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I need to be wowed

Next month I'll be starting my hunt for new speakers...new to me, at any rate.
And I will be obsessed...

What I've got:
Arcan Alpha 9
Plinius Integrated 2100i
Analysis plus 12's bi-wire
and shortly HT Pro MK2 IC's
and a *DOUZY* of a room:
http://www.geocities.com/sundaesundaesundae/audio.html
Oh, that room.I think that's the key....I learned early on how much room interaction plays in sound.

I listen almost strictly to classical music....small ensemble/piano/violin/but yearn for large scale to sound
wonderful too. Also listen to acoustical classical/folk/female singers...

What I want:Tonal quality most important....I tend to like laid back/dark sound but needs to be involving and have intensity...
and oh, yes....they must come in black.
What I don't want: Bright tweeters!

Just for comparison I had wanted to hear some stats but have been told there was no way bipoles could work with
in my room....although someone suggested Innersound Isis ....and Gradient(out of my price range)..
I had also been intrigued for a while by Newforms but the fact that most who own them feel the need to do
mods bothers me....I want to own them....not build them...

Any suggestions will be much appreciated!

allegro12
tweekerman
473 posts
 
Allegro , the ML's ascent sound good with a big amp. but for alittle more you can get the quad988. the other speaker worth researching is a california lab company called VMP check out their Ribbon Monitor 1 $1600. by the way B&W, Vanderstein, Paradim, Maggie, do not impress me no matter how popular they are. talk to fellow audiogoner Sedond about VMP. good luck
kdmeyer88fd
15 posts
 
You should try to listen to some Dynaudios before you make a decision. I have listened extensively in a friend's home to Dynaudio Contour 1.8, which new would be substantially above your price range, also the Audience line which costs less (and looks less, and sounds less...). You wonder about B&W: I ended up with B&W CDM7NT which I found smooth and detailed but too bright until I gave them 200 watts of very mellow B&K power amp (source is Arcam CD72, pre is British Fidelity 3B), tubes might be a different story but I don't want to go there...I don't think I will keep these for a long time...for the type of listening you describe and for your space I think you might really like Dynaudios. Sonically they are extremely transparent, lifelike, and detailed; never harsh, never grainy. The soundstage--how to describe this--they don't give a sense of a "stage," rather the instruments are just positioned all over the room--in too small of a room it is almost disorienting. Visually very slender, unobtrusive. Not terribly efficient. Good luck.
478340's avatar
478340
29 posts
 
I enjoyed my Sonus Concertos for a long time. The ACI is a major improvement in so many ways while still maintaining a very similar type of rich tonal balance. The Sapphire IIIs are really amazing speakers. I'd strongly recommend giving them a try.
allegro12 OP
51 posts
 
Thanks everyone for such thoughtful suggestions....(keep 'em coming!)
It'll be impratical for me to home audition so the more ammunition I'm loaded up with, the better.
My man has already moved *these* speakers around 1 too many times (he thinks they are "fine")...so I'm on my own.
zaikesman
3,017 posts
 
....one more possibility is Aerial Acoustics 6 or 7....
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