Best amps and speakers to build a system around the Music PC and the NOS1

[juanpmar]

For personal reasons I decided to change my system. I will keep my music Pc and the NOS1 but the speakers and amplifiers will be other models. I would like your opinion to build a system that takes the best of the music Pc and the NOS1. Although I personally want to lower the economical level of my system, the possibilities are stratified at three different levels to help also others that could be considering a new system around these two components.

The question is: What are, in your opinion, the best amps and speakers to pair with the Music Pc, (XXHighEnd Pc or other pc), and the NOS1 in the following three levels?*.

- Budget level (up to 10,000€)

- Middle level (from 10,000€ to 20,000€)

- Cost no object level (from 20,000€ and up)


Thanks in advance,

Juan

*Prices are for the total amount of amps plus speakers. We can think also on second hand components

[PeterSt]

Hey Juan,

Such a question on a forum which is more or less under control of myself can only urge for not-so-objective answers from my hand. But I think you know what my answer will be (including amps ).
It depends a bit on whether you are obliged for VAT - I think you are not ?

But by all means and please, let others have their voice as well.

Kind regards,
Peter

[juanpmar]

Such a question on a forum which is more or less under control of myself can only urge for not-so-objective answers from my hand.

Thanks Peter, I´m quite sure there won´t be objective answers to this question and I´m sure also about the best speakers you would suggest . By the way I´m not obliged for VAT.

As I said I´m interested  about what any one could suggest in each category although I am mostly interested in the low budget one.
This could be an idea of what I´m thinking about: Gainclones mono blocks and horn speakers, nothing new isn´t it?. What I don´t know is what horn speakers I could buy for around 6.000€ (second hand), I´m not sure even if horn speakers could be the best choice as I have not experience at all with horn speakers. We all know, however, that horns and Gainclones have a lot of fans here.

Best regards,
Juan

[manisandher]

Juan, this is incredibly cheeky of me and I'll ask for forgiveness in advance...

For €6K, you (or anyone else on this site) can have my Swing MkII speakers (they were €23K new, ex VAT). They're not perfect, but they do so many things well that I doubt there are better speakers for this sort of money. Certainly, they have a 'liveness' to their sound that I've only heard from ultra-high sensitivity speakers. (These are 114-115dB/W!) They have built-in gainclone bass amps, so you just use them as you would any other passive speaker. The only downside is that I have no packaging material, so ideally they would need to be collected in person from my house.

If I had space in my home office/studio, I would definitely be keeping them. But alas I don't, and I need to make way for my new horns in my main room. So they've got to go.

Anyone interested, just send me a PM.

Cheers, Mani.

PS Peter, of course, if I've over-stepped what you deem acceptable, let me know or just delete this post.

[juanpmar]

Thanks Mani, I´ve sent you a PM 

Juan

[boleary]

Hey Juan, on the small budget end I've found a BD-Design 30wpc gainclone coupled with  Triton II speakers to be an incredible combination. Not sure what the price of a new, special order GainClone is from BD-Design but the speakers are only 3,000 US. Here's a link:

http://www.goldenear.com/products/triton-series

[juanpmar]

Hi Brian, thank you for the information, the Triton II looks interesting. I can´t see any gainclone in the BD-Desing web. Where have you seen that combination?

Juan

[PeterSt]

Hi Juan,

Maybe Brian has these speakers himself (I don't know and his post is not 100% clear to me either) but the amps he has. Bd-Design does not sell them anymore but I think I can arrange something for you. For special persons we always can ...
By the time you like me to, drop me an email.

Regards,
Peter

[boleary]

Yeah I have the speakers. It's a pretty incredible combo for the price. If your local stereo store has them you should give them a listen. One thing though, given the price of the speakers, they are rarely set up well at the store.

[juanpmar]

Thank you Peter and Brian,

Brian, there is not a seller here in Spain for the GoldenEar speakers. So my only chance would be to trust your ears 

Peter I´ll PM you.

Kind regards,
Juan

[boleary]

So my only chance would be to trust your ears 

Yikes, trusting my 57 year old ears is something you must do at your own risk!  Unfortunately, in audio, as in so many things, one man's roof may be another man's floor  (Thanks Mr. Simon.). But I will say that over the course of the last year I have listened to about a dozen very high end systems, and I always came  back to my system pleased that it seems to stand up to the "very best." 

[juanpmar]

Brian, your 57 vs my 63... hmmm I think I still can trust you 

I´ve been reading a while ago the last TAS review of the GoldenEar Triton Seven, I wonder if you have listened this speaker and if so I´d like to know how you compare it with the Triton II. The review say wonders of the Seven.

The truth is that I still have to think on what speakers to choose. Along the years, I´ve experienced different kind of speakers like monitors, electrostatics, classic Tannoy or the last VR-9SE. The ones that I never had are horns and I am quite curious about it. Of course they are in other price league but perhaps I could find a good opportunity in the  second hand market... who knows!. What seems to be a real bargain are your Titan II, at least for what I read and for what you said about your sound here in the forum. I congratulate you and appreciate your information.

Kind regards,
Juan

[boleary]

Hey Juan, I haven't heard the Triton 7, but I think the II's are supposed to be their best speaker. Also, I'm not sure a GainClone would be best with the 7 because they their efficiency is 89db. The II's are 91db and I am playing most music between -16 a -10 db on XX volume control.

[juanpmar]

Brian, those Gainclone seems to be pushing hard to move the Titan II, you must have great music there, I´m sure. On my side I think that I´m going in this occasion to take the route of the horn speakers and if I´m lucky I think that I´m near of getting a good pair. 

Juan