Speaker Lust

[rollo]

   SOOOOOOOOOOOO, anything out there that is begging for a listen ?
   

charles

[sleepyguy24]

With the amount of ads I've received from Stereo Exchange I really want to listen to the ALL NEW Bowers & Wilkins 800D3 series.

This one really interests me but I don't have the space for any of these speakers.

Ohm Acoustics 20/20K Series Walsh Speakers.

http://ohmspeaker.com/news/two-new-models-in-20-20k-series-walsh-speakers/

For headphones I really want to listen to the Mr.Speakers Ether C

[richidoo]

Good topic and good timing Charlie, I just decided to get new speakers this morning, so I hope this topic blooms with some good ideas, though I doubt I can afford the kind of speakers that AN's jaded audiophiles lust after.

I've lost much of the lust for gear that I felt when first entering this hobby. I view the system more as an appliance now. I believe the machine is just the messenger. But do have a pulse and I'm still very attracted to these sonic 'beauties'...

Legacy Aeris
Revel Ultima Salon2
Thiel CS3.7

"Practical" speakers I'd consider actually settling down with...

B&W CM10 S2
Tannoy DC8Ti
Legacy Focus SE
Legacy Signature SE
Revel Performa3 F208

[etcarroll]

I lust for the Aeris, but would be happy to give either of the other 2 Legacy speakers you mention a listen.

[rollo]

  Guys check out PSB. IMO over achievers ALL models. Do not forget Maggies 3.7i. Truly Kaboom for the buck.
   Rich you do not find Revel and Thiel to be bright ? The Legacy and Tannoy may suit your musicians taste mo better.
   I like the GTA however my concern is the copper ribbon and wire used for panel may oxidize. I could be wrong they may be coated copper. Hope so.
  Actually been thinking about going back to Maggies with a pair of OB DIY subs. Since I still own a AR DR259 servo Mk2 240W of triode power ] and yes again the Arions at 1000W into 4 Ohms.
  Maggies $5500 list and subs $1600 [ DIY ] so $7100 new. Used better.
   If i had the scratch it would be Rockport baby. No Magico for me. No BRIGHT speakers for me.


charles


charles
   

[Nick B]

Speaking of Legacy, years ago I auditioned a pair and returned them. Can't really recall what I didn't like. FedEx trashed one of them on the way back....but did pay the claim. I'd love to give another Legacy a try, but the budget won't allow it. 

[tmazz]

 Since I still own a AR DR259 servo Mk2 240W of triode power

FYI, just for the record, while your Classic 60 amp runs in triode mode, the D 250 series amps all UltraLinear  amps, a blend of triode and pentode, in which the screen grid has a percentage (between 0% and 100%) of the plate's output signal impressed on it. This is the basis of the ultra-linear circuit, and is usually achieved by incorporating a suitable "tap" on the primary winding of the output transformer that the vacuum tube (electron valve) is connected to. If it did offer the option  of pure triode operation the output wattage would most likely be cut t0 50% or less of what it provides in the ultralinear mode,

Not to take anything away from the D 250, which is a great sounding piece, it is just not a triode amp.

[ejk]

Anyone ever hear these ?

[pumpkinman]

Rich what about Usher speakers ??

[richidoo]

   Rich you do not find Revel and Thiel to be bright ? The Legacy and Tannoy may suit your musicians taste mo better.

I've only heard the Revels at demos at show or store. The big Revels always sound like shit at demos because they use the flagship #53 digital Levison amp on every demo. The best measuring amp ever made, and the worst sounding amp ever made all rolled into one. One time at my local dealer's annual stereo open house they were using the #53s on different speakers so they were forced to use the 2nd class crap analog Levinson 532 amp ($18k) on the Salons. The speakers went from sounding like The Terminator out to kill me, to sounding like Kate Upton in Game of War ad, voluptuous flesh wrapped in steel armor. Very impressive. Give them 200W of Audio Research tubes and it would be game on.

I only heard the Thiel CS3.7s once, at RMAF with VTL system. It was lean and very detailed. You're right, I was happiest with the less detailed and bloated bass Focus 2020 with 50W tube amp.  Hard to break old audiophile addictions.

Rich what about Usher speakers ??

I had their top model Be20 for a couple years. They were very good, but also very detailed. They were very demanding of upstream electronics, I couldn't afford the quality of SS amp they required. But when my tube amps were working right it was very fun. I sold them when housing market tanked because new home sales is our family income, so I couldn't store that kind of cash in hifi gear. Also Usher was lying about beryllium tweeters, promising fixes that never came, importer went under.. it was an unfortunate situation. They are way overpriced now.

[richidoo]

Anyone ever hear these ?

Nope. The far separated tweeters should make severe vertical lobing interference patterns, but obviously Zu thinks they sound good, so maybe they are onto something. Maybe the lobes are so closely spaced that they don't sound like lobes. or maybe one is disconnected? 

[mfsoa]

Don't mean to make this sound like an ad for my brothers store, but I can add some commentary on some of the previous commentary, and then redeem myself at the end...

I heard the new B&W 803D3 at bro's store and they are fantastic. Much better than the 802 Diamonds. So open and clear in a way that the 802 never was. But $17K yikes they better clean the house for that money. I was so impressed that I rushed to bring my Marashinos in to hear w/ the 803s. It sounded like crap tho because the nice but complicated  Classe pre we were using must have been employing some bass management or EQ that we weren't aware of. Confirmed because the nice Classe amp there also sounded like crap in the same way! Only after removing the Maras did we engage the Analog Direct mode and the system sounded right again. Oh well some other day.

The last thing I'd call the Revel F series is too bright. When bro was trying to decide whether to bring Focal or Revel in, one of the sales guys did not care for the Revels as they were very dark vs. the Focals, to his ears. My F206s are certainly not bright, IMO.

Dad has the Salon 2's and is grossly under-sourcing them at his house in a huge living room, using a top-o-the line Marantz AVR. Eeeewww. I tell him he's gotta juice 'em up. Parents, sometimes they just don't listen.  Effin sweet speakers, tho the tweeter is a mile high - You'd need a big room.

OK now the redemption - I want Maggies. The 1.7's (not 1.7i's) that I heard at my friends place were amazingly good, and for $2K holy crap what a deal. I do fear what my kitties would do to them though.

[jbtrio]

For my 300b amps, Horning Eufrodite, Voxativ 9.87 pi, and maybe Teresonic Ingeniums. Love the Volti's and Classic Audio speakers but they are big speakers and take up a lot of floor space.

[tmazz]

..........They are way overpriced now.

What isn't these days?

[GT Audio Works]

   I like the GTA however my concern is the copper ribbon and wire used for panel may oxidize. I could be wrong they may be coated copper. Hope so.
 


charles


charles
  

Have no concerns Charles...You could be wrong... and you are.
Greg