Sebas Posted May 14, 2021 Share Posted May 14, 2021 (edited) So I'm currently investing my my first real hifi setup, and have been offered a good (i think?) deal on some Vienna Accoustic Haydn Grand SEs ($1400 ex demos). I listen to alot of soul/reggae/funk and I am torn between these and a pair of Monitor Audio Silver 100s. I haven't had the chance to listen to the MA Silver 100s but am wondering if they may be more suited to those genres that I enjoy listening to? Does anybody have experience with both/either of these speakers? Any contribution would be much appreciated! Thanks everyone Edited May 14, 2021 by Sebas Left out important information Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surprisetech Posted May 14, 2021 Share Posted May 14, 2021 No personal experience with either of those, but for those genres, I would lean toward the MAs for the 8" woofer & extra bass extension. (Assuming the VA model you are referring to is the Haydn) The ability to reproduce good clean melodic bass right down to 40Hz would be one of my priorities for soul & reggae music. The specs for the VA give a 'frequency range' down to 42Hz, but don't give a dB value. 'Frequency Range' without a dB value given usually means -10dB. The MA specs are more specific quoting -6dB at 40Hz which makes sense for the larger mid-bass driver & bigger enclosure. BTW; 3pm-8pm Saturdays on 3PBS is a Soul & Reggae banquet if you're not already on to it. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddyev Posted May 14, 2021 Share Posted May 14, 2021 (edited) There are some Haydns in the classifieds right now. Looks like a good deal. I had the older Haydns and I really liked them. Not sure about the newer grand SE. My impression of monitor audios - from relatively short listening sessions - is that they tend to be a bit bright for my taste. What amp are you using? The MAs at 8ohm might be an easier drive than the 4 ohm Haydns. Edited May 14, 2021 by buddyev 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebas Posted May 14, 2021 Author Share Posted May 14, 2021 14 minutes ago, surprisetech said: The ability to reproduce good clean melodic bass right down to 40Hz would be one of my priorities for soul & reggae music. The specs for the VA give a 'frequency range' down to 42Hz, but don't give a dB value. 'Frequency Range' without a dB value given usually means -10dB. The MA specs are more specific quoting -6dB at 40Hz which makes sense for the larger mid-bass driver & bigger enclosure. BTW; 3pm-8pm Saturdays on 3PBS is a Soul & Reggae banquet if you're not already on to it. Thanks for this ! I had the same hunch re the bigger cabinet/woofers, and the stats you highlighted definitely support that. Looking forward to feasting on my first banquet tomorrow - thanks for the heads up 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebas Posted May 14, 2021 Author Share Posted May 14, 2021 15 minutes ago, buddyev said: What amp are you using? The MAs at 8ohm might be an easier drive than the 4 ohm Haydns. Hey, thanks for your response! I was going to go ahead and buy the Rotel A14 - it's going for a pretty good price first hand at the moment. Do you think that would be sufficient to drive 2x 4 ohms speakers effectively? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddyev Posted May 14, 2021 Share Posted May 14, 2021 Sorry, I don’t know the amp and their specs don’t mention how it does with 4 ohms. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebas Posted May 14, 2021 Author Share Posted May 14, 2021 Just now, buddyev said: Sorry, I don’t know the amp and their specs don’t mention how it does with 4 ohms. Ah, no worries. Thanks anyway! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surprisetech Posted May 14, 2021 Share Posted May 14, 2021 9 minutes ago, Sebas said: Hey, thanks for your response! I was going to go ahead and buy the Rotel A14 - it's going for a pretty good price first hand at the moment. Do you think that would be sufficient to drive 2x 4 ohms speakers effectively? The A14 should be fine. The User manual says you can connect 4 Ohm speakers. While an 8 Ohm load is nominated for the power specs, etc, the Damping Factor spec of 220 indicates excellent dynamic power capabilities and a 4 Ohm load should not present any problems. In the interests of full disclosure, I have been a big fan of Rotel amps since the RA-870BX! As well as the newer one in my signature, I also run a vintage RA-970BX into DIY bookshelf speakers on the back deck. And you can guess what it's pumping out on any Saturday night that is suitable for a BBQ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebas Posted May 14, 2021 Author Share Posted May 14, 2021 6 minutes ago, surprisetech said: The A14 should be fine. The User manual says you can connect 4 Ohm speakers. While an 8 Ohm load is nominated for the power specs, etc, the Damping Factor spec of 220 indicates excellent dynamic power capabilities and a 4 Ohm load should not present any problems. Hah, thanks for the interpretation of that user manual, it was a bit over my head I'm feeling that Saturdays are about to take on a new meaning - and I like it! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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