Speakers for vocalists

Eldartford,

I agree with you 100%! The human voice is the ultimate test signal. Not just a Mans voice but female vocal too. At one time I used a few tracks like "Tom's Diner" by Suzanne Vega for my reference besides others.

Quadophile...Female vocalist is a good "test signal", for overall quality and imaging, but a man's voice will root out any tendancy to bass boominess.

SET and horns. Everything else sounds like music from a box to my ear. Just heard Avantgarde's the other day, and I swear it sounded like a live concert, especially on a CD of a gospel choir. I've heard planars, electrostatics, and ultra-high end paper cone speakers, and while many sound fantastic, I can always corral the music in my mind. I can pinpoint it as a definable, palpable body. With the horns, however, the analysis disappears, and I am simply overtaken by the natural presence of the music.

Are electrostatic speakers power hogs or are they very efficient? I have Rowland M201 amps and is that a good fit for these electrostatic speakers?

Most if not all electrostatic speakers are power hogs.