time for a change....any suggestions?


consider - carpeted listening room with low ceilings, approx. 18' wide and 32' deep

four Woodside MA-50 mono amps
BAT VK31 tube pre
Linn LP12 w/Wilson Benesch hybrid carbon fibre MC
Revox Exception CD
Isotek mini sub line conditioner

tastes incl. mostly classic jazz, both stereo & mono

have previously enjoyed Magnepans, Quads, & currently Von Schweikert VR5s

please share your thoughts on:

Apogee Diva
Sonus Faber Cremora
Vandersteen 5
Quad ESL
Soundlab

and any other recommendations you may have

thanks so much....
rgw
you've got a very big room, so you'll want something that throws a giant soundstage. i'd probably avoid the planars, electrostats, etc. i just auditioned the wilson watt puppy, which really are great-- someone's listing a pair here for less than $9k. i also see some focal alto utopias at around the same price. i wish i owned either. happy hunting!!
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"something that throws a giant soundstage. i'd probably avoid the planars, electrostats, etc"

Huh? Hard to get bigger soundstage than Soundlabs. The sound field is hugh!

I'd go with Soundlabs, but dont know if your amps are upto it. If you can swing it, get correct amps for them too.
With "low ceilings" I would stay away from anything too tall or pointing upwards. I love Vandersteens in a room with high ceilings but never with a low ceiling. How far away from the speakers will you be sitting? If you are 10-15 feet away, it shouldn't matter. At 20-30 feet away you will be getting the ceiling reflections in between the other music.

That's a case for more conventional cabinets and drivers?
Room is too big for Quads, but Soundlabs would love that room! The low ceilings are actually a benefit in this as the speakers will become closer to a line source. 6550c is correct in that they will cast a very large sound stage. The amps would need to be replaced though, but that is the case with most/all of the list.
Apogee may have a tough time getting repaired, Iii do like thier sound, but they do like power, Sound Labs sound great, but are big, need a bit of power, and are room sensitive, but very good, the Vandy 5's are great also, but need a little power, Qand are slightly bland, Quads will not rock the house, I like them but want more visceral energy, and lastly the Sonus Faber Cremona M...one of my favorites, and I want a pair....I currently have Magnepan 3.6, Nestorovics 5AS MKIV, and Aerial 10T's, and enjoy them all, but want the Cremonas too. I love the speed, purity of the 3.6 treble, agility, depth, and midrange magic of the 3.6, but it sucks power, takes up space, and lacks the very bottom end, the 10T's have a great bottom end, superb midrange, good treble, but not up to the 3.6 standard, and lack 3.6 depth, but magical in its own way, the Nestorovic's have the best overal balance with a great top end, bass and magical midrange, just lacking the depth and pure top end of the 3.6....and the Cremona is most like the 5AS MKIV Nesty with just a bit more velvet on the midrange. Try them first as they only need a good 75wpc, are small, beautiful, and O so musical....Jallen
You should look into the new Atlantic Technology AT-1
with HPAS. Excellent speakers IMO!