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Looking for suggestions for a new (to me) pair of high efficiency monitors

Hi,

I’m looking to change out my Legacy Studio HD monitors for something more efficient. The Legacy’s are fine speakers and have served me well, but you all know the drill—time to try something new for the fun of it after several years..

I presently run a Bob Latino VTA ST120 amp. Not a lot of power, but nice sound for not a lot of $$.

No preamp, Mac-mini running Audivana out to my Bryston DAC, which puts out plenty of signal directly into the VTA 120 to drive to full power.

The Legacy’s are rated at 93 dB at 4ohms I believe—interested in getting opinions for alternative high efficiency and detailed monitors. Lost a fair amount of upper freq hearing over the years, in fact I have to wear hearing aids that help hear above 7khz, so mellow mid- and treble doesn’t do it for me. Even so largely listen to acoustic jazz, vocals and lately a smattering of opera. Rarely rock or full range orchestral. 

Thanks in advance!
jsl1234
willemj
1,036 posts
 
None of the LS3/5a type speakers are efficient. Of the modern incarnations, the Harbeth P3ESR in particular is glorious, and far better than the original. If the OP has little hearing above 7 kHz, no speaker will compensate. He might benefit from some tone control implemented on the MacMini, however. If his audiologist can supply a frequency curve for his hearing ability, he could download that into an equalizer program on the MacMini. But be careful not to destroy the tweeters.
audioconnection
1,015 posts
 
(((No preamp, Mac-mini running Audivana out to my Bryston DAC,))

 I would suggest you try a real analog preamp.
 This will assist you with the ability to grasp the music's nuance to more
 dynamic levels in a new appreciated way.

With regard to the size of your room.
Achieving a smoother in-room bass response with a more sophisticated boxless design speaker worked for me.
After trying 14 pairs of all size monitors on stands  I brought in the Vandersteen 1CI it uses a stepped or multi-enclosure baffle-less enclosure design which more costly types use.
 Listening to Johnny Cash just sounded far more natural, it's easier load, with tube amps made the coherence obvious and compared to these box designs made me say,
what was I thinking? Add in they are an evolution of over 30 years of functional progress and Phase and time correct should at least make you experience them as a contender.
 Best,
 JohnnyR
Vandersteen Dealer  
jsl1234 OP
32 posts
 
I do have the curves however my hearing aids already compensate for the loss where they can. Putting them in (both ears) literally turns on the treble for me when listening. The units are 15 or 20 channel programmable and set when I go for an audio test every two years or so. They are older but high end Widex units.

They amplify where there is loss pretty accurately--my hearing is strong at up to 6k, then drops very rapidly in both ears starting at 7k and is down from there on by nearly 60 or 70 db as I recall. Not quite deaf at that level but damn nearly so when trying to hear high hat, highest register etc.. So i doubt I'll get any additional benefit from further equalization on the mac.

Kind of sucks but probably self inflicted from years of motorcycle riding in the 1970s without ear protection and working in loud bars throughout my college years.
willemj
1,036 posts
 
I am real sorry about the hearing loss (and worry about young people and their headphones).
I fail to understand how a separate pre amplifier can improve the sound (other than by having tone controls). Pre amplifiers once were necessary to bring the various analogue sources to the same level. If you only use digital sources there is no longer any need for this. A DAC with variable output like various Benchmark models (or the Marantz HD DAC1 or Pioneer U-05 at a more modest price level) will do the job just fine. If your DAC does not have a variable output, add an outboard volume control like the TC Level Pilot, or just use the digital volume control in the computer or disc player like the Oppo 205.
donvito101
278 posts
 
+1 yogiboy
You don’t need high efficient speakers in a 10x12 size room. The LS3/5a is a perfect speaker for your application.  Keep away from any ported speaker!

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