Quote:
Originally Posted by
bostonbean 
What I have found fascinating about the 3.1's is that no matter how loud you play them they never sound loud. I can sit down and listen to music and I find myself habitually turning up the volume because there is never any strain on my ears even though I am actually playing them quite loud. I believe this speaks to the quality of these speakers more than anything else.
One other point I would like to make. These speakers have tremendous upside for quality of sound based on what is being used for upstream components. I just purchased a Spectron Musician III SE MKII amp with both V-Cap and Bybee upgrades. It cost me three times what the 3.1's cost me. The sound is absolutely divine because the 3.1's are up to the task. Some may think this is nuts and it does go against the conventional wisdom of whatever you spend on the speakers that is what you should spend on an amp. I believe the 3.1's blow this thinking out of the water.
Of course this is only my personal opinion and I am sure there are many out there who would disagree.
I do notice that ability to play loud without ever having the feeling that they are "blasting" though the acoustics are not great in my apartment so it can start to feel quite loud at times. My floor is tile and the walls are concrete with no sound treatment other then having a couch in absorb sound. My next project is to fix some of my acoustic issues.
As far as spending 3 times more sources then the speakers, that one is a bit tricky. No doubt the improved electronics should help but I suppose I would ask if you turned it around do you think you can find a better sounding system with speakers costing 3 times your Ref3.1's with lower end electronics? I've not done enough comparisons myself, I choose the best speakers within my budget at the time (Ref3.05) so I never compared them to speakers that were 3 times more.
BTW, what is an approx for what the 3.1's sell for or the suggested retail price at the moment?
