Speakers for the real world. Placement problems.

I do realize that perfection cannot be had at any price point, But I have heard several Very expensive speakers that have made me think that it is not so much about how much money is spent but the true synergy of the complete system. It is not possible to audition every speaker out their and definatley not possible to keep switching electronics to match a speaker every time you find a missing link. The main thing is less waisting time Searching for these products and Listening to music. My senario is a tuff one that Is why I came to the best of the best, AUDIOGON AUDIOPHILES, Any info is always appreciated.

Matrix, you are right on about perfection at any price and at some point you just have to do it. Sometimes one adjustment does lead to another in order to get the synergy you so rightly speak of. Re: the impedance load. Most Thiels don't go above 4 Ohms (they are also very stable). The Dunlavys drop to 3.5 Ohms (they are almost as stable as the Thiels). I believe your amp goes from 150 watts into 8 Ohms to 260 watts into 4 Ohms. Now numbers by themselves are not the end all to end all, but even Thiel recommends that a good starting point is to find an amp that can double down from 8 Ohms to 4 Ohms and better yet to 2 Ohms. I would suggest trying your amp with these type of speakers before buying. I have heard your amp on a few different systems (never at great length!) and the systems they were in always sounded quite nice. Damned, if I could remeber the rest of the associated equipment. I'll keep thinking about what might work for you, as I feel for your situation. I think you are going about it the right way. Good luck and keep us informed.

Have you guys any experiance with the tyler acoustics line. They look very good for the money, I like the design of the Addison A212, I have read that the Linbrook monitors throw possibly the largest soundstage known in any dynamic speaker only being bested by the Avantgardes which are horn and very expensive, and I have personally heard the avantgardes and Have never heard anything near the sound they put out.

Polk LSI 15's are $1,200 from www.jandr.com
Want more? Polk LSI 25's

I heard Polk and they are clearer than my B&W. Bass (powered sub) also stomps my B&W. They are not sweet. They are also not as well engineered or refined as B&W. But your listening to rock not classical.
I found Meadowlark stuff very fatiguing and after 1/2 hour my ears were wasted. I think Polk has good compromise between Meadowlark and the "other side" like B&W or Thiel.

Matrix -

Thanks for taking the time to respond to my questions above.

Okay, I spent some time going over what's available used at this site.

My first suggestion would be the Paragon Regents speaker. The Paragons were a superb line that went out of business. They used lead-lined enclosures and so are quite heavy, but the sound quality is excellent. Efficiency is quite good and they are among the most relaxing box speakers made. As I recall they use the 3/4" Dynaudio tweet, which would give an exceptionally wide sweet spot, but I may be wrong. I can't say for sure that they are exceptionally forgiving of positioning, but the bass is nice & tight which is better than boomy if you have to place them near a wall. There's a pair of Regents on sale now for $1500 plus shipping (the company name is mis-spelled as "Parragon").

If by any chance there's some stretch in your budget, consisder the Audio Artistry Vivaldi's. These genuinely are very room-friendly, being a dynamic dipole. Dipoles put significantly less energy into room bass modes, and so their bass quality is much less dependent on room acoustics. There's a pair for $2500.

There are also several Audio PHysic speakers for sale here. Their tweeter has exceptionally wide dispersion, which helps to give them a very wide sweet spot. They tend to be a bit on the warm side, so they may not be the best choice for placement close to a wall.

And finally, there's a pair of TDL "M" studio monitors. These transmission line speakers have very natural-sounding midrange and bottom end, and their tight bass should work well close to a wall. This is another very fine company that sadly went out of business, and this pair is a steal at the posted price. If you liked the Meadowlarks, then the TDL's are worth considering.

I hope these suggestions help.

Best wishes,

Duke