Anything from Vandersteen, and definitely under you budget. And, if you like Thiel, you're probably going to like Vandy's. You can use the money you haven't spent on great cables, like the new AQ William Tell and Hurricane. Of course, you need suitable equipment upstream. Do you have any components, or are you going to buy them when you choose a speaker (which is a good move)? Bob
Choose the speakers first obviously.I have the choice of getting brand new speakers up to msrp 50k or get much higher end speakers on the used market for the same budget.
I just listened to the Alsyvox I Maryland and thought it was spectacular. It has real bass. At that same location I listened to the GamuT RS3i and the RS5i. I think this is it for me. Next stop Gamut. He will take my TAD ME-1 as a trade + $. I do love the TAD but I think the GamuT is a notch above.
My second fav speaker is the Thiel CS3.7, which you seem to be moving away from. What an incredible sounding speaker.
My favorite is the KEF Blade and I am looking forward to hearing the KEF Reference and Blades with the new Meta stuff. Could be a good choice coming from your Thiel background.
A Vivid speaker may also be something you like. I love the Vivid lineup too but I think KEF gets you close (or better with the Blade) for less dough. The new Magico A5 is also something I would like to hear, though I do not like Magico as much as Thiel, Vivid, and KEF, I maybe in the minority in that statement.
The Yamaha NS500, though classified as a bookshelf plays well in big spaces.
Everything I listed comes from big companies who may give you the benefit of Economies of Scale in their design and construction of speakers (Vivid maybe from B&W work).
There are way to many variables to give you the answer you seek.
What are the dimensions of your listening room? Is it dedicated for audio or multi-purposed? What are your listening tastes? What is your upstream equipment? What speaker performance qualities are important to you? What speaker aesthetics are important to you? And as Yul Brynner said, "Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera."
The most impressive speakers I've heard to date at anything near your price range are MBL 101E Mk II. They are $70k new but I've never seen a used pair for sale.
I'm currently running a pair of CS6's. The MBL 101's are one of the few speakers I've heard that I could be confident would be an upgrade from my Thiels.
haha when i see these posts i laugh and think this exact same thing
btw, what is the best $250,000 speaker i can pick up used? always hunting for a bargain before bedtime
on and while you are at it, what is best $1,000,000 car I can buy second or third hand... i like to buy stuff that has already taken the depreciation hit... :)
Yes i sold my Thiel CS 3.7s, owned them for 5 years.Looking for something with the same refinement but a big step up.Thiel CS 3.7s are very difficult to beat when you drive them with a Gryphon Antileon Evo i can tell you.Right now i'm looking at Borresen 03s, YG Hailey 2.2s and Verity Sarastro lls.My room will be a dedicated listening room and i have a solid budget for pre-power, source and cables.
By the way i live in Europe not in the US ... Looking for something with the same refinement but a big step up (from the Thiel 3.7).
It will help to know how large your room is (will be) and your musical preferences...
Based on personal experience, the following speakers impressed me favourably playing large orchestral music & blues -- they all comfortably outperform the Thiel 3.7s great though they may be:
Vivid Audio Giya series (1, 2, 3 depending on size of room)
Magico M series (2, 3 or 6 depending on size of room)
Id look for a pair of Von Scwweikert VR55 Aktives. Retail 60K I think. Should find used in your price range. Excellent adjustable bass, best tweeter that I have ever heard. I own them and all who hear like them.
+1 erik_squires "
I kind of agree with the Vandersteens if you include their amps. :)"
Just listened to these a week or so ago. Sounded kind of bland with a soft folk music recording. But, boy oh boy, those woke up and played astonishing well on some hot jazz. Yes, with the Vanady amps.
I am SO tired of the never ending “ best” questions. It started with the yuppies. So many of them wanted the BEST whatever. Blindfold tests scare the crap out of that crowd.
Going to be hard to make a choice as none of the speakers listed are time and phase correct but your Thiel CS3.7 were. Not many options other than Vandersteen.Add in the level of refinement with the latest drivers technology adjustment for your room makes them a no brainer
@audioconnection Well the only reason i would get back to Thiel CS 3.7s is if i purchased a Gryphon Antileon Evo and CH Precision L1 linestage.This is well within my budget since Thiel CS 3.7s only cost 6k used today.I still think i would get better performance with a much more modern combo like Borresen 03s driven by Audionet Humboldt integrated.
@thieliste I am not a Vandersteen fan boy but I do currently own the Vandersteen 5As. I purchased mine for cheap so at my price I do not think there are many speakers that can compete. I did get a chance to hear the Vandersteen Sevens from the person I purchased my 5As. I did bring my DHT DAC that I design and build with me to hear the 5As. When we plugged my DAC into the persons system with the Sevens, the sound was fantastic. I knew what speaker I would want if I wanted to spend the money. That would be my reference starting point. Go hear the Sevens and then you will have a starting point to hear other speakers. Vandersteens have been around a long time and reselling them is no an issue. You can save a few bucks and buy me a pair also!
+1 for the MBL 101E Mk II. I heard them at last year's Highend fair in Munich. It was so much better than anything else I heard so far. Couldn't resist and bought them meanwhile. You need serious amps to drive them, I have the Electrocompaniet AW600 Nemo and am happy with them. However, it's difficult to get the MBLs used. I looked for a while and then gave up.
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