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Spendor S9e or ProAc Response D28

I've been eyeing the Spendor S9e and ProAc D28 and while this is your typical "how does this compare to that thread", I wanted to give some background about where I'm coming from.

I currently own a pair of B&W 703's and my gripe with them is that my ears get tired of listening to them when playing music after 20mins or so. To be a bit more specific, at low volumes 60-70dB, these speakers are very listenable but low volumes don't do rock music justice. At higher volumes (80-85db) my ears get tired within a couple of songs.

In fact, at louder volumes even if I'm in the other room doing stuff on the computer and listening to music playing from my living room I get annoyed.

Not all is bad with these speakers, they shine when it comes to movies. I only have two of them but even so they generate an excellent phantom center (note: I haven't felt the need to add a dedicated center because they are that good). They also disappear into the background. Weird thing is I listen to movie louder than I do music, yet under this activity I don't find them fatiguing.

I've been thinking of upgrading my pre but the question I keep asking myself is that maybe I've outgrown this brand of speaker (I used to have 603's).

A bit more about me and my setup:
- Ratio of music-to-movie duty: 50/50
- Listening preferences: rock+hard rock (90%), everything else literally (10%).
- Source: Squeezbox v3 (my library has been converted flac)
- Preamp/Poweramp: NAD T742 / NAD C272
g_georgi
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
Given what you are considering, you should also consider Harbeth and possibly Sonus faber. Did someone say an the D28s give honest 20Hz?? I don't think so. 40Hz yes (I'm not saying there is no output at 20 Hz).
arbuckle
89 posts
 
Pubul57, have you owned the D28s? Well I do, and they go an honest 20hz. Not sure what you are basing your comment on. Give me a break about Harbeth.....they do an honest 80hz at best and Sonus Fabers have been relegated to big box stores.
g_georgi OP
18 posts
 
Hi Drubin,

You make a good point that it could be my source, I'm planning on adding a Lavry DA10 DAC soon just to get out that last bit of resolution that's lacking. I know the squeezebox DAC isn't the greatest but it's much much better than the DAC inside my NAD receiver (which I use as a preamp btw). The NAD tends to flatten the presentation so that there's no airiness between instruments. The SB is much better sounding but rolls off the bass. I'm thinking a better DAC will be the solution.

I'll try playing a CD or two to see if that makes a difference, I just need to dig them all out of the back of my closet.

I also realize that most if not all rock recordings are recorded very poorly and when I think about it over the last couple of years I've started listening to more and more different types. I may be wrong with this line of reasoning but could it be possible that I've managed to setup a system that is more clinically revealing as opposed to musically revealing and that I'm just starting to realize this now as my hearing is evolving to pickup newer nuances/detail that I wasn't aware of before?
g_georgi OP
18 posts
 
About Sonus Faber,

I've read countless posts/reviews about these speakers saying that if your the type to listen to rock music or expect big bass you should look elsewhere.
g_georgi OP
18 posts
 
Tomryan,

I agree that music does influence your mood. Luckily, I don't listen to enough of it on a continuous basis that for it to affect me more than just momentarily.

I get stuck in traffic a lot to and from work, and I'm the type that really really really hates traffic. I remember one specific occasion where I was stuck in traffic and listening to system of a down...that was a really bad combination.

I pulled out that disc and put in Eva Cassidey's Live at Blues Alley and it made the situation much more tolerable, my mood changed pretty much instantly.
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