Red Rose R3s vs. Proac 1sc vs. Dynaudio 1.3SE

This may not be fair because I'm selling a pair of R3's now, but here are some brief viewpoints on monitors that I've owned:

Tyler Reference Monitors: Since they can often be acquired on audiogon for around $1100, they represent the best buy for the buck.

ProAc Tab Sigs and Response 1 SC: Fine monitors, but they are really dependent on the front end. I'm not sure if they would mate well with Plinius - in general, they sound better with tubes.

Merlin TSM-SE: Very neutral sounding, clean and fast. Since the VSM-SE's don't really use up any more space when you take into account the stands, they are much better than the TSM's.

Dynaudio 1.3: More solid-state friendly, but as NW stated above, they come across being somewhat dry and analytical.

Red Rose R3: By far my favorite. They are by no means neutral. They are wet, seductive, and romantic, and they do justice to a concert grand Steinway in tonality and size. At the same time the ribbon tweeters render things like cymbals, bells, and other ultra fast transients with stunning vividness. Because of their small drivers, they will not load up a small room with dominating bass, yet the bass is very correct and satisfying.

Good Luck :-]

I have heard the Red Rose in the showroom demonstrated by "the master" himself, Mark Levinson. I have never known anyone that can do a demo better than him, whether it was Red Rose or Cello. Although they are totally different design concepts, they are both fantastic.
I personally own a $60k B&W/Krell setup, but when I heard the Red Rose R3's, I was blown away. I didn't get the visceral feel of my system, but the R3's were able to do things that I've never heard a small speaker do.
You can't and won't go wrong with the R3's. Buy them!

Not sure of the match with the plinius, but I would encourage an audition of the Piega P2ltd. I felt it did most things a bit better than the Red Rose R3's... which is a fine speaker. I am also a fan of the Voce Divina...fwiw

Thank you all for your great advice and input. I love this website. I'll add your suggestions to my audition list. My current speakers are B&W Matrix 803s and I feel that they need a larger room to really sing - although, I'm listening to the Eagle's Hotel California as I write and they sound pretty sweet! Oh, pardon me, Mr. Henley, am I in your way! The Ikemi is a recent addition to the system and has made me want better EVERYTHING!. Happy listening, Joel P.S. Grandpad, yes it is sometimes very difficult to concentrate on . . . gulp . . . work.

I'm afraid the Proac and Dynaudio aren't quite in the same league as the Red Rose. Not much is. These speakers are amazingly lush for such small speakers, beautifully voiced, and of course exquisitely articulate with that ribbon tweet.

My only (minor) reservation is, I don't know how they'd sound without those Red Rose tube amps driving them.

A somewhat larger and slightly more expensive standmount speaker that I would lean towards is the Cliffhanger Bulldog. The Bulldog is basically a compact full-range speaker with a very lively presentation - voices and instruments sound full-bodied and rich. Again, a ribbon tweet gives excellent air and articulation. But it is in the midrange that his speaker really shines - easily among the best human voice reproduction I've heard in its size or price range.

Nope, I'm not a dealer for either one.