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Do I have to spend $4000 plus to get a better sounding speaker than GET model 7 ?

I have owned a pair of Golden Ear Technology 7's speaker for almost 3 years. I think they sound very good in my current set-up.  I bought them unheard based on the rave reviews they received at CES 2012. My concern is that if I was to invest in a speaker that is $3500-$4000, it may prove to be only marginally or fairly better. I am not saying that the GET's 7's are the best bargain in audio at $1395.  My experience with them is they are  very accurate with low distortion, but don't throw a particularly wide or deep soundstage. 

I have considered( not necessarily auditioned) Revel F-206;  Focal Aria 936;  Paradign F85;  PSB T-2';  Ryan 630;  B&W CM9S   Dynaudio X-34;  Duevel "Venus"  Audio Physic Sitara 25 and Tempo 25  All of the indicated speakers (except AP and Duevel) fall in the $3000-$4500 retail price range 

ProAc floor standers are off the scope in price, (often, even used)   Anything I buy will be used, because California sales tax is 8.5%,  and I can stretch my dollars buying used. 

Any recommendations are welcomed especially if based on you own experience with a particular speaker or brand.


Thank you, S.J     

sunnyjim

Showing 3 responses by hifiron

hifiron
102 posts
 
I was in your boat a few years ago, then I did a complete "reset" on what my goals were. My target was a minimalistic system that excels in transparency and accuracy. My first step was low powered tube SET with full-range drivers. It was very impressive. Since then I have moved to a more powerful push-pull tube at 20WPC and hybrid radials (Decware HR-1), but my goals are still very similar.

I auditioned a few speakers that I really did enjoy and would recommend highly.

Vandersteen 1Ci $1350
Spatial M4 $1995

The Vandersteen’s I bet you can find on Craigslist for $500 without issue. That would be a steal and the reduced complexity of the crossover would be a welcomed approach (at least to my ears) compared to the golden ears.

Keeping the signal path as minimal as possible is my target.

Moral of my post: don't feel the need to buy a big brand (I know Vandersteen is big) to get good sound. Check out Decware, Spatial Audio, Vandersteen.
hifiron
102 posts
 
Forgot to subscribe to the thread - sorry.

Decware ERRx - I haven't listened in person, but the report in comparison to the HR-1s are they are more laid back. Some people love it, Steve describes them as sitting in the 30th row back at a concern hall with perfect acoustics.

The HR-1's have a blended approach with more slam, more presence, but still astonishingly impressive transparency.

I gravitated to this hybrid radial approach for a few reasons:

 - My 11x12.5x10 room has acoustical challenges and this radial gives me a large enough sweet spot without a lot of first reflection point issues.
 - Minimal crossover that doesn't suck power from low watt SET amps.

The HR-1 speakers are drop dead gorgeous. Bob is a master craftsman and really cares a great deal about making an amazing product.

The HR-1s are not your traditional hi-fi speaker, they are more forgiving than say a single full-range driver, but not nearly as forgiving as something like the Vandersteen 1c.

FWIW: I had a pair of the Vandersteen 1Ci, Spatial Audio OBs, and the HR-1s in the room. All sounded great. The HR-1s fit the bill with what I was looking for in my setup.

YMMW with Radials, I think its a scary jump if you have never listened to them but I will never go back.
hifiron
102 posts
 
I agree, the Spatial Audio open baffles are absolutely epic. I auditioned these at home, and they were extremely impressive. Ultimately my room was a little bit small and sent them back.
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