Thoughts on change of speaker

[Audioholic]

Hi all
I'm thinking of changing my Ruark Sabre III standmounts for some used Proac 1sc. I suppose I'm after perhaps a slightly more balanced speaker, which maintains the Sabre's excellent entertainment and communication qualities whilst having a smoother character. I'd also like a bit more bass but am not sure if the 1sc are the best speaker to do it.

The thing is I've heard Proac can be an excellent match with Naim (which is what I have currently as amplifcation) and also is capable of magic when used with tubes. The latter is of particular interest - however, I have a question - is the eery sense of liveness that have been mentioned is achievable when using the Proacs with tubes, referring exclusively with use of full tube amps, or hybrids as well? I ask as I'm wondering if a Copland CSA 29 would be the next way to go - if if I prefer it in an AB home demo to the new entry Naim pre and power amps. What's definitely not changing which I've been really impressed with is the Bryston dac!

Thanks very much in advance

 

[Audioholic]

Anyone got any thoughts??

 

[Anonymous]

Well the Proac 1SC is a very fine speaker indeed. I would've more seriously considered a pair when buying my SA1s but the rear port was a no-no for me. Their sound is very expansive, with holographic, 3D imaging and an open, airy top end. Their bass seemed very good to me but will seriously depend on the quality of amp you use. Naim amps have always seemed to be pretty bassy to me (low damping factor at play here?) so I'd imagine it would work well.

If you can afford a decent tube amp then I have no doubts that this is a speaker to give you a very real experience. They're not hugely sensitive (86 db) so you need to audition some tube amps to see if they can deliver the volume you need.

Just a couple of thoughts.

EDIT the eerie sense of realism that you're looking for can definately be delivered by a pair of 1SCs. A great choice for just that due to their resolution, openess and lack of distortion. A sub would further add to the balance and realism in ways that sub-bashers might be stunned by. I consider these little beasties in the same league as the SA1s in terms of magic.

 

[Anonymous]

best speakers (quality for price) on ebay at the moment (from what I have seen) are these IMF TLS 80 speakers (4 way handbuilt transmission speakers) ...

ebay item 260501273066 ... buy it now of £675 ... (a bargain IMHO)

check the comments/reviews on google ... these will be worth a lot of money in a year or so ... sounds good with any decent amp/setup

I have no affiliation with the auction, but have owned a pair and will buy another pair when I can afford to do so

 

[Frank Harvey]

Agreed.

 

[Audioholic]

FrankHarveyHiFi:

Agreed.

To the comments about the IMF speakers, or igglebert's comments on what the Proac is capable of in the right set up?

 

[Frank Harvey]

The ProAcs 🙂

 

[Anonymous]

Damn! ... thought that someone finally agreed with me!

 

[Frank Harvey]

Sorry, I replied after reading iggle's post, but you got in their before I could finish, I didn't realise until I read your post asking that

 

[Anonymous]

Oh well.... thats life! ... same as a year ago I told people to snap up the LS3/5A speakers which were selling for £150-£200 ...

now some are fetching £1500+ and highly sought after ... you cannot get a decent pair for less than £600 and will double again in 1 yrs time

IMF prices will rocket as they are really good (but only the tls 50's and larger)

 

[Audioholic]

Those imf speakers do probably sound amazing but practically speaking (I know, it always sucks) I can't accomodate them. I don't have the width along the back wall to place them unless I move our piano out (which I wouldn't do), and also I think they look like monstrosities! For those with the space to place them, they probably sound better than speakers costing many times more. These seem like properly engineered speakers before designers cared too much about aesthetics and WAF!

 

[Audioholic]

Btw, can anyone comment more specifically about how the Proacs would differ to the Ruarks?