Monitor speakers for a change

You should seriously consider the Wilson Benesch ARC, or if you want to spent a lot more money, the Discovery. If you are seriously into Sonus Faber, think about the Extrema - but it needs a ton of power. Revel Gems are supposedly a sweet small speaker, though a bit short on bass, and lots of people like Proac Respnse 1's, and the Dynaudio Contour 1.3 mk II. As a bang for the buck speaker, the Energy Veritas 21. or 2.2 is hard to beat. Having said all of that, the speakers you have already listed are no slouches either....

try the decapo i from reference 3a,no crossover,easy as hell to drive with as little as 5watts or 100watts and a contender for the most time aligned speaker on the market.

quad 12L...if you value bass,detail,transparency,dynamics,and out of box imagining,...go no further..

i can only recommend the atc 20's, asince i haven't heard the others on your list, but you absolutely can't go wrong with them.

I'll second the ARCs. They're amazing speakers.

I wrote a respone a few threads down under Sat/Sub combinations. Give serious consideration to the Penaudio Charmisa. They should be available in the US in the Spring. Can you wait that long? If not, look for used ProAc Signature 50's, Dynaudio Contour 1.1, ARCs or Legend Audio (recently changed their name).

I own the Revel M20s. Put them on the Sistrum Mini Monitor support stands and you'll be in heaven. (their stands suck) Of course, some killer electronics, to go along with that, will help. warren

Having owned Dynaudio's Confidence 5s, Confidence 3s, Contour 1.3SEs, and now the Special 25s, I'm definitely in the Dynaudio camp when it comes to sonic magic. I find the Spec 25s superior to all of the speakers listed above except, perhaps, the Con 3s, which they resemble sonically and visually. If you want your monitor speaker to be truly full range, i.e. not in need of a subwoofer, then the choice between the new Confidence 1 and the Spec 25 comes down easily in favor of the Spec 25. It is strong and tight, in-room, to the mid-30Hz region, and reproduces below that once broken in. It has the same esotar 2 tweeter that's in the Con 1, and uses technology borrowed from the Evidence line for the mid-woofer, as does, I believe, the Con 1. But the Con 1 is voiced "lighter" and needs a subwoofer since it is not nearly as full-range as the Spec 25. So unless you like the looks of the Con 1 (I personally don't like the looks of the entire new Confidence series) and absolutely want a subwoofer interfering with imaging, etc. (and Dynaudio doesn't have a matching one out yet), go for the Spec 25 (and save considerable $$ in the process). It's by far the best monitor I've heard, and I've heard most of them. You'll need a good, solid stand filled with lead shot and sand to properly isolate them and realize their full potential, though. I use the Osiris, which unfortunately is discontinued, but Dynaudio's own stand is very similar. And keep them away from the back wall or you'll have too much bass (don't use the foam plugs to make up for improper placement). Happy listening.

Hi Bgrunsten

I am also considering the Special 25 and the C2.

I am using a Krell FPB 200 without cast.

Would this be a good match. Am currently using a pair of Acoustic Energy AE1 signatures which I find bright with the Krell.

Also, I was told the Special 25's have a recommended placement of 40 inches from the back wall to avoid the boominess owing to their being rear ported. However, I can only afford 26 inches. Will this be good enough?

Thanks in advance for the feedback.

Tim

I'm using a pair of Sonus Faber EA II with a Krell FPB200.
Highly recommend the EA II.

I'd listen to Von Schweikert VR 1's for a nice change of pace.

PMC. If you like ATC...you're gonna LOVE PMC!
Very different flavor from Sonus Faber. We had a guy who owned SF's do the exact same thing as you...ended up with a pair of OB-1's and LOVES them.

Kevin
The Sound Broker