Mike,
Funny thing about audio - there are some things that push your buttons and there are things that just don't.
What I mean by this is that sometimes you'll run across a component or system that will just do things really right in the ways you want them to. When you come across a system or component like this you'll enjoy and covet what it does for you. It will make you very, very happy. It'll connect you to your music and allow your shoulders to relax.
I used to work for a audio shop that sold the Triangle Celius, Antals, etc. This was not too long after Stereophile ranked the Celius as an A rated speaker (with limited LF). We got a lot of people coming in on the strength of this review to listen to the Celius. In the showroom a lot of folks were really wowed by the sound and bought them right away. Some other folk, whom I'll call seasoned listeners, heard the speakers and, while enjoying what they did, knew that it wasn't the speaker for them. Then there were other customers who clearly didn't have a large speaker listening reference base but were convinced that the Celius' were the best speaker they had heard, probably influenced by the article.
What did the staff think? Well, we had a handful of guys who had very different listening preferences and backgrounds. We all thought the Celius was a very good speaker, especially considering the price. It did many things exceptionally well and was musical to boot. But we all came to the consensus that the Triangles weren't a speaker that captured any one of our hearts. It was good - even very, very good, but it didn't push any of our button in that special way. The Triangles were perhaps too safe in the way they made music. Everybody really liked them a lot, but no one really loved them.
That's in contrast to something like Lowthers or horns - they push some people's button in a really right way, but they also rub a lot of folks the wrong way, too. Lots of love and lots of hate - lots of heart-felt emotion, which is what the Triangles lacked.
Having said that, I don't think anyone who bought the Triangles were unhappy or cheated. They are a really worthy speaker. I just don't think they have that special something that makes a component speak to the heart.
Just to be clear, this is the Esprit line. I haven't heard Triangle's Stratos speakers.
At the shop I also learned that the Stereophile class A components were not always the most enjoyable or musical pieces (at least to my ears and those of my colleagues). A lot of them, like the Triangles, were worthy, but didn't do it for us. Some other components not ranked by Stereophile, or ranked class B or even C, provided us with greater musical enjoyment.
If you're looking for a good speaker in that price range, my I offer a couple of humble recommendations? With the right associated component, the DeVore Fidelity speakers really are a rich, communicative, and musical speaker. At the time I worked there, we had the Gibbon 8s and 3's, but I believe John DeVore has introduced the Silverback speaker which got really good reviews at
www.6moons.com. I haven't heard this latest offering myself, however.
The Epos speakers are surprisingly musical and communicative. We carried the M15s and the M12s. We had a guy cry while listening to music played over the M15s once. That just reconfirmed the feelings I had for them. I think Epos have a slighly upgraded line, and again I haven't heard the new ones.
And here's an amp recommendation. It happens that the Cairn 4808-A integrated amp, a great sounding French piece pushing 30 watts/channel, was a match made in heaven with the Epos speakers. This was the combo that the guy cried to. I would have bought this amp myself if I had the extra cash lying around. Alas, I think it has been discontinued.
So the best thing I can recommend to you is to do the reading and the research and then go and listen for yourself. There are so many nuances to music and the electro-mechanical reproduction of music that it's hard for a writer to put it into words. You won't know if something is right until your ears hear it and your body feels it.
Good luck on your speaker quest.
Best,
KT
