[immtbiker]

Those reviews are for the Beethoven Grands. I have the predecessor Beethovens from 2004 which attained an A rating when it came out. And those are my surrounds. The Strauss' exhibit none of the forementioned problems associated with the spider cone bass drivers that Jon Atkinson measured in Stereophile.
I had the B&W Nautilus 802 (pre-diamond tweeters) on trial for a while, and in my livingroom the Vienna Acoustic's blew them away in almost every category, including price. The bass on the 2004 series 802/801/800 is slightly bloated and slow to react (friends that had them and sold them and got Utopia Be's and Wilson Watt Puppy 7's in place of them).

But I always appreciate when someone comes in and corrects me. It means that people are paying attention.

What kind of cover works best?
At monthly Audiocircle meetings, members throw a towel over their flat panels, but I'm sure something must work better.

 

[dcstep]

I've listened extensively to the Vienna Acoustic Beethoven Concert Grand and Baby Grands extensively. They have very much the same character from top to bottom. VA designs their speakers to roll off as must as dictated by the cabinet size and speakers, so you don't end up with good bass down to a point and then it turns ugly or one-note ish. Instead they keep the character intact and let the speakers roll off as they must. The Concert Grands actually have a little more bass extension, but you have to listen to some relatively focused recordings to hear it.

The Strauss and the Mahler take much larger steps into the low ranges and that frequency depth difference is much more obvious than either Beethoven.

I've never heard a bad VA speaker. I can hardly wait for the new reference speaker due out soon. In 2009 I plan to get a larger room where either the Mahlers or Reference will have room to breath.

Dave

 

[SACD-Man]

gotta add Wilson to this list.

 

[SACD-Man]

I forgot Vienna

 

[Old Pa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by immtbiker /img/forum/go_quote.gif The bass on the 2004 series 802/801/800 is slightly bloated and slow to react

Depends on the amp. The big B&Ws are dependent upon having a beefy, high current amp to control their bass drivers. And the 801 is decidedly different and hard to control with that single fifteen incher.

I've heard good things about the Wilsons, too, but without an area dealer willing to discount significantly there was just no way.

 

[bbird1927]

Dynaudio !!
Next target : Contour

 

[Carmantom]

I voted for Dynaudio for how well they sound as a commercial vendor. My favorite the time I've been in this hobby is North Creek Audio. Probably a company a lot of people have not heard of.

George's kits and designs are world renown. He redesigned the crossovers for the Bose 801's and designed many of the top manufactures designs.

Well known for kits and designs worth 3-3 times what showrooms would ask for.

 

[Zinfin]

Zellaton, especially their larger speakers.

 

[shultzee]

Salk. It does take 3 months to get them however.

 

[legion1capone]

B&W
Magnepan
Ohm

 

[bagwell359]

Verity - all generations of the Parsifals

Apogee - Duetta & Scintilla - this technology is begging to be re-released into todays markets with improvements in driveability. Use an ML type cube for low bass perhaps.

ProAc - from the original Tablette and EBS to the Response Series

Quad - 57 is the legend but 63 and two in 900 series are better for anything bigger than 4 piece chamber music

ML - CLS IIz and several of the larger hybrids

MG - from the III to the I and II to the 3.* series to the 20's and the fiendishly great .7i and 1.7i

+ marks for ribbon/EMT tweeters

Brands that don't make the list? Bose, Bertagni, JBL, beats, lots more