Best speaker in nearfield listening

I compared virgos with sonus fabers.
I really liked the sound of the sonus faber electa amators, but they seemed to really lack dynamic impact. They still sounded wonderful though- with an extremely coherent timbre throughout the range.
The Virgos, which I bought, are also very coherent (a tough goal in the $3000 price range) but had the added bass extension and more of a lively, rhythmic feel.
The difference would be easily recognized in a bruckner symphony, I use Celibidache conducting Munich on EMI. I love the huge brass impact whenever they make thier entrances. With the virgos it was what I wanted, but with the Sonus Faber's I never really felt the excitement the same way. I was actually sort of let down, because the speakers are so nice in every other regard.

wjones, yer experience is why i prefer to buy used & get more bang for the buck. sonus faber extremas, @ $4300 used, may not have let ya down the way the electa amators did. i've heard the *relatively* less-expensive sonus fabers, & got a similar reaction as you - they *were* nice, but i want it *all*! :>) the extremas can give ya that, w/careful ancillary equipment. even used, they're beyond my budget now, but they'd be on my short-list of speakers to audition in that price-range, especially if nearfield listening was contemplated...

doug s.

Sedond,

I have heard the Extremas need lots of juice. I have monoblocks at 150 watts per side. What is your experience with these speakers? What equipment was used when you heard them?

hiflyer, it's been a couple years since i've heard the extremas, &, to be honest, i don't remember the specifics re: amplification. i *do* remember they were great, & that they *do* require lotsa juice. yer monoblocs, at 150 per, may be enuff, especially w/nearfield use, but more important than watts is *current* - how many amperes of current can yer amp output? for example, my electrocompaniet aw60ftts that i'm now using, are only 60wpc, 110 into 4 ohms, but they're stable into loads below 0.5 ohms, & put out >60 amps of current... the extremas *do* demand lotsa current to sound their best.

doug s.

Does anyone have any comments on Jean Marie Reynaud Trentes or Offrandes?