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What speaker – under $10k – has the best timbre and tonal qualities?

Several years ago, a prominent reviewer had this to say as he was praising the natural and life-like tonal qualities of a particular speaker:

It’s [speakers] like these that make me question the priorities of audiophiles who relegate accuracy of timbre to secondary status. How are the richness and color of instruments, voices, ensembles, and textures to be reproduced in all their infinite variety and beauty if a loudspeaker has less than accurate reproduction of timbre? What do dynamics, imaging, detail, transparency, and the like matter if voices and instruments don’t sound like themselves?

I’ve come the same realization, late in the game. I recently made a lateral move from one of the most popular of recent speaker models to a different speaker, because it sounded so much more natural and realistic in timbre. I sacrificed a touch of image precision in doing so, but it has been well worth it. The sound is so much more engaging. It’s like going from a high-resolution black and white photograph – which is very detailed and impressive – to a color version of the same photo, but with slightly less resolution. The color version offers so much more in terms of realism.

So I’m now contemplating the purchase of what I hope will be my last speakers, with the objective of realistic, natural, and rich (but not artificially warm) tone being the primary attribute.  

What speakers, under $10k, would you recommend? (I’m driving them with a PrimaLuna Prologue Premium)


wester17
mesch
3,391 posts
 
What is best for tone and timbre is so dependent on ones hearing that I believe it impossible to generalize across the population, and i feel that none of us knows this for themselves. We only know what we like from what we have experienced. 
audioguy85's avatar
audioguy85
1,985 posts
 
Tannoy speakers, the upper range, are well known for what you are looking for.
johnspain
42 posts
 
Magnepan 3.7i in a decent room using SS high current amp.
cd318
2,636 posts
 
@1111art,

"The most expensive Dali you can find/afford. So rich I can’t seem to listen with my eyes open"

Another contender for the ’must listen to’ club.


@wester17 ,

"Ahh yes! The audio merry-go-round. I’m truly ready to get off. Over the past two weeks I have sold three sets of speakers and a tube amplifier. The basement looks so much more uncluttered now! It actually feels good!"


Can’t say I blame you. This hobby has a strange way of turning from pleasure into pain, and then sometimes back again.

It sure sounds as if you’re ready to get back into your music again.

Tonal accuracy rather than pursuit of detail is the way to go. I’m sure of it.
One = pleasure, the other = analysis.

You won’t go far wrong with Tannoys but you might also be able to do a smidgen better with something else. @prof has written extensively on this subject so it might also be worth reading some of his posts.

Anyway, what are you using currently? It might possibly help those who are a little further up the same mountain path give you a few pointers.
p05129
479 posts
 
You can’t rely on millercarbon for speaker advice because he rates all Tekton speakers very high even if he hasn’t listened to them. You want to have somebody that actually has heard or owned the equipment before giving any advice.
As for good quality speakers used for under $10k, I would look at Wilson, revel, usher, totem, golden ear, and and Others.
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