I would also recommend YG acoustics if you like the AMT'S. I think you would like the sound although different technology.
Are there any current production great speakers using AMT tweeters?
Back in the day, I had fallen in love with the ESS Heil AMT speakers, which were always too large and too expensive. Now that I am looking for a new speaker, I am wondering if there are any current high end monitors that use these tweeters? Or have good ribbons made the AMT tweeters less desirable?
My budget is in the $5k to $15k range, new or used, so don’t tell me about some of the $1k speakers that I know are out there, no matter how good they might be.
Stand mount is preferable, but a floor standing with a small footprint might be workable in my smallish room.
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My first job in a HiFi store in 1973 introduced me to ESS AMT-1 Towers. Previously I had heard the original AMT-1 and dismissed it as having boomy, unserious bass response, but the Tower entirely cured that, with solid, extended low resonance bottom end to match the AMT’s sparkling treble. Truly a pleasure to listen to. I have seen these for sale on occasion. In an attempt to capture that magic, I got a pair of Wharfedale Elysian 1 stand mount speakers. They are nice for sure, but not in the same league as the ESS. |
https://philharmonicaudio.com/
You should seriously consider this company’s BMR Monitor or BMR Towers. |
AMTs can be problematic to crossover and flatten out, they are generally considered to be superior to ribbons as they are super fast, and the Heils can crossover at 800hz. I recently purchased their latest ESS AMT 1D Revival speakers. They have none for sale currently, I don't know if they will be in production again or not. I upgraded and or bypassed components in the crossovers. While the improvements were seriously good, I'm virtually never content with good in audio, so I built new crossovers without the variable l pads and such. They sound amazing. You may want to check out the Qualio IQ Ultras. They gave Steve Huff "earganisms", his word. |
Many decades ago, I had a pair of ESS speakers with AMT tweeters that were initially dramatic but ultimately disappointing. These turned out to produce sound that was mostly "boom and sizzle," with poor integration of the tweeter and woofer. I was very happy to move on to more satisfying speakers, and I lived fairly happily for many years with the metal dome tweeters in a pair of Thiel floor standers. More recently, I replaced the Thiels with PS Audio Aspen FR10s, which have very sophisticated planar-magnetic tweeters and midrange units. These speakers have a very clear and natural sound that is sweet, smooth, and realistic. I consider these to be significantly more satisfying than any AMTs or dome tweeters I have heard. Take a look at the many positive reviews online. The FR10s are definitely in your price range, as would be a used FR20 pair. PS Audio offers some trade-in deals on new speakers as well as 60-day in-home trials. |
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