your room. Give Glenn at GIK Acoustics a call. Put that extra $3500 into a mix of absorption and diffusion and you'll have a killer setup. Trust me... Room treatments are going to yield a MUCH more significant upgrade in your sound than what you're about to spend on speakers. Also, if you can get a real pro to do a setup for you, man that can make an enormous difference.

We all love spending money on new goodies, but the room and setup investments are WAY more valuable and worth every penny.

 

funny that you said that. I have $1000 worth of GIK acoustic treatment coming in Tuesday LOL

 

If you really want to be blown away, try hearing the Sonus Faber Amati Futuras. I heard a pair last weekend next to the Olympica IIIs. The Olympicas were REALLY nice but the Amati Futuras were just on a whole other level. Of course with a 36K sticker, they ought to be! LOL Way out of my price range and I didn't even try to haggle, but they could have been mine for $28K....a great deal if you plan on spending that kind of money on equipment. I'm assuming it has to do with the Euro dollar being where it is now that we were both offered 20-25% discounts.

 

Lots of love for Audio Note and Harbeth around here - I'd be looking at appropriate models up to $10K.

 

Most reviewers are trying to sell the product and you have to read between the lines to decipher a bad one.
But there are also exceptions. When I heard the Harbeth Super Hl5, the reviews I had read did not do the speakers justice to what they actually delivered (which was extremely impressive).
When I heard the Audio Note AN J, I wondered what the reviewers were smoking.
Sure speakers will sound different in your room with your setup, but listening first at least gives you an idea of their qualities and tendencies and whether they are worthy of making your short list.

 

I own the Olympica II and really love them. My Sonus Faber dealer also carries McIntosh and I've heard the Olympica IIIs & McIntosh amps together many times. The two brands make an excellent match imo, and I can't imagine how you could go wrong with that setup, especially getting the IIIs for that price. Good luck.

 

I heard the $120k Sonus Fabers today ...needless to say I wanted to cry, first because the sound was so good, then because to buy them I would have to sell my house and then get divirced : )

 

I pulled the trigger on the Focal 1038BE's - I liked what I heard obviously. Mint condition, maybe 6 months old, full warranty, and full original packaging and manuals. I just couldn't say no to that at 50% off.

Once I get things setup I will post full details. The process I went through today was worth way more than hundreds of more hours of reading online would ever be : )

 

Cool beans. Enjoy your new Focals.