The dreaded speaker question...

I have a pair of Tannoy 637's that are also doubling as my home theater L/R speakers driven by a Sunfire Cinema Grand Signature, a Rotel processor and Marantz CD player. The VTA ST70 is on it's way to be built so I'm starting to research speakers for a dedicated 2 channel setup. I imagine it will be all CD's at first, but I won't be surprised to be into a turntable shortly after the setup is complete. For preamps going to look at the Halo 5 and see if I can get an audition, as well as consider some of the preamps from tubes4hifi.

My Tannoys are very musical, but a bit bright. I am happy with them but I was "spoilt" by listening so some great setups at Audio Classics, in great sound rooms. Some McIntosh speakers, B&W and a pair of Klipsch RF-7 II's that were very nice but I keep hearing I won't like the horn tweeter : (

In any event, I would prefer to buy from Audio Classics as they will trade with me, sell demo or used, let me bring them home to try, and I'm only a few miles away (not to mention I'm lucky enough to literally see McIntosh Labs across the river from my house.) There is a limit to what I can afford or will buy even if I could afford it. Audio Classics can do Tannoy, B&W, Klipsch and Legacy among others. I was going to look seriously at Legacy until I saw some of the prices, ouch.

I will be playing about 50% blues, 20% classical and 30% rock/pop..etc. I would not rule out a subwoofer. I would like a big soundstage please  

I would like to be $3,000 or under and I figure I can get more responses on other forums, but you folks are most likely using the amp I will be using and you've all been pretty helpful. Any suggestions or advice is recommended.

Laminarman wrote:I have a pair of Tannoy 637's that are also doubling as my home theater L/R speakers driven by a Sunfire Cinema Grand Signature, a Rotel processor and Marantz CD player.  The VTA ST70 is on it's way to be built so I'm starting to research speakers for a dedicated 2 channel setup.  I imagine it will be all CD's at first, but I won't be surprised to be into a turntable shortly after the setup is complete.  For preamps going to look at the Halo 5 and see if I can get an audition, as well as consider some of the preamps from tubes4hifi.  

My Tannoys are very musical, but a bit bright.  I am happy with them but  I was "spoilt" by listening so some great setups at Audio Classics, in  great sound rooms.  Some McIntosh speakers, B&W and a pair of Klipsch RF-7 II's that were very nice but I keep hearing I won't like the horn tweeter : (

In any event, I would prefer to buy from Audio Classics as they will trade with me, sell demo or used, let me bring them home to try, and I'm only a few miles away (not to mention I'm lucky enough to literally see McIntosh Labs across the river from my house.)  There is a limit to what I can afford or will buy even if I could afford it.  Audio Classics can do Tannoy, B&W, Klipsch and Legacy among others.  I was going to look seriously at Legacy until I saw some of the prices, ouch.  

I will be playing about 50% blues, 20% classical and 30% rock/pop..etc.  I would not rule out a subwoofer.  I would like a big soundstage please  

I would like to be $3,000 or under and I figure I can get more responses on other forums, but you folks are most likely using the amp I will be using and you've all been pretty helpful.  Any suggestions or advice is recommended.  

Why don't you wait for the vta and then after prolonged listening decide if you want any other speakers.

Beeing "bright" might be another way of expressing distortion.

peterh wrote:Why don't you wait for the vta and then after prolonged listening decide if you want any other speakers.

Beeing "bright" might be another way of expressing distortion.

Well, because I'm committed to the Tannoys for the theater system for now with the rears built into the wall and with a center channel.  I can't set up the VTA as well there due to space constraints (plus, I want a separate "man cave" where I can listen away from the ruckus of three kids and a wife who have zero interest in sitting in a dark room sipping wine and immersing ones self.)   I also want something with a bit larger sound.

Have you considered updating the crossovers of your speakers? I've found swapping the caps to be a very effective upgrade for old speakers. Iron core inductors can also be replaced with equivalent value air-core inductors to good effect. In many factory speakers the crossovers often get the compromised to cut costs.

corndog71 wrote:Have you considered updating the crossovers of your speakers?  I've found swapping the caps to be a very effective upgrade for old speakers.  Iron core inductors can also be replaced with equivalent value air-core inductors to good effect.  In many factory speakers the crossovers often get the compromised to cut costs.

I did not consider that, but I think maybe I wasn't clear in my post and that's my fault.  I will NOT be using these speakers as they're part of a built in home theater system that has doubled as a "stereo system."  I want a dedicated two channel in another part of the house away from the 19' foot ceiling and kids/dogs/televisions where I can relax, so I will be purchasing another pair of speakers.  These will stay where they are but I'm using them as a reference to move up I guess you could say.  Sorry if I was confusing.

I love my Zu Soul Superfly's. They are designed around tubes amps that have 16 ohm output.
Incredible sound stage and they have in home trials.

Shopping for speakers should be like shopping for shoes. You really need to go and listen to them in order to best judge what works for you. Do your homework.

Otherwise you may as well get bose speakers and call it a day.

For your $3000 budget, I recommend you audition some Quad-ESL speakers.

hawaii.ken wrote:For your $3000 budget, I recommend you audition some Quad-ESL speakers.

Thank you. I'll also research the Zu's. I'd like to have a half dozen different brands to look hard at, if nothing tickles my fancy I'll shop outside of town since Audio Classics is the only place in town to buy gear.

Monitor Audio and Wharfdale are pretty nice-sounding for the money.

Totem Acoustic Forest. Love mine.
Dedicated 2 channel, music only.
Subwoofer need not apply.


http://totemacoustic.com/en/hi-fi/columns/forest/specifications/

I LOVE the horn tweeters in my 1986 Forte's. Very nice with my 12 watt PP 2A3. Greeat soundstage.

I have (and really like) Harbeth Compact 7ES3 speakers. For your budget, you'd have to get them used, but...if you get a chance to hear them, I think you'll like them.

I'd love to help, but unfortunately, I bought a set of McIntosh XR16's 30 years ago and never felt the need to audition anything else ...

DO check out the classics ... many times you'll find a silk purse trapped inside a pig's ear. A bit of TLC, driver and crossover rebuild, and you're good to go for a long way down the road. Mostly all they need is a refoam, new capacitors, and a good home.

Nice call, Bob. Those Tyler speakers have their crossovers designed by Danny Richie of GR Research. He also designed my speakers, the AV123 X-Statiks.


AV123 went out of business but Danny is still selling off the remaining drivers and crossovers as kits as well as his own higher end kits. Those Tylers are very nice speakers.

Thank you Bob and everyone else. I have some good information cooking now!

Check out the B&W line of speakers. I have a pair of B&W 683's. OK - they are not B&W's premium 800 series but I can't afford those anyway. The thing I liked about all the B&W speaker when I went to audition them is that they are all pretty efficient at 90 dB or higher efficiency so you don't need a lotta watts to drive them. Bob's VTA ST-120 drives them louder than I care to listen to in my fairly large 16 by 22 foot listening room. DrewK

There's a nice pair of Vandersteen 3A signatures on fleabay right now for $2,650 OBO:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/One-pair-Birch-Finish-Vandersteen-Model-3A-Signature-speakers-with-base-/121236864024?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item1c3a47bc18

Also a couple pair of Vandy 2CE signatures for much less. I have owned 2CE sigs in the past and they do benefit from a subwoofer (use the Vandy xover for $75 with a used powered 2Wq subwoof) but they are reasonably efficient high 80s dB as-is and they like tubes.

Really help if we knew what the room dimensions are and your musical preferences?

Recently listened to a very nice set of Focal Aria 926's ... incredible presence ... around $3k for a pair, but they need a fairly large room to really shine.

sKiZo wrote:Really help if we knew what the room dimensions are and your musical preferences?

Recently listened to a very nice set of Focal Aria 926's ... incredible presence ... around $3k for a pair, but they need a fairly large room to really shine.

Yo Schizo, I don't know my dimensions because I haven't finished my amp yet. Nor picked my pre-amp. Nor my speakers. And I haven't decided which room or the basement I'm using. It will LIKELY be a 14x20 room but with rather low ceilings (7.5'), studs up against concrete walls and laminate or wood flooring over concrete. It will be solid and tight, because I will most likely be booted to the basement by my wife (which is OK by me.)

I really want the Totem Hawks. Totem builds a nice speaker that will have your toes tapping in no time. I like them maybe even more than the Forest model (which does go deeper). My ST-70 drives a pair of Totem Mites, with which along with a small REL sub, I get most of what I want. It's in a tiny room, though.

Vandersteen, is of course always a good, reliable performer. Guaranteed good sound, just perhaps less than sexy.

I would like to hear the Tyler Acoustics speakers. They do have a good rep.

There's a pair of Vandersteen 5s on Audiogon right now for $5k.
They have powered subwoofs built in.
http://app.audiogon.com/listings/full-range-vandersteen-model-5s-2013-12-06-speakers-94903

I have 5A Carbons, which are the latest iteration; these babies on Audiogon would be maybe 8 years old for less than one-sixth the price of a new pair. The powered (200wpc) subwoofs takes all the heavy lifting away from your tube amp; you can drive the 5s with 35 WPC tubes no problem and rattle windows a block away with the 1812 Overture's cannon-fire.

You'd be looking at motor freight to ship them out of California; they weigh about 180 lbs apiece, but no crating costs as the seller still has the original wood framed boxes.

No, I'm not on commission. But I love the Vandies because hooked to the right gear (i.e. a VTA amp and a Mottram preamp) and a good source, they're not sexy at all. They just simply disappear.

www.troelsgravesen.dk/Diy_Loudspeaker_Projects.htm

www.meniscusaudio.com

www.selahaudio.com

www.vaporsound.com

www.diysoundgroup.com

A few places where you can obtain kits, components, or designs for some very fine speakers. If you build your own amp, why not the speakers also?

Parts Express has some interesting line arrays for a couple grand ...



180 drivers ... yikes!