Ready to make a change

nc42acc

nc42acc

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The Von Schweikert VR-5 Anniv MKII have served their purpose but it is time to move on. I am looking to spend around $20k for a pair, my room is 24’ wide by 19’ deep with 9’ ceilings, hardwood floors with area rug. Open to the left into a open concept kitchen and dining area not included in these measurements. No issues with any left/right early reflections. Modest refractive and absorption panels on the walls currently with BAD panels being made to replace and supplement my current and add to the ceiling above the speaker area. My preference is a very detailed and pinpoint soundstage, extended bass is nice but I have subs. My music preferences are eclectic with nothing set in stone as far as a specific genre.

A few options I am considering are the following.
Kharma Elegance S7
Focal Sopra 3
B&W 803 D4
Marten Heritage Getz 2
Wilson Sabrina
Revel F228 Be

I am ready to hit the road to demo any and all of the above. I am hoping to get some great system building advice from the vast knowledge of the forum members. Thanks
 
You’ve already heard what you should buy. :naughty:


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Mike I “want” the Kharma DB9 but I can only “afford” the 7S. I think they may be a little small for my listening space.

Mike said:
You’ve already heard what you should buy. :naughty:


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FWIW, they’ll put out more bass than the others you’re looking at. You heard the little S7’s in a 17 x 25.


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no idea if these fit your room and amplification ...but if i were in the market for new speakers for SS amplification, QLN would be at the very top of my list. heard the mid-range prestige three model w/ acuphase amplification and an esoteric DAC several years ago. very organic with some of the best bass i have heard on any system -- almost had to go home and burn the system i had at the time. tremendous value for money.

Qln | the true path to natural sound
 
Marty

Dave McNair of PTA reviewed the Prestige 3 with a variety of amps and his review was very positive. He has also had the Prestige 5 in his system but the review has not been published yet. Might reach out and see if he will fill you in on any differences he heard.

If I was looking in that range (which I may be soon) I would be looking at the QLN, the Alta Alec, the Vandersteen Quatro, the Reynaud Orfeo Jubilee or one of the Rosso Fiorentino models.

Kemper (KLH007) of AV Showrooms has also reviewed the QLN and is now reviewing the Alta Alec. He may have some insight between those two model.

For the Reynaud's you would have to reach out to Bob Neill of Positive Feedback and Amherst Audio. His showroom is in Amherst, Ma. and he has most of the line in house including the new Voce Grande.
 
If you are willing to take a (health) risk, the Capitol Audio Fest may still happen in early November. A chance to check out some difficult to find speakers and gather some other opinions.
 
Dave McNair lives in the city I just moved from. Only an hour away. I wonder if he still has them?


Jack said:
Marty

Dave McNair of PTA reviewed the Prestige 3 with a variety of amps and his review was very positive. He has also had the Prestige 5 in his system but the review has not been published yet. Might reach out and see if he will fill you in on any differences he heard.

If I was looking in that range (which I may be soon) I would be looking at the QLN, the Alta Alec, the Vandersteen Quatro, the Reynaud Orfeo Jubilee or one of the Rosso Fiorentino models.

Kemper (KLH007) of AV Showrooms has also reviewed the QLN and is now reviewing the Alta Alec. He may have some insight between those two model.

For the Reynaud's you would have to reach out to Bob Neill of Positive Feedback and Amherst Audio. His showroom is in Amherst, Ma. and he has most of the line in house including the new Voce Grande.
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Marty

I think he kept the 3's as I've seen them used in later reviews but don't know about the 5's. He would have gotten them directly from Mark so one of them has them in hand I would think. Mark is the US distributor for QLN, Innuos and several other EU brands. Whether or not he is still working as a dealer too I don't know for sure. Last time I talked to him was when I sent my La Voce back for the upgrade the middle of 2019. I e-mailed him once later about the Zenith Mk III to go with the Aqua but the back log was so long I bought the Auralic instead of waiting. I've bought from him multiple times in the last five years. From looking at the vendor list Mark is going to be at CAF along with QLN, Kharma, Alta and Fyne that might be of interest to you.
 
Rob I love going to shows but not always the best representation of the equipment. A great place to see a wide variety of speakers and get an idea of something you may want to hear in a better setting.


rbbert said:
If you are willing to take a (health) risk, the Capitol Audio Fest may still happen in early November. A chance to check out some difficult to find speakers and gather some other opinions.
Click to expand...
 
Well, going back to your original list, of those I've heard the Revel, the B&W (d3 version), and the Wilson, and I own the Focals. Of those, Revel lives true to its reputation in being very "correct" and neutral in response. I found it to be unexciting unless running rather louder than I like to listen. The d3 B&W had the characteristic B&W sound, which I've never been a fan of. I found the 802 more to my liking, and had it on my short list. I personally prefer the Wilson Sasha to Sabrina, but then again it's twice the price. I've never come to terms with their aesthetic, so it wouldn't have mattered if the sound was perfect. It was, admittedly, pretty good, and checked several of the boxes you mentioned. And as I mentioned, I bought the Focals. They were the most engaging during my auditions, but were not quite as far down the "pinpoint soundstage" analytical side of the spectrum as you might want. They were the best match for our decor, which did carry weight in the decision.

I question whether a 2-way 7" speaker (the S7) will really fill a space the size of yours. Mike says it will, and I haven't heard a Kharma before, so my opinion counts for nothing here. My engineer brain says a 3-way with dual or triple woofers should have an easier job of it, though, and my room is rather similar to yours - ending up nearly 30x30 if you add up the "open concept" volume involved.

All solid choices on your list, so if you're able to audition them all, let your ears decide for you!

Edit: I forgot to ask if there was a reason you weren't considering something like the Magico A5 in this price range? They're not particularly attractive boxes, and are a non-starter if you want a wood or gloss finish (a key reason I didn't seriously consider them), but the engineering is obviously pretty solid and the sealed design might play well to your stated goals.
 
Do any of you have experience with Sonus Faber? I have always heard good things out of them at shows.
 
nc42acc said:
Do any of you have experience with Sonus Faber? I have always heard good things out of them at shows.
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I've owned about a half dozen Sonus Faber speakers. Really enjoyed them all. This was some time ago and during the Franco Serblin presence and designs. He since has passed. Great designer, great speakers, easy to partner with various gear. The Sonus Faber of today has grown in ambitions and offers speakers from a budget spec all the way up and beyond the low six figure range... They all have their own unique flavor and have acquired a more modern, more resolving and perhaps a more neutral sound but I certainly have not heard all the new offerings...

I would also suggest exploring some Wilson speakers. I found Wilson to be quite a step up in effortless dynamic contrast, openness, and resolution without sounding hyper-resolving and brittle and certainly much less colored overall. While I enjoyed a pair of Elipsa as my last set of SF speakers, the Wilson phase that came after had me forget all about them in a hurry as a pair of Sasha and then Alexia raised the performance to a whole different level.
 
A note on Revel, the 328b is still in your price and worth a listen, from what I heard it's a definite step up from 228b. My audition wasn't with the best amplification but the sound was very open, dare I say a bit of a departure from Revel I've heard in the past.
 
I think I typed 228 incorrectly and meant to put the 328be since they are closer in my price range.


Mr Peabody said:
A note on Revel, the 328b is still in your price and worth a listen, from what I heard it's a definite step up from 228b. My audition wasn't with the best amplification but the sound was very open, dare I say a bit of a departure from Revel I've heard in the past.
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2FlyingYorkies said:
Edit: I forgot to ask if there was a reason you weren't considering something like the Magico A5 in this price range? They're not particularly attractive boxes, and are a non-starter if you want a wood or gloss finish (a key reason I didn't seriously consider them), but the engineering is obviously pretty solid and the sealed design might play well to your stated goals.
Click to expand...
I have been a Magico S3 MkII owner for four years. I love these speakers, but earlier this week I heard Magico A5s at a local dealer driven by D'Agostino Progression amplification, and I have to say these are outstanding speakers, at least for my preferred classical/jazz genres. As noted above, not beautiful to look at, but IMO (and others - see the reviews) they make beautiful music at an MSRP well below their sonic competition. Worth an audition.
 
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