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SonusFaber GP? Other recomendations?

I'm looking for a sweet, detailed, very refined, unfatiguing
speaker to play music like Don Henly and Journy. I'm looking
for some advice before I go for the Grand Pianos.. Another
peev, I *HATE* boomy bass and the boxy sound.

I have brought my equiptment into stores so
I could here all the speakers with my equiptment
and here's what I heard so far.. (I have a Sony XA7,
Classe CP30 and Classe CA100)

Martin Logan Aerius i TOO BRITE !!!
Viena Accoustic Beethoven Boxy sounding
B&W N804 Great stage but cold & mechanical
Revel (the model at 2k) Tiny in the highs
SonusFaber GP Seemed like the best sound so far

Please don't flame away at the above comments, they are
just what *I* heard on my Classe'.

Thanks
Tom
nezwek2a25

Showing 3 responses by kjg

kjg
171 posts
 
Based on your likes and dislikes above, you might want to take a listen to the ProAc Response 2.5's. I have them and think they have all the qualities you mention, but offer a somewhat better sound than the Grand Piano's in my estimation. I spent quite a bit of time auditioning both the GP's and the 2.5's with a variety of electronics, and I enjoyed both of them, but in the end walked away with the ProAc's without hesitation. I've paired mine with tubes, but the designer recommends a solid state amp (the ARC 100.2) as his ideal pairing. As a caveat, I should mention, there's about a $1k difference between the two, which depending on your budget may make a difference. Anyway, just some food for thought.
Ken
kjg
171 posts
 
Tom: It would surprise me if there were no dealers at all for ProAc in an area the size of Seattle. Audiogon has contact info for just about every manufacturer off of their home page and they do have a listing for the ProAc distributor. You might want to give them a ring and find out who handles them in your area.

One of things I enjoy about the 2.5's is precisely what you're asking for -- sweetness in the mids and highs, and a huge soundstage. Also, they have a wonderful bottom end, which is pretty stunning considering the size of the drivers, and isn't matched at all by the GP's. As I mentioned before, I think very highly of the GP's, and Sonus Faber in general, but I found the ProAc sound much more to my liking.

Either way, they're both very good speakers so its hard to imagine you not ending up happy whichever way you go.

Happy hunting...
Ken
kjg
171 posts
 
Tom: I'm sorry that you had to travel so far to listen to the ProAc's. In my area there are several dealers, so it was convenient for me to give them a few auditions before I made my choice. This is probably a matter of personal taste, and the tradeoffs that each of us makes in deciding what is a "good" sound to listen to. Also, I run mine with CJ electronics which warms and sweetens the sound a bit (as it does with just about everything). Hopefully you were able to listen to a few other interesting things while you were down there to at least make the trip worth the while.

Anyway, its hard to find much fault with the GP's, especially in their price range. They're certainly a quality speaker and should provide a great listening experience. Let us know what you ultimately end up with.

Cheers,
Ken
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