Looking for a Speaker Recommnedation

After getting everyone's feedback, doing my research and considering other factors - I have narrowed down the list of brands I am considering to a more manageable group below:

Vandersteen
ProAc
Magnepan
Thiel
Golden Ear
Revel
Spatial

Some models only used due to cost

Now to listen where possible

devilboy704 posts07-12-2016 7:18pm@jond, yes I did sell it. It still is a giant killer IMO. The only reason I sold it is "because my speakers are a bit bright" and the INT, as wonderful and "warm" as it is, in the end was still too much of a good thing. Rather than open a whole new can of worms with shopping for new speakers, worrying about selling mine, etc, I chose to keep the speakers and get a new amp. 
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Those wouldn't work for me devilboy. Thanks for the offer though. Focusing in on the brands I listed

Have a great trip Pete. Hopefully we can meet up at AC

Hi sbrownw - activity is taking place.

I have a line on a used speaker that interests me and is a good deal. Stay tuned.

I have dropped Thiel from the list. 

Not looking for a bookshelf/monitor style speaker at this point. Thank you

Understood Pete and great advice. Normally.

However in my situation this is how this shook out for me (which led me to make a purchase without hearing every speaker).
Below was the list I had narrowed down my choices down to in my price range (5K <):

Rank Brand Model
1 Vandersteen Quatro Wood (Used)
2 Vandersteen Model 3A Signature
3 ProAc D48R (Used)
4 Golden Ear Triton One
5 Magnepan 1.7i
6 ProAc D30RS (Used)
7 Revel F208
8 Spatial M3 Turbo S
9 ProAc D20R

I narrowed that down further based on the below factors which were most important to me:

1 respected, longstanding company and/or designer
2 ability to be located near front/side walls
3 integrated sub
4 great a low levels


Which left me here:

Rank Brand Model
1 Vandersteen Quatro Wood (Used)
2 Golden Ear Triton One

Narrowed down again based on which company is more likely to provide outstanding support and speaker appearance/WAF (really do not like the look of the GE sock):

Rank Brand Model
1 Vandersteen Quatro Wood (Used)

I had sent an e-mail to Golden Ear with no response. In contrast I have had 3 different issues sent to Vandersteen with a direct response from RV (the designer) himself (even on an issue as innocuous as importing into the US).

I have entered into a private party deal for a 4 yr old QW.  I am sure if for some reason it does not meet my needs I will be able to sell it based on the outstanding reputation and quality of this company/designer.

I know this is a bit anti-climactic but I think I ultimately made a good decision that will work for me.

Thank you everyone for your help. I certainly think I ended up in a better place due to the opinions from the members on this site than I would have alone
 

Thanks. Decision made a while back. Quatro Wood's in my home as of yesterday. Just need my bi-wire cables to show up and we're off...

Thanks Pete. Working with John at AC who is great and a wealth of information. I have a list of the setup tasks from him and I'm sure there will be a few questions as I move along. Have a few things done (crossover impedance, potentiometers/controls set to defaults, approximate placement based on room dimensions). Purchased a laser level and SPL meter.
Still waiting for my cables (should be early next week).

I bet you are excited to see your speakers!

Thanks. I'll check those out.

Great info everyone. I am pretty sure the Maggie's won't work for me (size and loudness) so that one is out although their attributes intrigue me.  

The Triton Ones sound like they would work but I am a bit turned off by the fit/finish.  Those sleeves/and the overall unit look cheap. What do you think as a owner?

I'll take a look at the Tekton's. Thanks

Will do some more research on the Revel & Monitor Audio.

Re: Triton's - I'll have to check them out to really see how they look & sound. I have a dealer fairly close by. Can you run it without that sleeve?

WAF will be an issue that might kill the Maggie's.

Thanks guys

Updated list:

PSB Imagine T3
Vandersteen Trio CT
Mangepan 1.7i
Endeavor Audio E-3
Revel F208
Golden Ear Triton 1
Dynaudio Excite X44
Tekton Pendragon
Von Schweikert VR-33

Dropped:
Spendor D7 (looking to get away from the British sound)
Mangepan 3.7i (1.7i is a better bargain/size if I go this way)

Will see if there is someplace I can demo the the Vandy CT's and do some research on the ProAc and Legacy. Would prefer if at all possible to stay closer to $5k.

Wife coming around to the Maggie's. And can get them 5' from the back wall. My only real issue is there would be a couch in the soundstage (between but behind). Not sure what that will do to the sound.  I can start with the 1 Rel 328/Maggie's.

No Vanersteen dealer nearby. Treo CT is probably outside of my range at $9k (unless I can find used). Doing some research on the Thiel, Legacy and ProAc.

Thanks for all the info

Just a couple of follow up notes:
This is strictly for 2 channel audio. No movies (I have a separate room/system for that)

"I would also recommend that you read the Richard Hardesty Journals"

Very Vandy focused but great info in those journals

"You can find a pair of Thiel CS 2.7 for $5K"

Only seeing the Thiel CS2.7 used. $5500-$6800 on HiFi Shark (overseas only). No way to demo. Most likely out of the running

"The 148 ProAcs like a strong amp at 4 ohms (my Audio Refinement does 200 @ 4 ohms)"

I believe the CJ MF2500 is around 450 into 4 Ohms.

"I listened to the 148s with The Pixies, Stone Roses, Nick Cave & REM among others; I can attest they handle pop/rock really well. The difference between a good & bad recording was immediately obvious, but manifested as 2d vs 3d imaging rather than any sort of harshness. I also had some Aphex Twin and the bass is extended and articulate. They do have what I'd consider a British mid-range, but I think that's a good thing when complemented by their excellent treble & bass"

This intrigue's me. I'll add these to the list. ProAc has a bad website. Not sure if there are any nearby US dealers at this point.

"If you don't hear something you fall in love with locally, I'd think setting aside some funds for a trip to a show or dealer or even return shipping would be a better use of funds than buying something non-refundable based on hearsay"

Good suggestion. This process is going to take a while.

"But, I suspect if you like the Maggies, you will love the Vandy's"
"If you can find a pair of 3a sigs or Treo's, I doubt you would be disappointed"
"I've seen used non-CT version Treos for $3400." 

I'll focus on the 3A's & Treos (non CT) for now.

"How far apart (inner edge to inner edge) could you have Magnepans? Imho you need them at least 5' apart"

Min 5' apart is no problem. In my room they are more likely to be 9' to 11' apart

"If you are looking in the $5K range, and still want to check out Legacy Audio, they also have the Classic HD"

Will do

Thank you. I just found that. Studio 148 not in their price sheet though. Would have to call

I would let you listen to my system if you ever made it to the Seattle area. Did you check out my system page? My 148s are about 12" away from the front wall, wish I could go farther out but it does not work for my room layout.

I did. 148's look nice there. Thanks for the offer on the listen. Most of us have a room trade-off to deal with it seems

PSB, Revel does interest me as well. Hearing the Dynaudio may be a tad bright

Any opinions on the Focal 936/948's?

Find a mint pair of used Legacy Signature III's or a nice used pair of
Legacy Focus speakers.

I don't know much about the Legacy's. Will have to do some digging. Checked out your speakers. Nice system.

Thanks for the suggestion

My recent upgrade to Spatial Audio M3 Turbo S has been revealing 

Very intrigued by the M3 Turbo S's. Like what I've read/seen. Under $3k with a 60d trial. Flexible placement. Maggie like/lite with more bass. How is that open back going to handle years of dust though? 

Used Legacy's are tempting but they are beasts and might block my 2 windows. WAF would be low.

I will also reiterate my recommendation for Zu as a low cost alternative.

Have to do more work on the Zu

Where are you located?

In MA

This list is getting very large (rough ranking):

1 Magnepan 1.7i
2 Golden Ear Triton One
3 Endeavor Audio E-3
4 Spatial M 3 Turbo S
5 Tekton Pendragon
6 PSB Imagine T3
  Dynaudio Excite X44
  Focal Aria 936
  Legacy Audio Classic HD
  Legacy Audio Focus
  Legacy Audio Signature III
  ProAc Studio 148
  Revel F206
  Revel F208
  Tekton Double Impact
  Vandersteen Model 3A Signature
  Vandersteen Trio
  Von Schweikert VR-33

I do have a dealer nearby that carries Magnepan, PSB, Focal & Revel which should help narrow it down

Thanks all

you left out the very best speaker...Legacy Audio

It is on my latest list. Very big though. Still in the running. Spent more time looking at the used until now. Not much avail. Will check out the new models

The PSB T3 and Revel F208 have the most neutral on- and off-axis measurements

That would be helpful in my room. I don't like speakers that require you to sit within a millimeter of the sweet spot to get good sound. Hearing mixed opinions on the T3 though.  Kinda finicky to setup. I don't have the most flexible room.

Why not Coincident Technology?

I have a pair of Opera Secondas with a REL S2 sub, absolutely love the sound and with the combination you will get very accurate reproduction at any frequency and plenty of bass for your hard rock!
If I were you I'd be adding JBL studio monitors to my audition list.
The brand new Dynaudio Contours are worth a listen

Will check them all out. Never been a big JBL fan though

Have you considered any of the Sonus Faber gear?

Have kinda avoided. Feels like there are 250 models

I will second that you look into the Spatial Hologram line, probably the M3 in your case.

Sent Clayton an e-mail with my system specs. Concerned a bit about some feedback regarding them amplifying noise from equipment not dead quiet (CJ MF2500 notorious for a low hum). 60 day/reasonable price helps. How dusty do those speakers get over time? Can't be great with the backs exposed. 

Re ZU/Tekton They have a dynamic in-your-face live sound, which is great for loud alt/rock/punk.

Not sure that is what I'm looking for but the Tekton's are still in the running. Really appreciate a speaker with smooth mid/highs, non harsh with a deep powerful bass that has a wide/deep soundstage and separation of instruments. Non fatiguing to listen to at any vol. But rocks when played loud. Not sure I can get there with my room, equipment and next speaker but...

Might check out some Zu Audio speakers. It seems a lot of rockers love them.

Doing some work on these now. Seems like all you hear about is the Soul Supreme. Anybody know the differences between that and the Omen Def MKII?

They are very efficient though so it is possible some hum would come through certain components.

Thanks for the info. Helpful

I was looking over PSB's offerings and ran into Monitor Audio Golds.

Have some work to do on these

I demoed the new Revel Concerta F36 and almost needed a Tylenol after one song

I have read some similar comments on forums.  Luckily I can hear these locally and drop if need be


ROOM:
I left some images under my profile so everyone can see what kind of room I am dealing with. A couple of notes: I can close the curtains on the front wall when listening. Back wall curtains can be closed but leaves approx 1 window exposed. Couch can be moved a bit back & front/back but not much. The Rogers are currently 3' from the front wall and approx 1.5' from the side walls. With the couch back against the rack I can get the speakers to 5' and in front of it which is what I would/plan to do for critical listening.

Thank you

Then I listened AB to the triton 1s. Sold. The ribbon tweeters were bright but not harsh

Strong contender

Golden Ear just came out with a Triton Reference speaker for 8500.00 a pair.

Interesting...Budget stretcher but..

Janszen: You may want to read the reviews

Will check it out

First off you can't ever say that one speaker blows the other out of the water.  Many for YOUR ears, but not for other folks

Very true 

Some folks seem to like speakers that are tipped up on top or brighter. I've seen names of those types mentioned in this thread also.

I suppose you are referring to Zu Audio, Tekton. Definitely want a non-fatiguing system. My room trends towards the bright side to my ears

I'll probably touch base with Johnny Rutan

Lot's of choices and if there is any way you can possibly audition to at least get to know what type of sound you like, it will help you in figuring it all out

True but unless you are doing the demo in your room/with your equipment I'm not sure you can guarantee anything. But I will get out there and hear/see what I can. Might be able to eliminate some for sure

Thanks ctsooner

Salk Bud Fried tribute speakers are Excellent

Not sure I'm willing to go this way. If I was a huge Fried fan maybe. Thanks for the suggestion though

XTZ Divine Alpha 

Did a little research. Very limited info out there on these. Thanks though

Audio Note AN/e's, fantastic sounding, full range, fairly sensitive, easy to place in a room of almost any size.

Interesting speaker. Very much like a Harbeth. Like the fact you can place in the corners. Many options and difficult to get US pricing though. Never mind hear them

Seeing ProAc Studio 148's NIB for $2250 (plus ship) - tempting

bradf

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/full-range-janszen-loudspeaker-za2-1-hybrid-electrostaic-2016-12-1...

You may want to read the reviews

TAS: The zA2.1 is a fussy, listener-position-dependent, at first potentially frustrating loudspeaker

Definitely not what I'm looking for in my situation

Sent Clayton an e-mail with my system specs.

No response. Not impressed

Reading quite a bit about the ProAc's tending to be on the bright side which would be a problem in my room

Most of those ProAc Studio brightness threads are the 140s, which have
a different tweeter. The 148s have the same tweeter as the response line

Duly noted.  Thanks

<$200

Proac D30R or D48R used

That would work heinrichmilw

If you are in Mass. then it would behoove you to try to come down for an afternoon.
The Zu's are more direct and many like their reproduction for rock music

Good suggestion gdnrbob. Possible. Thanks for the Zu feedback as well. They are in the running

If you are in our neck of the woods New York/New Jersey we have quite a large number of speakers that are fantastic

Thanks Dave - If I go to audio connection I can probably piggyback this
 

Get those 148s. 

Very tempting sbrownnw.  Talking to him. It could be the end or a step towards where I end up. Should be able to sell them if need be. I think I have a buyer for my Rogers so I'll be without speakers soon.  Also tempted on some of the direct sales companies with return policies (Tekton, Spatial, Zu).
I did hear back from Clayton at Spatial and this was his comments regarding my situation/noise:

The MF2500a is rated at 100dB signal to noise ratio, so it is very quiet. Should be no issues with noise through the speakers. The system you describe would seem to be a very good setup for the M3. I don’t see any red flags at all.  Your placement plans are ideal as well.

Thanks all

Hi ctsooner. Lot's of great advice/reminders in your post.

I'm going to e-mail/call Johnny at Audioconnection to start a dialog. Would really prefer a local dealer but we'll see how that conversation goes. Thank you

ctsooner - I hate dealers like you described. We used to have a great local dealer in Westport, MA (Sound Images) but they closed about 10 years ago.  Bought my CJ/Rogers stuff there. 
Having a great dealer to work with nearby is awesome

It's starting to look like I may have to bring this budget down.  Would prefer to be $5k or < now. New or used is ok.

Resale will also be a factor since I'll want to have the option to sell and not lose too much if I don't like the speakers in my environment.

Out of the speakers being discussed which are the top 5 in holding their value?  I would assume the Maggie's would be there.

Anyone have resale thoughts on some of the comapnies that sell direct (Zu, Tekton, Spatial)?

The Focus 380 looks nice.  Have only researched the Excite series so far. Triton 1's are my next demo. Thanks mtrot

twoleftears - agree looking used on some of these is the way to go. Starting to do that more

gdnrbob - thanks for the info. Good general rule. I am starting to lean toward new with trial period (Spatial/Magnepan/Zu) or used. New Triton 1's if I'm blown away and don't despise the looks. Or some of the Vandy's used.

I think the Tekton's & Legacy's are just too monolithic for my space so I'm starting to move away from them as options

Thanks for all the advice guys.  Appreciate it

Thiel CS-3.7's on AG for $5k. Any people here familiar with them compared to the speakers we have been discussing?

Focus SE was already a wonderful speaker from 16Hz on up (plus or minus 2db) but making it active with the Wavelet must be breathtaking. AERIS with Wavelet is in another league and at $19-$24K-ish retail

Way out of my price range zephyr (unfortunately)

IMO you are reading too much....I sometimes do the same

I do tend to research things to death tomic601. Usually leads to a good decision though - although a sometimes painful journey :-)
Ultimately I have 17 years with the Rogers and while they are good speakers, it's time for a change. Thanks for the feedback & advice

I saw those Quatro's at Audioconnection last week. I would contact Johnny Rutan and see if he is negotiable.
If you do want to come down, let me know, I could pack up my Zu Union speakers and we could demo them with the Vandys.

Thanks for the offer Bob.  Probably won't be able to get down there until Feb sometime. Will check out AC's demo section 

I think you’re doing a mistake here Instead  making a list of short options and start to eliminate some choices ,you are expanding it more and more 

Hi itzhak. Part of the process maybe but agree the list became too large. I had already started eliminating many options based on my research/looks/size/pricing (used & new). Thanks

Hoping Pete sends me the translation table. Only know one for sure:

Vandersteen Trio CT -  Best of the bunch

HAHA I knew that Bob - that's what I get for copying :-)

Great info as always

When I bought my Rogers it came down them and a pair of Meadowlark's. It was close. Liked the Rogers mids a bit more.
Would have gone Verity Audio if I had more money at the time

Great perspective Pete. Thanks