More Dynamic Speakers Than Vienna Acoustic

The new Perfect Set speaker from Tekton looks interesting. $1800

I'd second the Tekton Double Impacts.  They would be about the largest speaker to make it within your size limitations.  The finish is OK if you pay extra, but the drivers themselves don't look as nice as other speakers.  I've heard the Double Impacts, the DI SE's, and the best version, not available through just the manufacturer, is Bill Dion's highly upgraded model with better drivers, Duelund direct wiring to each driver individually, and an extremely outboard crossover.  This exact speaker is about all anyone could want in sound.  I get to hear it several times a year at a good friends' house.  They are powered by the very small Nuforce Ref 9 V3 SE mono amps with TDSS level 3 upgrades--put out about 225-250 watts per channel with the TDSS upgrade.  There is nothing you could want in a speaker of this size that could sound much better than these.  You might be able to talk Bill into making you a pair if you got the Tekton DI's first.  He is grannyring on Audiogon.

The other in your size that would be very dynamic and more wife friendly in appearance is the ATC 40 speakers.  They are pretty good looking, and about 60% of the size of the DI's.  They have a very dense and heavy cabinet so they weigh about 70 lbs. each.  Very dynamic speaker with outstanding mids, and dynamic, punchy bass.  They are about $3500-4200 used or almost $7000 new.  ATC speakers are used in several top flight recording studios.  They would need more power also.  Then DI's would like more power but would still play loud OK with 30 watts.  I've heard the ATC 40's in a store with McIntosh electronics and they sounded pretty good.  There is no question in my mind they would have been considerably better with the Nuforce amps my buddy and I have.  

Bob


 

it might be the fact that you are overdriving the 30 watt tube amp.  I have a 30 watt mastersound set amp and when it gets to a certain volume level it just levels out with no more dynamics, I just got in a 140 watt norma integrated and the dynamics are much more pronounced.

either get more efficient speakers or more power.

“You need more power!”  (quoting Arnold, or maybe Lars Ulrich)

It's what VA's do well that attracts us to them, but I did find myself listening to more small ensemble jazz with them. Every other speaker since has it's favorite type of music tho'.