Speaker Choices for Audio Research Gear?

[George Prentice]

I settled on Sonus Faber, am quite happy.

[audioguy3107]

Originally Posted by George Prentice

I settled on Sonus Faber, am quite happy.

So how do they sound? Get us some pics of the new speakers in your room!

-Buck

[pete6737]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I have initially decided on a Ref 150 to provide an extra power for thirsty speakers. Currently my Salk SS8s are 86db 4ohm speakers. They definitely draw power. I use a Bryston14b amp to drive them. The Revels were very nice sounding at 86.7 Db and6ohms. That's why I felt that if I got revels I could use the ref150.

I like the system that 2fastdriving has put together. Is the Ref75 powerful enough to drive the 92db efficient Sasha's ?

George, what model did you finally decide on?

Cmalak, I like the idea of working from speakers backwards.

What's ironic is that my decision to move up with the electronics was due to the Salk speakers I bought a little over a year ago. I feel as thought they deserved a better signal. But after hearing almost three times more expensive speakers I am convinced that I need to move up in speaker quality too. And there it goes. The familiar sucking sound from my bank account. Hopefully a year from now I will hope to be where you all are 😄. The best part is that my wife is on board. Luckily the pre-marital speech about my expensive hobby that keeps me home, stuck. She knows too many wives who are left at home for hunting, Harley riding, fishing, and countless other hobbies that take husbands away from home. My hobby keeps me planted at the house and when I get a system built like many of you have, she'll be invited to sit and listen to awesome sounding music with me😄

I guess I need to take some 4-5hour road trips and listen some of these speakers. I appreciate all the replies. These are all great suggestions and now I'm on the hunt.... For the right speakers to pair with ARC gear!! Thanks, Pete

[2fastdriving]

Originally Posted by pete6737

Thanks for all the suggestions. I have initially decided on a Ref 150 to provide an extra power for thirsty speakers. Currently my Salk SS8s are 86db 4ohm speakers. They definitely draw power. I use a Bryston14b amp to drive them. The Revels were very nice sounding at 86.7 Db and6ohms. That's why I felt that if I got revels I could use the ref150. I like the system that 2fastdriving has put together. Is the Ref75 powerful enough to drive the 92db efficient Sasha's ? George, what model did you finally decide on? Cmalak, I like the idea of working from speakers backwards. What's ironic is that my decision to move up with the electronics was due to the Salk speakers I bought a little over a year ago. I feel as thought they deserved a better signal. But after hearing almost three times more expensive speakers I am convinced that I need to move up in speaker quality too. And there it goes. The familiar sucking sound from my bank account. Hopefully a year from now I will hope to be where you all are dde04. The best part is that my wife is on board. Luckily the pre-marital speech about my expensive hobby that keeps me home, stuck. She knows too many wives who are left at home for hunting, Harley riding, fishing, and countless other hobbies that take husbands away from home. My hobby keeps me planted at the house and when I get a system built like many of you have, she'll be invited to sit and listen to awesome sounding music with medde04 I guess I need to take some 4-5hour road trips and listen some of these speakers. I appreciate all the replies. These are all great suggestions and now I'm on the hunt.... For the right speakers to pair with ARC gear!! Thanks, Pete

Thank you! The ref 75 drives Sasha's with ease. It's a fantastic pairing.

[dizzie]

Originally Posted by pete6737

EDIT: Luckily the pre-marital speech about my expensive hobby that keeps me home, stuck. She knows too many wives who are left at home for hunting, Harley riding, fishing, and countless other hobbies that take husbands away from home. My hobby keeps me planted at the house and when I get a system built like many of you have, she'll be invited to sit and listen to awesome sounding music with me😄

I guess I need to take some 4-5hour road trips and listen some of these speakers. I appreciate all the replies. These are all great suggestions and now I'm on the hunt.... For the right speakers to pair with ARC gear!! Thanks, Pete

So much for a hobby that keeps you home. 4-5 hour road trips. Go to a buddy's home to listen to his system for an afternoon. Maybe a show or two. That is how it starts. Slippery slope.

[pete6737]

Originally Posted by dizzie

So much for a hobby that keeps you home. 4-5 hour road trips. Go to a buddy's home to listen to his system for an afternoon. Maybe a show or two. That is how it starts. Slippery slope.

Unfortunately, there is nobody else in my circle that has a system like I currently have or that any of us have on this forum.
I am flying solo. I was going to take a trip to Axpona but my work schedule would not allow it. Maybe I can make Denver in the fall.

[Bavarian05]

Originally Posted by rscotth

Since Fine Sounds owns Sumiko and is the distributor for Audio Research and Sonus faber, I would suggest Sonus faber!

I can vouch for this. Using ARC Ref 3/110 with SF Olympica II. Very pleased. :-)

[microstrip]

Some of the best sound I have listened from an Audio Research REF150 was using the Sonus Faber Futura Amati - so my first recommendation is obvious.

A less usual pairing is Avalon - although I have no direct experience with an Avalon speaker driven by the REF150 I have also heard great sound from this combination.

Perhaps I can add that some people in audio forums speak highly of Nola's driven by ARC.

[George Prentice]

Originally Posted by audioguy3107

So how do they sound? Get us some pics of the new speakers in your room!

-Buck

[George Prentice]

Originally Posted by pete6737

George, what model did you finally decide on?

Cmalak, I like the idea of working from speakers backwards.

I guess I need to take some 4-5hour road trips and listen some of these speakers. I appreciate all the replies. These are all great suggestions and now I'm on the hunt.... For the right speakers to pair with ARC gear!! Thanks, Pete

I have Olympica 3. I came out of the planar speaker fan group. I could easily argue that my electronics best my speakers. But I am happy where I am. If you can spring for a level up I am sure you would be rewarded. I am definitely in the Sonus camp, I am very cautious of tipping a touch too far to the analytic / detail because suddenly all the music disappears. I would never buy anything (unless the companies change their focus) other than AR for Pre and prepreamps. Unless you are buying the exact same speaker and full electronics chain, I haven't found listening in stores that usefull... well only at the most general level. Your room and setup has huge effects. I am a really good reasearcher and reader in between the lines and all my purchases have sounded exactly what I expected, although many I had never heard. My audio guy, always remarks at the incredible room I have, because it has such an influence on the output as does setup. I could set up my speakers to sound very different. Also, I have never heard a system that has sounded as good with less power of equal quality. Reworded, if the quality of the amplifier is the same, more power always sound better. The Olympica 3 are 90db... I have 350wpc, I bet they would sound even better with 500wpc. Anyway, my experience.