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Speaker Recommendation: 20K range

I’m looking for new speakers in the <20K range. 

I am not looking for used, unless it’s a demo model straight from an AD.

I am hoping to find a line that clearly beats speakers in the ~10K range like Magico A3, Revel 228BE, Legacy Focus SE etc.

I will be pairing the speakers with a Lumin D2 streamer, Mcintosh C2600 pre and MC452 amp. Changing those components is not going to happen anytime soon and so system synergy with those pieces is important. 

I also would like the speakers to be rated at 500W given the amp I will be using and the fact that the listening space is quite large. 

While I mostly listen to jazz, rock, pop, classical and vocals, I am really looking for speakers that sound amazing with any genre. I also need them to sound great at moderate levels of volume. 

I currently have Focal Kanta No 2s, and while they are quite nice, I want something much better in all respects. 

I am not really up to speed on all the audiophile terms that describe the various traits of sound – I just want my jaw to drop when listening to the speakers with any genre at all volume levels, if that’s possible :) 

I am close to NYC and would like to narrow down the list to ~5 candidates before I start auditioning.

Hopefully you guys can help me compile a list!

Thanks in advance for your time and suggestions.

chandybe

Showing 5 responses by steve59

steve59's avatar
steve59
268 posts
 
I scrolled all the way to the bottom without reading any previous posts,yet. You do understand the rule of diminishing returns in hifi right? $20k isn't going to get you twice as much quality as the a3, persona 3, kanta 2, F2289be. I like that focal lists the size room their specific speakers will sound best in and would like to see more manufacturers do it. Most companies have their house sound and each line will offer more transparency while the speakers in each line will suit different rooms. Often i've found brands who's statement line was also the least musical, like all that accuracy sucked the life out of them. Demo all the brands you can and if possible with your own gear( I usually wait til my list is down to 2 or 3) and when you hear the speaker that makes you want to drop everything and buy it stop and listen to several in the line regardless of price, tell the dealer the size room and gear the speakers are going in... Just Kidding find a pair of Vienna Acoustics 'The Music' make the best deal you can and go home happy you have the greatest speakers in the world.
steve59's avatar
steve59
268 posts
 
@steve59

Sorry, but no, going off the Stereophile measurements, Vienna Acoustics are terrible for the money, way overpriced, just look at his listening window measurement for their Klimt the Kiss speaker, utterly atrocious, not even $100 speakers are as poorly tonanly balanced as those, and it’s directivty is super poor as well.

I have a pair of Revel salon2's I bought to replace my VA Beethovens which like your Kanta's didn't really rock out, but despite measurements the speakers from Vienna Acoustics sound amazing next to anything in their price. Your Kanta2's image really well and when you go to a larger speaker you risk losing that. Axpona had a lot of big speakers in small rooms and the carver line source sounded great also Raidho 2.1(used)would be worth an in home demo and is on my short list along with the VA 'the music' if I tire of the Salon2's.
steve59's avatar
steve59
268 posts
 
I have to agree with above that you'll find quite often speakers will sound more like the room they're in than different. I also, for fun pulled the $22k speakers out and put the 1/3 size 1/5 price beethovens in with my h360 driving them and I was amazed at how much the little ones sounded like the big guys, sans dynamics and hyper resolutionv they sounded like they could have come from the same manufacturer. Made me wonder too. The listening room matters!
steve59's avatar
steve59
268 posts
 
buyers remorse? you buy a pair of $18,500 speakers and then ask for suggestions. sounds like. personally if I can't get expensive gear to try in my own home first i'm not buying it period We stand to lose $10k if the glorious speakers fall flat at home, dealers going to say 'they need to break in' then sell us thousands worth of amps and cables and room treatments to make them sound right, no thank you fool me once shame on you. If you're interested in something buy it used if you really like it keep it or resell it and buy it new then. Maybe I just work to hard for my money ,idk
steve59's avatar
steve59
268 posts
 
The persona 9h for $20k if it could be done could be the solution. 1400 watts with 4 bass drivers have me salivating... Don’t they have ARC built in? I would jump on it. I can't let a white coat lab rat tell me what I like better because a tweeter does or doesn't have a waveguide there's so much more to the final design and in my room wide dispersion speakers soundstage like crap, everything else being equal if a flat response was all it took as cheap as digital processing is these days all speakers would sound the same. I sold my salon 2's to a gent that's driving them with a pair of mc 601's and he says they put them into protection! The 9h would rock with my puny little integrated. 
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