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Speaker upgrade for classical music

Hi, I need recommendations for a speaker upgrade. I’m a classical violinist and listen almost exclusively to classical, opera and jazz. No movies, Atmos, etc.  I have a 17x14 listening room (doubles as practice room) with acoustical treatments (phase coherent diffusers at main reflection points and regular ones elsewhere).
Half my listening is in stereo and half in multi-channel (4.0 and 5.1).   All my recordings are either CDs or high-res—DSD and FLAC—audio files. I don’t have a turntable. 

My current system: Marantz SR 8012 amp, Yamaha S1000 CD transport, Exasound e38 DAC and Sigma streamer (connected to the Marantz with analog 5.0 inputs). Speakers: Polk Rti A7 stereo, CSi A6 center, Rti A3 surround, and dual REL T/7i subs. 
What I want: speakers with improved musical detail and clarity that really reproduces the expansiveness of the symphony hall or church. I like a warmer sound than a drier one.  What’s most important to me is to hear what the recording engineer heard. Budget: say 8k or less.

Recommendations?  One other thing: Can I try them out?  And how?  I’m in Santa Fe, not a huge metropolis with lots of audiophile shops. 
Thanks very much. 
ssmaudio
corelli
941 posts
 
As much as I have enjoyed Magnepans in the past, they have several limitations for the OP.

For one, they are very demanding of amplification. This has been documented ad nauseum so I won’t get into that.

More critically, they inflate the image and are not what I hear in a concert hall. In my dedicated audio room, even set up ideally with room treatments, they were limited in this regard.

My Tekton DI’s recreate a much more precise and realistic recreation of a concert hall. Instrument location, depth, instrument size are all much more accurate. One can debate what accounts for this--wave launch, back wave interference, among others.

Right now I am listening to an old CD, An English Christmas, performed in Westminster Cathedral. Choir, brass, thundering organ. Magnificent! (My DI’s are augmented by a pair of subs)

I have had the pleasure on hearing music in that cathedral, among others. My current system transports me back to that place and brings a smile to my face.

Best wishes on your search.

P.S.--virtuoso violin performances have sounded great on the DI’s.
bassdude
455 posts
 
Harbeth 40.2
Harbeth 30.1 or 30.2
Maggies with REL subs
Spatial Audio M3
schubert
7,386 posts
 
A playing review from the Totem one step below the
forest from a classical music freak!
https://youtu.be/GyC6OcG5DC4?t=4
The young man speaks the truth and nothing but the truth !

And if they selling the Forest in Italy you can be Sure they are top.
https://youtu.be/MpoIyL5hV_E?t=4


And a fantastic salute to the Canadian speaker industry in general .



https://youtu.be/2vCJ-pO3BlI
jonathanje
5 posts
 
I hear you literally, as a former classical musician myself I looked long and hard before settling on Bowers & Wilkins speakers up to my current Nautilus 805s.  I just listened to the new Anniversary series stand mount 607s and was AWESTRUCK.  And they're under $1000 a pair plus about 200 for the stands I think. If you've got budget you could look at the 700 or 800 series and/or towers, but honestly I'm not sure they're vastly superior unless you also intend to upgrade your sources at some point.  Good luck

NUJonathan
Ag insider logo xs@2x
islandmandan
1,260 posts
 
I can't believe no one has mentioned Tannoy speakers, but after a large amount of time on this planet (73 years), most of it has been spent listening to Tannoys. I can't recommend them highly enough. They sound (and look), extremely well with just about any music.

I got my first pair in 1971, and I still use them happily today. They work very well in my multi-channel system, where KEFs are used for center and surrounds, they work well, as they are also Dual-Concentric in design.

Try to hear a few Tannoys. I think you will be glad you made the effort.

Best regards, and good luck,
Dan
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