Warm, detailed, fast speakers?

[paradiziac]

Hi everyone,

What the title says!

Anyone heard any niche brands of speakers that have a fluid, non-fatiguing sound, but still have great energy, involvement, detail, timing and good imaging?

Most of the time it always seems to be a compromise between bright/harsh/detailed/clinical v warm/wooly/slow/boring.

Acalex's adventures with Sonus Faber got me thinking a bit....

Maybe as in food, we Brits have no taste in HiFi?!! And Italian or French speakers might turn out to be more to my taste.

So I started poking around the French HiFi Forums, and names like J.M. Reynaud (thanks, Cno) and P.E.L keep coming up. No doubt there are others but they never make it across to the UK and it's hard to track down info.

The JMR Bliss retails at (I think) around 1000 Euros?

So anyone actually heard any of these? Or Acalex, please can you go have a listen and let me know?

 

[Helmut80]

despite not hailing from these shores, I take offense.

Cornetto mint

KitKat orange

fish'n'chips

shortbread

scones with clotted cream and jam

anything with clotted cream

baked beans

custard creams

viscounts

trifle

I am shocked by your accusation. Shocked.

i would argue that Proacs could fit the bill, if paired with the right amp. Having said that, I would kill for a pair of Sonus Faber Liuto floorstanders.

 

[acalex]

Hi everyone,

What the title says!

Anyone heard any niche brands of speakers that have a fluid, non-fatiguing sound, but still have great energy, involvement, detail, timing and good imaging?

Most of the time it always seems to be a compromise between bright/harsh/detailed/clinical v warm/wooly/slow/boring.

Acalex's adventures with Sonus Faber got me thinking a bit....

Maybe as in food, we Brits have no taste in HiFi?!! And Italian or French speakers might turn out to be more to my taste.

So I started poking around the French HiFi Forums, and names like J.M. Reynaud (thanks, Cno) and P.E.L keep coming up. No doubt there are others but they never make it across to the UK and it's hard to track down info.

The JMR Bliss retails at (I think) around 1000 Euros?

So anyone actually heard any of these? Or Acalex, please can you go have a listen and let me know?

Good evening my friend.

Actually the experience with SF really opened my eyes. I had such an unbelievable experience that I can't sop thinking. Already the SF Cremona Auditor (shop has an ex demo for 3600 eur) were stunning. Very relaxed...totally emotional, detailed and a nice and punchy bass. Not sure if the shop has the JMR, I will check and let you know. If you find any place in Paris having them, just let me know and next time I am there I will demo them...

Of course...the Guarneri memento were an abvious step up...but at twice the price. I think I will be heading towards those as they really made me have fun...

Actually...come to Brussels for a short holiday and come and listen to the SFs yourself

 

[AlmaataKZ]

I also think SF sound absolutely wonderful!

 

[CnoEvil]

So I started poking around the French HiFi Forums, and names like J.M. Reynaud (thanks, Cno) and P.E.L keep coming up. No doubt there are others but they never make it across to the UK and it's hard to track down info.

Someone give that man an award for trawling through my copious meanderings.

I like 2 Spendor models, which are at either end of the price spectrum....the SA1s and the STs.

Audio Note speakers sounded like that to me, but preferably need put in, or near the corners.

Young Acalex should be reporting back on Living Voice; and there is always GamuT and Opera.

 

[acalex]

So I started poking around the French HiFi Forums, and names like J.M. Reynaud (thanks, Cno) and P.E.L keep coming up. No doubt there are others but they never make it across to the UK and it's hard to track down info.

Someone give that man an award for trawling through my copious meanderings. I like 2 Spendor models, which are at either end of the price spectrum....the SA1s and the STs. Audio Note speakers sounded like that to me, but preferably need put in, or near the corners. Young Acalex should be reporting back on Living Voice; and there is always GamuT and Opera.

I will report back from Old Europe

 

[oldric_naubhoff]

Anyone heard any niche brands of speakers that have a fluid, non-fatiguing sound, but still have great energy, involvement, detail, timing and good imaging?

Most of the time it always seems to be a compromise between bright/harsh/detailed/clinical v warm/wooly/slow/boring.

try good ribbons for size. my experience says they are both: bright but mellow and very detailed but musical. not to mention they are extremely fast and therefore exhibit tremendous resolution. highly addictive! no domes can compete.

 

[acalex]

So I started poking around the French HiFi Forums, and names like J.M. Reynaud (thanks, Cno) and P.E.L keep coming up. No doubt there are others but they never make it across to the UK and it's hard to track down info.

Someone give that man an award for trawling through my copious meanderings. I like 2 Spendor models, which are at either end of the price spectrum....the SA1s and the STs. Audio Note speakers sounded like that to me, but preferably need put in, or near the corners. Young Acalex should be reporting back on Living Voice; and there is always GamuT and Opera.

I just realized now that the shop I was saturday has Opera brand also. Pair of beautiful Opera Callas SP on sale as ex-demo...at 2k eur.

 

[plastic penguin]

Hi everyone,

What the title says!

Anyone heard any niche brands of speakers that have a fluid, non-fatiguing sound, but still have great energy, involvement, detail, timing and good imaging?

Most of the time it always seems to be a compromise between bright/harsh/detailed/clinical v warm/wooly/slow/boring.

Acalex's adventures with Sonus Faber got me thinking a bit....

Maybe as in food, we Brits have no taste in HiFi?!! And Italian or French speakers might turn out to be more to my taste.

So I started poking around the French HiFi Forums, and names like J.M. Reynaud (thanks, Cno) and P.E.L keep coming up. No doubt there are others but they never make it across to the UK and it's hard to track down info.

The JMR Bliss retails at (I think) around 1000 Euros?

So anyone actually heard any of these? Or Acalex, please can you go have a listen and let me know?

Sorry to say, you're wrong!

Warm, fast and detailed could be anything... mostly determined by room size and acoustics IMO.

My RS6s are described by some as "cold", while the Leema is seen as bright. Really? If that's the case why does my system have a lovely organic sound to it?

Over to the regular pedantics...

 

[CnoEvil]

Sorry to say, you're wrong!

Warm, fast and detailed could be anything... mostly determined by room size and acoustics IMO.

My RS6s are described by some as "cold", while the Leema is seen as bright. Really? If that's the case why does my system have a lovely organic sound to it?

Over to the regular pedantics...

This particular eccentric (and regular) pedantic, believes that subjective preferences and personal taste, are never wrong (for a given individual).

Personally I'm delighted to see lesser known brands being highlighted and debated.

 

[plastic penguin]

Sorry to say, you're wrong!

Warm, fast and detailed could be anything... mostly determined by room size and acoustics IMO.

My RS6s are described by some as "cold", while the Leema is seen as bright. Really? If that's the case why does my system have a lovely organic sound to it?

Over to the regular pedantics...

This particular eccentric pedantic, believes that subjective preferences and personal taste, are never wrong (for a given individual).

Personally I'm delighted to see lesser known brands being highlighted and debated.

My comment wasn't aimed at you, Cno.

Also agree - seeing the lesser known brands goin' toe-to-toe with the bigger names is refreshing. I'm taking issue with intial post and permutations the OP is exploring.

Perhaps I've been on this forum too long.

 

[CnoEvil]

Perhaps I've been on this forum too long....

...Not until you've passed 10k posts. :roll:

I am a regular....and possibly pedantic....so no harm done.

 

[SteveR750]

PP, I agree with yor comments about room acoustics - probably the biggest upgrade / downgrade you can make. I'm sure you have to match your system to the room as much as you do any other components in the chain. My system at home sounds nothing like similar systems in a shop (laptop, same dac, same amp, A6s) so unless you can home demo the whole thing is at best an educated extrapolation of what to expect when you get it all home.

I'm sat here listening to Adele belting it out, and thinking that whilst the DACmagic is a but rough around the edges, and the spens can induce narcolepsy in others, I cannot imagine anything more dynamic, punchy yet musical. I can listen to spotify (and this is the lo-res version) for hours, and often being impressed, sometimes stunned with what I am listening to.

 

[Diamond Joe]

...the Guarneri memento ...

Some of my favourite speakers, they'd be on my list if I won the lottery, I'm going to be totally green with envy if you get some of them

 

[paradiziac]

@Helmut80: I admire your cultural knowledge. Though I do hope you've had the opportunity to sample good fish and chips. Up here in Yorkshire, we do "proper" fish and chips--fried in beef dripping, not poncy vegetable oil!

i would argue that Proacs could fit the bill, if paired with the right amp.

Funny you say that, the French also seem to like Proac...

@Acalex: Thanks! Quite a few JMR dealers in Paris, there's an official dealer list on the company website (hope that's OK by the house rules).

http://www.jm-reynaud.com/

No UK importer at all...no dealers fancy a go? Put me down for a home demo!

Warm, fast and detailed could be anything... mostly determined by room size and acoustics IMO.

My RS6s are described by some as "cold", while the Leema is seen as bright. Really? If that's the case why does my system have a lovely organic sound to it?

...Hmm...so maybe redecorating or moving house would be a cheaper option than a pair of top-of-the-range SF's

My point was just try to have a bit of fun and make the observation that different brands do offer different "tastes" for different consumers. For my personal taste, British chocolate is, on the whole, too sickly sweet and not very chocolate-y compared to the chocolate you get in old Europe. I like some British beer from our microbreweries, but once you compare the mass market stuff that everyone drinks, Belgian or Czech is much better. Why? That the average Belgian or Czech has a finer appreciation of good beer is totally plausible to me, it's more an integral part of the respective culture. So what if it's the same with hifi speakers?!!!

I wasn't trying to argue a certain point of view--I'm was just interested to know if people recognized the kind of sound qualities I was trying to describe (I think, yes) and to hear anyone's first hand experience of some of these "foreign" speakers that I don't have a chance to hear in my nearest hifi shop.

Some interesting suggestions so far, :cheers:

 

[acalex]

Not sure if that's a question of being a british or italian manufacturer, but honestly I have the MA RX6 which I like a lot. I heard the PL200 from MA, stunning speakers...sound was not breathtaking for me.

Then I plugged the SF, the Cremona Auditor first...the Guarneri memento after that...that was it. love at first sight. Unbelievable sound, never heard nothing like that, not even from Kef reference (to be fair it was another type of electronics connected with Kef/ref).

That's why I decided I am getting the Guarneri memento as soon as I sign a new contract (maybe in June) and I will keep until I can't afford the Amati Futura. I fell in love with this unbelievable and emotional sound...

Curios to see how Living Audio and Opera would compete with SF, but my hearth (musically speaking) is taken now!

 

[acalex]

...the Guarneri memento ...

Some of my favourite speakers, they'd be on my list if I won the lottery, I'm going to be totally green with envy if you get some of them

I want to check how Cremona M sounds and Living Audio at the same price target...for now Guarneri memento is on top of my speakers list. Hopefully this summer I will get them!

 

[paradiziac]

Not sure if that's a question of being a british or italian manufacturer...

Probably not. But you must have heard this joke:

“Heaven is where the police are British, the cooks are French, the mechanics are German, the lovers are Italian and it is all organised by the Swiss. Hell is where the police are German, the cooks are English, the mechanics are French, the lovers are Swiss, and it is all organised by the Italians”.

Anyway, have fun with your demoing!

 

[acalex]

Not sure if that's a question of being a british or italian manufacturer...

Probably not. But you must have heard this joke:

“Heaven is where the police are British, the cooks are French, the mechanics are German, the lovers are Italian and it is all organised by the Swiss. Hell is where the police are German, the cooks are English, the mechanics are French, the lovers are Swiss, and it is all organised by the Italians”.

Anyway, have fun with your demoing!

I would say heaven is when italians are also cooks .

Yes I already heard this joke...