New speakers for $5000

These are two very different speakers and not what I’d think of as substitutes.  If you’re after a warmer sound the Harbeths could be a better choice, but if you’re looking for a more neutral type sound the Totems would likely be a better choice for you.  The Totems also excel at things like throwing off an expansive 3D soundstage and disappearing in the room as a sound source if these things are important to you while the Harbeths might be a little less detailed especially in the upper treble region but could sound more “musical” to some and more forgiving of less good recordings.  Both have their fans for good reason so choose based on your personal taste preferences. 

In general(always exceptions) Luxman works best with a warmer/thicker less linear loudspeaker.

first: the Totem is 7K.

out of a 3000 speaker models (approximately the current market) about 15% are around 5K. That’s 90 models, about 45 brands. (from online dbs)

I would ask the following to narrow it down 

floor or bookshelf?

minimum sensitivity?

two-way or more?

brand recognition?

preferred origin?

here is a sample list for your budget:

•  Acoustic Energy Corinium   
•  Amphion Argon3LS   
•  Ascend ELX Tower   
•  Audio Note ANK-LX   
•  Creative Sound S. Typhon   
•  Decware Folded Horn   
•  Devore Fidelity Orang.O/b   
•  Diapason KARIS III   
•  Dynaudio Contour 20   
•  Fritz PURIFI 6.5 BE   
•  Harbeth C7ES-3 XD   
•  KEF R7   
•  Klipsch Heritage Forte IV   
•  Mission 770   
•  MoFi SourcePoint 888   
•  Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G   
•  Omega Super Alnico Hg.XRS   
•  Paradigm Founder 100F   
•  Philharmonic BMR HT Tower   
•  PMC Prophecy 1   
•  Polk Audio Legend L800   
•  Q Concept 300   
•  Quad Revela 2   
•  Revel M126Be   
•  Rosso Fiorentino Pienza 2   
•  Sonner Legato Unum   
•  Sonus Faber Sonetto III   
•  Tekton Encore   
•  Usher Dancer Mini Two   
•  Wharfedale Elysian 1   
•  Zu SOUL 6   

Thank you very much.  I appreciate the insight from everyone. I can get a demo pair of the Totems for less than the Harbeths. 

https://speakerchoices.com/

In your system profile you have those Harbeths! What's up with that?

I plan to upgrade the Harbeths as they are many generations old.  Perhaps I should have been clearer in my post.

I recommend comparing and contrasting the sonic characteristics in an AI.

Here’s a summary from one:

• Choose Harbeth C7ES-3 XD if you want: long, relaxed sessions; voices that melt you; forgiving treble; you listen nearfield or medium rooms; you favor acoustic/organic music.
• Choose Totem Forest if you want: more bass authority and drive; toe-tapping PRaT; laser imaging; higher SPL capability; you play a lot of rock/electronic and want excitement.

With Rel introducing a new series of subs.  A second s812 is going to have a bigger impact on the game show than any other upgrade in my opinion. 
https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisbg9a4-rel-s-812-subwoofers?creative=&gad_campaignid=17191022312&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA2svIBhB-EiwARWDPjv_Ung_ntzfx4-SB-cXfhz30h18PFgFrZJgN54OYSlDwn5r9_fcNwRoCl1sQAvD_BwE&keyword=

this was one of many I saw on Google

After you get the subwoofers settled, I would consider spending just a little bit more than five grand on my new speakers. Looks like you are doing an awfully nice job of building a system. Starting to get into big boy territory and you’re gonna wanna represent. hope some of this makes sense. Good luck! 🍀 🎲. 

What about GR research (Danny)?

I bought some Harbeth 30.1 for $1800 used a few months ago. For the type of music you listen to I feel they are pretty close to top of the heap. I don’t believe I’ve ever heard Totems. If all I listened to was acoustic music I would have never sold them. They did ok on rock but definitely not made for that kind of thing. 

Your budget will easily get you a pair of gently used Harbeth M30.2Xd’s,which are superior to the C7 Es3Xd in every manner..The C7 is too warm,almost veiled compared to the M30.2,which has better clarity,tighter,more textured bass(although not quite as deep) & more nuanced highs,which I found to be slightly etched on the C7 due to that aluminum  tweeter..

Crutchfield has revel 226Bes on sale 
close to your 5k.  Maybe a middle ground, sonically?

and these Triangle Duetto Magellan 40th Anniversary

Are under 5k, without stands.  Might be great with the Luxman.  
And your room size is perfect for them. 

How about Graham speakers--maybe LS6 monitors?? Wonderful speakers.

Fully agree with @freediver. The M30.2 or .3 are perfect for jazz, blues and vocals. Had a pair for 5 years and compared them to the C7 and the  SHL5. They are one of the best stand mount speakers under 10k$. The Totem are also a good choice but with a different sound signature. If you go the Harbeth route, I suggest the Ton Trager stands. Tried different stands and this is the only one that maximizes full cabinet resonance of the Harbeth design. A match made in heaven IMHO. Good luck and keep us posted.

I have a Luxman L-509Z and just paired it with a set of Focal Aria EVO X2 speakers. It sounds absolutely glorious! The Luxman and the Focal speakers go great together. I'm running a Hana Umami Blue on a VPI Prime 21 going into a Sutherland 20/20 phono preamp. I'm also using a Balari SUT to run the cartridge at 47K ohms to get the volume up a little. The Umami Blue output is weak running as a moving coil in my system.

You might consider Fyne Audio speakers, which generally get good reviews.the F700 bookshelf and the F501 SP floorstanding both come in at $4800 a pair.  I have the F-702 floorstanding models, and they are simply superb in terms of tonal qualities and sound stage.  I am driving them with a Rogue audio tubed preamp and a pair of solid state monobloc amplifiers.  I think they are simply superb speakers.  I listen to classical, soft rock, vocalists from the 1940s to 1960s, music like CCR and the Moody Blues.  I have both a streamer using Tidal and a Thorens turntable for LPs,mincluding some “audiophile” LPs from the 1980s.

I would also recommend GR Research.  I picked up a set of LGK 2.4 towers recently and am amazed at their detail and holographic image.  I've heard hundreds of speakers, (ex-flipper) and these are absolute keepers...

https://youtu.be/vVosFcsfumY?si=tyHRfm8_VzL4DwSX

Revival Audio  ATALANTE 5  $5K brand new.  Best speakers I have heard in a very long time.  Happy Listening.

Try Klipsch Forte IV.  Currently using with Luxman 590AXII and S/510 in a room that is just slightly smaller than yours.

As unusual great suggestions ...

I have Revel and have loved them; a lot of research on neutral musicality goes into its offerings.   

Never heard them but if I were in the market: Ascend, Totem and Monitor would be atop the list.

Maybe Devore ... just to mess things up

For the kind of music you like, I could definitely recommend Harbeths; I had Super HL5's for about 5 years before I decided to try something else, and in retrospect, I saw that the Harbeths were not that appropriate in my system for the kind of music I like, which is rock and reggae; I needed speakers with a bit more excitement. 

Check out Wavetouch audio Antero v2 speakers. Stand mount 2 way, 44~27khz. 92db sensitive. $3,500/demo pair.

The room in below video is 14’w x 22’L x 8’h. Amp is 35watts solid state. Minimal room acoustic treatment. Mics are 6.5ft away from speakers. All Wavetouch cables (spkr, power cord, ICs).

Chris De Burgh - Lady In Red, Wavetouch audio live recording

Patricia Barber - Black Magic Woman (Live), Wavetouch audio

Alex/Wavetouch audio

I like the Revival and Harbeth upgrade suggestions. 

Other safe choices are Revel, Sonus and Sonner. Not all the same price per value range though
 

OP

you have great gear. others have posted their suggestions

all I can add is, take your time and listen to each speaker that you think you will like

JUST MY own 02cents. my speakers are all within your budget and I find complete satisfaction. I run Falcon Gold Badge and ATC scm 11ver2.

Note: accept that you may have some compromises to live with

It’d be most helpful and more productive here if you’d share what specific improvements you’re looking for, what sound characteristics are most important to you, and if you’re looking for new or used.  Just knowing what music you listen to isn’t nearly enough, and you’ll get much better and more targeted recommendations the more info you provide here. 

Idk whats happened to ag, but the adverts keep crashing the page b4 I can drop my post. Paradigm persona b

The Spendor 3/1 should fit the bill!

https://spendoraudio.com/wp-content/uploads/Spendor-Classic-Product-Data-Sheets_3-1_2023.pdf

Have you thought of Magnepan speakers they would be an excellent match for the kinds of music you listen too.

Check out GR Research (and their videos on $$$$$ speakers on youtube)

Radiant Acoustics 6.2

+1 bigkidz

Revival speakers hit well above their price range, both the Atalante 3 $3,000 and 5 $5,000 are excellent....and that price is new

Tekton Moab or Encore is around that price.  Warm and detailed with a big expansive soundstage.  Will respond to whatever gear changes you make.  I have ran my tektons with tube gear, solid state gear etc.  My favorite has been running with a Pass Labs X30.8 to my impact monitors.  Need to lug it out to the living room to try on the double impacts.  Tektom speakers look way better in person ImO than online.  But if you want smaller speakers for strictly acoustic music with little bass, the speakers you listed should work great 👍 

Hi, i don't know if Totem has made any changes to the Forest, but on the ones that I had the tweeter height is so low that the stereo image is also quite low. As much as I liked them in every other way, I had to put them on some homemade stands to get them up up where I really enjoyed them. That made them difficult to reposition, etc., so for that reason I wouldn't buy them again. I'm sure the Harbeths are great, and even though you have a higher budget,  I can't imagine anything that I would want in a speaker that my Wharfedale Super Lintons can't provide. I've also been wanting to hear the MoFi Source Point 888 for a while...I think those are around $5,000. Good luck!

I am not sure why people don't know Stirling. It is very similar to Harbeth, only cheaper and better. https://www.stirlingbroadcast.com/

I visited a local hifi shop yesterday and listened to a few speakers that I’ve had on my audition list for a while. Here are some brief listening impressions:

- Harbeth C7ES-3 XD: this was the first speaker that I heard. Really polite. Did not sound full range. Sounded quite small in terms of scale and imaging. Didn’t do anything particularly well except maybe female vocals. Not a speaker I could live with. 

- Kef R3 Meta: this was my favorite speaker of the day. A nice improvement over what I remember the non-meta version being. The best treble out of the speakers I auditioned. Highly detailed. Non-fatiguing , at least for me. Excellent mid-range. Bass was satisfactory, but I have 2 Rel subs that I would use with them.

- Revival Audio Atalante 5: I wanted to hear the 3 but the dealer did not have them. Absolutely amazing. The lower half from the mid range down, was the best of the day. Great mid-bass bump. Treble was smooth. Not recessed, not exaggerated. If you have the room, I think this is a speaker that a lot of folks would enjoy. I could’ve listened to these all day. These also get the award for most attractive speaker of the day, with the Kef next, and the Harbeth last (if looks are important to you).

Wharefedale Super Lintons: the dealer only had the regular 85th anniversary. But said that if I didn’t enjoy the Harbeths, I would probably not like the Wharfedales. I would still like to hear them as the reviews are overwhelmingly positive. 

Now my question is: Do I get the Atalante 3 unheard based on my impression of the 5, or go with the speaker I know I liked in the Kef R3 Meta? My room is on the smaller side, 11’x13’ so I don’t think the 5’s would work. As your room is 12x16, I would put the Atalante’s on your audition list. I’m leaning toward the Kefs for me. 

Best of luck!

@petar3

Stirling Broadcast is closing down due to the owner suffering health issues.

Therefore the current stock is being sold off at reduced prices and the only speakers being built are those using existing parts from stock*. Because of the owners health issues this work is being done by a former customer and LS3/5a enthusiast who is keen to ensure as many of these superb loudspeakers reach customers as possible and that they remain supported for as long as possible. Dispatch and administration is being handled by a close friend and neighbour.

I’ll sell you a pair of totem forests for $2,500. They used to be in my main system but now they seldom get used on my secondary system.  They are in perfect condition.  I don’t know where you are but we could work out shipping.  I also have a pair of Martin Logan Ethos that might work for you as well.  Same price. They were also in my main system but now are just boxed up waiting to be loved again.

just throwing it out there

I have a pair of Odeon Midas speakers that retailed for about $6-7k that I’m offering at $3k shipped. They were NOS and 9.9/10 condition. Great speaker. German made, high end components, beautiful looking, 95db efficient and perfect for the type of music you listen to and your room size. I got them out of curiosity and to use while my cube Nenuphar mini driver needed a repair. I thought maybe I’d keep them and sell the cubes but still love the cubes even though they have some faults. I can’t keep multiple floor standing speakers so selling the Odeons. They aren’t as widely known in the US as they are in Europe and Asia. I used them with a pair of REL Carbon special subs and multiple amps including tube, class a solid state and an LTA ZOTL Ref40+ amp that was perfect with these. Actually all the amps sounded great in their own way. Reach out if interested. 
 

I’ve seen some recommendations on the Atalanta’s and I’ve never heard the bigger 5’s but did have the stand mounts for a bit and they were excellent too. I’m sure the 5’s deliver. Good luck in the search. A lot of great options. 

I've had both, and I adored my forests.  It is far from a "perfect" speaker, but I loved the look, sound and quirkiness of the forest.  Very sensitive to gear, needs and responds well to power and current, but to be honest, with your integrated, I think the devore gibbon super 9 would be amazing - and they come up for sale at around your price range - happy hunting!

The new Pylon Audio speakers coming to America are worth strong consideration.

You don't say whether you are close to a city with dealers you can demo from. If you have the chance, take your Luxman amp with you to a dealer to try the combo. For your taste in music I would highly recommend  Martin-Logan electrostatic hybrids. If you haven't listed to them in a decent setting (NOT Best Buy!), then give them a shot.

I visited the Washington DC area and had the opportunity to review the Philharmonic speakers and meet their staff.  They were really helpful.    I mostly listen to CD or HiDef streaming acoustic jazz and classical, which they used to demo the speakers in a space much like my room.  They shipped me  pair of the BMR Towers.  Great value, helpful staff and worth a look and listen. 
 

@audionoobie  Reading between the lines is sounds like you liked and respected the KEFs but the Revivals captured your heart as well as your head.  I’d go with the Atalante 3 if I was you.  Just my $0.02 FWIW.

I settled on Harbeth. Very pleased with the clarity. Recommend ✅ Hopefully your room is treated ...mine was a mess , then came to life after reducing tons of reflection. 

MartinLogan F200's.

@hugo1 - I have the Luxman 590axii. You might check out the Buchardt s400 mkii. I have my paired my Luxman with those speakers (I own them) and it’s a recommended combo, especially as your amp is more powerful than the 590axii. 

@soix Think I'm still going to go with the Kef's. Vandersteen 1ci's have been my daily driver for a while now and I'm looking forward to having something with more clarity and resolution. Down the road, if there is a good deal on a gently used pair of Atalante's I will pick them up as well. They are pretty special.  

Given your music preferences, I'd add the Spendor 2/3. Perfect for your room size.

Honestly, since 2010 or so speakers have gotten so much better you just need to focus on matching the bass output to your room. There's still a few designers that will use a hot tweeter to mimic the resolution of higher quality drivers and some do it better than others.