newworld
Active Member
It's about 14x18 with 10' ceiling, but no need to take these into consideration as I rent and could move at anytime. I think it's safe to assume that I have no intention of using the speakers in a huge space in the future.
Speaker Shootout
- Thread starter newworld
- Start date
It's about 14x18 with 10' ceiling, but no need to take these into consideration as I rent and could move at anytime. I think it's safe to assume that I have no intention of using the speakers in a huge space in the future.
newworld
Active Member
I wish, but no one carries them around here except for the little S520.
newworld
Active Member
Mini-mini monitor shootout
Mini monitors are appealing to many for a variety of reasons. If you intend to use them in a small room with certain music, good for you. If not, use them in a small room with certain music.
Harbeth P3esr - Only speaker ever to have been demoed at home, these are great examples of tonal accuracy. They are actually lighter in sound than the C7es3's because of the lack of bass, but that's what makes it sound better. They focus on what they are good at. It's a very beautiful sound, but also very limited in dynamics. I still find them very overpriced.
Totem Model 1 Signature - These sound very similar to the Dynaudio X14. Maybe a little cleaner and more dynamic. I don't know...that's a whole lot more money for subjectively a little improvement. There's also the LS50 that is on par and still cheaper. You are definitely paying for the cabinetry.
Proac Response D1 - Not a smaller version of the D2 as expected. It's not as tonally accurate, but stunning with some jazz recordings because of imaging. Refined and etched at the same time if there's such a thing. Dynamic, but cannot be played loud. I'm really contradicting myself today.
Proac Tablette Anniversary - NOT for classical to be sure. It's just tonally not accurate. Falls way behind the 140 mk2 in terms of tonality. But VERY entertaining with dimensionality. It's like watching Kung Fu Panda in 3D...when listening to vocals. Overpriced, again.
I can see why the Kef LS50 was such a hit. It's got the brand recognition, price point, technology, and sound perfectly in sync.
Amplifier: Atoll IN100SE for, Rotel RA1570 for Totem, Rega Brio-R for Proacs. Great match for all.
Mini monitors are appealing to many for a variety of reasons. If you intend to use them in a small room with certain music, good for you. If not, use them in a small room with certain music.
Harbeth P3esr - Only speaker ever to have been demoed at home, these are great examples of tonal accuracy. They are actually lighter in sound than the C7es3's because of the lack of bass, but that's what makes it sound better. They focus on what they are good at. It's a very beautiful sound, but also very limited in dynamics. I still find them very overpriced.
Totem Model 1 Signature - These sound very similar to the Dynaudio X14. Maybe a little cleaner and more dynamic. I don't know...that's a whole lot more money for subjectively a little improvement. There's also the LS50 that is on par and still cheaper. You are definitely paying for the cabinetry.
Proac Response D1 - Not a smaller version of the D2 as expected. It's not as tonally accurate, but stunning with some jazz recordings because of imaging. Refined and etched at the same time if there's such a thing. Dynamic, but cannot be played loud. I'm really contradicting myself today.
Proac Tablette Anniversary - NOT for classical to be sure. It's just tonally not accurate. Falls way behind the 140 mk2 in terms of tonality. But VERY entertaining with dimensionality. It's like watching Kung Fu Panda in 3D...when listening to vocals. Overpriced, again.
I can see why the Kef LS50 was such a hit. It's got the brand recognition, price point, technology, and sound perfectly in sync.
Amplifier: Atoll IN100SE for, Rotel RA1570 for Totem, Rega Brio-R for Proacs. Great match for all.
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rcspkramp
Super Member
Would you consider a big mini monitor? I recently heard the Bryston Mini T.
Very impressive. I think the retail is $2,700 or thereabouts. Three way with an 8" woofer. If you can give 'em a listen.
newworld
Active Member
I would. There's also supposed to be a more affordable line soon.
davidro
Lunatic Member
Interesting summary. I can never find mini monitors fully satisfactory regardless of their room size because they just don't hit the necessary low for classical music. I too agree about the over price bit about many mini monitors, which is why I go for secondhand examples, although many Usher mini monitors are definitely not overpriced for what you get in my experience.
newworld
Active Member
Right. Having a "deep and tight" bass is one thing, but imaging an entire bass section is another. One of the speakers I auditioned did that. :thmbsp:
Kt77
Well-Known Member
If at some point you're looking for what I and maybe a few others consider one of the best all rounders built of late?, and don't mind saving a few hundred dollars more............, then by all means add the Devore Fidelity Gibbon 3XLs to your list of ones to hear, and quite possibly own!, yes I do consider them that good and adore them more then anything I've heard short of Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor Ms ( which has remained my reference point for Mini-Monitors approaching upwards of $6.900 ).
But the key word here is - it's important to listen to them for yourself, as only you with know for yourself if it's a great investment or not?.
They're the only ones I've craved since hearing them several years back at Don Better Audio, and their musicality remains embedded in my very spirit.
Just food for thought.
h
newworld
Active Member
Kt77
Well-Known Member
Hey ma, guess what I've been doing?
Then get them yourself.
Wow, jokes
I love it when someone tried to make sound recommendations to those seeking, yet aren't aware of their options, or merely don't want to be open-minded to change.
My bad, much as I've told Byron - that's why I don't bother trying to offer advise these days, as most aren't willing to understand the fact that I've made enough mistakes for all of us, and tend to want others to avoid these same mistakes and trust their own ears/senses/heart when trying to select any component that should be them years of joy as well as a sense of pride in ownership - but there are times where, I'd rather sit back and laugh my ass off - this is one of those moments.
Once again, my bad.
newworld
Active Member
Wow, jokes
I love it when someone tried to make sound recommendations to those seeking, yet aren't aware of their options, or merely don't want to be open-minded to change.
My bad, much as I've told Byron - that's why I don't bother trying to offer advise these days, as most aren't willing to understand the fact that I've made enough mistakes for all of us, and tend to want others to avoid these same mistakes and trust their own ears/senses/heart when trying to select any component that should be them years of joy as well as a sense of pride in ownership - but there are times where, I'd rather sit back and laugh my ass off - this is one of those moments.
Once again, my bad.
Maybe I wasn't obvious enough, but I'm totally kidding! I really appreciate your input. This is what it's about.
Devore dealer is a few hours away, but maybe it's worth a visit. Thanks!
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Lee Harvey
Well-Known Member
I have probably missed this somewhere in this thread but what amp are you going to use with this future speaker purchase? Throwing speakers like the DeVores behind an Onkyo AVR would be a total mismatch and waste of such nice speakers like the DeVores.
newworld
Active Member
That's up for another round of decisions. Right now, I'm using Atoll IN100SE, possibly the last piece of SS amplifier I will ever buy. Yes, they are amazing, but I've always wanted to get a tube amplifier.
If I should take this into consideration, I'm not sure about. I will never forget the sound of an SET amp I had heard way back, and perhaps in my mind I'm constantly trying to re-create it. But it fell really short when it came to orchestral music, completely unable to handle the complexity. Despite all this, I would love to try some Decware or Cary amplifiers.
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davidro
Lunatic Member
Thanks buddy for nice words. I'm surprised that I still can't let go of the 121s (from my listening room to my office setup, that is). There's just something fun about running these babies.
Okay they don't blow you out like my Tiny Dancers right from the beginning, but they just get better and better as time goes by. The 10.1s were superb speakers for the price already, but the 121s have this amazing sound-staging that seems so incredible for the size and price. Musicality and balance have always been the forte of the Diamond series so they're taken care of.
The only complaint would be the aesthetics but on a flip side that's what makes the 121s so much fun because you just didn't expect this kind of performance from what appear to be some low-end 'throw-in' speakers from BPC all-in-one system.
The amps that I run with the 121s are 5 times (Redgum) to 7 times (300Bs) more expensive. Surely that would have contributed to the performance I'm having. And, man, are they so sensitive to what's feeding them. I can hear the robust yet musical sound of the Redgum very easily through the 121s. The beautiful transparency and wide dynamics of my 300B SET are not missed, either. Vinyl sounds like vinyl (the king!) and the organic digital sound of the M1 DAC runs freely through these modest babies.
I'd go with one great SET if I have to have just one amp though, provided that you have active subwoofers to go with. Unless your listening level is very high and the room is pretty big, something like 300Bs would be just fine. And yes, I too am a large orchestral nutter. My staple and reference point always. Period.
newworld
Active Member
Awesome. It seems we share a lot of things in common. I look forward to more contributions from you.
newworld
Active Member
Blade-runner
So I was hoping to try some of the R series speakers from Kef. I got it and a whole lot more! Just like the Magicos at a different dealer, these were just sitting there begging me to test-drive. I really appreciate the generosity of these dealers.
Kef R300 - These are markedly different sounding from the famous LS50. They do have more bass extension, but it's not controlled. This kind of pungeant bass lends itself a darker character. Mid and treble are still clean and detailed, but get obscured when pushed hard. One thing I have to say though, when listening to opera, ALL of the Kef speakers auditioned so far have excelled at locking onto that voice while the singer is running from mic to mic behind the orchestra that is going nuts. My conclusion is that they are exceptional at focusing and complexity which is a huge plus.
Kef Blade - First impression. Earthly beauty. Contrary to their extreme styling the unadorned sound doesn't overwhelm you. Instead, the naturalness makes you wonder if the sound is really coming out of those sculptures. I now understand that tonality is about faithfulness to the source. What you are reproducing is the recording, not the instruments. In my case, I'm recreating digital recordings that do not capture the live instruments well. This is bloody difficult. The Blade's reproduce faithfully, then. They stay true to the source. Whether that sounds natural to you or not, is entirely up to you. Show me yours and I will show you mine. Funny how the R300 tries to sound bigger with boomy bass. It's like looking at a blowfish expand itself. The Blades can only chuckle at such immaturity.
Amplifier - Parasound Pre, YBA Power
So I was hoping to try some of the R series speakers from Kef. I got it and a whole lot more! Just like the Magicos at a different dealer, these were just sitting there begging me to test-drive. I really appreciate the generosity of these dealers.
Kef R300 - These are markedly different sounding from the famous LS50. They do have more bass extension, but it's not controlled. This kind of pungeant bass lends itself a darker character. Mid and treble are still clean and detailed, but get obscured when pushed hard. One thing I have to say though, when listening to opera, ALL of the Kef speakers auditioned so far have excelled at locking onto that voice while the singer is running from mic to mic behind the orchestra that is going nuts. My conclusion is that they are exceptional at focusing and complexity which is a huge plus.
Kef Blade - First impression. Earthly beauty. Contrary to their extreme styling the unadorned sound doesn't overwhelm you. Instead, the naturalness makes you wonder if the sound is really coming out of those sculptures. I now understand that tonality is about faithfulness to the source. What you are reproducing is the recording, not the instruments. In my case, I'm recreating digital recordings that do not capture the live instruments well. This is bloody difficult. The Blade's reproduce faithfully, then. They stay true to the source. Whether that sounds natural to you or not, is entirely up to you. Show me yours and I will show you mine. Funny how the R300 tries to sound bigger with boomy bass. It's like looking at a blowfish expand itself. The Blades can only chuckle at such immaturity.
Amplifier - Parasound Pre, YBA Power
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audiodon
Addicted Member
Speakers that don't call attention to themselves are always the best choice for music lovers.
That underwhelming yet cohesive quality that just keeps improving with repeated listenings is a trait of the very best of the breed.
They don't fly out of the shops, but once they leave the showroom, they rarely leave the homes of discerning listeners.
There are many among the British speakers that do this so well.
Some folks carefully tend their 30 or 40 or 50 year old speakers of these breeds.
I've yet to hear Audio Notes and I've yet to hear Devores (which I know are not British), but I have high expectations.
That underwhelming yet cohesive quality that just keeps improving with repeated listenings is a trait of the very best of the breed.
They don't fly out of the shops, but once they leave the showroom, they rarely leave the homes of discerning listeners.
There are many among the British speakers that do this so well.
Some folks carefully tend their 30 or 40 or 50 year old speakers of these breeds.
I've yet to hear Audio Notes and I've yet to hear Devores (which I know are not British), but I have high expectations.
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