Forward sounding speakers that Rock


I sold my Revel Salons1 recently due to space issues after a house move. I really liked the speakers a lot and was sad to sell them. I had them for 5 years in a perfectly proportioned room. I t has been 1 year now since I moved and I have changed from the Salons (170 lbs) to the Audioengine2 (5 lbs). Such is life :).

I listen to lots of genres of music but Rock is my mainstay. I use Rush's Moving Pictures CD as my reference to see if a speaker can get to me emotionally. One deficiency with the Salons, for me, was the feeling that it was a little laid back for Rock music, but it was over the top brilliant for others (Reggae, Folk, Jazz). At that time I was willing to live with it.

I am also extremely happy with the audio gear that I have. My goal was to create a clean clear neutral chain of audio gear. I think I have accomplished this to my satisfaction and I will not pull any hair over any minor deficiencies. My audio chain is as follows:

Bryston 7B-SST monoblock amps (with filter choke upgrade) | BAT VK-42SE Solid State Pre-amp | Sony SCD-1 SACD player with VSEI Level 5+ mod |Au24 balanced interconnects from pre to amps | AudioQuest Volcano speaker wire| Virtual Dynamics power chords and interconnect from SACD to pre

It looks like there could be a return to audio bliss again in 12-18 month timeframe (move to a house) so I started investigating some new speakers. First I went and heard the Usher Tiny Dancer and was sold on its sound from such a small package. It was also laid back and may not be the best Rock speakers but I felt it was a very high quality speaker. I may buy these to tie me over until move into a house with more space.

Next stop was a store in Santa Barbara, CA that only carried B&W gear (I was initially disappointed at that prospect). I went through the lineup and stopped at the 802D floor standing. I cued by my standard CD and was really emotionally moved by the sounds. It was forward, clean and got my energy levels pumped up. This was the way I want to listen to Rock. The speaker was smaller than the Salon1 and it likely won’t have the same level of bass, but the forward presentation was really very attractive to me. It was also in a smaller package so that was a huge benefit. The gear used was all Classe and we used an integrated Amp that was underpowered to really bring out all the best qualities of those speakers.

After I left I walked across the street and went to a Revel shop. I wanted to hear the Sudio2. It was setup with all Mark Levinson gear with enough power. I cued up the same music (3 CD’s) and I heard the same sound I had at my old house. It had a little more detail but the presentation was laid back. I was surprised how much more I liked the B&W over the Revels for Rock. So I decided no more Revels in my future. The B&W 802D is the current top contender for my dream house.

So I wanted to ask fellow A’Gon members their opinions on what they would consider a competitor to the B&W 802D. I would be willing to have a bit of top end coloration since I think I have a clean audio chain. I want that forward (non-laid back) sound that I now think works best for Rock. My price range is 12-14K for new speakers. I would also like to keep the height less than 4 feet due to potential WAF.

Thanks for reading this long post.
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After reading your post one brand came to mind...Thiel. Give the 3.7 a listen and I think you will be pleased. The 802D does sound good with rock music (my favorite type of music too). But I don't think it is what you are looking for. They have a lot of bass that can over power the mids...

The Thiels on the other hand are very balanced with lots of detail. I would not call them bright or forward but neutral. The bass is punchy and fast but still has depth. If you are used to dark speakers they may sound bright to you though. I find the Thiels better on all levels than the 802D. I should note that I have not heard the Revels before.

Anyway give them a try am I sure you will like them.
As John suggests horns are a great idea for rock. Le Studio (Andre Perry & Nick Blagona) in Quebec was where many Rush albums were done including Moving Pictures. In the early 80's, bands like Police and Rush would have heard themselves played back on Westlake monitors at Le Studio, which was rated number 1 along with Air Studios Montserrat at that time.

I am sure you can find something more aesthetic but horns may be worth investigating especially for rock. These Westlakes are in your price range - used of course. They can look kinda cool though in a home system - a real conversation piece.
Lots of great new information in this thread for me. I have a lots of different paths to investigate. I hope the journey takes me to the enlightented path :)

Thanks for the time and effort involved in the responses.
"Forward Sounding Speakers that Rock"

Immediate response is of course JBL. From the 70's of course:
L-166 Horizons, L-300 Summits if you have space and $$$, L-65 Jubals, L-150 various versions tall ones with the passive radiators.
These will rock and make your ears bleed. Yes they suffer from Listener fatique. Yes they are not Hi-end. Yes they are FUN!