Good speakers under 10K.


Looking for my first pair of decent stereo speakers. Will be buying used, my budget is around 4-7k, so I'm interested in speakers below 10k. I may not be able to audition the speakers given my current location.

1) My sound preferences would be something that is rather true to the source, having adequate detail yet not being overly detailed. Hopefully striking a good balance between precise analytic sound and overly colored. However, I don't mind a speaker slightly to the warm end of neutral if it is not muddy or veiled. I want to avoid overly hyped or harsh speakers with fatiguing top ends, and I like my treble smooth and natural and not overly pronounced. The speakers have to be musical also.

My musical tastes are varied. Mainly electronic, rock, acoustic, classical, soundtrack and world.

Can someone help me decide?

Thanks
Aqua

aquablu8

Showing 3 responses by johnnyb53

A couple of weeks ago I auditioned a pair of Sonus Faber Cremona M's. They were seductive and addicting. I think they have that balance of warm musicality vs. detail that you describe, and they'd certainly excel on all the kinds of music you like.

Yes, they list at around $12K, but it doesn't seem to hard to find them under $10K. When you add in how physically gorgeous they are, it's a beautiful combination of virtues--looks, construction, design, fit 'n' finish, flat response, detail, warmth ...

And their maple slat construction really works. The Stereophile measurements of various Sonus Faber speakers (especially the slatted ones) show unusually low cabinet resonances. This translates into great low level detail in the proper perspective and the ability to play complex music such as classical with clarity, even at volume peaks.

05-07-12: Aquablu8
How about Gallo 3.5, Aerial 7t, Sonus Faber Luito, Focal electra or Tidal speakers?
The reviews I've read of the Liutos indicate that they're sort of a "lite" version of the Cremona M's. There's one less woofer and the Liuto's use a dome tweeter where the Cremona M uses a ring radiator, which tends to have more speed and detail. The Liuto is considered an excellent speaker at the price, but I found the Cremona M to be ... breathtaking.

The best news is that the Cremona M setup I heard was being driven by a $999 Marantz PM8004 integrated amp. This amp uses the HDAM circuit making for an amp section with a s/n ratio of 125 dB. It was a fantastic combo. So what you spend on the speakers, you might be able to save on the amplification.

07-09-12: Rsimms
The Philharmonic 3s are only $3.5k new and they probably would meet your requirements.

Order by July 12 and they're still $3K. Not bad when you consider that a DIY-er would be paying almost $2K for the drivers alone.