Take a hard look at the Bryston Model T Signatures. They have that holographic imaging you want, are relatively easy to drive, and are one of the best music makers I have ever heard.
Speakers that work well with Hegel H30 amp (10K or less)?
Hi all,
After years (sigh) without a dedicated audio rig for 2-channel listening, I recently began building a system. I've now got an Aurender n100H (up on stillpoint Ultra SSs and .8 M Curious USB) feeding a Hegel HD30 DAC (which has volume control) feeding (1M Ansuz C XLR) a Hegel H30 amp. All that is lovely, and each improvement (like USB cable swapping or adding stillpoint Ultra SSs under the Aurender) has been audible and appreciable through the Onix Rocket speakers I've been using that are barrowed from my home-theater (a pair of rs 750 and 760... been switching back/forth) connected with a pair of JPS ultraconductor speaker cables. It's become painfully obvious that the speakers are the weak link in the chain... and I'm tired of re-positioning speakers and endlessly moving the seating position back and forth to try to find the "right" sound that is clearly not going to flow forth from these speakers (despite them sounding better in this system than they've ever sounded before).
So that's a long way of asking "what speakers do you recommend" given what I've got going on up front in my system? Ideally the sound from the system, when complimented with the right speakers, would be magic. What's magic to me? Voices (especially female vocals) that sound real, hover in space with an airy palpability, surrounded (recording specific of course) by a soundstage that extends deep and wide. Oh and along with holographic imaging, an easy and natural midrange and airy acoustic space I'd like dynamics that don't ask for permission and bass that's authoritative, deep, tonally musical and that integrates seamlessly into the acoustic landscape. Did I mention detail without sounding fatiguing, and resolution without sounding analytical?
yeah, so just like you I want musical nirvana. guilty.
so how close can I get? And knowing that I'm more than happy to buy used gear that's been lovingly cared for, how close can 5-10 grand get me to my goal? Would Magico V3s take me there? Revel Ultima Salon 2s? Kef? Focal? Dynaudio? Is there some bookshelf speaker out there in my price range that, by shaving off the bottom octave, makes the rest of my musical dreams come true? Or an incredible bargin to be had picking up last-year's reference speaker trade-ins while folks with better means than me upgrade to the latest-and-greatest?
Yes I know I know. Of course I "need to audition anything in my own system in my own listening space" blah blah. Of course. we all know that :-) However, I'd like to know *what* to audition since the choices are endless. And if something that everyone else who's paired with the Hegel amp that sounded spectacular, suddenly comes up for sale on craig's list for an incredible price... I want to know if the odds are stacked in my favor to take a chance if, as sometimes happens, auditioning in my own space/system prior to purchasing isn't an option.
So help a returning audiophile out... years of musical bliss could be hanging in the balance... your advice is welcome!
-Dave
After years (sigh) without a dedicated audio rig for 2-channel listening, I recently began building a system. I've now got an Aurender n100H (up on stillpoint Ultra SSs and .8 M Curious USB) feeding a Hegel HD30 DAC (which has volume control) feeding (1M Ansuz C XLR) a Hegel H30 amp. All that is lovely, and each improvement (like USB cable swapping or adding stillpoint Ultra SSs under the Aurender) has been audible and appreciable through the Onix Rocket speakers I've been using that are barrowed from my home-theater (a pair of rs 750 and 760... been switching back/forth) connected with a pair of JPS ultraconductor speaker cables. It's become painfully obvious that the speakers are the weak link in the chain... and I'm tired of re-positioning speakers and endlessly moving the seating position back and forth to try to find the "right" sound that is clearly not going to flow forth from these speakers (despite them sounding better in this system than they've ever sounded before).
So that's a long way of asking "what speakers do you recommend" given what I've got going on up front in my system? Ideally the sound from the system, when complimented with the right speakers, would be magic. What's magic to me? Voices (especially female vocals) that sound real, hover in space with an airy palpability, surrounded (recording specific of course) by a soundstage that extends deep and wide. Oh and along with holographic imaging, an easy and natural midrange and airy acoustic space I'd like dynamics that don't ask for permission and bass that's authoritative, deep, tonally musical and that integrates seamlessly into the acoustic landscape. Did I mention detail without sounding fatiguing, and resolution without sounding analytical?
yeah, so just like you I want musical nirvana. guilty.
so how close can I get? And knowing that I'm more than happy to buy used gear that's been lovingly cared for, how close can 5-10 grand get me to my goal? Would Magico V3s take me there? Revel Ultima Salon 2s? Kef? Focal? Dynaudio? Is there some bookshelf speaker out there in my price range that, by shaving off the bottom octave, makes the rest of my musical dreams come true? Or an incredible bargin to be had picking up last-year's reference speaker trade-ins while folks with better means than me upgrade to the latest-and-greatest?
Yes I know I know. Of course I "need to audition anything in my own system in my own listening space" blah blah. Of course. we all know that :-) However, I'd like to know *what* to audition since the choices are endless. And if something that everyone else who's paired with the Hegel amp that sounded spectacular, suddenly comes up for sale on craig's list for an incredible price... I want to know if the odds are stacked in my favor to take a chance if, as sometimes happens, auditioning in my own space/system prior to purchasing isn't an option.
So help a returning audiophile out... years of musical bliss could be hanging in the balance... your advice is welcome!
-Dave