Hello All,
As is usual in this hobby every so often I sit down and think about what component has become the limiting factor. With my Rossini apex I don’t think my DAC will be a limiting factor for many years.
I think my speakers are probably the thing I can start to look at next. I currently have McIntosh XRT1k line array’s. I am not disappointed by them but curiosity has me wondering what other speakers might open up some additional magic. For fun - in 30 words or less - what is your favorite 40-50k speaker at the moment and why? Thanks!
Focal Scala Utopia Evos
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While this particular speaker breaks the budget, the best speakers I’ve heard to-date are the digital/active Meridian DSP8000XE’s.
Many are hoping the approach taken by the XE’s will trickle down through the range (which will bring these back within the budget mentioned above!).
Being digital, they remind us there are other approaches out there that work extremely well too. As for why, I found them hugely detailed, realistic and enjoyable. Much like my SR-X9000/Rossini setup.
I plan to listen to some well-reviewed Wilson and Legacy speakers too…
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The same thing is on my mind, but more the amp. Of note:
dCS usually demos/shows with Wilson speakers (and D’Agostino mono blocks, and no pre-amp)
MSB usually demos/shows w Magico speakers (and its own amps, and no pre-amp).
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A few months ago I upgraded from (Swiss) Piega Coax 90.2 to (also Swiss) Stenheim THREE SE’s. They are transparent magic, that really shows the uniqueness of APEX.
Some impressions of the THREE’s and their larger brother, the FIVEs
Stenheim Alumine Three Loudspeaker - The Absolute Sound
Stenheim Alumine Five SE Loudspeaker - The Absolute Sound
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Nice, Rudi! Stenheim make fantastic speakers — had a very enjoyable trip to see them in Switzerland in October.
I didn’t hear the Three SEs, but I did hear the Alumine Five SEs. Drool. Loved the pace of them especially. I bet the Three SEs are similarly lovely 
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Hi Ben,
Jean-Pascal is a longtime friend. It’s really quite amazing that such an ultra high end industry (Stenheim, Nagra, CH Precision, DartZeel, Soulution, Neukomm, Weiss, Thales etc.) exists in Switzerland.
Le son suisse - Une excellence mondiale - Joseph Tarradellas (EAN13 : 9782889154364) | EPFL PRESS
Yes, the THREEs are not quite FIVEs, but they are very good in an astonishingly living room friendly enclosure. In the end it was a choice between the (new) THREE SE and the FIVE (without SE).
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It may help if we knew where you are from and what currency you are thinking of. Is this with or without any local taxes that need to be paid? A 50K speaker in gbp ( my local currency) is going to be very different from a 50K CAD one if you live in, say, Toronto.
Incidentally I will reiterate a point that I have made earlier when discussing wire recommendations. If you ask this kind of question and you get 15 answers you will get approximately 15 different recommendations. People tend to just recommend what they use. Have a look at the “Showing (off )your dCS setup” thread and the huge variety of speakers used.
The question is made more complex as , aside from your location, we do not know essential information like have you a big or small room, what amplification have you or are you to change amps to best suit these proposed speakers, what is the predominant type of music that you play etc. etc.?
Above all what you may like is dependent on the manner that your brain has wired its centres that deal with the elements processing music and sound which is part inherited and part built from your life experiences and is thus unique to you.
At the end of the day, irrespective of recommendations, you can only buy what you can get. I am in London which is very well served for audio but even here there are several interesting speakers I can think of where the nearest dealer is in another country several hundreds or thousands of miles away which also removes any possibility of an essential at this level which is a home demonstration or loan. If you cannot arrange the latter at least make sure that you have a period within which they may be returned.
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ANY good speaker.
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I recently bought a pair Kharma 9DBs. Seems to be a very good match 
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I was fortunate enough to audition a Vivaldi Apex 3 box stack with ATC SCM200 ASLTs last week and they were sublime but would depend on how large a room you have. I am lucky to have a large room. For smaller rooms the 150s or 100s are very good as are the 50s.
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Great choice! (I’ve had a pair of Exquisite Classiques for years). What Amps(s) are you pairing it with? If you’re looking for new ones I’d highly recommend exploring OTL Tube Amps, like Tenor, Atma-Sphere, Berning, or LTA, they really bring out the best in Kharma speakers. 
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Hello. You may think about building a new room; this is the most forgotten gear, but the most potent for anything as high end as dCS or even your current speakers. Speakers of that size need at least 6000 cubic feet (150 m3) to be at ease. For me, any change of gear without considering a change of room, at that level, is a lack of common sense.
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Hi, I use Symphonic Line RG3 preamp & RG4 monoblocks. They’re SS but with ‘tubey’ sound
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@PAR is spot on. Ask 10 people and you will get at least 11 opinions/recommendations.
I love my Serblin Ktêmas because they very much suit my sound ideal. In fact I have never heard speakers that came closer to it.
That said probably the most impressive speakers I have ever heard were a pair of Alsyvox Tintarettos. These are the babies of the range and outside your budget here in Sweden but they may be cheaper where you are.
Don’t know if I could live with them (need to hear them at home or in someone’s optimised home system) but these seemed to have all the strengths of my beloved Apogee Stages, but none of the weaknesses. I believe Taiko use them in their demo room and at shows, but please don’t hold that against them!
I would suggest Wolf von Langa Chicago or London if they fit the budget, have also heard good things about Voxativ 9.87. All high sensitivity and with fieldcoil technology. Sounding really live and natural. Just to give you something different to think about compared to most loudspeakers. For $20k the WvL Son fieldcoils are really good across the board with superb integration of the units and my current reference. Purely preaching my own choices here.
@ankkor Since i came to Wilson audio i never user other speakers manufactured again. And on that price range you will have a lot of sound for the money… I start with the Sophia 3 and I’m now with Alexia 2.
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Bowers & Wilkins 800 D3, powered by Accuphase A-250 Class A monoblocks, wired by Audioquest WEL Signature (biwired full range speaker cables and XLR interconnects) here.
Vivaldi Apex directly connected to Accuphase A-250.
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TAD anyone?
They have a good and long (perhaps the longest) pedegree in high end audio.
Anyone pairing either of the Reference speakers with dCS?
Thx!
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Like everything audio, speakers are subject to personal preference. After listening to various ones
I now have a pair of ATC SCM 200 actives which work wonderfully with the Vivaldi Apex. I run them though a CH Precision L1 preamp because it sounds better to me that way and also allows me to control the separate cinema system. I appreciate I am lucky to have a space large enough to accommodate the ATCs, which most will not be able to do. Anyone who has heard them has come away astounded at the clarity, depth and natural quality of sound. As a result I now have an orderly queue of friends and neighbours wanting to come and listen!
Happy Christmas everyone and happy listening.
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