Seeking opinions on a speaker upgrade -- which pair? From Wharfedale 10.1s to Tannoy Revolution DC6

[freedave]

Hi,

I'm updating the home stereo, and would like some opinions on speaker selection. I was all set on Wharfedale 10.1s -- good combination of performance, price, appearance -- and then when I went to buy, they came in higher than I had thought. Fortunatly, my budget opened up a little to. So, I ask: what else at this price?

Details:

Usage: Music is the focus: Jazz, esp vocal Jazz, Opera, Orchestral, Classic Rock are the prime targets. Lots of voices here, hence the preference for the Wharfedales. Will be used for movie watching too, but that is much less of a concern.

Getting an AV receiver + speaker pair now; maybe a center speaker too. Will combine with existing speaker pair for surround setup. I had already pulled the trigger on a Yamaha RX-V475 when I found myself in the current dilema, so thats the starting point

*But down the road, I will upgrade to a nice HiFi stereo amp for music, connected, of course, to just the new speaker pair.

Room: The tricky part - it's pretty bright/live. Wood floor, hard walls, no curtains, limited absorptive/damping materials. Decent sized, about 3m x 5.5m, with a 3m wall section open to the rest of the house.

And I'm in France, so availability is frequently an issue. And pricing here is a bit different than in UK or US -- seemingly at random.

I started with the Wharfedale 10.1s; they turned out to be the same price as the Wharfedale 121s, so I have to consider that step up (even if it is a loss in beauty). And the price is getting close to the ever-popular Monitor Audio BX2s. And then I start to wonder, well, what if I stretch a bit. I am very tempted by the Tannoy Revolution DC6 -- and I can find them at a fairly reasonable price. But, something at this price level would be a bit of a special gift to myself, so they would really have to justify themselves.

With my music preferences, a good midrange is important, and I prefer a bit warmer sound. This is a key factor as some opinions have said either of my step-up options may be a little too bright/harsh.

And, I have to admit, asthetics do count. In that regard, the 10.1s and the DC6 are tops.

Currently Looking at:

Wharfedale 10.1 : €275 (original choice)

Wharfedale 121 : €275

Monitor Audio BX2 : €335

Tannoy Revolution DC6 : €430

Refresh of key points:

Bright room

Good midrange is important; I prefer a bit warmer sound.

Eventual HiFi Amp will be selected based on speakers

So, opinions?

Thanks to all!

 

[MrBrickFish]

I've also short listed these speakers... my post is a little further down. I've not got as far as auditioning any speakers yet. I'm currently focused on the DC6s since there is a matching centre channel. Previously, I'd been interested in the Q Acoustics Concept 20. I was slightly off put by the fact that all the reviews strongly suggest the need for the matching stands (taking the overall cost from £350 to £500) and that seemed a large proportion to spend on stands. However, there is also no associated centre channel speaker.

Can I ask where you've seen them at 430 Euro... they are generally £499 here although I have seen them a little cheaper elsewhere.

Many thanks

Sean

 

[freedave]

Ok....I'll try this again. Somehow it didn't post my reply the first time....

Would you believe, of all places....Amazon? Not exactly the HiFi destination marketplace, but there it is -- Amazon.fr that is. (I see it's £500 on amazon.co.uk).

This is going to be an interesting decision. Tough because it's difficult to really audition my field - no Wharfedale distributors in France, argh! :wall: But maybe that's a blessing in disguise -- it pushes me to order, try at home, and return -- which means auditioning in my living room!

I hope I can make that all work out...

 

[WishTree]

Refresh of key points:

Bright room

Good midrange is important; I prefer a bit warmer sound.

Eventual HiFi Amp will be selected based on speakers

So, opinions?

Thanks to all!

IMO, Tannoys are a tad brighter than Wharfedales and if you prefer warmer sound then I would suggest Wharfedales. Though, Tannoys have wider sweet spot.

I personally would go for Wharfedale as most of the budget amps are factory tuned to sound a bit bright and you might end up in neutral sound at the end.

But again, if it were me, I would not pick either speakers or amp first, I would treat them as a combo and audition them.

 

[Cypher]

as most of the budget amps are factory tuned to sound a bit bright

Where did you hear that ?