I have owned the Beethovens and absolutely loved them. I used Ayre amp and preamp. I agree w/those that said they are on the warm side and sound beautiful w/jazz and acoustic. I heard them w/tubes but the amp I heard them with did not have enough power, in my opinion. The bass was undefined and too soft. I think they need at least 100 watts to sound their best. The Ayre V3 was a great match. I auditioned them against the Mahlers, and while the Mahlers were better, the price difference made the Beethovens a better pick for me. I felt the focused bass and incredibly musical midrange and highs compared very favorably to the $10,000 Mahlers. And as everyone notes, the cabinetry and wood grain of the whole Vienna line is just amazing. Beethovens can be found used here for $2400 or less, a great bargain.
Vienna Speakers: Compared to other Hi-end spks?
Vienna Acoustics(which is backed by Sumiko) is a company that seems not to have a lot of visibility. I have seen their line of speakers at places like Tweeter, Etc. "Fit and finish" are first rate. My question is: how do they rate against other high-end speakers, especially their model called the "Beethoven" which is the same price as Thiel 2.3, Revel F-30, Coincident Techology's Victory(not sure of the retail price). Would like to hear opinions from owners and any one who has auditioned them,especially the model called "Beethoven" Thank you!!