Hi Everyone:
Currently looking for floorstanding speakers for listening to music, I may add a sub later on so the application will be music 2.1. Amp is a Yamaha AS2100 currently powering a pair of Elac B6s. Listen to hard rock and classic rock but also opera, classical, jazz and vocals.
After some research and auditions I'm at the following stop.
Before continuing let me just say I don't consider myself an audiophile nor I know or familiar with the terms most of you use in this forum.
My budget started with $800 and was looking at the Elac's F6, then heard the UF5 from Elac were wonderful so I went ahead and schedule an audition, on the way there a friend of mine advised to listed to the Klipsch RP280F so I did and the sales guy also allowed me to listen to the RF7 II and the focal's I forgot the model but the price was similar to the RF7. Then later on that day auditioned the uf5 and also the Golden Ear Triton 3 plus. Next day at Best buy auditioned the Martin Logan ESD and motion, then B&W Cm10's and CM8 and Sonus Faber. Here are my impressions and comments, maybe someone can provide some more insight on what to select, I understand the budget is no longer $800 but don't want to run short either and miss some amazing sound.
Elac UF5 - Sound is clear, lacking a little on the low's, these can be remediated with a sub. Soundstage and instruments sound all mixed and coming from same direction. I was expecting more I think.
Triton 3 plus - These are active speakers, lows are amazingly crips, high and mids are ok, soundstage is ok better than the UF5
Klipsch RP280 - Comparable in my opinion to the Elac's UF5
Klipsch RF7-II - These sound amazingly good, it feels like you are in front of a stage and the instruments, vocals etc. coming from different directions, I liked these a lot, the lows reproduction is very good and I may add a sub.
Martin Logan - ESD - Different sound to anything I have heard before but did not like it too much.
ML Motion's - Incredible lows, very good sound still prefer the RF7 over this one.
B&W CM10 - Here is my dilemma, without being biased I believe these sounded amazing, the lows are not that good but it can be remediated with a good sub (I think) the mids, highs and soundstage and sound in general was as good or better than the RF7's (IMHO)
Sonus Faber - I was not impressed comparing side by side to ML and BW.
So I'm kind of split between RF7, CM10 and the UF5 as I think I couldn't auditioned the uf5 properly, or maybe is I'm trying to have myself to consider $1000 for my budget for the pair.
Anyways this is were I'm standing now and any comments or aid you may provide will be welcome.
Thank you