New speakers, which ones to consider?

Interesting, I felt the Grahams were in a whole different league, commensurate with the price difference over the Harbeths. Though, if a speaker fails to tug at your heartstrings, the rest doesn’t matter.

 

I 100% disagree, so does Steve Guttenberg!

The case against subwoofers for music

Subs have no place in HiFi.

 

Fyne Audio speakers look interesting, if they’re anything like Tannoys you have a winner.

 

Go to listening rooms at several audio dealers for a wide range of choices. And perhaps most importantly, bring with you a CD that you love, know intimately how it sounds, and which has a good range of frequencies in the music. Have the dealer play your CD and compare speakers.

 

The worst advice ever! No dealer demo room will ever sound like your own room, any dealer worth his salt will offer home demo's on the speakers you are interested in.

 

I haven't heard the Fyne or the Rogers speakers. I owned the Spendors and now own Harbeths and have heard the 30.1 extensively.
The D7 are possibly one of the best speakers I have heard and owned regardless of price. The flared semi-transmission line bottom firing bass port sets them on a much higher level than most with respect to bass response- appropriate, clean, and stunningly deep- no competition really. Imaging is again superior to most as is midrange clarity and transparency. They are also super fast and dynamic and have relatively high sensitivity- your amp will be a perfect match.
One caveat- they are very neutral sounding and can sound lean on some recordings compared to others, cabling will be important- avoid bright silver and silver plated cables.
However these are the best sounding neutral speakers on the market- they just have an infectious sound quality.
The 30.1s are very good speakers and will be warmer / more forgiving / less dynamic / be more sensitive to room position and do not have excellent bass. These would be more for vocals and instrumentals rather than rock or other impactful hard driving music. The Spendors can do it all. Spendors all the way.

 

JBL
L100 or L82 Classic. It would be the best hi fi decision you will ever make.

 

The D7s have a lot of fans but also some people who don't like their sound. I didn't get on with them but I know of others such as yourself who do.

Lean and neutral are different types of sounds, however. A neutral speaker will only sound lean if the recording is lean. It will sound warm if the recording is warm.

The D7s that I auditioned were unfortunately on the bright side of neutral in my living room and their audition was, therefore, short one. But that's just a personal preference.

 

Sensible advice.

When I was auditioning speakers three years ago, the speakers that I eventually bought were ones that I actually rejected in the dealer's listening room.

I found that the speakers that I liked in the dealer's listening room didn't sound right at home, so I thought that I'd apply a little reverse logic and bring something home that I didn't like at the dealer.

And it worked.

This had also happened a long time ago when I bought some KEF Reference 1s that sounded great at the dealer but that at home went "Honk! Honk!" They went back and I learned something valuable.

 

+1, So good I sold my Harbeth 30.2 XD's!

 

Monitor Audio.

 

Several consumer reviews seem to confirm this and they actually preferred the A7 over the D7 which is on my list as well.

 

Steve's wrong .
The Best Subwoofer for Music | REL Acoustics

 

Steve Guttenberg?!! I loved him in the Police Academy movies!!
.

 

Take a look at the Polk Audio Legend L800 towers and if you ever add a sub consider the SVS SB-3000.

 

Steves right.

 

Guess if it were me, I’d want to check out the following...

ATC
ProAc
KEF
Harbeth
Spendor
Graham
Vandersteen
.

 

Wake me up when this thread reaches 200 posts.
lmao.

 

From your list, I like Fyne Audio speakers the best. I heard them briefly but I liked them quite a bit. They are selling here in Hong Kong and I will try to get a much longer audition. But I only heard their top series. Most of the more pricey speakers these days are quite good so it really is about what music you like - the positioning etc.

 

What makes you think it’ll only be 200?
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ha right ?

 

Actives, no audiophile's speaker shortlist these days is anywhere remotely close to complete without actives...

 

What do you listen to?
I love my Proac DT 8’s.

but you will need to go audition a ton of speakers to find what you like most. Only way to do it.

 

Absolute statements have no place in HiFi.

 

Isn’t that an absolute statement?



(ok, I’ll stop being that guy)
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