Ben77059

It really is hard to listen to speaker brands like these anywhere. I'm lucky to have a very unusual high end store where I live in the SF Area.
I heard the Sonist C-3 at the Cal Audio Show, in the dehavilland room
listening through an all tube Ampex 351 tape deck. It was one of the few rooms I went back to, really amazing sound. The Sonist are really effeciant at 95db so a low to medium power tube amp is all you need. They have a smaller speaker with one 6 inch cone and ribbon tweeter but for some reason that model isn't on there site but I remember it being $1,300 or so? My BG's have a 10 inch planar midrange with a 3 inch tweeter as a coax driver, so the sound was like my BG's but much easier to drive. I wouldn't get too carried away with room treatments though, or your room will start to sound dull and lifeless. If you ever get a chance to listen in at recording studio you'll know what a mean! Put a couple of big leafy indoor plants behind your Vandy's, it's a pretty interesting tweak, plus house plants don't have audiophile price tag![yet]

Happy listening!

Vinyl9

vinyl9 April 05, 2011 20:34

Ben77059

Nice system, I also have the smaller room syndrome. Here is my partial list of speakers that work in small rooms that can be CHEAPER then your Vandy's and totally out class them.

BG Radia Z92 I've seen them go for under $1,000 for the pair on the Gon! I really do believe that the midrange and mid bass can just about out class anything I've heard from Vandersteen. Mind blowing speaker for the money. Made in Carson City Nevada, BG makes all if it's own drivers and also for the OEM market.

Quad 22L2
Great British sound and not a laid back speaker! Works great in a small room, solid state, tube both sound great an awesome little floorstander.

Electrocompaniet PSF-1 Not really cheap at $2,900 the pair but these little speakers can really rock! I included them because they need a little more oomph and you have Bryston gear, should sound great together.

Sonist Concerto-2
Another totally American speaker, hand made solid piece of Poplar with a horn loaded ribbon tweeter, 95db@8ohms This little floorstander just pain makes music, all though I heard these at the Cal Audio show with a 8 watt tube headphone amp they still sounded great. At $1,350 these are another steal!
Check out the website as they about 4 speakers now.

I think all of these speakers can out preform the [big 4] mass produced brands IMHO, these all play music very well, they are not involved in the so called imaging, transparency wars that have nothing to do with music sounding live at all. I'm sure there are many more I could list but I've owned or have a heard all of these many times so they come to mind first.

Good luck hunting, always take the chance to listen 1st.
Enjoy the music.
Vinyl9

vinyl9 March 31, 2011 17:58