Front full range speakers for A21

[michael123]

Hello

I am a newbie here

I have 3 Halo amplifiers where A21 is going for the front speakers.
Recently I decided to upgrade them, which are at the moment B&W 604

The budget is quite decent - 10-15K$

I do not want/neither I can switch to JC-1 (do I need to?), I have no physical space to accommodate them. Anyway, maybe in the future

The goal is to have an excellent speakers for stereo music reproduction, I listen mostly to blues/country music/jazz/vocals

I have few candidates on my list:
- B&W 802D
- Verity Audio Leonore
- Sonus Faber Elipsa
- Martin Logan Summit X
- Thiel CS3.7
- KEF Reference 205/2 or 207/2

I would like to know what you people are using with your Halos..


thanks
Michael

[Vince Helm]

Hello

I am a newbie here

I have 3 Halo amplifiers where A21 is going for the front speakers.
Recently I decided to upgrade them, which are at the moment B&W 604


The goal is to have an excellent speakers for stereo music reproduction, I listen mostly to blues/country music/jazz/vocals

I have few candidates on my list:
- B&W 802D
- Verity Audio Leonore
- Sonus Faber Elipsa
- Martin Logan Summit X
- Thiel CS3.7
- KEF Reference 205/2 or 207/2

HI Michael,

What source are you using? What preamp? What cables? I like the Thiel CS3.7 but your answer to the above questions will make all the difference to that speaker.

Vince

[michael123]

I have SlimDevices Transporter fed directly to A21 via balanced inputs.

I have also Audiolab 8000AP surround processor, but I use it now basically for TV/HDTV, movies (DVD, HTPC) and games (PS3)

As for Thiel, I was told that these require quite strong amplification and A21 will not be sufficient.. Are you sure about this match?

[Vince Helm]

I have SlimDevices Transporter fed directly to A21 via balanced inputs.

I have also Audiolab 8000AP surround processor, but I use it now basically for TV/HDTV, movies (DVD, HTPC) and games (PS3)

As for Thiel, I was told that these require quite strong amplification and A21 will not be sufficient.. Are you sure about this match?

No I am not, I have heard the speaker at a local dealer with Class'e amps and like the sound. I would email Thiel and see what they think.
Vince

[MichiganMike]

I am using my A21 to drive Von Schweikert VR4 JR speakers and am pleased with the result. For the speaker budget you have in mind, you might add to your list more upscale Von Schweikert speakers such as the VR4 SR MKII or Unifield 3, which should produce beautiful music when driven by the A21. Audiocircle.com has an owner's forum for Von Schweikert speakers with more information, if you are interested.

[Peter Nielsen]

Wilson Watt Puppies... If you can get them at a great price (or increase your budget). Maybe get a slightly used pair off Audiogon...

Magnepan 20.1 is a great choice too, but may need more amplification if you need to play them loud (which may be required when watching movies).

Von Schweikert and Thiel both leave me cold after auditioning them. They just don't do it for me. The Watt Puppy always delivers big time. I own MG 20.1s...

Oh, and the new Martin Logan CLX is a great speaker too. A good dealer might be able to squeeze it into your 15k budget...

Peter

[Chris D]

Actually, I just considered last month buying Martin Logan CLX's for myself to drive with Parasound Halo amps, (Martin Logan uses an A21 in their factory to demo the CLX) but decided not to, just because of the large cost. Unfortunately, this month Martin Logan is cracking down on their retailers, and as of April 1st, none of them are allowed to give discounts anymore on ML gear.

Since I didn't pull the trigger on the ML's, I'm still using all M&K speakers in my 7.1 theater, based on the S-150 series. Previously, I had an all-Klipsch 7.1 setup with my Halo gear.

[lvhung]

Why not Jlab Chorus 826V
look ugly but sound wonderfully

[Music4Life]

ATC SCM40.

http://www.atc.gb.net/scm40.htm

I guess you need to have another A21. This speaker needs one A21 for each speaker :W .

[REOFan]

Very Good List

Michael,

That's a mighty fine list! How can you go wrong? I can recommend Legacy Audio. The Focus--now Focus HD--offers value and performance. My friend owns a pair. They're big, however, and deserve some space. But they leave little to desire, to my ears at least. I own the Whispers--next model up the line--and marvel every time I play music. I also own a pair of JC 1s and the JC 2.

Half the fun might be auditioning each speaker on your list and eliminating them one by one until you find the model that satisfies you. But that's an investment in time to be sure.

Good luck. Have fun. Don't fret or nit-pick too much. Your list is a good one!

[michael123]

Got speakers!

I would like to update you guys that I bought Parsifal Ovation by Verity Audio.
They work very nicely indeed with A21.
I checked them with few other amps (VAC, Octave) and A21 won by a huge margin - bass extension and volume was great!

Yet, as the enemy of the good is the best, I am now looking forward to upgrading A21 to a pair of JC-1s!

[REOFan]

Congratulations

Michael,

I've always liked the looks of Verity Audio speakers. I read a lot of good things about them. But I'm now a loyal Legacy Audio owner. (Wish I could visit their room at the Rocky Mountain Audio fest--but I have other commitments.) I can't imagine you'll be disappointed if and when you get JC 1s. Meanwhile, enjoy the new loudspeakers! I appreciate the update.