I’m on the market for a new pair of floorstanders. My Totem Arros are great but I am looking for something more. My criteria is as follows:
Will be in a small-medium size room(s) Must be floorstanding Must be efficient enough to be driven with 20-30+ watts (possibly tubes) Must obviously best the Arro in most regards Looking for something that is refined and organic sounding
I am starting to listen to music with more scale and want something that can keep up with the dynamic swings of classical music. Yet, I listen to a lot of chamber and folk music along with a decent amount of jazz.
Budget is $3,000 new or used.
Speakers cannot be Totems. I've owned just about every Totem on the block and I am looking for something different.
I'd recommend Vandersteen 3A signature, but they need more power to sound right for the large orchestras. You can also bi-amplify them or use tube preamplifier. They're much better off with solid state amplification preferably over 150Watts. It would also be better budgetwise v.s. powerful tube amps. They're excellent for large orchestras, have huge dynamic headroom and would fit your budget. For small jazz band and chamber music you can have SET(or low-power tube)/high-efficiency system if it dominates your collection. One of my favorite high efficiency system is Avantgard Uno designed for bi-amplification with low-powered SET amp. You might also find it used to be within your budget.
That sounds underpowered to me. When I heard Arro's they were surprisingly power hungry for such a small design. They seemed to thrive on 100w/ch and more.
I run my Zu Druids with about 25 watts (First Watt F4 clone) and dynamics is one of the things they do best. I would call them "organic" if not the last word in "refinement", but the new '08 drivers are certainly refined enough for me. They do a great job with chamber and folk due to the simple crossover. My room is about 16'x19' and they fill the space nicely even without a sub. They're not quite as slender as your Arros, but can go close to the wall if need be.
Not everyone's cup of tea, but certainly worth a listen. I've very happy with mine.
I went from forests to the adagios.Really enjoying them.Robert is a violinist and really has an ear for stringed instruments.They arent the last word for bass slam but very satisfying for jazz for my needs,good luck.
Vandersteen 1C are easy to listen to, easy to like, organic, and INEXPENSIVE. Try a used pair and move up the line if you like the "house" sound. I own the 1C and have no real aspirations to go further. They are NOT the most resolving speakers, but they are forgiving, easy to place and musical.
"Must be efficient enough to be driven with 20-30+ watts (possibly tubes)"
When you say "possibly tubes", does that mean that you haven't yet acquired the amp that you're intending to use with the new speakers? If that's the case, why lock yourself into 20-30 watts(and what does the "+" mean in "30+"). That could severely limits your speaker choices and IMO, knowing whether we're talking tube or SS makes a difference.
Perhaps the Focal Chorus 714v/716v or 816v floorstanders. 8 ohm/91+ db efficient but would still need to be paired carefully w/ your amplifier because they do dip down near 4 ohms. Definitely worth a listen!
I listened to the Harbeth HL Compact 7ES-3 today and I was BLOWN away by the sheer musicality it provided. Organic to the core. I might have found my perfect loudspeaker!
It seems like you've gained a ton more listening experience since I last saw you.
It'll be interesting to hear what you've had in your house in the 2 1/2 years I've been off the 'GoN. Especially, since I'm gonna starting buying again soon.
The Harbeth / Lavardin match should be gold. In fact its rather funny, when I read this thread, I instantly thought "Harbeth".
The Jadis / Dali Mentor 6 would also be good, although I'd highly encourage an audition of the Mentor 6 prior to buying. They do some things very well, but if organic warmth is what you fancy - they may not be your slice of pie.
Also, while this may be a bit below budget, I found the Salk Sound 'Song Tower's to be decent alternatives for someone wanting an affordable quality set of towers that are versatile, dig reasonably deep and play reasonably loud. Out of everything mentioned, they are likely the most linear of the bunch.
I emailed Harbeth and they said that the Compact 7's are very flexible with amplification.
I did another extended audition today and I have to say that the Compacts will possibly be the last pair of speakers I buy for a long time. They are fundamentally superb in ever regard--and I've sold Totem for four years.
Well if you havent heard your arros paired with a Conrad Johnson Evolution 2000-- id suggest you save your $$$ and try to hunt down one of these hybrid amps. Depending on what musical preference you have.......this combination on Vocal,strings bested both $3300 Proac d15s and $3500 F30s in side by side comparison. The synergy of the CJ and Totem was unbelievable.
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