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Chance To UpGrade:Spatial Audio vs Reference 3A

Greetings fellow A'goners...All my hard work in 2017 paid off in the form of a sweet Christmas bonus and I have set aside a nice portion for an upgrade to my speakers...Nothing wrong with the Dynaudio Excite X14's I would just like to go a little farther up the food chain...My front end is the wonderful Quad VA-One,EL84 tube amp/DAC...While it only specs at 12wpc.into 8ohms it drives the little Dynaudio's to wall shaking levels in my smallish apartment so I'm not worried about power considering the 2 contenders for my money are both well over 90db.sensitivity...
 After considerable research my shortlist is down to 2...The Spatial Audio M4 Turbo S and the Reference 3A De Capo BE...Completely different approaches to making music I know.. I have fond memories of the original Acarian Systems Alon speakers with their open baffle midrange/tweeter pods as well as of Carbon Fiber drivers so both choices already bring a lot to the table...
 Room is smallish(about 12'x15'x10') and is treated fairly well...Musical taste runs from intimate chamber to classic rock and pretty much everything in between except rap and country...Listening levels are fairly normal with the occasional ear clearing sessions...What I value most in my system is an organic tone(I want to feel the wood so to speak) & decent staging and imaging...
 So what do you guys think...No way to demo either speaker but Ref.3A holds it's value extremely well and Spatial has a 60 day return policy so I feel pretty well covered if my choice doesn't work out...
freediver
4 responses Add your response
james_w514's avatar
james_w514
286 posts
 
Both are great speakers for the price and will provide a very different sound compared to the Excite X14’s. The Spatials don’t sound much like Carl Marchisotto’s designs from your fond memories but they do offer a nice open and natural sound. They really shine if you put them out in the room. The trial period offers a fairly low risk and Clayton is easy to deal with. De Capo’s are long loved speakers for good reasons. Every time I hear a pair they remind me why. I might get a pair as secondary speakers just to have around. Some feel the newer models are a step back (I don’t) but they all sound very nice. Good luck with the journey!
simao's avatar
simao
1,715 posts
 
I had the de Capo's and then upgraded them with beryllium tweeters. A beautiful, full presence with lush mid-ranges and crisp highs. Their basses were comfortably extended without bloating. They would do well in your size room. Be sure to have a good speaker stand and place their tweeters on the outside. No toe-in necessary. If you're looking for that warm cabinet sound, as you indicated, they're the ones for you.

The Spatials, though, are also good and have that money back return if you want to go through the hassle.
whitestix
684 posts
 
As a poster described above, they are two different sorts of speakers.  I have had the M4Ts for a couple of years and just upgraded to their Triode Master version.  Clayton Shaw's speakers create an open and airy sound that box speakers, in my experience, can't match.  OB speakers sound big and open, with no cabinet resonances.  The M4Ts would fit your room just fine.  See my reviews of the M4Ts elsewhere on this forum. Plus, they would be easy to drive with your tube amp.   
tubegroover
2,320 posts
 
Late to the party and maybe by this time you have made a choice. I own the Decapo BE and have heard the M3s, both excellent speakers that would work well with your electronics. It is hard for me to make recommendations but I have been crazy over the Decapos since I purchased a pair 4.5 years ago and have systematically improved both my system, set-up and room treatments along with purchase of a pair of REL subs. They are superb speakers but it is difficult to convey how much potential they have plus they are not preferential to different types of music from low level acoustical to large scale orchestral to racous rock & roll. The direct connection of the amp to the main carbon driver with nothing in the path of the signal brings out the emotion and realism in music, sounds real to me. I would comment that those that prefer the older tweeter over the berylium most likely haven’t spent enough time with the BE and likely have listened briefly. CLEARLY, the BE tweeter is more transparent and realistic to every listener I know that is throughly familiar with both, a step up but there is a break-in period for the driver and tweeter.

The Spacials are very transparent and perhaps a bit cooler but certainly appealing as well. Definitely sound better away from room boundaries as do the Decapos. You’ll definitely prefer one over the other. Warmer vs. cooler.





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