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Narrowing down to JM Reynaud or VMPS...Help

After researching bass-nondeficient speakers in the around $3K price range, I like what I'm hearing about the VMPS and Reynaud speakers.

I have a medium large room (20'X35'), am using all Cary solid state Home Theater gear with 200WPC on the amp. There aren't too many places around here to audition lots of different kinds of speakers (Louisville, KY), so I want to narrow down the choices and maybe even fly to another city if need be to check em out.

From what I've read, the VMPS might have an overall better sound, but the Reynaud's may have a better wife acceptance factor, and be easier to drive and maybe less fussy overall to deal with.

I'm probably looking for floorstanders given the size of the room, but don't want anything too huge - the wife just won't go for it.

Does anyone have any helpful experience/insights to consider between these two brands? I'm probably looking at the Tower II in the VMPS or the Countour, Evolution 3's or maybe even Tents.

Any feedback would be appreciated..
larryb
budrew
467 posts
 
I can tell you about the JMR Trentes. They are excellent speakers! I use them with the JMR Magic Stands. But you may prefer floorstanders for a larger room, plus IME floorstanders have better WAF than monitors because the stands usually look kinda clunky. The Trentes are thoroughly enjoyable speakers with an open, dynamic sound, smooth and resolving. Great with acoustic material and solo works, but also nice with Keb Mo or Wilco. But the Trentes do seem to prefer tubes, though I'm using them with SS just fine. they are warm sounding speakers. Look very nice too. They sound best bi-wired.
larryb OP
101 posts
 
I've heard good things about the Trentes, but as you say, the larger room probably needs floorstanders. In fact my current speakers are B&W 804's (matrix) which I never thought had a problem with room filling sound, but in their current placement they can sound a bit strained. Even with my excellent Cary 200WPC amp.

Its a large room, 20X35, with the speakers oriented to project through the 35' space. Not optimal, but the only way I could rig it with the projector.
larryb OP
101 posts
 
What I guess I'm looking for is a speaker that will move some air and sound effortless in the larger room they're in now. My tradeoffs of choice are 1) prefer better bass to ultimate resolution, and smoother top end to same; 2) prefer warmer and expressive to analytical; 3) prefer darker to brighter sound 4) prefer more natural presentation to trumped up high's or midrange 5) prefer hearing room ambience to micro-imaging or high transients - which you get with naturally bassier speakers.

I guess you could sum up to say warm and smooth, and good with many styles of music - from Zeppelin to Mahler, Bill Frissel to MahaVishnu, Nine Inch Nails to Alison Kraus.

It's no easy task, especially without many speakers locally I can audition. Any other ideas?
chatbc
17 posts
 
From what you've described above, get the JMR Trentes. It does all those things well. Like "Budrew" mentioned above, JMR speakers matches better with tube amps. I have the Trentes with Air Tight ATM-2 and it sounds awesome, very dynamic. In the past, I had an Audion tube amp with the Trentes and the combo was amazing!!!

I heard good things about the Taylo also, you should go check them out!
larryb OP
101 posts
 
I should have mentioned that even though I'm using an all Cary system, it's also all solid state. Basically home theater seperates that also sound great with 2 channel audio.
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