Which Monitor Speakers to Consider

My plan is for a 5.1 system and I’m looking at a good AV pre/pro but first priority is amplification as I have an older Yamaha AVR v3900 that Incan use for now. I’d love to hear suggestions for the best outcome for HT and 2 channel stereo in terms of choosing amp configuration monos vs 2 with a multichannel for surround. Here are some suggestions I’ve received:

parasound monos and parasound 3channel

Krell 403 

McIntosh MC303-too warm/dark for SF?

BHK 250

For Pre/pro or AVR 

arcam 850 or 860
Marantz
krell Foundation. 

redphu72

congrats on the speakers, one of our clients also purchased the new Sonus Faber speakers so these new ones must be pretty darn good.

With that being said Sonus Fabers are in the warm camp. so therefore you need to tread lightly on the electronics selection unless you build a system which will sound less exciting for theater use.

We are dealers for Parasound, Arcam, and Marantz and you can do a bit better.  

The Marantz pre pro was not as good as the less expensive Anthem AVM 60 we had both. The Arcam is good, there is a sister to Arcam which is Audio Control. Both are built in the same factory, which is Audio Controls. The Audio Control products use generally better dac chips and a larger power supply. Audio Control is a custom installer product while Arcam is a consumer product.

Take for example the Maestro M9 prepro vs the Arcam the Audio Control processor weighs 40lbs while the Arcam version weighs 22lbs this is due to the Maestros superior power supply.

The Sound quality is exceptional warm, detailed, huge soundstage and great for music. The Audio Control processor sounded better than the AVM 60 as well as the Statement D2V3d. 

As per amps the Pararsound amps are great for the dollar but lack the resolution of the better class of amps. 

If you want a real shocker recommendation for amplifier look at the Nuprime St 150 killer amp 150 watts per side, and cheap at $1595 each you could purchase multiple of these amps and they have a shockingly good bass control and excellent dynamics. 

We are going to be testing the new Starke Sound amplifier which our reports state is one hell of a multi channel amplifier but it is big and heavy but boy does it seem like one hell of a deal for $8k

We also have a demo Plinius Odeon which is the best sounding multi channel amplifier we have ever demoed with. It is smooth silky and very dynamic but at $18k I think Plinius didin't sell many of them and hence discontinued them. 

Please feel free to PM us if you would like to continue the conversation.

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ

The single most important consideration when deciding on which high end speaker to buy is the room they will be in. You can spend many thousands of dollars on some wonderful speakers and then station them in a poor listening environment and be completely dissatisfied. Different speakers sound much different in different rooms and there simply is no getting around that. A soft room with a minimal amount of reflective interference is something to strive toward before you even audition any speakers in said room. I have fought this reality for many years and making a listening room the best it can be always seem to come up short where the female or wife factor plays into the equation. Money spent on loud speakers is wasted if the sound studio is not properly treated and very few of us have the ability to make a room in our homes into a worthy sound studio. I enjoy rather high SPLs when I listen yet my room where I am most comfortable is not conducive to loud music and my wife refuses to allow me to make it into a cave designed for listening. The best speakers in this world can't overcome a poorly designed room so spend your money wisely.

Have had my Graham Audio LS 5/9 for a few months now, must say these are wonderful speakers, you can listen for hours without fatigue, but still get lost and lots of detail, I even think they look good without the grills on, mine are the rosewood ones.
I was also looking at a lot of the speakers you are mentioning, but somehow found the Graham’s, a company I did not know much about.
On their website you will find many European reviews of the 5/9.
Curiously I heard the Harbeth 30.1 before the Graham’s, and really wanted to like the 30.1, but somehow they never really worked for me.

Not a new option but one that was well reviewed and I have a favor for even now. Usher BE-718.