Speaker advice - help, in the dark!

Hi - help appreciated. I've always been an electrostatic fan but alas they don't really work well in the room - we live in a tudor cottage with beams and things. Very reluctantly have put my Logans up for sale - just too big. Previously had Aerius and these were really compromised too. Buying the Ascents was a silly thing to do - ah well.

I'm a big big fan of QLN's, I've a pair of the originals sitting in a spare room and was thinkinking of resurrecting them - however I would really like to find a pair of splitfield signatures - but to date have failed. I need a pair of small to medium speakers but my penchant is imaging, depth and detail. I am using an audio synthesis decade power amp and messing around with preamps (dont ask just now). Any reccomendations on speakers i should consider, I don't know a lot about what's what in this area these days. Sonus fabers??? Never heard them but reviews suggest I may like them - any help guys much appreciated.

And remember, a lathed CD is not just for Xmas.

 

My suggestions would be Focal Utopia Micro's/Diva's Audio Physic Virgo or Avatnti's Lawrance.

 

I'd look at speakers with ceramic drive units/diamond tweeters if you want clarity but not size.

try these.

http://www.marten.se/


you could always make some if you wanted to save cash and are good at DIY.

 

Harbeth HLP3-ES2.

 

Have you tried the Usher range of loudspeakers yet?
These are awesome, and designed by Joe D Apolito.

S

 

Damn ! - but you should have bought my Kharma Ceramique 3 speakers I had up for sale recently! I too am an electrostatic fan (MLogan CLS, Quad 63, Electrostatic Research Vista 2 .. etc) - but the Kharmas did it all, plus real dynamics and taut deep bass extension, and only 3 ft high too. The guy I sold them to is having a little trouble tuning them in to his room (his room is only 10ft wide) - so he may be interested in moving them on. I could get you guys together ....? ..... no fee! Over £1000 though ...?

Alternatively, you may well like the Apogee Centaur Minor ribbon hybrids I currently have up for sale - see the classifieds. Only £500.

 

now that you have bought an electrocompaniet preamp, you should give a chance to ATC12 - and they won't break your budget currently being on sale as they are out of production. assuming that decade will give them plenty of current, with EC in chain you'll get a boogie factor ATCs seldomly expose.

 

and if you are serious about sonus faber, than you should try to find s/h extrema. no other mini speaker (haven't heard utopia micro) can match that...

 

Or these, http://www.zaphaudio.com/ZD5.html

 

I am involved with the primary drive system. they are a pannel but not oversized and are not electrostatic. Tim paravachini uses them in his speaker.

The other system for electrostatic fans are mangers.

Ceramic drivers there are the martens or the Isophons.

choices choices.

I'm using the primary drivers myself and very happy listening to my deep purple cd which I just brought from Lidl'sunk:

 

I would, and did, go to high efficiency no crossover speakers, after living with my Schallwand Sangreal, I dont want to go back to the Sonus Faber EAII I have in Portugal, or any other conventional speakers...

You have the added advantage of beeing able to use tube amplifiers if you like, another thing I'd have trouble leaving now...

Try ZU Druid, Horning Perikles, Auditorium 23 Solovox...

 

Thanks for all the advice - a bit overwhelming - well i did ask didn't I? Think first step is to move on the Logans, resuurect the QLNs temporarily and the try and listen to these. I've never heard Sonus Faber Extrema - look interesting, anyone else heard them - what are they like?

 

What are the options here?

Can someone help with some links, please?

(hope you don't mind Larkrise)

 

Depends what your iinterested in, I've plenty of links. www.diyaudio.com is a good place to start, also check out www.world-designs.co.uk

 

(again, I hope i'm not gate crashing larkrise too much)

When funds permit i'd like to find floorstanders to replace my ruark sceptres.

Iv ejust been listening to my brothers spendor s5s which give out quite a bit more bass than mine; shall we say i wouldn't mind trying the spendors in my place....if i had £800 to spare.....which i don't.

I would say my room is some what smaller than Rich's at 17ftx12ft.

How much would i be in for (DIY) to better the ruarks?



cheers,


David

 

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q115/davidf_photo/Picture2048.jpg

give or take a bit this is the room ive got to play with...not much.

The hifis been moved from the LHS.




cheers,

D.

 

thankyou.

 

I'd recommend looking at www.iplacoustics.co.uk These are nice transmission lines, I use the S4 and highly recommend it. Theres plenty of info if you google. The M3 tlm with its ribbon tweater would probably work very well in your room. I think the full kit inlcuding pre-machined MDF. If you do a searcg on here you'll find a very good thread on making IPL speakers.

also try www.wilmslowaudio.co.uk

If you want to build totally from scratch, then I'd work your way through diyaudio.

 

cheers.

 

shockingly, really shockingly good. extremely neutral plus it has a full range sound from a relatively small (but not micro) box, although very very deep.

bass you will never hear again from that size.

almost impossible to find s/h. only those in a serious trouble might sell it.