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12'x16'x8' room OK for good stand mounts?

I got the OK from the wife to repurpose a room in the house as a listening room. The room is 11.5 x 15.5 x 8. I have always loved the sound of Joseph Audio speakers as I have heard them at every RMAF until they cancelled the show :-(

So I’m thinking this is the time to get Prisms or even Pulsars! My question to the group here is about the room and the speakers. I realize I will need room treatments. Since I’m about to retire, I will have time to build the room treatments and do lots of measurements to tune the room and speaker placement. The floor is concrete slab with 3/4" carpet pad and wall to wall relatively thick carpet. The walls are wood frame with sheet rock. I listen to rock, jazz, and classical at moderate volumes.

Will the room be too small for Pulsars or Prisms?

I also love the sound of Monitor Audio Golds. I was thinking Gold 200's, but I also worry the room would be too small for 200's. 

I appreciate any advice 

allanmarcus
milpai's avatar
milpai
2,377 posts
 

You room size is very good for stand mounts. Yes, room treatments will considerably enhance your listening experience.

Based on "audio show" listening experiences, I would take Joseph Audio over Monitor.

arafiq's avatar
arafiq
1,665 posts
 

Joseph Audio in a heartbeat. Your room is about right for bookshelf speakers. However, if you go with JA, make sure you have at least 3 feet clearance from the wall behind the speakers. If you can, the JAs will give you a deep and wide soundstage and above average bass (for bookshelves). You can always add one or two subs down the line. 
 

if you can, my advise is to go for the Pulsars. Can’t go wrong with these. 

allanmarcus OP
6 posts
 

Thanks. 

ghdprentice
6,965 posts
 

I think you have a lot of room to choose your speakers. Your room is big enough for a 6 - 7’ triangle.. so three feet behind the speakers and three feet on either side of the speakers. And to have 4 - 5’ feet behind. If you add dampening to the front and rear walls, then at sidewall reflections you can use towers.

 

I prefer towers to stand mount myself. I like the coherency. I have heard and really like Joseph Audio speakers. But I am a Sonus Faber fan for me.

 

A few years before I retired, I did the same thing you are doing. Got my system thinking I would not want to upgrade after, but I could tweak. I think it was a great plan. I went from 45 minutes a day, to 3 + hours and it is my most enjoyable hours each day. I can’t begin to tell you how much joy my system brings to me.

 

FYI. For me I had bought a pair of Sonus Faber Olympica 3 for my retirement speakers (I’m not trying to convince you… these were perfect for my tastes). Anyway after a couple years of retirement I realized I could upgrade again. I over doubled my investment to what I have now. The difference was amazing and also led to the three + hours a day I spend here.

 

So, I think you are doing the right thing, at the right time, in the right sequence. My recommendation: don’t compromise if you can avoid it. You should have the time to enjoy it and, well, life is short… and getting shorter.

soix
9,456 posts
 

If the JA Audio speakers do it for you, as they do me, you can get them to work. Do as Jeff Joseph did in a small NYC room and position the Pulsars or Prisms so they’re in the corner and the corner is at the highest depth of the speakers and pull them out as far as you can until the sound just gels. This way you maximize the space/benefit of the room but definitely look at GIK for room treatments to further benefit the sound. If it worked for Jeff Joseph I’m sure it can work for you too. 

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