[Toka]

I am looking to make some changes in my system over this coming year and due to both desire and necessity I want to replace my Polk SDA 2's that have served me well for quite a while (the 'necessity' being that I intend to purchase a Yamaha A-S2000 integrated amp and that particular model is not a common ground amp...so SDA's are a no-go. Was looking to replace them anyway).

In terms of what I want...I want a "big" sound. Wall to wall, floor to ceiling, 3-D, etc. Wide dispersion...I don't always listen alone. I know the SDA's may have spoiled me in this regard but anything that might be called "pinpoint" is off the list for me. I truly listen to all varieties of music, and also use my system for movies and games (Xbox 360), so something that can be considered "full range" (in my book that means it can cleanly reproduce a 30hz test tone) is a must. Don't want subs. In particular I listen to a lot of electronic music so fast/deep bass is a requirement. Must have "punch" and dynamics. Tonality wise I prefer cohesion and "musicality" over detail. If I were to use a phono cartridge analogy I would say that I want a Denon DL-103, not a Zyx. "Etched" is a four-letter word in my book.

Cost? Under $3K. The more under the better.  My shortlist thus far consists of:

Tekton Lore
Goldenear Triton (either the 2 or 3)

The latter are appealing due to the built-in/adjustable subs (no bass worries), as well as the slim profile. I love the SDA's and Sandy is a-ok in my book. I trust his intuition and I intend to audition these shortly. The former tick all the right boxes in terms of reviews I've read but I would want to hear them before committing the money which might be tough. Also not sure if they would have enough bass in comparison.

I'm open to other suggestions, provided they hit all of the above requirements. Not really looking to do vintage/used anymore but I wouldn't rule it out. Just getting tired of the hunt. My thanks in advance for any advice! 

[neekomax]

Heard good things about the Tritons.

Real active sub bass integrated properly with the other drivers in the speaker system eliminates the guesswork of placing and crossing over to subs, and it makes sense to me to not ask your midrange driver(s) to play below 100 or 200 hz.  When it's done right, it's very rewarding - true full range sound is where it's at. Think Von Schweikert's or GR Research's big systems. Active bass dude.

[Toka]

Adding the Amphion Argon3 L to the mix. Retail is higher than the others but I've seen it discounted somewhat online. Would still want to hear them first but they seem like something that would appeal to me (I've always been a big fan of waveguides). Anyone hear these yet?

[navin]

I am looking to make some changes in my system over this coming year and due to both desire and necessity I want to replace my Polk SDA 2's that have served me well for quite a while (the 'necessity' being that I intend to purchase a Yamaha A-S2000 integrated amp and that particular model is not a common ground amp...so SDA's are a no-go. Was looking to replace them anyway).

Tekton Lore
Goldenear Triton (either the 2 or 3)

Odd...I too once had the SDA 1B and CRS but that was in the mid-late 80s. Today I have the Yamaha S2000 integrated and they drive a pair of Selah Audio speakers. The speakers I have are derived from Selah's Peridot and RC4. They can be considered as either the RC4 without the active subwoofer or the Peridot with SEAS Excel woofers. I believe Rick Craig calls them the Peridot-Excel.

Now the 3rd co-incidence. A friend of mine has the Triton 2. My wife liked the looks of the Triton 2 over the Selah so she wanted to hear them side by side. The Selah speakers outperformed the Triton in both transparency and SPL so much so that my wife figured she could live with the Selah.

I would seriously consdier Selah or Salk over anything else commercially available (I considered Focal 836W, Paradigms Studio 100, Monitor Audio Gold GX200/300, KEF Q900/R900, B&W CM9, etc..).

Photos of my system are in a thread i started in the Lab.

[Stu Pitt]

The Revel Concerta F12 is big speaker that gives big bass sound and a pretty big soundstage.  That stuff has a lot to do with room acoustics and placement, so please keep that in mind.

Basically, to my ears they sounded like what big JBLs and Cerwin Vegas should sound like - deep tight controlled bass that doesn't bury the mids and highs.  They're not the last word in detail by any means, but they're quite acceptable in that regard when listening to the music as a whole rather than trying to focus minute details. 

If I had the space for them in my current room, I'd be all over them.  They retail for about $1500 or so, last time I checked.

Everyone's ears are different; I'm just suggesting you should audition them if at all possible.  Revel is a pretty big company, so it shouldn't be hard to find a dealer. 

[Stu Pitt]

Also, I don't have any experience with Vandersteen, but that may be an option too.

[stereocilia]

I wonder if bipolar definitive technology speakers would be a good fit?  I always liked the mirage m1 back in the day.

[geowak]

Last year (2012) I had searched for about 120 days for a floorstanding speaker. I went to as many dealers as I could within about 150 miles to audition brands. I listened to Klipsch, Paradigm, KEF, Infinity, PSB, B&W, Polk, Rega, Magnepan, JBL, Totem and some others.
I went with the Vandersteen 2CE Sig II, followed by the Magnepan 1.7. These two suited my taste for Jaxx, Blues and just seemed musical. I never thought I would like the Vandys, but they are a fine sounding speaker.

Now I have the 2CE in my main system and MMG's in my living room for everyday use.

[charmerci]

I wonder if bipolar definitive technology speakers would be a good fit?  I always liked the mirage m1 back in the day.

There was someone on the AVS Salk forum (I think) who didn't like them at all after hearing Salks.

[navin]

I went with the Vandersteen 2CE Sig II, followed by the Magnepan 1.7. These two suited my taste for Jaxx, Blues and just seemed musical. I never thought I would like the Vandys, but they are a fine sounding speaker.

Now I have the 2CE in my main system and MMG's in my living room for everyday use.

Ageed. Vandersteen's 2Ce and Sonus Faber's Luito were my favourties too. When it comes to planars Martin Logan's Motion might have an edge as their curved panels might offer better dispersion, however I have  heard the MMg and I dont see why some complain about limited dispersion.

[sonicboom]

Speakers such as the Vandy 2ce that use 1st order crossovers and are designed to be phase coherent, while they might sound good on axis at the listening position,  they will not sound their best outside that location.  This is true for all shallow slope crossover designs, where there's a large area of overlap in the drivers' responses.  This creates regions in space, of nulls and peaks created from either wave cancellation or reinforcement.

If you want a wide and consistent area of coverage, look into constant directivity speakers such as the ones made by Audiokinesis, Gedlee or Pi speakers.  Alternatively, you could also look into omnidirectional speakers or ones that use concentric drivers for the mid and tweeter.

[Toka]

Thanks for all the suggestions! Will give them all a listen if possible. Also keeping my eye out for Mirage OMD-28's.