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Speaker upgrade question.

Hi all, 
I haven't been here for quite a while as I've been happy with my KEF Reference Three-Twos driven by a Musical Fidelity A308. They're both vintage but they sound great together and fit my somewhat weird room. I'm pondering spending some bucks in the 3-6K range for new (used) speakers and I have a few questions. Thanks ahead of time for anyone who's not too busy to help.
First, would I be  upgrading beyond what my amp is capable of keeping up with? The MF is fairly powerful, but I'm not sure of its limitations since they don't show up in my current system.
Secondly, how high up the price ladder would I need to go before I'd find speakers that offer an obvious improvement over my KEFs to most ears. There would be little point to pony up money for a comparable sound, however much I subjectively prefer subtle differences.
Finally, for reference purposes, can anyone tell me how the following modern speakers might compare or contrast with mine? (Some aren't in my price range, I know) Triton 1R, Kef R7, comparably priced Monitor, Revel, Gato, Paradigm, etc. I wouldn't mind a bit more punch and a bit more bass than I have now, mostly just to experience a different sound - I respect the KEF signature sound.
I know that sometimes it's hard to accept the premises of these types of questions since such matters are so subjective and a lot of folks like to lobby for their favorite brands. I guess I'm not seeking advice about what to buy. I just want to understand the benefit to me of more modern speakers. It's quite possible it makes no sense for me to upgrade.
Thanks again.
Marc
128x128m669326
terry9
2,248 posts
 
I point out that you’ll have to spend BIG bucks to get the same refined sound direct from a manufacturer. Whereas the crossover upgrade is well within your budget.

I've done it with Magnepans, I've done it with Quad ESL's. Always a significant improvement. For your KEFs, maxing out within reason, probably 2-3K per. I like copper foil air core inductors like Alpha-Core, MIT multi-cap (RTX series) capacitors, Mills non-inductive wire wound resistors. You CAN do better than these, but it's costly or tricky, or both. Start with these brands and you can't go wrong. When I tested parts, I found some that were far costlier but much inferior. With the suggested brands you really can't go wrong. 
m669326's avatar
m669326 OP
326 posts
 
Hi all. Thanks for your input.
Rodge: It's a large, weird room with no real corners, lots of open areas, a wall of glass, a thick rug, and a complex slanting ceiling. The walls are veneered plywood. So basically it's a crap room for audio and there's nothing much I can do about it, Otherwise, it's a wonderful room with a fantastic view.
Tomic: can you tell me more about your post. Assume I'm an idiot, which I mostly am about all this.
Another question: I'm using the wireless Audioengine devices because physical wires from my Mac to my amp would be a mess in my room, and the DAC in them is decent, if not at a level that matches the rest of the system. So if I upgrade the DAC, I have to let go of the nearly lossless wireless function. Is there a solution to this?
Ijerens: thank you. That info is very helpful and may be what guides me the most in the end.
I'll look into the Moabs, of course.
m

m669326's avatar
m669326 OP
326 posts
 
I just read your post, Terry. It sounds like a great idea, but I'm intimidated by it. Would I be likely to find someone who can do the work? What are the odds someone would screw it up?
m669326's avatar
m669326 OP
326 posts
 
The Moabs are monstrous! (Not wife-friendly, even if I liked the looks).
terry9
2,248 posts
 
Any decent tech can do it. You just need to get him a schematic. All he has to do is lay it out (because the components are bigger) and solder. And test, of course.

What about the dealer who sold you the KEF's? His service tech is probably damned good, and he might be quite keen to do it, just to see how good the speakers can become.
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