Beryllium Tweeters

01-09-15: Rebbi
The Reference 3A line now uses BE tweeters across the range. I have the De Capo BE's, but the Dulcet BE's would fall into your price range and they're marvelous.

Although the classic Yamaha speakers I mentioned are capable of terrific sound paired with smooth, tube-like or tubed amps they might prove a bit bright paired with some ss amps and front ends. Having spent the afternoon researching good value BE speakers, i'm in agreeance with Rebbi on this one, the Reference 3A MM De Capo BE monitors are a steal. You could pick up a mint near new pair 2nd hand within your price range. Their already good bass can be augmented by investing in a good pair of stands such as Sound Anchors or Taoc. And their high efficiency means you can also use a wide range of tube amps including SET's. I might even pick up a pair one day for a desktop setup in my study. Count me impressed!

B limo, If you are prepared to look beyond BE dome tweeters, I would also consider a 2nd hand pair of Penaudio Cenya monitors which sound natural, resolving and musical. They also happen to look beautiful. Their size is also suitable for high end desktop setups. I've got my eye on a pair of Cenya Signatures. The Cenya Sig's are more comparable in size to the Ref 3A Dulcets, therefore giving you the flexibility to switch between your desktop setup and a pair of stands which could be fun!

Yes Bifwynne, I totally agree. Unfortunately often times the victim is not the real culprit. I have read comments that the new DeCapo is bright and/or harsh. Nothing could be further from the truth in this case. Often times, I believe folks will shoot the messenger at the expense of underlying conditions that are overlooked. My prejudices concerning metal tweeters in general, based on previous listening impressions, one of which I briefly owned, have been squashed by what I'm hearing, the reason for my commenting on this thread. The resolution and sense that I am hearing all the details and nuances of the recording are all laid out without compromising the musical message in any way. What is more remarkable, at least to me, is that I have come to a greater appreciation of the musical content of poorly recorded material without the typical audiophile impulse to dissect what I am hearing. This in itself is a big deal.

92db is not high efficiency

01-10-15: Johnk
92db is not high efficiency

Yes, that's true John. But a speaker's sensitivity is only part of the story. John Atkinson provided this neat summation in his Stereophile review of the original De Capo's -

"The MM de Capo i's voltage sensitivity was above average, at an estimated 91dB(B)/2.83V/m, which is slightly but inconsequentially less than specified. Its impedance (fig.1) was reasonably benign, dropping below 6 ohms only in the lower midrange and the high treble. (The speaker is thus both sensitive and efficient.) The minimum value was 5.1 ohms at 10kHz, and the electrical phase angle was generally mild."