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Best floorstanders <£5k/$6k

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DLxP

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Really, really nice. Love the wood finish. And at 2.5k a total bargain. I just couldn't accommodate them in my room/relationship!
 
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DLxP

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In other news, everything's pointing to the Genelecs at the moment. I've put out feelers for selling my amp and shouldn't have an issue there, so that would pay for one speaker. Selling the SCM40s would pay for the other. So, cost neutral. The Genelecs were the speakers I wanted before the ATCs, so it'd be full circle I guess.

I'd be running them with a very capable sub (just one at the moment), so bass output/SPL below xo isn't an issue at all.
 

Absolute

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Thanks for the kind words. I think Genelec is a safe bet for pure quality. Alternatively the Kef Ref 1 looks sensational in the measurements I've seen and also sounded better side-by-side than Kii Three according to Johnny Darko.

No idea what they cost, though. But I like the design and the fact that there's no amplifiers built in.
It was annoying when I had failure on both of my Kii speakers and had to send them to Holland to fix it.

I still prefer active speakers, but with outboard electronics.
 

maty

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Europe. If I were you I would investigate German manufacturers, both for passive and active loudspeakers. One can be amazed at what is in that market, so ignored in the Anglo world.
 
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DLxP

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Europe. If I were you I would investigate German manufacturers, both for passive and active loudspeakers. One can be amazed at what is in that market, so ignored in the Anglo world.
Any particular German manufacturers you're thinking of? I'm aware of a few, e.g. Neumann, which we've been discussing.
 

maty

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DLxP

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Thanks. I've never heard Canton, but have read plenty of reviews. They look good. Direct selling model, if I recall?

I've heard Nubert actives (in Munich) and owned XTZ - both make lovely stuff.
 
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Hadn't realised Canton was the largest European manufacturer! Very interesting. I would've thought KEF would be bigger.
 

maty

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Canton uses traditional channels. One of the joys it provides is that it launches new models every so often and then the previous ones drop a lot in price.

Look for opinions of Canton and Nubert on Amazon.de

Canton has a range of subwoofers to get dizzy. Mind you, a multimedia-oriented loudspeaker or subwoofer is not the same as others focused on high-quality music and recordings with dynamic range.


PS: A couple of years ago I crossed a few emails with the owner of XTZ on account of his amplifier that was based on the IcePower module.
 

maty

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BTW, in the usual suspects you have to pay for a review. Canton does not need advertising in central Europe. In Spain it is also very unknown. About ten years ago I recommended the basic tower: Canton GLE 490 + Yamaha 700? (with FM tuner inside, to listen to Radio Clásica RNE). One Canton SW 80.2.
 

maty

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Archsam

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Germany: Canton, Nubert (avoid Nubert amps) and...

Sweden: XTZ. 99 series are cheaper, 1600 €. You can update: Beryllium SEAS T29B001 with audiophile crossover (480 € x2) -> 2,560 €

PS: Canton is the largest European speaker manufacturer.

Fascinating.

So the beryllium tweeters are supposed to be much better than the standard ribbon tweeters?
 

maty

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I do not know. What we do know is what speaker models it uses and so we can to investigate about them thanks to the searchers. Is the price premium justified? no idea.

Do we know which drivers other 5000/6000 pound brands use?

In my experience, the quality of the tweeter and the components of its filtering matter a lot.
 

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896.2s were on my shortlist...
 

maty

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It would have to look for it, but things change very quickly in that business sector, which have transferred its total or partial production outside the European continent.
 
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