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Replace 3.7i's with 20.7's?

Posted by tedtag (A) on September 26, 2016 at 04:23:11

Well now that I've finally got my 3.7is sounding absolutely gorgeous and building my whole system around them, I'm thinking of replacing them with 20.7's. Why? Just to see if there might be more of everything good, but especially a wider, deeper, and more integrated soundstage.

But first I've got to say that by a very unplanned sequence of events, I installed a brand new pair of CAT JL7 mono blocks in the system with the 3.7i's. These are high current, 250w triode tube amps with kt150's that seem to have no limit on their power and ability to drive the 3.7i's. In addition, I added a CAT Legend preamp with an amazing built in phono section fed by a VPI Signature/ Koetsu Blue Lace cartridge. As is, and without getting in to the details, this system is one of the most emotionally involving and satisfying set ups I have ever heard.

Right now the 3.7i's are on the long wall in a heavily treated 14'x28'x9' room with the speakers 5 1/2' from the front wall, 7 1/2' from the listening seat located 1' out from the back wall. This is pretty much near field listening and in that room I believe I have found the perfect speaker location for the 3.7is mostly by 2 years of painful trial and error using laser beams to 1/16" margin of error. Speaker location is so critical in this set up that I can easily hear the differences in moving the speakers 1/4" to 1/2" in any direction.

But I can't help but wonder, what would it be like to replace the 3.7i's with 20.7's? I've measured and the 20.7's would fit tightly into the floor plan but would have to go back in almost the exact same spot as where the 3.7i's are located. There really is no other way to rearrange the room for short wall listening or to move the 20.7's back and forth or sideways more than 6" in any direction. So the question is would it work to drop in the 20.7's in exactly the same spot as the 3.7i's are in now? Or are the 3.7i's a perfect fit for the room size already? Or would the 20.7's over power the room and sound worse?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. That includes feedback about how crazy this whole idea might be and why, after finally getting the system near perfect, would I possibly want to consider mucking it up! Thanks for your help and I very much appreciate this fantastic forum.

Edits: 09/26/16

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