Okay, I'm gonna be the bad guy here. "For years, it's been my blasphemous contention that speakers are going to be right as long as everything upstream is right. So I'd rather have an excellent front end and okay speakers, than great speakers hitched to an okay front end."
I'd be very much on the other end of that argument, but not so much since at the end of the day the chain is only as strong as the weakest link. And, in my opinion, if that link is the speakers you are going to sacrifice a lot of the benefits of the upstream equipment (and vice versa of course).
That said, if you've got a good front end and now that you've seen what the little NOLAs have brought to the table versus your larger and more expensive references, can you imagine what would be possible with good-quality source components and some of Carl's (or other manufacturer's) upper-end speaker offerings? Speakers, again in my opinion, make a HUGE difference for a multitude of reasons, and if these little guys get you this far can you imagine what the latest more-full-range offerings could potentially produce in your room? Yes, sources are extremely important but...
"I don't really believe in audiophile recordings." REALLY??? I mean, isn't that the ultimate source??? So plugging a crappy recoring into a really good front end is OK but speakers don't matter that much??? And does that mean you really don't hear the incredible differences a meticulously recorded performance can add to the listening experience? As an audiophile and music lover I find that statement more than a little confusing. I don't mean to say that in a condescending or audiophile snob kind of way, but if those incredible "audiophile" recordings don't make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up more than garden variety stuff then there's probably something missing somewhere.
Again, this is not to be disrespectful toward you or your listening experience, but at least some of it sure seems to run a little against the stream of what at least I have experienced in listening to well-recorded music on a good system, and I'd encourage you to explore some of the better speaker offerings out there more in line with what you've got invested in your electronics.
I'd be very much on the other end of that argument, but not so much since at the end of the day the chain is only as strong as the weakest link. And, in my opinion, if that link is the speakers you are going to sacrifice a lot of the benefits of the upstream equipment (and vice versa of course).
That said, if you've got a good front end and now that you've seen what the little NOLAs have brought to the table versus your larger and more expensive references, can you imagine what would be possible with good-quality source components and some of Carl's (or other manufacturer's) upper-end speaker offerings? Speakers, again in my opinion, make a HUGE difference for a multitude of reasons, and if these little guys get you this far can you imagine what the latest more-full-range offerings could potentially produce in your room? Yes, sources are extremely important but...
"I don't really believe in audiophile recordings." REALLY??? I mean, isn't that the ultimate source??? So plugging a crappy recoring into a really good front end is OK but speakers don't matter that much??? And does that mean you really don't hear the incredible differences a meticulously recorded performance can add to the listening experience? As an audiophile and music lover I find that statement more than a little confusing. I don't mean to say that in a condescending or audiophile snob kind of way, but if those incredible "audiophile" recordings don't make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up more than garden variety stuff then there's probably something missing somewhere.
Again, this is not to be disrespectful toward you or your listening experience, but at least some of it sure seems to run a little against the stream of what at least I have experienced in listening to well-recorded music on a good system, and I'd encourage you to explore some of the better speaker offerings out there more in line with what you've got invested in your electronics.