Recommended Speaker upgrade from MA RX1

[Inter_Voice]

I have not heard the Totem Arro before but I prefer to have standmount on account of my room size. I know Leema Xones also has standmount version but from some of the reviews it was mentioned that it lacks good bass performance due to its speaker size. So far I am still exploring various models from paper exercise and once I have shortlisted a few I will have audition before making my final decision.

There are many good suggestions here and I need to review every suggestion which makes even more difficult for me to decide.

 

[Inter_Voice]

It seems that MA has launched their GX 100 into the market but so far I cannot find a right shop in my area for audition. Hope someone having received their long awaited GX-100 can share their experience after listening.

Apart from MA GX-100 (about £1250) what I have now in mind is PMC DB1i (about £1000) or Splendor SA1 (about £1400).

Any suggestions or comments on these 3 speakers with my Leema Pulse bearing in mind that I mostly listen to vocals, blues, jazz and sometimes classical music ?

 

[plastic penguin]

It seems that MA has launched their GX 100 into the market but so far I cannot find a right shop in my area for audition. Hope someone having received their long awaited GX-100 can share their experience after listening.

Apart from MA GX-100 (about £1250) what I have now in mind is PMC DB1i (about £1000) or Splendor SA1 (about £1400).

Any suggestions or comments on these 3 speakers with my Leema Pulse bearing in mind that I mostly listen to vocals, blues, jazz and sometimes classical music ?

I've heard the SA-1s, DB1s and GS10. For me, in terms of value for money and synergy, the PMCs edge the others. But when it comes to Totem it's a different story.

 

[plastic penguin]

It seems that MA has launched their GX 100 into the market but so far I cannot find a right shop in my area for audition. Hope someone having received their long awaited GX-100 can share their experience after listening.

Apart from MA GX-100 (about £1250) what I have now in mind is PMC DB1i (about £1000) or Splendor SA1 (about £1400).

Any suggestions or comments on these 3 speakers with my Leema Pulse bearing in mind that I mostly listen to vocals, blues, jazz and sometimes classical music ?

I've heard the SA-1s, DB1s and GS10. For me, in terms of value for money and synergy, the PMCs edge the others. But when it comes to Totem it's a different story.

 

[chebby]

...or Splendor SA1 (about £1400).

I hope you don't mind me pointing out the company is called Spendor. (Not Splendor.)

I have seen this many times and not just on this forum.

'Spendor' derives from the names of the company's co-founders, ex BBC engineer Spencer Hughes and his wife Dorothy.

The name 'Harbeth' also originated in a similar way (named after ex BBC engineer, Dudley Harwood and his wife Elizabeth) and also with Leema Acoustics (from the names of the two founders, ex BBC engineers Lee Taylor and Mallory Nichols.)

Maybe it's a BBC thing

 

[Inter_Voice]

pp, I have never had a chance listening to Totem Arro and even if the SQ is good my small living room cannot accommodate floorstand speakers

.

Thanks chebby for the explaination on the brand names

.

 

[plastic penguin]

pp, I have never had a chance listening to Totem Arro and even if the SQ is good my small living room cannot accommodate floorstand speakers

.

Thanks chebby for the explaination on the brand names

.

Unless you have the hi-fi in a broom cupboard the Arro will be fine. Simply put they are THE most flexible speakers I've ever heard, and sound great with the Leema. Otherwise, the PMCs are the best standmounter I've heard.

 

[Anonymous]

pp, I have never had a chance listening to Totem Arro and even if the SQ is good my small living room cannot accommodate floorstand speakers

.

Thanks chebby for the explaination on the brand names

.

Would I be correct in assuming you would be using stand mount speakers on stands? If so then they will essentially be taking up the same footprint as floorstanders. If you are worries about boom then the Totem Arro as suggested by PP would be perfect. I have heard these on the end of Sugden cdp and amp and they sounded truly stunning. The tonality of them was gorgeous and the imaging was pinpoint perfect.

 

[Anonymous]

what about a pair of atc scm7's? you can place them anywhere, a fellow forumite friend of mine has a pair on the end of a marantz ki66 sig amp and he loves them, well within budget too...

 

[Inter_Voice]

I am not using speaker stands and my speakers are placed on the wall cabinet as my room is small

.

As to ATC SCM7 I have no experience with them but from the specification the sensitivity is quite low and it may need a powerful amp. to drive them.

 

[Anonymous]

i think the leema would drive them no problem...

 

[plastic penguin]

I am not using speaker stands and my speakers are placed on the wall cabinet as my room is small

.

As to ATC SCM7 I have no experience with them but from the specification the sensitivity is quite low and it may need a powerful amp. to drive them.

I'm not sure whether the SCM7 would be an upgrade or a sidestep. If you look at ATC then, one would assume, the SCM11 would be far better. In terms of driving ATCs I'm not sure how well, but the Leema, as you know, is pretty ballsy.

 

[Anonymous]

I am not using speaker stands and my speakers are placed on the wall cabinet as my room is small

.

As to ATC SCM7 I have no experience with them but from the specification the sensitivity is quite low and it may need a powerful amp. to drive them.

In which case I will echo another of PPs suggestions- the Totem Rainmaker. I have not heard this speaker but if it sounds anything like the Arro then I can only imagine that it too will sound sublime.

 

[Anonymous]

I am not using speaker stands and my speakers are placed on the wall cabinet as my room is small

.

As to ATC SCM7 I have no experience with them but from the specification the sensitivity is quite low and it may need a powerful amp. to drive them.

I'm not sure whether the SCM7 would be an upgrade or a sidestep. If you look at ATC then, one would assume, the SCM11 would be far better. In terms of driving ATCs I'm not sure how well, but the Leema, as you know, is pretty ballsy.

for some reason i had a figure of £600 in my head as the budget, so yes the scm 11's would be obviously better..

 

[plastic penguin]

I am not using speaker stands and my speakers are placed on the wall cabinet as my room is small

.

As to ATC SCM7 I have no experience with them but from the specification the sensitivity is quite low and it may need a powerful amp. to drive them.

I'm not sure whether the SCM7 would be an upgrade or a sidestep. If you look at ATC then, one would assume, the SCM11 would be far better. In terms of driving ATCs I'm not sure how well, but the Leema, as you know, is pretty ballsy.

for some reason i had a figure of £600 in my head as the budget, so yes the scm 11's would be obviously better..

Agreed. There's little benefit in going for £600 speaker when you're replacing a £500 one. Think to make the most of the Leema you need to be looking at £1,000, at least.

 

[Inter_Voice]

Just checked the web and the cost of PMC DB1i is now £1050. The price has gone up by quite a bit

.

I am still waiting for folks' experience with their GX-100 though I believe not too many are around. The cost of GX 100 is £1250.

Spendor SA-1 is still in my mind.

I am sure Totem Arro is a good speaker but I cannot consider it due to my space constraints, bad luck to me

.

To be honest I have also EB Acoustics EB 1 in my mind (around £500 - seems to be value for money as it had received very good reviews) unfortunately audition is not possible and the lead time for delivery is extremely long (around 2-3 months). I know EB2 should have better bass performance, shall I take the risk of buying something without listening to it ?

 

[crusaderlord]

if you are going to prefer a standmount then definately try the Neat Petite SX or Neat Motive 3. The Petite is the higher priced but may be worth it - its on my demo list at the moment. I like the PMC DB1i but have recently become a bit dissappointed by the PMC pricing structure. 3 years ago i decided between my top 3 standmounts the PMC DB1i and the Neat Motive 3 - at the time the Neat Motives were £750 and the PMC £825. At todays price they are now Neat Motive £825 and PMC a whopping £1,050. Also i note the PMC GB1i has gone up from £1,325 when i looked at buying one at that time to a current £1,675 - now its a great speaker but a 27% price increase is asking a lot. In relative terms Neat Motive are much better value now.

 

[Inter_Voice]

I also noticed that the price of PMC DB1i has gone up and it is now £1050 per pair. Neat Motive 3 was once on my list but seems to me that PMC would sound a little bit better according to reviews (though cheaper).

I am awaiting for comments from folks' owing their pair of MA GX-100 (£1250) but it appears not many are around

.

Spendor SA1 (£1350) is still in my mind. To be honest I have also in my mind EB Acoustics EB1 (£500) as it had received a lot of good reviews. My concern is its rear ported design and lack of audition in store as well as its long delivery lead time (2-4 months). I know EB2 (£700) is without rear ports, like SA1, and should not have too much problem when placing them in cabinet shelves.

My mind is still struggling

.

 

[Ambrose]

Hi, The Neats have crept up to £855 now although nowhere near PMC price hikes. I have just purchased Neat Motive 3 (ex demo £650) and Naim Nait 5i-2 (trade in £550) from dealer and these are fantastically enjoyable speakers, especially with Naim amp. Even with my poor source (Dvd player / dac magic 1) Haven't had long so still finding out more about these speakers so not sure about jazz/classical music but well worth a listen if possible. Quite different sound to many speakers I have heard. WHF review is spot on. Also of note (not sure if due to Amp or Speakers) is that the sound is exceptional at low volume levels with nothing much lost in detail and still sounds dynamic / engaging to listen to. They are quite flexible position wise, for me at least. Eg 15cm back wall and on sideboard (using carbon fibre feet).

 

[crusaderlord]

I also noticed that the price of PMC DB1i has gone up and it is now £1050 per pair. Neat Motive 3 was once on my list but seems to me that PMC would sound a little bit better according to reviews (though cheaper).

My own demo i thought the Neat Motive 3 was better than the PMC, but it was close. The Neats are smoother and have a more dynamic and punchier bass. Both a good but the PMC gets more review exposure. You can read my demo thoughts here... http://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/standmount-speaker-demo-700-1250

I suppose for me the biggest worry is your comment about placing in a cabinet without stands - i personally dont think its worth spending big money unless you can give them a bit of space and proper stands as this will make the biggest difference to most speakers performance. If it has to be in a cabinet then i would look at Spendor - both PMC and Neat Motive wont be at their best if they have no space at all.

 

[Inter_Voice]

crusaderlord@ I had seen your reviews some time ago, nice work

.

BTW is Neat Motive 3 rear ported ? How it performs on vocals ? Do you find it bright or very smooth and ear friendly ? Do you think Spendor SA1 is better ?

 

[crusaderlord]

The Neat Motive 3 is rear ported - hence my last comment. It doesnt need that much space (but it does need some) and i have optimised it at c25cm away from the rear wall in my smallish listening room. Vocals are smooth and in my demo were only bettered by the Proac 1SC which was nearly twice the price. Spendor SA1 is a very different speaker which emphasises the midrange but has less bass and i felt a slight roll off at the top end. It is a great speaker though and is closed cabinet so doesnt need as much space. You need to listen and compare though as it not very similar to PMC or Neat in presentation.

 

[plastic penguin]

crusaderlord@ I had seen your reviews some time ago, nice work

.

BTW is Neat Motive 3 rear ported ? How it performs on vocals ? Do you find it bright or very smooth and ear friendly ? Do you think Spendor SA1 is better ?

Just noticed that ProAc 110 sre front ported. Not heard them but could be a good match.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ProAc-Studio-110-Speaker-/260784480629?pt=UK_AudioVideoElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_HiFiSpeakers&hash=item3cb7f76175

 

[Inter_Voice]

I understand that Stirling LS3/5a (£1000), Harbeth P3ESR (£1450) and Spendor SA1 (£1300) are designs from engineers of BBC. If I am not wrong the SQ of these speakers should sound very similar. It appears to me that Spendor appears more on hifi reviews but not the other two. If that is the case when considering the price can I correctly say Stirling is a more value for money choice? Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[plastic penguin]

I understand that Stirling LS3/5a (£1000), Harbeth P3ESR (£1450) and Spendor SA1 (£1300) are designs from engineers of BBC. If I am not wrong the SQ of these speakers should sound very similar. It appears to me that Spendor appears more on hifi reviews but not the other two. If that is the case when considering the price can I correctly say Stirling is a more value for money choice? Please correct me if I am wrong.

Dunno about the makes you've mentioned, apart from they were designed at a time most speakers were extremely difficult to drive. This was the main reason Wharfedale produced the 'E' series; the polar opposite, able to drive a 10 watt valve or tube amp without trouble. Sorry for the slight backstory but this was one of the reasons, probably, why the BBC studio monitors never really caught on commercially.

Clearly you like the MAs with the Leema, as I do, and it's worth waiting until the full GX range is released.