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spendor 3/5 vs era vs avi vs vienna acoustics hayd

i may violate the cardinal rule when making a purchase. i may take a big chance and make a mistake.

i am looking for a mini monitor and have narrowed it down to:

spendor 3/5, era ($600), avi neutron 4 and vienna acoustics haydn 2.

i will not be able to compare them and may not be able to listen to all of them.

i will have to rely on judgements from dealers, manufacturers and serious listeners. i may be able to use logic and "common" sense (hope i have it) to try to wade through all of the comments on these products.

ok: i am trying to find a speaker under $1500, decent bass response (flat to 60 hz), little cabinet resonance, somewhat laid back and a soft upper mid/lower treble response.

which of the 4, if any would be the best choice, and why ?

this would be a second speaker. my primary speakers are quad 63s and maggie 1.6 .

thanks for your help.
mrtennis

Showing 5 responses by aktchi

aktchi
274 posts
 
I am surprised you didn't mention Zu Druids and Tones as options. A pair of Druids is listed as "2100 OBO", so could be only a very small stretch from his budget. A pair of Tones just sold for 1150.
aktchi
274 posts
 
I have long acquaintance with the Spendor line and can assure you that 3/5 is a fantastic speaker. However, as I don't know the other two models, I cannot offer more meaningful comparative feedback.

Given your tastes and budget, I am not sure why you are looking for a mini-monitor. Is the space for this system extremely limited? You can probably find more satisfying alternatives (with respect to bass at least) among floorstanders.
aktchi
274 posts
 
Although small size is certainly attractive, in many situations it is the footprint that matters. You don't gain any usable space, but do compromise on frequency respoone, by cutting down a speaker's height. Therefore consider if what you really need is a floorstander with a small footprint. At least it will increase the pool of your options.
aktchi
274 posts
 
Northwoods_maine: Indeed, of the two companies Harbeth remains more solidly anchored to its roots. Spendor has changed more. Few people know that Spendor founders' son left the company and actually moved to Harbeth. But nostalgia is one thing, audio another. Both are good companies and for a given situation/budget I'd look at all options and buy whatever was the best fit.
aktchi
274 posts
 
213cobra: I've owned in the past S3/5, Haydn and Silverline SR16. If the poster has the space, Tones or Druids from Zu are better still.

I thought you might feel this way and it'd be good to let the OP know. Then it is up to him. (He has since then decided on Charios).

I have discovered the obvious myself, that while there may be other very good reasons to choose one or the other, a slim floorstander takes up no more room than a monitor and stand combo, and space should not be an issue.
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