Speakers for Large Scale Symphonic

So in other words, replace most of the system...

 

My listening/living room combo is also 16' x 12." Speakers are set up along the short wall, 7' apart, listening spot is 8' away, almost an equilateral triangle. Speakers are Devore Gibbon Super 8's, toe'd in and raked back as per designer's suggestion.
I listen to mostly classical, orchestral preferred. Gibbons are a 2-way with a remarkably wide soundstage and 3D imaging. They are able to present symphonies and concerti accurately with great depth and weight.
Unfortunately, with only a 6.5" driver it's not possible to have a "you are there" experience. Bass goes down to 36Hz so missing the lowest octave, but I wonder if a sub would add a more realistic image.

I purchased these Super 8's for $3000 used. They're a relatively short floorstander with a narrow profile.

 

Used Definitive Technology BP2000, BP2002, BP2004, BP2006 speakers. Large scale Wall of sound, cheap too, leaving you lots of money for other things in life.

 

If not too big for your room, Vandersteen 1Ci. 8" woofers.

 

I have found the Wharfedale Evo 4.4 work well with Orchestral music. Since they use a downward firing port you could get away with them in a fairly small space away from side walls. Don't take up more space than a medium sized standmount.

 

I’ve heard the 1.7 and 3.6. They do present a big soundstage but I didn’t hear the dynamics I was looking for. They were powered by big audio research amps.

 

I know this doesn't help but Cornwalls.

 

I auditioned a pair of X38s just over 3 years ago, and I can say that they're reasonably efficient and that they do dynamics and scale quite well.

 

So I am auditioning the Ascend Acoustics Sierra 2EX stand mount speaker. They came in yesterday and they are exhilarating and they’re not even broken in yet!

Their tonal characteristics are to die for. I started with Dvorak’s Slavonic Dances (Kubelik) and was able to be drawn into a deep soundstage with rich timbral contrast. Flutes sounded more like real flutes and violins didn’t sound like fingernails on a chalkboard. There was lots of air and separation between the instruments. They were also very dynamic, bringing out the big moments without breaking a sweat but also presenting subtle dynamics very convincingly. They have a real floorstander vibe to them.

They have a very relaxed feeling as if they can handle anything you give them vs. the UB5’s which always seem to be trying too hard. Are they $1100 better than the UB5’s? Yes, definitely. They’re probably more like $2,000 better.

 

Sounds as though you might have found your speakers.

If you find that they do everything that you want, then they might just be the ones for you.

Now, you could worry about whether any of the other suggested speakers might be better still, or you could say to yourself “Job done!”

Please keep on keeping us updated.

 

One aside here, crazy but just curious. How many people here can fit a full Symphony Orchestra anywhere in their house?

 

Hey Man, I hope it's "Job Done" because I really don't want to get too deep into the whole audiophilia thing. The past few months of obsessing about speakers didn't feel too healthy to me.

 

I agree, getting to deep into this stuff is not good for mental health and can bring out the worst in some self-proclaimed audiophiles.

 

Exactly! That's what I was thinking when someone here told me to get 4 subwoofers for my little room. No thanks. Maybe they were being facetious. I certainly have never been after having an orchestra in my listening room. It's a pipe dream. Audio is fake, period. Having conducted classical ensembles in my time and being a woodwind player, those UB5's just were so off the mark that I couldn't deal. For non-acoustic mediums, which is most all of my other genres, they were fine.

 

Another vote for large thin membrane dipoles, like Magnepans or Apogee ribbons.

 

So much is dependent upon us being able to suspend reality to a degree. If we’re able to accomplish this the listening experience can become a fantastically involving and wonderful thing. Thats the ultimate goal of my system.

 

Agreed, and I couldn't suspend disbelief with the Elac's. Now these Sierra 2EX's are a different story with their Raal tweeter and overall sonic quality. I can suspend disbelief with these.

 

A previous poster mentioned the B&W 800 series. While these completely blow your budget, I was surprised at just how much of the big 800 series performance was available in the 700 series for a lot less money.

Even if you decide against them, they’re certainly worth a listen.