Advice on Speaker Purchase

[spinoza15]

Hi everyone.

I'm about to lay down some (for me ) serious coin on a pair of Gamut Phi 3 MKll's. They retail for over $2,000 but I can pick up a demo set with full warranty for $1350. These are bookshelf speakers made in Denmark I think. I'm having a hard time finding reviews and I was wondering if anyone had any experience or have heard these speakers before.

Also, I should say that I'm getting these without first listening to them. They are coming from a reputable audio shop.

Thanks for any input...

 

[Macspur]

Sorry, no first hand experience, but I believe it to be a brand held in high regard.

Cno from this forum has mentioned Gamut in the past, so hopefully he may be able to comment.

Mac

www.macsmusic.blogbubble.net

 

[Thompsonuxb]

I would say you need to compare reasonably priced speakers directly against them.

Book shelf speakers for over a grand original tag over 2 grand?

They'd have to be able to fly me to the Bahamas and back for that money.

 

[CnoEvil]

I have indeed recommended that Gamut be put on a demo list, to people who are looking for something a little different.

Unfortunately my knowledge is not first hand, but comes from a person whose opinion is never that far away. His view is that they have a very clean, dynamic, detailed, revealing and musical presentation.....though make sure the rest of your system is up to getting the most out of them.

Great choice, but I can never recommend buying blind...FWIW. here is someone else's opinion: http://www.audioreview.com/cat/speakers/bookshelf-speakers/gamut-audio/phi-3/prd_454685_4290crx.aspx

What is the rest of your system and how big a room are you putting them in?

 

[CnoEvil]

I would say you need to compare reasonably priced speakers directly against them.

Book shelf speakers for over a grand original tag over 2 grand?

They'd have to be able to fly me to the Bahamas and back for that money.

I agree, though it would appear that the OP is buying blind, making comparison difficult.

IMO. The obvious alternative would be the LS50s.

 

[davedotco]

I would say you need to compare reasonably priced speakers directly against them.

Book shelf speakers for over a grand original tag over 2 grand?

They'd have to be able to fly me to the Bahamas and back for that money.

I agree, though it would appear that the OP is buying blind, making comparison difficult.

IMO. The obvious alternative would be the LS50s.

Gamut speakers are designed to fit tight to a wall, Neat Iotas are probably the best low cost comparison.

 

[CnoEvil]

I would say you need to compare reasonably priced speakers directly against them.

Book shelf speakers for over a grand original tag over 2 grand?

They'd have to be able to fly me to the Bahamas and back for that money.

I agree, though it would appear that the OP is buying blind, making comparison difficult.

IMO. The obvious alternative would be the LS50s.

Gamut speakers are designed to fit tight to a wall, Neat Iotas are probably the best low cost comparison.

Since we don't know anything about the OP's listening area, there may be enough wiggle room.

The Neat Iotas are a good step down performance-wise....which may, or may not be a better match for the OP's system/room. We simply do not have enough info.

 

[davedotco]

I would say you need to compare reasonably priced speakers directly against them.

Book shelf speakers for over a grand original tag over 2 grand?

They'd have to be able to fly me to the Bahamas and back for that money.

I agree, though it would appear that the OP is buying blind, making comparison difficult.

IMO. The obvious alternative would be the LS50s.

Gamut speakers are designed to fit tight to a wall, Neat Iotas are probably the best low cost comparison.

Since we don't know anything about the OP's listening area, there may be enough wiggle room.

The Neat Iotas are a good step down performance-wise....which may, or may not be a better match for the OP's system/room. We simply do not have enough info.

I think the point is to see just how severe the step down / step up is.

We have little information here but as reasonably experienced enthusiasts we have a rough idea of what the extra expense gets you, a lot of people new to this hobby have little or no idea of the qualities such a system brings to the listening experience.

I have spoken about this before, but as an ex-dealer I still get asked to 'check out' systems bought by friends and friends of friends and the setups are, almost without exception, really dire. Sometimes quite a lot of money is spent, but the owners have absolutely no idea that the bulk of the expendature is wasted, simply because they have no experience of the quality that level of expendature could have bought.

 

[CnoEvil]

I would say you need to compare reasonably priced speakers directly against them.

Book shelf speakers for over a grand original tag over 2 grand?

They'd have to be able to fly me to the Bahamas and back for that money.

I agree, though it would appear that the OP is buying blind, making comparison difficult.

IMO. The obvious alternative would be the LS50s.

Gamut speakers are designed to fit tight to a wall, Neat Iotas are probably the best low cost comparison.

Since we don't know anything about the OP's listening area, there may be enough wiggle room.

The Neat Iotas are a good step down performance-wise....which may, or may not be a better match for the OP's system/room. We simply do not have enough info.

I think the point is to see just how severe the step down / step up is.

We have little information here but as reasonably experienced enthusiasts we have a rough idea of what the extra expense gets you, a lot of people new to this hobby have little or no idea of the qualities such a system brings to the listening experience.

I have spoken about this before, but as an ex-dealer I still get asked to 'check out' systems bought by friends and friends of friends and the setups are, almost without exception, really dire. Sometimes quite a lot of money is spent, but the owners have absolutely no idea that the bulk of the expendature is wasted, simply because they have no experience of the quality that level of expendature could have bought.

I totally agree....though the step down depends on the rest of the system (I know you agree with this).

 

[davedotco]

I would say you need to compare reasonably priced speakers directly against them.

Book shelf speakers for over a grand original tag over 2 grand?

They'd have to be able to fly me to the Bahamas and back for that money.

I agree, though it would appear that the OP is buying blind, making comparison difficult.

IMO. The obvious alternative would be the LS50s.

Gamut speakers are designed to fit tight to a wall, Neat Iotas are probably the best low cost comparison.

Since we don't know anything about the OP's listening area, there may be enough wiggle room.

The Neat Iotas are a good step down performance-wise....which may, or may not be a better match for the OP's system/room. We simply do not have enough info.

I think the point is to see just how severe the step down / step up is.

We have little information here but as reasonably experienced enthusiasts we have a rough idea of what the extra expense gets you, a lot of people new to this hobby have little or no idea of the qualities such a system brings to the listening experience.

I have spoken about this before, but as an ex-dealer I still get asked to 'check out' systems bought by friends and friends of friends and the setups are, almost without exception, really dire. Sometimes quite a lot of money is spent, but the owners have absolutely no idea that the bulk of the expendature is wasted, simply because they have no experience of the quality that level of expendature could have bought.

I totally agree....though the step down depends on the rest of the system (I know you agree with this).

Time for me to put in a plug for a 'proper' dealer.........again!

The kind who would take a hi-fi beginner through a range of setups, starting with something at entry level and explaining a demonstrating the differences that moving up the price range brings to playing recorded music.

 

[CnoEvil]

Time for me to put in a plug for a 'proper' dealer.........again!

The kind who would take a hi-fi beginner through a range of setups, starting with something at entry level and explaining a demonstrating the differences that moving up the price range brings to playing recorded music.

.....possibly like the "reputable audio shop" mentioned in the first post, who should know what it would take to get the most out of the GamuTs; or be able to suggest/demo something more appropriate.