new speakers

might have some spare cash coming over the next few months.

I thought i might divert some of it and maybe get a new pair so speakers. I was thinking in the regoin of 5K possibly second hand. i quite fancy some of those b and W 802's but i don't think my room, or relationship come to that, would take them.

any ideas where i should start looking

 

£5K s/h will get you ATC SCM 150A SL. Very possibly the World's best loudspeaker. Look no further.

 

As Devil says the ATC are certainly worth a listen. If they are the worlds best loudspeaker, well you will never concensus on that one.!!

I would also suggest the Dynaudio Confidence C2's at £6K new I think you should certainly be able to get some "ex-demo" for under £5k.

B&W 803's would also be worth listening too, and are under your budget.

 

Alternatively pmc ib1s...

 

Refurbished Quads from Germany. You can buy them online here
Phonophono also sell Harbeth which would be my other recommendation (the M40s, I think).

 

Are you serious John?

I think it'll take a lot to beat your JM Labs, and I'm not sure you're getting the best out of them considering where they are sited. Still, if you've got the money, it's time to start auditioning.

Enjoy.

 

ATC - the Carlsberg of loudspeakers

 

Hi John,

If you can make it to the Heathrow Show, be sure to check out the new Heed Audio Envoys. In one of the demos I heard, they handily outperformed a pair of Focal JM Lab Nuovo Utopias, among others.

Well under your budget at £3150.00, the Envoys are currently in residence on demo with Markus Sauer and Jason Hector.

Best, Dex

 

Forget the rest,...Von Schweikert VR-4 Gen III SE's. You should be able to get these s/h and if you do they will come well under budget. You could also look for a pair of VR-5 HSE's which are just awesome but the proper HSE edition is not that easy to find.

I could easily source a pair for you from the USA, shipping and Customs clearance is no problem either.

Problem is, you are not going to be able to hear these yourself unless you get yourself down to the only UK distributor of VSA products. Company is Audioplay, and they are located in London. Of course, they will try and sell you a new pair of speakers, probably a pair of VR-4 JR's or possibly a new pair of GEN III SE's. You could afford both these new but you know as well I do, you get more for your money buying second-hand sometimes.

 

Just make sure you audition as many as possible, ideally on an a-b basis. It may take a while! Have fun.

 

I was just having a peruse on the web, and found THIS REVIEW of the Dunlavy SC1Va...
At $8k, with bass extension down to 18Hz there's no argument..
Bass is the place!!!
I also found a pair of Duntech Sovereigns (formerly the "best speaker in the world") on Audiogon for $5800... http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1129925196

Even Bob Ludwig uses/used to use them!

 

It's a touch unfair to slag off ATC that badly......

 

John,

What source & amp will be partnering your new transducers???

DT

 

Ear R




LP12/Ittock/slee era gold version 5/elevator xp/at0c9/lingo2

audio research LS2 /belcanto evo 4

arcam cd72 (transport)/sugden stemfoort pda 10 DAC

kenwood tuner


Jm lab electra 920

MF Nuvista interconnects, a digital coax from classique sounds in liecester and a cheap chord interconnect for tuner and nac5 naim speaker cable. xlr's for the ar to bc

trichord 500va powerblock not running the evo!

 

See my thread in DIY section on speaker kits, You dont really have to build your own .I have just sold my JM Lab Micro Utopia,I am having a pair of Wilmslow Audio Prestige 2 blows my Micros away I.M.O. You can take your own kit to a listening dem and you can listen for hours undisturbed to make up your own mind, Good people. https://secure.wilmslow-audio.co.uk/acatalog/ :beamup:

 

thanks for alll the input - i'll check it all out

 

Let us know how you get along.

 

How did you get along

 

£5000 will almost stretch to a second hand pair of B&W 800d's, I have had the 802's and the 800d's and the 800's both are superb, ( the big ones more so ) and they actually make music sound like music, instruments sound like they should, superb speakers difficult to drive though you need plenty of current, if you just want to have your fillings loosened go for the ATC/PMC screechers.imhoof course.

 

Depends on what you value when you listen, really. All kinds of good stuff will be available with that kind of budget, I should think!

I would point you towards Sonus Faber because they work very well with Audio Research (imho). Other options are the Merlin floorstander (a great speaker, with possibly the best tweeter in the world) or Triangle speakers which are much underrated.

But of course tastes are different and YMMV...

You should have lots of fun searching though, with that kind of budget make sure you listen to lots before you buy!!!

Jack