Suggested speakers to take the place of Dunlavy
Rowland, This is why speaker decisions are so based on individual preferences. I don't find Vandersteen's recessed in the highs just as you don't hear the slight box sound of Dunlavy's . They are all good speakers deserving of their reputations. I think the Theil's are slightly tilted up in the highs which would cause a slightly recessed midrange in comparison which you have noticed. The point is, all are a trade off of some sort. As you stated and as I mentioned earlier, they are 1st order designs. I like these because they don't throw the sound at you, they let you listen. I judge speakers by their capability to disappear in the room. 1st order speakers, to me, do this extremely well. When I listen to the Vandersteen's in my room, I don't hear speakers---I hear the performers, soundstage, etc. They disappear completely leaving an open window to veiw the performance(as long as that recording allows it) Best to you in your search and may the audio Gods smile on you! |
This thread at another forum may be of interest to you, VMPS RM-40 owners: Before you bought your RM-40..What other speakers did you compare them to? http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/viewtopic.php?t=5521 Dave |
A lot of good suggestions above. You might also consider trying Duntechs, which are similar in design to the Dunlavy's (same designer, similar design principles)--just not easy getting them in certain parts of the world. The Sovereign 2001 is roughly the same frequency response and size as the SC V, although it is a little warmer-sounding than the SC V and it needs an amplifier that can control its bass drivers to match the bass speed of the Dunlavy design. A great speaker for listening to music, although not everyone's cup of tea. Also, you might try one of the larger Dynaudio speakers, particularly the Evidence Temptations, which are superb speakers--they can give you that "big" sound that Dunlavy and Duntech speakers can. |
Roland, Sorry to hear that you've had shipping problems but if you like the Dunlavy, I wouldn't give up because of shipping problems. Obviously I'm biased as I have a pair of Alethas, an SM-I and a pair of SCI-AVs. The Alethas ship in crates, not cardboard so I'd imagine the bigger SC series do as well. I would have thought they could handle the shipping. I also own a pair of Vandersteen 2C's. In fact, the Alethas replaced the 2C's in my house (the Vandersteens have been relegated to my lake home). To me, the Aletha's were a huge step up from the 2C's. Before I bought the Alethas, I auditioned the Vandersteen Model 3. In my opinion, the Model 3 is better than the Model 2 but was no match for the Aletha. I felt the Aletha imaged much better than the Vandersteen and conveyed a better sense of dynamics. (I can understand Ejlif's comments about the AvanteGarde as nothing compares to the dynamics of a horn.) I did get to hear the Model 5 but I would be surprised if it sounded much better than the Model 3 in the mids/highs, as I believe the Model 5 is basically the same as the Model 3 but augmented with the built-in subwoofer. I don't know where you live but there are a fair number of Dunlavy speakers being shopped around. If you're looking at the SC-V, they are massive and will cost a bundle to ship. If it were me and I really wanted the Dunlavy, I'd look to find a pair within a day's driving distance and pick them up myself. It may cost a few dollars more than straight shipping, but that's incremental when compared to the cost of the speakers. (There's 2 pair for sale here on the 'Gon right now; one in Colorado the other in Georgia.) I'm not knocking Vandersteen. I have tremendous respect for Vandersteen, their cost/performance, and like I said I'm an owner of them. In fact, I'm toying with selling my Velodyne sub in favor of a pair of Vandersteen 2wQ subs. (My wife doesn't like the black Velodyne, so I'm thinking I have a window of opportunity here!) Good luck whatever you decide. Best regards, Dave |
