NEARFIELD
- Harbeth P3ESR
- Harbeth Monitor 20.1 Pro
- Harbeth Monitor 30.2
- Revel Performa M126Be
FLOOR-STANDING
- Revel Salon2 / JBL L100 (Harman NYC)
200210 Visited Harman NYC store and listened to about four pieces. We were impressed with the low end of the speakers and loved "Dream State". Without a proper playlist, it was hard to compare to other things, and even then, this kind of listening seems more fun than productive. The clerk (Aja) recommended the JBL L100 for hip hop so we listened to these too. Especially hard to compare when changing environments but we liked these too. Another salesperson, Ed, thought the M2 might be the best match for my goal. (Buying a speaker I can trust to train my ears to and to use for the rest of my life.) The M2 wasn't set up for listening but we saw them in a studio soffet-mount display.
- PS Audio AN3 (Boulder)
- Klipsch Heresy III / Forte III
200129 We heard these at a shop called Gramophone in Timonium MD. I thought both Klipsch they had setup sounded clear and exciting. These speakers didn't energize the room like the IRS V, (though maybe the larger Forte was a bit better), but there's no way to really know with this kind of listening. Instead of the audio-shop listening experience, we'd need to hear the speakers in mono, without seeing them, and compare them level-matched to other offerings. We enjoyed the listening experience but I'm ever-more convinced I don't trust this kind of experience. The salesman recommended we hear Totem and I'd like to check them out sometime.
LINE SOURCE
- IRS V (Boulder)
200121 We really enjoyed this! PS Audio is so generous to make this listening room open to visitors. We spent about 90 minutes going through a fun playlist they had prepared. The system sounded amazing for solo voice (Billie Eilish When the Party's Over, Sam Cooke Lost and Lookin'). I especially enjoyed GoGo Penguin's Raven and Peter Gabriel's San Jacinto. We were less amazed by orchestral pieces. And the difference between live music and stereo playback remains great enough that I can't imagine really being an audiophile. I'm excited about making my performances sound incredible.
- Wisdom Audio Sage Point 2 http://www.wisdomaudio.com/where-to-buy/
ELECTROSTATIC / PLANARMAGNETIC
- Sanders Sound Model 10 (Conifer CO)
- Martin Logan Masterpiece (NY)
- Martin Logan Classic ESL 9
OPEN BAFFLE
- NX-Otica
OMNIDIRECTIONAL
- Ohm
- MBL