I've been looking for floor standing speakers with little success!

I agree, you are quite right on your appraisal.

Yes, they can.

You are spot on with both of these observations.

I think the newer Klipsch versions of their legacy speakers are better suited for home stereo than the older versions were.

I own and have owned both legacy Klipsch and Altec Lansing and I find with most legacy speakers you need to do some mods, in order to get them to play like what you indicate that you are looking for in a speaker.

I have highly modified Altec Lansing A7's and I bet that they sound like what you are looking for.

Unless you have the large K-Horns, I would always use a seperate subwoofer with legacy speakers, I do.

 

Thanks, as always for your thoughts!

 

Thanks @avanti1960 and for the record, I was following your coverage of Axpona earlier this year, nice job!

 

I can appreciate that thinking, which is STILL the way that my wife feels (well, that is, the people don't want large speakers part, LOL)

 

Yes, say more; educate me please.

I'm currently using a pair of M206s and have a pair of M22s in the closet. I bring the M22s out for a listen every once in a while as they are the best monitor speaker I have owned. Over the years I've owned a few monitors costing twice as much as the Revels and always preferred the sound of the M22s.

 

The new Cornwall IV’s look very intriguing. I love my 1984 Cornwalls powered by a McIntosh MC2105! It’s synergy really. You must find the perfect relationship between components, speakers, and room. And, finally, your ears. Every speaker you listen to will have something the others don’t.

 

You and member @allied333 seem to swear by your M22's, it's all good by me! I just bought a pair of LSA 10 Statement's monitors. They are beautiful, but I haven't broke them in enough yet!

LSA-10 Statement | Living Sounds Audio

 

Sadly that's exactly why Vandersteen is slowly going off my list, as they don't seem to like McIntosh equipment!

 

Had not heard that. Owned a set of 2’s in the late 80’s. Set up is everything with Vandies to get the time alignment right. They can sound slow and plodding when the alignment is off

 

Yeah, I wouldn’t discount them thinking whatever happened since has been progress. The hobby has produced some overpriced weak stuff in the past few decades.

 

With TV going to slim panel profiles, many apparently do not want large boxes in their living rooms.

Plus, we are not in an era where a typical home had a stereo, just like they had a TV.

Mostly HT's today but with smaller speakers trending.

But speakers in large cabinets, like the new Polk's and the older RTi and LSiM series can do wonderful things that speakers in small cabinet speakers can not begin to do.

Of course, having a large listening room is definitely a plus.

 

Second this. All the bottom end you will ever need, and adjustable. You should try to get an audition.

JohnK

 

Hi Chris, I hope you don't mind but I took a look at your profile before replying and assuming these speakers are to be used with your Scott 299b, have you tried the Tannoy Arden or the Fyne F-702?

 

Have you considered Aerial Acoutics? As an ADS fan, if I had your budget I would look at the 7T's, which have been getting good reviews for years.

Aerial Acoustics 7T Loudspeaker (TAS 218)

I do wonder if they would be too revealing for rock and pop.

 

I hate to be negative about your suggestions of GoldenEar, but recently when I was up in Michigan, listening to Vandersteen and Dynaudio speakers, they had a pair of those GoldenEar Triton 1 Ref speakers sitting there and I asked if they'd hook 'em up and let me hear them, since I had read endless positive reviews about them. Well I listened to them and after I was through I turned to the salesman and said "they're raving about these???" He laughed and said that he feels that the major magazine and online reviewers are being paid to say really good things about them, which has created a huge buzz about them, but that he agreed with me that they aren't very good. I actually auditioned another of GoldenEar's giant speakers a few years ago in Pittsburgh, while demoing Harbeth speakers and I was just as unimpressed back then, as well. I'm glad that you guys like them, but they are not for me.

 

No, no ... my Scott 299b is only used with my Klipsch Chorus 1's. The speakers that I'm searching for currently will played on my 450 watt per channel McIntosh mc452.

Today I'm auditioning an old pair of AR9's nearby. The current owner is the second owner and he bought them from a musician in The Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, so I'm guessing that they will be top notch?!?

 

Spendor’s
ATC’s ?

 

Your experience is your experience, but I’m trying to remember the last time I was impressed by an in-store demo. My sample set is me only, but it seems to me that most of the negative opinions I read are from store demos (Hmmm, does that mean I should rethink my recommendation for the OP to demo some?), whereas those who set them up at home like them very much.

JohnK

 

It can be very hard...

 

Spendor D9

Ditto -- one of the most overrated lines
out there, and I say this as a fan of their subs.

 

Check the Salk speaker assortment.
Might be something there that interests you.

 

Polk Audio has some closeouts available on eBay. User is Polk - I purchased from them and was satisfied.

 

I have Revel F52`s and enjoy them immensely but I do use them with a Revel Sub15 even though they are full range.
The 208`s would seem to be a good fit.
How about some big Magnepan`s ?? big sound too !

 

I second Revel. Revel Performa F228be should satisfy any requirement you have. Full range 27Hz to 44,000Hz. These floor speakers from their other lower cost Revel line make the jump to 'light speed' with the ceramic mid range. The tone & accuracy is unreal.

About the Revel PerformaBe F228Be
<img alt="Kramer C." class="img-fluid js-lazy" src="//images.crutchfieldonline.com/ImageBank/v20180918120000/ImageHandler/fixedscale/110/110/core/people/writers/skyline/plain/JoshC.png" />
Written by Crutchfield's Kramer C.
A stunning sense of realism from a Revel masterpiece
I had the pleasure of auditioning a pair of Revel F228Be floor-standing speakers prior to their launch. I came away from my listening session impressed by their three-dimensional soundstage and pinpoint imaging. Read on for a detailed look at this finely crafted speaker, along with my firsthand listening impressions.
KEEP READING
A stunning sense of realism from a Revel masterpiece
I had the pleasure of auditioning a pair of Revel F228Be floor-standing speakers prior to their launch. I came away from my listening session impressed by their three-dimensional soundstage and pinpoint imaging. Read on for a detailed look at this finely crafted speaker, along with my firsthand listening impressions.


Revel's special-edition F228Be features an elegant, three-way design that both looks and sounds fantastic (shown in High-Gloss Walnut).

Exceptional dynamic range
One mark of a great speaker is its ability to faithfully reproduce every detail of a musical recording, no matter now loud or soft. The F228Be excels at this — and then some. It can play whisper-quiet passages with subtlety and nuance. But it can also belt out super-charged beats and high-energy guitar or sax solos with zeal.

The F228Be offers a wide dynamic range that rivals any of the top-shelf loudspeakers I've listened to in recent years.

The magic all starts with the beryllium tweeter
One of the secrets to the F228Be's great sound is its uniquely designed beryllium tweeter. You may have heard of beryllium back in chemistry class (it proudly carries the atomic number 4 on its virtual nametag).

Beryllium is several times stiffer than aluminum or titanium tweeter diaphragms. And it's also super-lightweight, so it moves quickly and in a very controlled fashion — two key attributes of a high-quality tweeter. I found that the F228Be created detailed, neutral, and non-fatiguing sound — even at extended high listening levels.

An acoustic lens waveguide lets every seat enjoy great sound
One of the best attributes of the F228Be is its off-axis listening. The beryllium tweeter uses an acoustic lens waveguide, which helps it produce remarkably accurate sound, even if you're sitting off to the side of the "sweet spot."

When you invite friends over to listen to these beautiful speakers (and trust me, you'll want to), everyone in the room will enjoy terrific sound.

Impressively hard-hitting bass and accurate midrange
Revel paired its beryllium tweeter with two 8" Deep Ceramic Composite (DCC) aluminum cone woofers for deep, tightly controlled bass. A dedicated 5-1/4" DCC midrange driver bridges this speaker's lows and highs with smooth, well-blended sound.

My listening impressions
The pair of F228Bes I auditioned were driven by a Peachtree nova300. At 300 watts per channel this is a high-current amp, and it paired beautifully with the F228Bes. I was treated to an extensive playlist of high-quality tracks that spanned multiple genres, which let these elegant speakers show off their versatile capabilities.

During "Audio Note," the O-Zone Percussion Group's array of drums showed off the F228Be's wide frequency range. The bass drums thundered with power and punch, while the distinctly pleasing tones of the xylophone rang out with sparkling clarity.

While listening to Eric Clapton's live rendition of "Layla," I intentionally stood way off to the left side of the left speaker. The soundstage held up astonishingly well. I could close my eyes and feel like I was in the audience during the recording of Clapton's famed 1991 Unplugged performance.

A friendly heads-up — this speaker is huge
At nearly 4 feet tall, and weighing in at 82 pounds, the F228Be is truly a "tower speaker." Just something to keep in mind as you're planning out the logistics of your new system. You'll probably want a buddy to come over to help you move and unbox this massive floor-stander.

Tested by instrument and by ear
Revel's world-class speaker design and testing facility features an anechoic chamber and the latest high-tech measurement gear. But some of their most critical test instruments are the ears of their trained listening panel. When working on a new design, Revel's engineers set up a series of controlled auditions comparing their design to several competing speakers.

Speakers under comparison sit on a rotating platform, and each model is moved into the identical position by a computer-controlled belt drive system. An acoustically transparent screen hides the speakers from the listeners to avoid visual bias. These double-blind listening tests provide an essential reality check, and help the engineers correlate measurements with what listeners actually hear and prefer.

READ LESS
Product highlights:

• 3-way design
• 1" beryllium dome tweeter with proprietary acoustic lens waveguide for consistent dispersion over a wide listening area
• dual 8" Deep Ceramic Composite (DCC) aluminum cone woofers with cast frames for reduced resonance
• 5-1/4" DCC midrange driver
• advanced high-order crossover optimizes timbre accuracy both on-axis and throughout the room
• cabinet has thick walls and extensive internal bracing to reduce vibration
• bass-reflex (ported) cabinet with front-firing port
• frequency response: 27-44,000 Hz (-6dB)
• sensitivity: 90 dB
• impedance: 8 ohms
• recommended amplifier power: 50-350 watts
• two pairs of gold-plated binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring
• includes a foam port plug for adjusting the speaker's low-frequency performance
• top panel is painted a stylish metallic black with raised electroform badging
• removable grille is magnetically attached
• 11-13/16"W x 46-1/2"H x 13-1/4"D
• weight: 82 lbs.
• warranty: 5 years
• Our 60-day money-back guarantee
• MFR # F228Be-WA

 

You won't be anywhere near East Peoria anytime soon?

On October 4, 2019 Decware High Fidelity has their annual Decfest on that weekend. 3 days of being able to listen to everything in Decware's lineup, including BBQ and beer. Steve has designed a new 15" single driver, open baffle, with very high sensitivity ratings (can be driven with 2 watts) that supposedly has some great bass coming out of it, "bass you can really feel" was what he's been describing.