Hi folks.
Upgrade time beckons again, and as I'm currently without decent speakers (the Audio Physics turned out to be too difficult to live with, placement-wise) I am considering making a purchase in the next month or two.
A while back, I asked about recommendations for speakers, and got a lot of interesting answers. One speaker I particularly liked the sound of was the Sonus Faber series, although I haven't heard them in the context of my own system.
I'd really like to find out who is using the Signum or Concerto ranges and what they think of them. Has anyone tried them on stands other than the (expensive) SF ones? How about the PRaT? They seemed to exhibit many round-earth qualities when I heard them at the weekend, and they did sound dynamic, musical and fast, but how do they compare to other speakers at around the 1000 to 1500 mark.
I've discounted larger speakers due to room constraints (I have a pair of very agile and powerful subs which will do the deep bass thing with style, so that isn't a concern), so what else is there around that I should be listening to.
FWIW, I don't like the Kan-esque sound, and require something a little less migraineous, if you get my drift. The sound I like is a nimble, detailed and fast, airy and transparent sound, but with slam and a tight mid-bass. What other speakers at around this size (or not much bigger) can cut it?
ANyone with SFs care to comment on what you think of them?
Anyone tried Mana soundbases under the SFs, and did they respond well to them?
John
Posted on: 16 January 2001 by Martin M
I've tried Guarneri Homages with my system (consists of the normal suspects) and they worked pretty well, but not well enough to drop £5k on em. Nice and detailed but a little sterile.
Anyway, what I really wanted to recommend were Shahinian Super Elfx which are sort of Kans with a Panadol (if you get my drift) and bit more bass. I can heartily recommend them and they have a high WAF. Cost £800-900. Enjoy!
Posted on: 16 January 2001 by Top Cat
Front end: LP12/Lingo/Cirkus/Aro/Asaka
Amps: Arcam 10DAVE as a preamp, 10P3 as power (possibly to be replaced with Naim pre-power later this year)
Speaker cables (prefer to keep these): DNM Reson mkII
Subs: REL Stentor mkI (x2, one for L and one for R channel) - variable roll-off and gain.
Mana phase 5 supports under amps, phase 6 under LP12 and Lingo.
Does that help? Room is approx. 17'x11'x9', but I plan to move later this year to a home with a bigger listening room.
John
Posted on: 16 January 2001 by Todd A
I'll suggest MA's again. I have a pair of MA 700 PMCs and love them. Granted, I have only have a Nait, but I did use to run them with an Arcam Alpha 9 to exceptional effect. And with your budget, the new Gold Reference 10s may be the ticket. I took a long listen to the Studio 6s in a system like mine and was even more impressed than with the 700s. My guess is that the GR10s would be better yet. The sonic attributes you mention are all exhibited by MAs. Just a thought.
Posted on: 18 January 2001 by Khalid
I've heard concerto's, signums, EAII's, guaneri's and currently own concertino's. The signums and EAII's i've heard extensively.
I feel that the tino's and signums are reasonably fast but i would'nt say the same about concerto's and EAII's. The concerto's and EAII's seem to exhibit virtues in another direction when compared to tino's and signums. The tino's and signums are more agile, dynamic and faster whilst concerto's and EAII's seem warmer, sweeter but slower. There are parties who have likened guaneri's to signums and amati's to EA's. Despite all sonus having similar attributes there may well be two camps of sound within sonus's own regime.
I still mantain that sonus makes excellent speakers and represent good value here in Singapore but perhaps a personal evolvement has led me in another direction.
Just to give you an idea of where i'm coming from. I,ve been searching for a replacement for my tino's for about half a year now and belive my search finally came to an end when i heard a pair of kans mk1. I,m absolutely smitten by them. The only problem is that I can't seem to find a pair here in sunny singapore(well it ain't so sunny these days:)). Anyone letting theirs go? BTW do isobariks sound like a bigger kan. I could probably source a pair but I have'nt the faintest idea how they sound.
Regards,
Khalid
3.5/fc/72/180=>tino's
