Hi Guys,
I am trying to find some standmount speakers to replace my Epos Epic 2s. I have been auditioning the Kef LS50s in my home for the past month. Despite flipping interconnects and speaker wire, I don't seem to love them quite yet. I love the soundstage and instrument separation, and I totally get why everyone loves them, but in my system, they sound a touch forward in the high mids and a bit inorganic. Tonality is really the most important thing for me and it's a bit of a bummer as I was REALLY hoping to love them.
I remember loving the Dynaudio X12s when I heard them years ago, so I checked out the X14s at a local shop, but that was a bust. The dealer and I agreed Dynaudio sorta missed the mark with this model. They sound a bit cold and lack coherence across the spectrum.
I also checked out the Spendor s3/5r2, which I thought had good tonality, but sounded maybe a bit boxy.
I went to another shop, which had terrible a listening setup, so all observations to be taken with a grain of salt. Here I heard the Nola Boxer IIs, which sounded lovely, but seemed a bit burly in the low mids. I'd be wary of blindly pairing them with my Marantz gear. (NYC dealers really don't offer an "at home auditioning period. Ugh…)
I also checked out the Focal Aria 906s, which I had high hopes for. They were nice, but seemed to be a bit overemphasized in the very top end of the treble- a bit too airy. This gave the Focals a very mid-to-rear hall presentation that didn't really do a whole lot for me.
So, I am tempted to just go and buy the Dynaudio X12s used somewhere, but I can't help but wonder if there is more recent stuff that might tump them within my price range. How do the X12s compare to more recent standmounts?
I am also considering the Epos Elan 10 or 15, since I have been using the Epic 2s in my system for a while, but I do not know how they would compare to recent options or the X12s. (It's been so long since I've heard the X12s).
Also, for what it's worth, I am starting to get the impression I might be partial to soft dome tweeters. It is really just a tonal thing (or completely psychosomatic).
Any suggestions or feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks and Happy New Year to you all!