I can only speak to the Model 14s that I have in making that comparison with the 705s where I have found similar - not to say identical - response characteristics between them. As much as I enjoy the Altec 14s, they too are speakers that I could never live with exclusively. The Bostons, on the other hand, I could. For me, they simply perform better on the widest range of music material. Thanks Larry.
If you ordered them from Adorama you may be getting them sooner than you think. I received mine within 24-hours of placing my order. Now, I'm not far from their shipping origin though - they came from New Jersey and I'm located in upstate New York.
Entirely possible. But you were so quick to pronounce my amplifier the "weak link" without allowing for the possibility that my personal experience was do to other perfectly rational causes. The point here is that the larger amplifier didn't do the trick with this listener and I'm 99% certain it wouldn't have made any difference in my case either. There other so-called "high end" speakers that I didn't particularly care for either. Others I did. Speaker selection is a personal choice.
Speaker choice is absolutely a personal choice, it's what makes the world go around! Just give me a pair of Revel Salon 2, 4 way speakers and I will be a happy camper from now on, I will even take these over the Wilsons, much better pricing for what you get, saw some at Hi-Fi Buys in Nashville yesterday, 178 pounds each, and just a work of art, oh yes!
For me it would be a pair of Snell A7 Illusion. The finest speaker I have ever heard - bar none, full stop. Original MSRP of $50,000 and only 10 pairs have ever been produced before the ax fell on this once great name in loudspeaker manufacture.
Can’t argue with that. Some prefer accuracy and detail, others are drawn in by colorations of certain frequencies. And different listening environments drastic alter things. Which ultimately makes talking about sound a pretty pointless exercise. Sigh.
De gustibus non est disputandem - In matters of taste there are no disputes. FTR - Make no mistake, accuracy and detail are as high on my priority list as anybody.
Absolutely magnificent set up, you have to love that amplification, is there anything more aesthetically beautiful to look at other than Mac! I have been wavering on the fence on the Polk 707 speakers for over three years, and this $800 deal was something I just had to take a chance on. My set up is vastly different than yours, so I will be anxious to see if the Polks can keep up with my favorite vintage speakers from years back, the Aerial 10Ts, last generation tweeters with the Sontos Rosewood cabinets made in Denmark not China, I just had to give the Polks a shot, the never ending urge to try something new, or something like that. I knew this would most likely be my last shot at trying a pair, it appears Adorama will have the majority of these Polk speakers to sell, and that will probably be it. I HOPE my experience is different than yours, I'm crossing my fingers. The low volume issue you mentioned concerned me, as I rarely listen to music real loud, and I do a good deal of classical, piano, and jazz, we will see. My amplification is the Parasound JC-2 BP Pre with the stereo A-21 power amplifier, which should be enough to do what needs to be done with an 86dB speaker. Hey, if you ever want to be totally frustrated with speakers "soaking" up power and just not getting louder, try some Maggie 3.5 or whatever their new model is. You just turn them up and up and up and get nowhere, and that was with a BRUTE Jeff Rowland HIGH CURRENT 8Ti-HC. Oh, the Revels are just a steal at $24,000.00, oh my!
Whoa - not my system there, sad to say. I sincerely hope your new speakers bring you musical enjoyment.
Thanks, you know, after three years what put me over the top, they look "somewhat" like the Revels, yes I know it's a stretch, but just a tiny bit, with the grills on, at least that is what I want to tell myself. I'm trying to look past the orange finish!
No doubt that picture is from an electronics show from the final years when Snell was still in business. Snell, McIntosh, Marantz, Denon and Boston Acoustics were once held by the same parent company known as D & M Holdings therefore it was common for Snell & McIntosh products to be demonstrated together at various trade shows in the late 2000s. Snell went under in 2010 or 2011 and later McIntosh was acquired by Fine Sounds which also holds Sonus Faber of Italy, whose speakers replaced Snell for trade show demonstrations with McIntosh nowadays. * Incidentally, I recently advised a friend to find a pair of Snell A7 Illusions when lo and behold there was an immaculate pair for sale on eBay which he wisely snapped up for an incredible price. He had never even heard of Snell before. The speakers were originally sold by Audio Classics right in my backyard where I heard them myself. He also just got a new McIntosh MC462 and the new McIntosh C70 70th Anniversary tube preamplifier introduced just a last month. He expects to finally have his new system set up sometime next week. The combination will be the basis of a first rate system that should last this lucky <30 year old the rest of his life.
I power a pair of these; With this. Decware 3.9-Watt Mini Torii. For scale, the white top deck is about the size of a n 8 1/2" x 11" notebook paper.
The amp is a SEP, (Single Ended Pentode) design, so actually, only two of the tubes, which are 6V6GT tubes are the power tubes. It is a true dual mono configuration, so there are two of everything and it features tube rectification and tube voltage regulation on the input and output stages, so yes, there are a lot of tubes.
Got my LSiM705's today and can't wait to head home and hook these babies up to my B&K3030. I hope to the ghost of Miles Davis they are a good match for that amp!
Ok first impressions....keeping in mind I had RTi12's for years before these. So far listed to vinyl Ziggy Stardust-Bowie and Charlie Haden & Pat Metheny-Beyond the Missouri Sky. I can certainly say the 705's are much more refined and not as "in your face" as the RTi12's. They do seem to have a bit of a vale over the sound when I turn down to conversation level, but I suppose that is to be expected. With only a couple albums in, I am very pleased with the purchase. Plus....these things are just beautiful to look at, unlike the giant monoliths that are the RTi12's. I keep reading about a break in period before they supposedly open up. How long are we talking? Also, how far from the wall is best or doesn't it really matter with the 705's? Next up, some "Deja Vu"-CSNY Thanks!
50 to 100 hours should do it. Everything matters and positioning your speakers is going to depend on your room, gear and ears, so play around with them until you like what you hear.
Likewise, I received my new 703s today but I'm going to have to save the hook ups for tomorrow and all weekend. Hoping for some of that special amp/speaker/room synergy!
I’m now hearing a distortion in the left speaker tweeter. Not in every song but I can recreate it with specific songs. Is this a known issue around these parts or with this model or am I just unlucky? I’m very disappointed.
