+1 on Daedalus. But also, in that price range, certainly Legacy Audio Aeris is a must listen. Legacy will be at Axpona in April.
Still looking for speakers in the 10-20,000 range
I’ve heard Proacs, Personas 3 and 5, Ryans, Wilsons, Wilson Benesch, Monitor Audios, B and Ws and several others in the 10-$20,000 range. My favorite so far is the KEF Reference 3. I would consider the Reference 5 but, as I’ve posted before, there is no place to hear them within 400 miles. Still plan to hear the Focal 2 and 3. Unless I love the Focals, I'm inclined to either go with the KEF Reference 3 or wait a couple of months (or more) to check out the new Magico A3. My room is 24x18. I have Audio Research electronics and 20 plus year old Proac Response 3.5 speakers. It’s been a long process and I’m not sure if I’ll be relieved or disappointed when it ends. Hard to decide if the Magico’s are worth waiting for. Thoughts?
Showing 6 responses by mtrot
+1, if you get them set up optimally with the Wavelet. I heard the Aeris in TX, manually tuned for the room with the older Xilica processor, and the sound was just OMG awesome. I've never heard that sort of mid range authority and clarity. We played this Boz Scags cut where he sings pretty low and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. At Lone Star Audio Fest last June, there was a cut with a huge sounding baritone sax on the left channel that similarly astounded me. That said, I've also heard them when it didn't seem like the setup was very good, and they were not as impressive. But the potential for the price is awesome. If I could figure out how to integrate them into my receiver based system, I'd buy that set. |
fast, Did you ever get a listen to the Focal Sopra 2 or 3, or Legacy Audio Focus SE or Aeris? Focal also just came out with Kanta no. 2, which is getting rave reviews. It is not a huge speaker, but the overall sound quality is said to be off the charts. I'm currently considering Focal and Legacy. Beryllium tweeter vs AMT ribbon type tweeter. |
@ fast, If, after some time, the KEFs still don't float your boat, here you go: http://legacyaudio.com/products/view/focus-xd/ Full range, non-fatiguing sound, and should run a bit less $$ than the Reference 5s. With their internally amplified bass section, Focus XD allows you to use most any amp for the upper drivers. And Legacy Audio speakers LOVE tube amps. Legacy actually demos their speakers with Raven Audio tube amplification at the audio shows, including the upcoming AXPONA in Chicago in April. Now, if you're spending ~$20K on a set of speakers, I don't see how you can beat Legacy Audio Aeris, for overall sound quality. Having heard them multiple times, it's just a revelation to hear what they can do when they are set up optimally. http://legacyaudio.com/products/view/aeris/ |