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Shopping for speakers at $1500-$2000 is a chore.

I have been amazed at how many $1500-$2000 monitor speakers are out there. Just to name a few: the Wharfdale Jade 3's; KEF LS-50; KEF R-300; B&W CM-5S2 and CM-6S2; Focal Aria 906. and though NOT a monitor, Golden Ear Technology Model 7 small floorstander at $1500 a pair (which received raptured and orgasmic praise at CES 2013)

I have heard both KEF's , especially LS-50, but despite excellent sound staging and accuracy sound lean and at times lifeless The B&W were better, but the CM5S2 sounded lean and often edgy,However(the CM6S2 is very good to excellent, but also more expensive than the others)

The Wharfdale Jade 3 was the bane of one our members in a recent thread claiming they just did not sound right or what he expected.

However, the Choral Aria 906 monitor has often popped up in discussions, and as I mentioned to another member, they have received very good and solid reviews from generally reliable sources, However, the Focal 906, and the Golden Ear Technology model 7 are harder to find to audition.

So I would like to get some input from owners of either or possibly both speakers about which they preferred, and also the better sounding or most satisfying to listen to. I will greatly appreciate this feedback, as I seek out a dealer of either or both, but hopefully not in a city or state that requires air or train travel to reach.
sunnyjim
jdoris
852 posts
 
Fritz speakers are CA nased. The Carbon 7 is excellent, at around your price point

Fritz is also a very nice guy who will spend time working with you.

Highly recommended.
sunnyjim OP
884 posts
 
To Jdoris, I did consider the Fritz Carbon 7 but was not comfortable with their sales approach. I did not want a pair Carbon 7's planted in my living room unless I am enthusiastic to hear them, and not just to be convinced by their presence in the room. However, thank you for the recommendation

To Taters, I saw their listing on the GET website. However, many dealer in this area are selling at retail, and no matter if they even provide 10%, you still must pay the high California state sales tax of 8.5% I guess this is why many audiophiles shop on Audiogon. Thanks for heads up
jdoris
852 posts
 
Why were you not comfortable with Fritz's sales approach, SunnyJim?

I've spent multiple hours on the phone with Fritz, and hung out in his room at RMAF, and never felt a bit of pressure (I do not own his speakers).

Best,

John
johnnyb53
3,490 posts
 
There are a couple of pairs of Sonus Faber Toy Towers currently in the A-gon classifieds. I totally agree that they would be a really good candidate for this situation. Sonus Fabers have a very enticing sound with lots of resolution without sounding annoying or edgy. The Toy Towers have a small footprint and should be a perfect fit for SJ's listening area as well as for his listening tastes.
rebbi
1,319 posts
 
Sunnyjim,
Thought I'd weigh in here with some things that might be helpful. Yes, component shopping and swapping can make a person cranky; no argument there.
That said, I owned a pair of the Reference 3A De Capo's; they were not 100% current: they had the older, veneered cabinet, but they did have the current main driver with the Surreal Acoustic Lens. And when the BE tweeter became available, did the upgrade.
The De Capo is a classic for a reason; it's a great speaker. And if you don't have a Reference 3A dealer in your locale, Tash Goka will sell to you direct at a small discount, and give you a 30 day return trial; you're only out shipping if not happy. You can find my very detailed De Capo BE review here.
All that said, and even given my fondness for the Reference 3A sound and company, if the De Capo is now selling for nearly $3600, I believe you can do better for the money.
To go back to an earlier post in this thread, I got to live with the Fritz Carbon 7 SE for a couple of weeks and posted this review on my blog. At $2500, it's a great, great value. Heck, at $3000 it would also be a great value. If I could afford to own several pairs of speakers, I'd easily have bought the review pair. In terms of imaging and low end extension, they smoke the De Capo's, at least in my room with my equipment. And the icing on the cake is that Fritz Heiler is a prince of a guy to deal with. Just my 2 cents. If you're in LA anyway, you might as well take advantage of that fact and let Fritz show you what he has available.
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