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End Game(ish) Speakers - Help Deciding

Hi folks,

Long time lurker, posting for input on upgrading my speakers to an end game(ish) purchase - famous last words I know.  I’m middle aged, and listen to a broad range of music, predominantly classic rock.  

Current core system:

  • Altec Lansing Model 14 speakers (similar to LaScalas)
  • McIntosh MA9000 integrated amp
  • Vinyl (Project X1 Bronze 2M) and digital media (Mc DAC)

I’m looking to upgrade my speakers.  I’ve done a significant amount of research, which has - in some ways - left me more confused than certain.  There are many choices and exponentially more opinions.  

One of the key things I am looking for is a floorstanding speaker with sufficient bass and presence to not require subs.  I am also looking for a speaker which can pressurize the room and provide that visceral feeling you get from the right combination of components.  My room is 14’x34’.  Decently dampened in terms of floor and reflectivity - however it’s also my living room and I do need to consider my (tolerant) wife’s aspects of decor as well.

I grew up hearing friends’ parents’ speakers like Klipschorns - which made a BIG impression on me.  We didn’t know what they were at the time, only that they absolutely rocked.  Same with the Altecs.  So I had some influences there in terms of horns and large speakers.

I have found that many of the newer floorstanding models that I’ve heard in demos lack that presence - other than the top models where you typically find woofers in the 8"+ range and hence you get what I would call a full dynamic range (say below 40Hz-20KHz).  It’s unfortunate that the larger woofer options aren’t provided in lower end models, but I suppose this is how they market the top tier models and differentiate them.

I’ve narrowed my list down to the following, and would welcome comments and suggestions.  I live in Canada, my budget is around $20K CAD - give or take, and I am fine with used equipment vs. new and for this list I’m mostly assuming used.

  1. Klipschorn AK6 or 7
  2. B&W 801/802 D3 or D4
  3. Sonus Faber Amati (Tradtion or G5)
  4. Wilson Sasha or similar
  5. Kef Blade Meta (or similar model)

An issue I have is that I haven’t been able to audition some of these in person.  I would aim to do so before purchasing.  My research thus far has been academic, and also some subjective listening on YouTube to various channels and samples and piecing that together.

Thanks for your time/interest.

chris71
chris71 OP
8 posts
 

@jrdavisphd sounds like a road trip!  Thx

Those Joseph Crowe speakers are pretty amazing and unique. 

alexberger
956 posts
 

You can try to listen to Coherent Audio model 18. It is made in Canada.

I visit Montreal Audio Fest every year, and nothing there sounds as good. 

I also use an Altec 604E that is a little bit similar to your current speakers. I personally don't like mainstream low sensitive tower audiophile speakers (that people recommend you here). They never impressed me. They always sound artificial and boring to me. I also think Coherent Audio model 18 is much better than any Klipsch I heard. It is a different league in terms of naturalness and accuracy.

I also recommend you to listen to Fyne Audio speakers. But they are not as good value for money as Coherent Audio.

dayglow
2,433 posts
 

My advice would be the B&W 801 D4. Why? With the current equipment, preferred music genre and resale value/demand the iconic 801 D4 makes sense. Don't worry about the 800 series critics no loudspeaker is even close to perfection. Both Sonus Faber and Wilson Audio are much more critical with placement and electronics. Despite what some might claim Sonus Faber is not the best choice for Classic Rock when compared to B&W, Wilson, the less resolving Klipschorn or even the clinical sounding Kef Blade.

mashif
471 posts
 

I'm a bit surprised that no one has mentioned ATC. The SCM 50 and 100 will rock or whisper with the same authority.

The other one to consider is JBL 4367 or for a more traditional look, the S3900. JBL knows horns better than anyone. 

hjdca's avatar
hjdca
247 posts
 

@chris71 

Chris, I wanted to make sure that you knew that you might want to do some maintenance on the older Wilsons.  For example, the Watt/Puppy 8 and older, and the Sophia 2 and older use diffraction foam on the front of the cabinet that decays over time, it crumbles.  Wilson makes replacements, but, they are not cheap, and it is kind of a messy job to replace the foam.  In addition, the resistors in the "Watt" are made to be changed.  Wilson sells the replacement resistors, but, again, they are not cheap.  When I bought my used Watt/Puppy 8 at a great price, I decided to change the diffraction foam on the cabinets and the resistors.  Personally, I think the Watt/Puppy 8 sound glorious and I am confident everything after this model probably sounds better.  I am not sure which foam the Sasha’s have, so, I will post some pictures here so that you can tell the difference.  The older foam is a lighter grey foam, while the new foam is a charcoal that looks like wool.  You can save yourself from this foam replacement decision by buying Wilsons after they changed over to the new foam.  

Pic of my Watt/Puppy 8 with the older Foam - notice crumbling near the speaker cover attachment points. 

 

Here is a pic of the W/P 8 after I replaced the diffraction foam with the Wilson new foam.  It comes already fit and cutout for the speaker. 

 

Here is a close up shot of the newer foam.  It is more like charcoal wool. 

 

Here is a picture of underneath the "Watt".  There is a cutout where you can open the speaker and see the bottom of the crossover which is embedded in some kind of resin.  This is where you change the 3 resistors. 

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