Plan B Forum

I am looking for some loud speakers. Any advice?

I am talking seriously loud. Not that super-bass subwoofer annoy the hell out of everyone within a mile-and-a-half radius loud.

I am talking about gut-grabbing midrange loud. Mind-exalting high range (tweeters?) loud.

For those of you into classical music, I am talking about the kind of loud that means that Zadok will shake the windows. I Was Glad will rattle the dishes on the shelves. When I play the Widor Toccata, the walls will sing.

Any suggestions?

Bang and Oulfson if you can afford them...

I'd check in with these folks: http://www.stereophile.com/audiophile-societies

The ex BF of one of my law school classmates was a high-end audiophile, and sold components at one point. If I can dig his name and shop name out of the recesses of my mind, I'll let you know. He knew his stuff and was always test driving new equipment in their apartment in Vermont, so I heard a lot of it, but retained very little.

I've had BFs with both Klipsch and Bang & Olufsen gear. When I have the money, I'll go B&O.

eta: The Klipsch BF listened to a lot a crap I didn't much like, so take that into account.

The B&O BF tolerated my adoration of classical music. I speak highly of B&O after listening to Dmitri Shostakovich's 5th Symphony at full volume following a particularly angsty day in graduate school - I also played a lot of my other classical favorites on that system.

I think you have the money and I think you should go listen to a B&O system at your local dealer before you decide on anything else. .02 FWIW

Go to a high-end hi-fi store (are there any left?) and audition speakers for yourself.

Bring along any recorded music you listen too and try as close as possible to replicate the room in which you listen to your recordings. Are there heavy drapes, thick carpeting, heavy furnishings? Or does the room have hardwood floors, thin curtains and is sparsely furnished?

Tastes in speakers is a subjective experience.

As is music.

I'd love a B&O set up, but seeing as I've got "two tin can and a bit of string" hearing, it wouldn't really be a worthwhile investment.

I would recommend B&O speakers but it's just as important that you get a high quality parametric eq. Speakers are only as good as what you pump into them.

"Back in the day" When I was single and spent time shopping for such things I would say B&O and ADS were very good and produce very neutral sound. I think ADS has disappeared as a full-size speaker maker. Carver made some very good speakers in the 70s but the company name was sold and now its just lower-end stuff.

B&O are the nicest looking!

yrs,
rubato

You might want to give Polk Audio speakers a listen.