Hi GoodSound!,
I just bought an Anthem Integrated 225. Could you please suggest some "ideal" floorstanding speakers that will complement this? My budget is around $2000 for a pair.
The Dali IKON 7 MK2 was recommended to me. Would Dali IKON 6 and their sub be a better option? Any other suggestions? It's for my residence. The room size is about 18' x 15'.
Thanks,
John
I unfortunately do not have any experience with Dali's products, but they may well be very good. Considering your room size and the listed specifications for the IKON 7 MK2, they seem like suitable partners to your Anthem integrated, which is powerful enough to drive just about anything to an uncomfortably loud degree. One aspect of the Dali that gives me pause would be the use of both a ribbon and a traditional dome tweeter in the same design. Each has a different set of geometric, material, and dispersion characteristics that, at least on paper, make me wonder how uniform its high-frequency reproduction is. They may be superb, but I thought it worth mentioning. As for the IKON 6 and subwoofer combination, I would probably forgo such a setup unless you have specific room or furniture issues to consider. While it's a way to get good sound with potentially deep bass, the extra few hertz at the bottom end often come at the expense of compromised linearity, directionality, and dispersion issues.
Aside from the IKON 7 MK2, I would have a few suggestions. Aperion Audio's Verus Grand Tower is around $1,800/pair and comes with a 30-day money-back-guarantee, which is a convenient and risk-free option. Reviewer Jeff Fritz's listening room is often occupied by speakers that cost an order of magnitude higher than $2000, and he was very fond of the Aperions. You might also check out Paradigm's Studio 60, as Anthem and Paradigm are sister companies. The 60s should be within your budget. Lastly, I would suggest looking at GoldenEar Technology's Triton Three, which sells for $999.99/each. I recently got a pair in for review, and while they may not have the attractive, lacquered finish of the other speakers discussed here, they offer a lot of performance for the money. Look for a full review of this speaker in the future. . . . Hans Wetzel
