New speakers?

[Tyr]

Hello fellow pursuers of a satisfying sound!

I have been considering a speaker change for quite a while now and would be well happy to hear your thoughts on the subject!

The speakers I'm leaving are Audiophysics scorpio2. Do like the sound of them a lot but think they will do better in another room.
Spent many, many hours moving them around and bought shitloads of acoustic treatment but still not happy enough :)

I mainly play 60/70s heavy/psych/prog rock and i think i want a speaker with some warmth in the mids/upper bass and i think i want to try something different from the "modern" designed floor standing speakers i had before.

Have not been around the local shops yet for a listening but from an internet point of view I'm considering and prejudging:

Tannoy Prestige Stirling GR: Too lame compared to its ancestors and bigger siblings?
JBL 4429: Just bass and no detail/soundstage?
Harbeth Super HL5-3+: Too little bass?
Klipsch Cornwall III: A cerwing vega type of thing?

The room is about 25 square meters the amp is 100w mark levinson no27 and I'm open to all suggestions but definitely below 10k €

Best regards!

[walpurgis]

I think you may find you are wrong about each of those speakers Edgar. Try and get a listen to some.

[agk]

What specifically is the problem with your current speakers? Might make it easier to suggest alternatives.

[dantheman91]

I think you may find you are wrong about each of those speakers Edgar. Try and get a listen to some.

+1....If he has never listened to any how does he know....

[oldius]

Based on the music you listen to, I don't think you can go far wrong with JBL.
At the recent Cranage show, friends of mine commented that the JBL/Levinson combination was the best sound of the show. I didn't go this year, but last year I felt exactly the same. I felt that combination, with a variety of music, made other systems sound very compromised.

[Michael loves music]

+1....If he has never listened to any how does he know.... He may have been dreaming ? Alas my dreams involve Ruth Langsford

[Macca]

Based on the music you listen to, I don't think you can go far wrong with JBL.
At the recent Cranage show, friends of mine commented that the JBL/Levinson combination was the best sound of the show. I didn't go this year, but last year I felt exactly the same. I felt that combination, with a variety of music, made other systems sound very compromised.

Agree that is what I wold spend my e10K on. JBL 4365. They are exactly what a perfect loudspeaker should sound like. For me, anyway. Superb quality of sound and effortless scale from bottom to top.

[Lawrence001]

I've got Virgos at the moment and used to have Sparks. I have always found them a bit lean in the mid/upper bass department, and this can be mainly ameliorated with source amp and cable matching. Warm class A and valve amps are a big help. What are you using?

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[Tyr]

Its the mids/upper bass that i am currently missing in the music I'm mainly listening to therefore thoughts on jbl. Like some of the older jbl models I've heard.

I did write clearly that i haven't listened to any of those and my assumptions came from the internet.
What i was hoping for was that there were any kliphsh/harbeth/jbl/tannoy fans here that maybe knew if the new stuff was shit compared to old etc..

Lawrence001:
I play vinyl on a modded technics 1210 mk2, nagaoka mp200-trigon vanguard2 riaa-project prebox rs with telefunken nos e88cc tubes-
mark levinson no27 power amp that i bought used but i think i read somewhere that it runs in a/b 100w 8ohm 200w 4ohm.
Transparent musiclink+ rca between riaa/pre amp balanced no name microphone cable between pre/power amp and nordost something speaker cables.

[walpurgis]

What i was hoping for was that there were any kliphsh/harbeth/jbl/tannoy fans here that maybe knew if the new stuff was shit compared to old etc...

I don't compare my vintage Tannoys to new ones. I find the sound I'm getting so enjoyable and satisfying that mine are going nowhere!

New Tannoys are very expensive and as the better models are based on the classic originals, I doubt there's much, if anything to be gained.

[Arkless Electronics]

I'd be improving the front end and phono stage before spending £10K on speakers!

[Macca]

I'd be improving the front end and phono stage before spending £10K on speakers!

Fair point.

[Tyr]

"Arkless Electronics
I'd be improving the front end and phono stage before spending £10K on speakers!"

Would the front end be the power amp? Been considering the power amp as a part of the problem since I've been told that the audio physics need lots of juice and that tubes was out of the question aswell therefore maybe a speaker change to something the amp can drive and then upgrade the amp in the future instead? Maybe a new power amp is what i need...

[Arkless Electronics]

No "front end" is the turntable, arm and cartridge. You also have a £500 ish phono stage I believe... I believe you are using a Mark Levinson no27 power amp? This should be a good amp by reputation etc.

[Tyr]

Ok thanks!

Got the volcano battery pack to part the vanguard aswell and a pair of 1210s that i modded in hope of NOT needing a third turntable! They got rega303 arms, Lda psu´s, isonone feet,achromats.. Shouldn't that be in the ball park at least?
Am quite satisfied with detail,soundstage,voices etc just lacking a bit of those sweet warm mids/upper bass.

I've been listening a bit at mc carts on pricier turntables at the local shop and detail/soundstage wise its not really that much better than at home but the riia there is trigon advance so maybe not that big of a step up..

[Edward]

Hello fellow pursuers of a satisfying sound!

I have been considering a speaker change for quite a while now and would be well happy to hear your thoughts on the subject!

The speakers I'm leaving are Audiophysics scorpio2. Do like the sound of them a lot but think they will do better in another room.
Spent many, many hours moving them around and bought shitloads of acoustic treatment but still not happy enough :)

I mainly play 60/70s heavy/psych/prog rock and i think i want a speaker with some warmth in the mids/upper bass and i think i want to try something different from the "modern" designed floor standing speakers i had before.

Have not been around the local shops yet for a listening but from an internet point of view I'm considering and prejudging:

Tannoy Prestige Stirling GR: Too lame compared to its ancestors and bigger siblings?
JBL 4429: Just bass and no detail/soundstage?
Harbeth Super HL5-3+: Too little bass?
Klipsch Cornwall III: A cerwing vega type of thing?

The room is about 25 square meters the amp is 100w mark levinson no27 and I'm open to all suggestions but definitely below 10k €

Best regards!

Well if you wish to consider something quite different and possibly a bit flexible on pricing I highly recommend you visit and audition the speakers from Live Act Audio (http://live-act-audio.de/).

When in Munich earlier this year the speakers by Live Act Audio were by far (to me) the most engaging speakers in the show - with the possible exception of say MBL, TAD and a couple of others. I must have spent a good hour in their room - it really did feel I was at a live act.

[hifi_dave]

"Arkless Electronics
I'd be improving the front end and phono stage before spending £10K on speakers!"

Would the front end be the power amp? Been considering the power amp as a part of the problem since I've been told that the audio physics need lots of juice and that tubes was out of the question aswell therefore maybe a speaker change to something the amp can drive and then upgrade the amp in the future instead? Maybe a new power amp is what i need...

Front end is the record player or CD player etc.

Having sold many Levinson 27 and 27.5 back in the day, I can assure you that isn't responsible for lack of bass or welly. That is the last bit of your system to change, just make sure you have a decent pre to go with.

Every Audio Physics speaker I have tried has been on the lean side.

[Lawrence001]

Audio Physics mate best with valves, do what I did, buy a budget but quality valve amp (30-40wpc) like prima luna and you're almost there.

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[Tyr]

Live act audio speakers doesn't seem to be around in sweden..

Maybe audio physics speakers aren't 100% for me but maybe i can save the day with a valve amp :) Lost of fun stuff to think about!
Will book listening sessions first thing monday morning!

Would a project pre box rs with nos telefunken e88cc valves and power box rs psu be a decent enough pre for the no27 amp?

Thanks all for good advice!

[hifi_dave]

Levinson amps are amongst the best available and just because it is an old model, the No.27 is still excellent by any standards. It deserves a decent pre-amp and something better than a Project box.

[Tyr]

Maybe i did try to cut the corner too steep by buying the pre and riaa.
Maybe try to lend home a proper enough pre with built in riaa ala´ E.A.R or something and se what happens..

What would the cheapest decent pre/riaa be?

Thanks again!

[Lawrence001]

I'm sure others would disagree but I found a yaqin valve stage from China (if you add upgraded valves) and a half decent (at least a tisbury if not better) passive pre work quite nicely.

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[Lawrence001]

Failing that a Croft might work well with the audio physics, I sold my Croft before I got the Virgos so that's not confirmed.

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[eddieedwards]

Having demoed a fair few speakers in recent months, I really enjoyed Dali Epicons - they might be worth a listen.

I agree ref Audio Physic - too lean for me and lacked body. Epicons provided a bit of everything I like and may well be my next speaker.

[Lawrence001]

I had a revelation with my Virgos last night, might not work for you but try swapping the phase of the speaker cables round on both of them, you might just be surprised.

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[walpurgis]

You can't do that. The music will come out backwards! :D

[hifi_dave]

Sucking instead of blowing..:whistle:

[Arkless Electronics]

An Audio Research SP10,11 or 14 would be nice with the Levinson....

[Tyr]

I don't think my mind´s gonna allow me to put something labelled + somewhere marked - hehe

[hifi_dave]

As Jez said, an Audio Research would do the job or better still, you might be able to find yourself a Levinson pre-amp such as a 28 or 25/26 for not much money.

[Edward]

You can't do that. The music will come out backwards! :D


Sucking instead of blowing..:whistle:

You guys crack me up. :lol:

I have two test tracks that help determine if speakers are wired up correctly - as well as helping out on positioning of speakers to get maximum/precise soundstage. From Chesky records if I recall correctly but others widely available on the interweb thingy.

[Lawrence001]

I don't think my mind´s gonna allow me to put something labelled + somewhere marked - heheSeriously just try it and tell me what you think. The change (benefit) struck me immediately.

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