My first speakers were Heybrook hb1. Very good speakers. No,I dont think that (cheaper) Proacs are better. You may try to listen an active speaker. They are tending to have a very coherent, dynamic, open treble and not bass shy soundprint with not too much coloration (as they pack together speaker-speaker cable and power-amplifier, the user has no option to color the soundprint by mismatching these three key components).
What is a live speaker?
I am entry level and certainly not in the race for having a lot of money in a system. Not that I wouldn't like to, my day will come. Anyways I attend live performances and the sound is beautiful, open, flowing, smooth and alive. The violins flow, the cello's have life the piano is extended and alive. How to get that. Here is what I have found. It seems to be system/room interface. I have had Sequerra's very accurate point source, no live sound. Some triangles, sharp crisp sound nothing alive. Some Maggies which where open and musical but not alive. Some Cain&Cains vocals, Diana sounds like she is in your room but the instruments are not right in my room, there is a peak at 100 and goes down till the mids then nice and flat so makes sense. For my room some old Heybrooks have been the best for live sound. They are open and smooth and alive, vocals sound good not right there in the room good but good. The violins are there, cello's there and smooth and open alive. There is air around them. I have heard not in my room but auditioned numerous systems that cost 1,000's more then the Heybrook, NAD, 555es system I have and not even hinted to live. They might be sharper, louder, more dynamic, and extended but not live. The salesman try to imply but. So has anyone else heard this live sound. It seems very fragile, if I spike the stands this live sound goes away. If I change cables, or interconnects the live sound goes away. I am interested in upgrading my system and if the Heybrooks seem to be the direction that works. I am looking for more of it. Would this mean Spendors, Proacs? I thought I would find out but a deal on some Proacs fell through so my looking is on again. Thank you for your thoughts.