Which Referance 3A Dulcets Be / MM Decapo Be or Episode Be


Hi

looking for a new pair of speakers liking Referance 3A and there design on paper, no cross over in the mid range, 91 DB more options a far as amps never owned tube currenty own Sander amp, my room is 13.800L X 12.800W X 8.00H (feet) so I would class small to med? Back of the room is angled so it not retangle as such and bulk head around ceiling edge.I have read reviews I have looked up on you tube, suprise me how many people have the MM Decapo BE close the re wall in there set up and the look big, I could come out about 3 feet to the face the speaker, I have a option of getting a pair Episode BE would they be to big in room? What other option do I have with in the Referance A or aother brands that would suit my cureent room lay out?

Thanks Kel

kelvinr2004
I run my Decapo i (non beryllium) with the VTL tiny triodes latest edition.The Dulcets are sufficient for your room size but will not go as deep as the decapo.You really don't need more than 10 watts to drive these speakers.Amazing efficiency.Spend your bulk of cash on great tube amps.You won't regret it.If you can afford Art Audio I would give that a shot.Atma-sphere or of course the VTL line.Make sure you damp your rooms bass with traps unless you plan to sit in the triangle only for near field listening.But you will lose some soundstage if you do.Enjoy!
I have the de Capo Be with GamuT M250i mono blocks & they sound superb. Even the full retail price is a bargain. 
You will not need a sub...very detailed, great depth, fast & excellent tonality. I find them to be very neutral revealing the signatures of amplification. 

Thanks Charlie

Good to know that Pass Labs suits I was thinking of a first watt amp, tubes would do my head in, I have narrowed it down to the Cappo and a pair of Usher total opposite I know.

Hi Kelvin,

I have had the the Decapo Be's  for about two years. They are just great wonderful fun speakers! They are great with all kinds of music BUT they do prefer a medium size room to get the best out of them. I have used tubes 300b push pull (audio-note and solid state Pass 30.5 and 30.8) The audio-note's were just great and I was in heaven until......one of my great "upgraded" 300 b tubes blew up". So I sold the amps to a guy who btw is still in love with them and then I went the solid state 30.8 pass route and I am back in heaven. In retrospect I guess if I had more patience I would have stuck with the audio note's (sometimes late at night they were quite magical)  and just purchased some more reliable 300 tubes. In a not totally unrelated topic I found that experimenting with differnt speaker cables  also made tremendous difference in soundstage dimensionality, presence and instrumental texture with the 3a's. I worked with the guys at MG Audio Design on speaker cables and you know what maybe cables make more of a difference than say an amplification change? Anyway have fun with the speakers, get a good used tube amp with some great speaker cables and just relax into the music.
Best wishes Charlie



Tash recommends tubes. You should also get in touch with Audiogon member Rebbi. He's N expert on the 3A de Capos and has tons of amp experience with them. 

ok next question what the best sort of amp to drive them with? Would first watt be a good match? or tubes? What brands should I be looking out for, as I have never own tubes.

Thanks kel

I had the de Capo BE's powered by an LSA Statement. Gobs of power and bass. The 3A's imaged beautifully; I had them about 40" from the back wall. I would use an SVS-SP 12 every now and then, but it was more for those extra symphonic/organ notes. 

I replaced them with AZ Adagios but only because I moved and had a bigger listening room. 

Plus, Tash at Ref 3A is immaculate at customer service. 
Hi Kelvinr

I too am using a REL Strata III with the Decapos. I've generally not been a fan of subwoofers but I must say the flexibility and phase adjustments of the REL have  changed my position. They meld beautifully with the Decapos. The Decapos themselves do surprisingly well in all but the last octave. What the sub also does other than add bass is offer a greater sense of ease and depth in the soundfield. I'm quite confident that the Decapos would fit your bill and besides, they DO image a bit better than the Episodes which should be expected being that they are monitors. 
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Thanks tubegroover
Thought that might of been the case with regards to Episodes been to big for the space, for got to mention Iam running a rel sub currently works really with current set up ,so it will come down to Dulcets or  Decapos.

I would think the Episodes would be a bit too large for your space. I've heard them before in a similar space and the question then might be,  "Do the Decapos or Dulcets offer satisfactory performance including bass in this size room?" My answer is a solid YES! based on my familiarity with the three, though the Episodes were older models with the murata supertweeter, not the BE.

I currently have a pair of Decapo BE,  in an 18X20 X10 space adjoining an 8X12X10 space and they are quite satisfactory using a 90 watt tube amplifier. These speakers are also superb in nearfield listening. I also have a friend with the Taksims. These are all superb speakers, very natural presentation and easy to drive. Hard to go wrong. Good luck!


Hi Grinnell

So for my size room what would work the De Capos i or the Episode Be? what the make of your amp and how loud do you play?

Thanks Kel

The de Capos are a great speaker  i have the I series

clean, detailed, running them with a 4 wpc tube amp and plenty power