Gripped By Upgrade Fever

missioncoonery- Comments from actual listeners. Read em and weep:  

The imaging was so good that I felt like the vocalist was performing right in front of me and that I could reach out and touch them.  

My listening impression was all the detail and nuances were presented to my ears in a most unique way. Unique to me because it was so far above any system I had heard including the last set of Monitor Audio Gold with a Prima Luna Integrated. I enjoyed hearing everything but was most shocked at Fleetwood Macs "Landslide"   

Hearing it so many times in the past and then not recognizing the intro because of the detailed soundstage. Then Chuck let Stevie Nicks sneak into the room and begin the vocals dead center right in front of me and the recognition set in.   

Thank you again for spending the afternoon with me and letting me listen to your system. Honestly, the experience was a little overwhelming.   

Clearly, there is a massive, detailed soundstage. 
 Excellent tonal balance and wide, pinpoint soundstage! Bass was tight and articulate and seemed to be coming from everywhere, but well integrated with the music, band, performance. Never boomy or out of control. Crystal clear highs and vocal midrange brought the band into the room, or, when my eyes were closed, I was transported to the venue.  In my opinion, Chuck has achieved audio nirvana- that thing about being drawn into the music and hearing more and more detail, hearing the inflection of the voice whether it's pain, joy, or spite (Cry Me a River). Horns were smooth, never harsh.  The sound was wide and big, speakers disappeared .   

Again, actual listener comments. https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367

@spenav +1 on the AudioKinesis Swarm!

@paul6001 
I have experienced significant improvements all around in multiple rooms (a 10' x 12' minus closets and a 11' x 14' living room at the old place/ 13' x 17' office and 15' x 19' living room in the new place) using the Swarm with my LS50s.  Fuller, tighter, clearer and faster bass.
The soundstage depth, width and height noticeably increased.

Similar outstanding results as well with my Harbeth SHL5+40ths, Magnepan LRS and most noticeably on a pair of 15 ohm Rogers LS3/5As from the late 70s.

It really is impressive what a well thought out and implemented subwoofer system can do.

Even more so with smaller monitors.

If upgrade fever is unavoidable, at least consider a subwoofer system as an initial first step.

Also, don't be intimidated by having ''several'' subs in your listening area.  I managed four subs (2 facing the ceiling up on a high shelf, 2 on the floor) in a tiny room.

Not sure what size listening room you have but ironically multiple subs have a greater percentage improvement in smaller rooms.

Best of luck in your upgrade quest!

I agree with the comments on adding a sub to what you have now. I have been running LS50's for the last 4-5 years and have them paired with a REL 7i sub and it completes the picture for my small listening room. If tuned well, it will blend perfectly. Then focus on the gear driving them as the LS50's will reward you with any improvements you make in the stack.

Paul 
I have had quite a bit of experience with speakers and they are really difficult to sort our. One idea that has stuck with me is the thought that companies that make large quantities of models, they might have a line of budget speaker, $500 to $1500 then slightly higher speakers ranging from 2k to 6K then a range that is higher and on and on. I don't think they are really dedicated. Just trying to sell boxes. They have to sell a lot of boxes with the advertising etc. 

So I have looked for companies that are smaller more focused. Companies with a house sound. A couple examples might me ProAc, Larsen is new with a modest production, haven't heard them but heard good things. Go for midrange. No one on these pages even talk about midrange the discussion always goes to the bass.. When I had a shop I had a number of monitors and never once felt the need to hook up a subwoofer.

Thanks for all the good advice, everyone. I appreciate the good intentions.

I’m not doing anything anytime soon. It’s just that the LS50s have given me a sense of what’s possible. Now that I know, I want more! (I’m sure everyone reading any of these forums can identify.) I spent my first week of ownership knocked out, with a stupid grin on my face.

But as soon as I was fully conscious, I was looking for pre-1962 pennies to put under the speaker spikes. (In an earlier post, I acknowledged that all of my tweaking/positioning attempts led nowhere, that the new speakers sound best on the same stands in the same position as the old ones.) And now I’m starting to think about future upgrades.

I have no doubt that my next upgrade will be a sub. If I had any sense, I would take that and these speakers and a sub to my grave. I’m continually surprised by reading reviews of seriously big, seriously expensive (20K+) speakers that the reviewer says sound best with subs. The race for a single, full-range speaker may be a race better not entered.

Did we ever get an answer about RATFLMAO?

I even spent a few quick minutes looking for a cheap sub that I could slide under the couch. After the third time I read that “audiophiles always prefer no sub to a mediocre one,” I gave up that idea.

Tekton is clearly a company that would disagree with my simpler is better idea. Funny, the Mini-Lore was the last speaker in the running before I went KEF. That is essentially one full range driver with a super-tweeter. Still, all of their complexity is supported to pay big dividends. Any problems, MC?

To me, my mild case of audiophilia leaves me with two lasting questions:

1) I think we can all agree that the phrase “it’s all about the music” falls apart in a mild breeze. But what if you were a classical music fan. Supposedly, Dudamel and the LA Phil are doing something quite special these days, a real “once in a generation” moment. Why wouldn’t you treat yourself to a subscription and 20 weekends in Los Angeles instead of a new set of speakers? I know that I prioritize live music—remember live music?—far above these speakers and a prize these speakers a lot.

2) Why don’t most people give the first thought to the quality of the music they listen to? I’m not talking about being an audiophile. The reasons people reject high-end audio are so many and so obvious that I laugh every time I hear someone from Stereophile ask, “Where are the young audiophiles?” (Perhaps they’re driven away by the lunacy that takes a CD player and turns it into two boxes costing twice as much. Could you imagine Apple announcing that the next generation iPhone would now come in two pieces—one for the phone, one for the apps—and cost double?) But the masses settle for so little. Do they like wearing ear pods all day? Don’t they realize what they could hear for no more than the price of a phone? Me and my friends are a little past our yuppie years. Got a few bucks in the bank, staying home most nights. If we aren’t buying stereo gear then no one is. One guy makes an effort, the rest don’t even have an audio source wired to their soundbars. I just don’t get it.

But I shouldn’t stir up trouble in what has been such a lovely thread. I’m just goofing around. You’ll know I’m serious when I start asking for sub advice. Until then, thank you for the thoughts.