Moving up from B&W CM9

dnanstad,

You might want to check out the Monitor Audio Silver 10. I listened at length to the Silver 8 when looking for new speakers(the Silver 10 was outside my budget). I ended up with B&W 683 S2s.

I really like MA and B&Ws way with music. They both are refined and dynamic. The MA have a touch sweeter mid-range but I love what B&W does with bass and treble.

I have only seen the Sonus Faber Venere 3.0; They are beautiful. And judging by the reviews and owners I'm sure sound great. Good luck with your search.

Cheers,

Scott

If you can stretch it by $500 I find it very hard to believe you will even get in the ballpark of performance of the Tekton Double Impact. Mine are barely broken in but they are so good. I had Golden Ear Triton Ones for about 6 months and found them very good. I think the Tektons are better in every area including bass
which may be hard to believe. This is the only Tekton I have heard, the others are probably very good as well and can be had for less. I took a chance figuring I could eat the shipping and send them back. Threw the boxes out yesterday. 

The Proac Studio 148 ,An exellent match for your Mcintosh I doubt you’ll find a better option in this price level.or used Proac 140 MKII even better if you can find one.

I should have about $2,500 to invest in a set of used speakers.  I get it that the best speaker is the one that I like the best. I'm just looking for some suggestions of what I might want to try to audition. I've been leaning toward Sonus Faber Venere 3.0, but have heard some great things about Tekton recently. thanks!

I am glad that you get it.  So the next step would be an audition as I can't think of two speakers that sound more different than one another than Sonus Fabers and Tektons.

Also, what is it about your CM9'S that you don't like that is prompting the change of a 3 grand pair of speakers new for a $2500 pair used?  If you can tell us what your trying to get away from, this will help in additional speakers to audition.

 

I went from a pair of B&W 703s (older nicer version of the Cm9) to a pair of Thiel 2.4CS and the improvement was staggering. 

what I learned is that the 703s is just a bad speaker, not really good at anything and the Thiels are over achievers and a lot more money needs to be spent to better them. If you don't mind owning a discounted model the thiel 2.4cs is a steal on the used market right now at around $2000ish. They were $6,500 at the end of their cycle.  

Paraneer - I didn't like the fact I had to add loudness and bass out of my Amp to get the B&W's to show any breadth of sound.  I'd prefer to keep the loudness button off and the tonal controls flat.  Just me.  Since auditioning used speakers in my own listening room is difficult at best, I'm always willing to hear other opinions.  In my attempts to trade up, I figure I'm going from a $1,500 used speaker pair to a $2,500 used speaker pair.  Apples to Apples.  I do enjoy hearing brands that are not readily available in Cincinnati's limited # of audio stores.  I've never heard the Tekton's so I can't judge (yet) what is so different between them and Sonus Fabers.

I have to agree with you there about B&W's that the bass is lacking. I would say the SF's are the opposite of B&W's.  They are a very warm, more laid back speaker that certainly doesn't lack bass. 

The Tektons I heard produced a big, dynamic sound - somewhat forward like the B&W's but no lack of bass.  Probably the best rock speaker of the bunch.

so... The CM9's are gone!  I move a pair of Monitor Audio Bronze 2 bookshelf speakers to the basement where the CM9's were located.  Let's talk about confusion.  The Monitor Audios sound incredible.  So much more full than the CM9's.  My only thought is there was something wrong with the CM9's.  So this opens up a new consideration.  Monitor Audio Silver 10's ( because of the Bronze 2's performance), Sonus Faber Venere 3.0 floor standing or Sonus Faber Venere 2.0 bookshelf with a subwoofer.  I almost pulled the trigger on some Magnepan 1.7's and a Golden Ear super sub x but my set up area just won't allow the maggies.  Getting closer!

Yes there  is something wrong with the CM9 its sound is lean, bright and artificial the only  positive thing I can say about the CM9 is its impressive looking ,very nice "furniture" indeed.

Go for the Sonus Faber!

@itzhak1969 & others    You find the CM9 bright, lean and "artificial"?!!! My dear friend, the CM9 and CM8 are some of the best  and musical speakers under 10 grand! If you run them with a crappy amp and front end they will just reflect whatever is fed thru them, nothing more, nothing less.... No Monitor Audio or Golden ear speakers regardless of price can hold water compared to CM8s in musicality and truth of timbre IMHO....  That CM9 sound lean and lack of bass is a function of your room or poor set up. If anything the CM9s have too much bass compared to the CM8s which have one of the most musical midbass of any speakers at any price! The CM8s are comparable to the vintage Goldmund/Meta Research speakers in absolute performance...And those are legendary... NO Sonus faber models can touch either CM9 or the the CM8s unless you go the Stardivardi or Elipsas at above 20 grand.... Normally I seldom critique others tastes (as we do hear differently), but my friend in this instance you have to have your system, or your hearing examined...

Auditioning monitor audio silver 8's. sound very nice.  Price is great.  

Pulled the trigger on a par of Thiel CS 3.6

sound great. 

So I love the thiel.  Now a bigger amp? 😎