duckrabbit
Member
Although my recently acquired E-202 “deserves” better I haven’t found anything to replace my trusty old Usher S-520 II. I’ve home-demoed the following, yet none of them clearly surpassed the Ushers, all things considered.
I’m looking for tight bass, sweetness and air in the mids and highs, and wide soundstage. As said, the Dreamcatchers had just the right tone but the cabinets just made them sound too small and hollow in my room.
I’m considering at least the following:
ATC SCM11 (detail and tightness, but too clinical even with the Accuphase?)
ATC SCM19 (will the Accuphase have enough watts? I could get these for 2000 e)
KEF R3 (look great, interesting review in whifi, but too much bass?)
Harbeth P3ESR (if these are as good as they say for chamber music, maybe I could live with the lack of sub 60 hz?)
Budget max 2000 euros. Suggestions?
- Quad 12 L: (only tried with my Quad 303): too relaxed and lazy, not much more detail, just more muddy bass
- Harbeth 30.1 (only tried with my Quad 303): Good for string quartets and jazz but lacked punch, muddy bass, too big for my room (probably needed more watts)
- Totem Dreamcatcher: beautiful alluring, tight, airy, clear, but simply too small. Otherwise these would have been perfect.
- Totem Model 1 Signature (early 2000 model): beautiful detail and clarity, tight, but a bit too cold and analytical, not much punch - the best I’ve demoed though
- Totem Rainmaker: top end and upper mids beautiful and alluring, wide and airy, but reduced mids and muddy bass (which was a surprise), boomy lower mids, very little punch
I’m looking for tight bass, sweetness and air in the mids and highs, and wide soundstage. As said, the Dreamcatchers had just the right tone but the cabinets just made them sound too small and hollow in my room.
I’m considering at least the following:
ATC SCM11 (detail and tightness, but too clinical even with the Accuphase?)
ATC SCM19 (will the Accuphase have enough watts? I could get these for 2000 e)
KEF R3 (look great, interesting review in whifi, but too much bass?)
Harbeth P3ESR (if these are as good as they say for chamber music, maybe I could live with the lack of sub 60 hz?)
Budget max 2000 euros. Suggestions?
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