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Speaker advice for listening to Blues music

Hi, new to the forum, and hoping I can get some help finding the right speakers... I'm a Blues guitar player and have a dedicated music room for my guitars/amps. I usually spend time playing my guitars and recently decided to setup a decent system for listening to my Blues music. I first started with a Marantz integrated (PM8005) and some Kef R300, source is a Marantz ND8006 and I mostly play FLAC files from a NAS, but also started streaming from Spotify and now trying Tidal. This setup was great at first, very revealing, but found the R300 were not the right speakers for the kind of music I listen to, but they were great for some Jazz and did well with good recordings, which most of my Blues recordings weren't, specially live albums. I also found them to be a little boomy in that small room (12' X 12'), so I moved them to the living room instead and added a matching center, they're perfect there.

Next came the LS50, read so much about them I had to get a pair to try. Wow! I still can't believe what these small speakers can do, the details I hear, soundstage, imaging, it's all there. But, just like the R300, since they're so revealing they're horrible with my favorite Blues recordings. It's great to listen to excellent recordings and enjoy the music these speakers are making but I want to enjoy MY music, the Blues greats I've been listening to for over 30 years. If it sounds great in the car then I should be able to find the right gear to duplicate at home, right? On some good Blues recordings it sounds excellent, but most of my favorites aren't good recordings.

Since I only play my guitars through old Fender amps I figured I should replace the Marantz integrated with a tube amp, so next came the PrimaLuna integrated. I wanted to get a "warmer" sound and hope it'll fix the issues I was having with most crappy recordings... I want to hear BB's beautiful guitar tone and crank it up, without hurting my ears. Both Kefs were too fatiguing to listen to. And on most live recordings guitars sound way too thin and bright, not what I'm used to hearing. A good example is Albert King's Wednesday Night in San Francisco, that Flying V can be painful to listen to after a couple of minutes! Not so in the car or even just using headphones and my laptop. I understand that it's because the system is more revealing, but is it possible to have both, revealing and musical so that one can enjoy the music they love? The PrimaLuna did help and it's staying, I like what I'm hearing so far, and I get to play with tubes, something I enjoy doing already :)

Right now I'm breaking in some Wharfedale Denton 80th, I wanted to try something with a soft dome tweeter, something less fatiguing than the LS50. I'm at 70+ hours so far and they're sounding much better, not as fatiguing, but something is missing... I prefer the LS50's soundstage and details, but they're both not that great for electric guitar. The Dentons are more forgiving but I don't find them musical and they don't disappear like the LS50s do.

So what are my choices? Do I stick with bookshelf, try some floor standing? What about single driver speakers (Omega, Zu...)? Are those the answer to what I'm looking for? I need something more forgiving, musical, efficient so I can crank it up when I feel like playing along some times... I want the guitar to sound full and not thin and bright. It's a small room and not a lot of space due to my guitar gear. My budget is also limited, would like to keep it under $2k, I already have a hobby and don't want this to get out of control :)

Forgot to mention, I also have a Rel sub, so not too worried about the low end. Sorry for the long post and thanks for any help!
cedarblues
dentdog's avatar
dentdog
506 posts
 
I listen to blues I guess predominately with a bit larger system than appropriate for your room. Since not having my Mcintosh MC60 tube amps with captive power cord any longer it was necessary to buy power cords for some new amps. Found a warm one in Analysis Plus Power Oval, $100 power cord. Since my new amps draw a lot of power I moved up to the upgraded Analysis Plus, warm but tighter presentation. The Power Oval was very musical, this coming from someone who never thought power cords made much of a difference.
I'm betting the Zu Soul Supreme would punch your ticket but a bit out of your price range perhaps. Hard to find used. 
helomech
2,015 posts
 
You could save a lot of dough by getting a refurbed or mint pair of large Advents - ones with the bull-nose cabinet and "fried egg" tweeter. I have five other pairs of speakers - all far more expensive than the Advents and none are better in absolute terms.

I have upgraded/modified Heresy IIIs in my 2nd system and I’m more than a little annoyed that these 40+ year old Advents (all original except for cone surrounds) I picked up for $200/pair are the better speakers. And that’s even with the H-IIIs hooked up to the superior amplifier. And as a bonus, the Advents have a tweeter attenuation switch that allows +/flat/- 3db adjustment.

I found a blurb in an old Stereophile review where they claimed that, with the exception of scale, the Advents were/are as good as the likes of Altec A7s. That didn’t surprise me considering they outperform some $3 - 4K speakers I’ve auditioned/owned.

...and they’re great with blues.

mrdecibel
3,308 posts
 
Helomech, imo, you seem to rely on test reports and magazine reviews, rather than trying to figure out what you like, and want, in a system. If you are happy with the Advents, great for you. What have you modified / upgraded concerning the Heresy 3s ? I am assuming you dampened the mid horns, the tweeters, the woofer frames, and upgraded, even further, the crossover components. My AR 3a's will annihilate ( your wording ) your Advents, but they are still closed in and lifeless compared to some of my more modern loudspeakers, particularly a pair of modified Heresy 2s I own ( the ARs go deeper in bass, but are slower and softer ). I have the ARs because they belonged to my dad, and I will never get rid of them. I have driven them with some monstrous amplifiers, and they " are " good, and somewhat enjoyable. But, they sound like an old design, as do your Advents. But maybe, just maybe, your ears are tired of better speakers that showcase imperfections in the recordings, or your ears can no longer handle certain sounds, loudnesses, dynamics, whatever, which I believe is your point in posting here. Never hard feelings, as it is all about the music. Enjoy MrD.
mrdecibel
3,308 posts
 
I would like to point out, that when the Advent was introduced, it was a game changer that allowed so many young folks, in college, or in life, to realize excellent hifi on a budget. Yes, they were a steal back then. I still appreciate them, but, they are not as good as many $1000. speakers of today, which is likely the inflationary cost today. So again Helomech, enjoy ! MrD.
canibefrank
422 posts
 
i do not get the advent legacy love... i had a pair for 30 years until they got stolen from my garage system. I had replaced the tweeters 2 times and the woofers once... they were mediocre at best driven by SAE power and preamps... never any better thru a Marantz integrated.
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