jonathanRD said:
QuestForThe13thNote said:
What’s your budget Jonathan. I’d gladly do you a shortlist for demo based on what I think will be good, what I’ve heard, and to suit different tastes or your tastes. What kind of sound presentation do you like?
That's kind of you. The Exposure amps produce an open, clear, almost nuetral but very slightly on the warm side. They have been described as quite big hearted or ballsy too. Reviews say they are very well balanced, ie they do everything well rather than excel in one particular area. On demo and comparing the 3010S2D integrated against the Rega Elicit R, I just felt that the Exposure just felt right. The dealer who delivered the 3010S2D commented how I liked an open, clear and wide (soundstage) sound based on how my room is laid out and the sound produced by the Exposure/Rega combo. The RS5's are 1 meter in from both the side and back walls - so I have some space to play with. Music wise, all sorts except heavy metal and rock. I like nothing better than relaxing late at night. Budget, well I'm only going to do this once, and to make the most of the Exposure pre/power - realistically between £2k to £4k. But I am in no rush and I have some significant events to attend first (sorry can't say what they are, but you would understand if I was able to explain). But I am intersted in your suggested list.
Id say you need something of a small floorstander type for the size of your room so you don’t get too much room involvement of bass that a larger bigger speaker can derive. Of your set up I’d get the impression it gives you quite a smooth rounded rich sound. Whether that’s what you like to choose for further speakers I don’t know, but I’ve chosen some of the types I like that do that too, if only a bit more dynamic with bass and better with resolution and midrange to the rs5s I’d say. I heard the rs7s when trialling my old Pmc’s so have a view of your Regas based on that. That’s only my view and it may be wrong such is how amps and speakers have to pair together, but with your exposure amps they sound pretty neutral so am basing it on that too. No order of importance or preference
1) pmc 20 23. Now around £1500. This would be a step up for dynamics, detail and resolution and bass response to your Regas. I compared them when I bought them to the rs7 and they were a lot better in these areas, but obviously they were £2400 against the rs7s then which I think were about £1600
2) pmc 25 23.£3100. These have better mids, more dynamics in bass and mids to the old 20 23 . It may not be to your taste as with your amps you’d get a lot more detail than you are used too. But it’s fantastially better in improved areas over previous model.
3) spendor a6r -£2500. Again they can be quite toppy with the wrong amps and with Cyrus stuff I have, I heard them at a dealer and they were very toppy. Maybe not for you again, but again they are very strong dynamically and bass wise, accuracy and all other areas are strong like the pmc’s. They could, because of there ability to be quite good in high frequencies, too sharp against the rs5
4) pro ac response dt8 - £2000. Lovely smooth rich refined sound and very well timed and heard this on Friday at the show. Good soundstage and good with rock and blues they were playing.
5) pro ac response d20r - £2795.i thought this seriously good when I heard it at the Bristol show. With a ribbon tweeter. Very impressive balanced sound with no hint of tiredness in treble and again a very smooth design, like most of the pro acs.
6) neat momentum sx5i £4000. These are very revealing speakers, a bit like a kef reference one standmount, at this type of price. Again heard these at Bristol and though them fantastic with some naim stuff. I also heard them in the chord room at indulgence with the Dave dac. The problem I think with these types of speakers, they are going into a level of quality with detail that demands very good amplification indeed to get the best out of them.
7) kudos cardea c20 £3550. I’ve not heard these but hear lots of people on a few forums really rating them . The x3’s are a bit between pmc 20 23s and 25 23 for detail but not as good as the 25 23. Very good value, big sound from small cabinets and good dynamics for the price.
8) totem hawk . I think these are around £3500.they are rich sounding and very musically engaging but have a reputation for being hard to drive.
So in summary it depends on whether you are flexible to tastes or the sound in buying a new speaker, or you want something more similar to the sound of the rs 7. If the former I think you will be open to the likes of pmc’s like mine, or kudos or neat for example. If the latter you want something like totem or for value I just don’t think you can get better than pro ac offerings around the price. I’d avoid kef r series like r700(£2k) as I just don’t think them dynamic enough with bass to other brands like pro ac, neat and pmc, using similar amps. On those ophidian prophet speakers they don’t do dynamics anywhere near as good as a pmc, spendor, or pro ac. By this I mean speed of bass and getting on and off notes and sounds. I heard them at indulgence and albeit a small room, I’ve heard plenty of louder bigger speakers sound more dynamic in similar rooms. They are a small start up firm and I doubt have had anywhere near the development of a kef or pmc etc. So they may sound good with soundstage, which I thought one of there bigger pluses, but when you hear them next to some better pmc’s etc, you will hear they don’t handle the on and off nature of music to make it more real and accurate and be as balanced.
Hope helps.
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