Advice on near-field speakers (eg, Raidho X-1)

@chungjh Harbeth has a very smooth and natural sound.  Given how small your space is, I would look at the M30.2 XD.  I think anything bigger than that would be too much.  
Regarding tube amps, in your other thread you were asking about them.  For high power, (over 50w), I think VTL is excellent.  
I would look at he VTL S-200.  100w in triode.  Brilliant sound and plenty of power.  Not cheap at $12,500 but I have had good experiences with VTL gear.  I had a pair of MB185 monos.  
For less expensive gear I like Rogue.  They don’t offer a stereo amp that will deliver 100w in triode, but the stereo 100 does offer 100w in Ultralinear and is very good sounding.  
Good luck

@verdantaudio,  I have a tiny room (9 x 11) with great soundlab esl speakers. I sit 5-6 ft from them and they are big and block my line of sight to the imaginary stage. I listen to a lot of acoustics, jazz and vocals. I really don't like shrill and sibilance but I don't think I want a monitor--I want a full speaker. I have heard great things about Harbeth. Would this work? If so, which model?

One comment. There is no such thing as “too fast” for a subwoofer. You could say a Dome tweeter is too fast for a sub but nobody goes direct From a tweeter to a sub. A driver’s speed is indicated by its frequency response. It’s transient response is a matter of motor design and the enclosure. I pair 12” subwoofers to full ranges ESLs just fine. 

Scott, that's a fantastic write-up, and I appreciate your positive tone and incredibly helpful advice. Given that you have a stake in these matters, your generous appraisals are all the more welcome. 

@lancelock , I can't say I know much about the Gamut speaker (is there an east coast dealer?) but I have heard some wonderful things. In this case, though, @yogiboy is right: beyond my budget!

I heard a pair of GamuT RS3i speakers in a very small room. I bought them. They are incredible.

the Raidho x-1s do not deliver deep bass. I was quite happy with them paired with my Sunfire Tru SuperJunior which is a 1500w 8” subwoofer. You need a good sub that had tons of power and has an iron grip on the driver. Raidho and JL will be obscenely good together.
These are all about soundstage and delivering a deep and immersive listening experience. They are good with acoustic, instrumental and strings. I listen to a lot of jazz.
Harbeth is amazing with strings. I have found people love Harbeth or are indifferent. If they are to your taste, don’t bother with the rest of your search. If you are indifferent, move on.
There is one retailer on the country for Boenicke and they don’t even have an on-line presence. I visited that retailer a lot before I started my company. I lived like 6 blocks away. It is a good speaker. Like Harbeth, you love them or...meh. It is more of a lifestyle choice. Same shop, different section, I was far more impressed by the Verity Finns. Completely different style of speaker. That being said, during that purchase cycle, I ended up with the Raidho’s.

the Sopra 1s are good sounding speakers. I have heard them driven by Naim gear and they were natural with a good image. I think they would do okay with your musical choice. I find Focals floor-standers more impressive and would lean toward the Kanta 2. That being said, they NEED warm amplification.
I am not a huge Kef fan. The Reference 1 is a heck of a speaker though. I love the 3 way design and aluminum baffle. A little bright for my taste. Should be a good choice with right amp as it delivers a big sound. AVM matches well with them.

I have never heard the Magico A1s. I spent about 40 minutes in the Magico/AVM room at NY Audio Show in 2018 listening to the A3s with AVM flagship gear. They played classical and jazz exclusively while I was there. It was very nice. Not my favorite speaker. I like a more immersive soundstage but very nice. Not sure if the A1 is as good as the A3. Magicos love power.  You can’t give them enough and they will open up and sound better the more power you give them.  

I have never heard the Spendor As, the Spendor D7.2s are lovely. Very natural sounding. Need refined, neutral amplification. I listened to these after listening to the Tune Tots and was pleased with the experience .
I have not heard the Boressen or the Dutch & Dutch.
I have taken a crack at a Pulsar like speaker from a design perspective. Getting the crossover right is hard and the Pulsars very much do get it right. Superb with classical and jazz. The high mass tweeter does well in an MDF cabinet and you get more detail than you would expect. It is a good speaker for your needs and like the Spendors, needs neutral amplification.
Other notes, front port does not mean that it can necessarily be placed near a wall. The bass won’t get muddy but you may have soundstage issues. The Raidho’s like a little room from the back wall despite being front ported.
Rear port can work better than you would expect, particularly if the port is long. My Pulsar like speaker is good with 18” of space behind it. I believe the JAs are as good in terms of placement.

Thanks for weighing in, Scott. I've heard only amazing things about the X-1s. The only drawback I've consistently read is that they're too small to produce deep bass and that they're mighty "fast" for a subwoofer.

I understand if you don't want to be specific about my list but I'm curious (for anyone reading) which of those speakers lean more toward the acoustic tone I'm after and which lean away. The Harbeths and Pulsars I know to be promising but I don't know the Magico and Focals at all. The Boenickes get great reviews but they're hard for me to audition even in the best of times. (Everything I've read about Magico suggests it's not the speaker for me, but the A1 does get positive reviews.) Of course it's one thing to read reviews, it's another thing to try to imagine how they sound.

A few thoughts - the Raidho X-1s are a brilliant speaker.  They deliver a huge soundstage and definitely are not bright.  Amp pairing is critical, as is placement.  I have owned these personally before I was in the business and have had them as a dealer.  

AMTs are not inherently aggressive and bright in terms of sound profile. They can be when implementation is poor.  When implementation is right, they offer amazing detail and can be wonderful.  Audiovector is a great example of this.  

In the end, that is a respectable list that offers a wide range of sound profiles.  I might swap a couple, but that is my bias.  Amp choice with all of them is critical with all of them for them to be at their best but that can't be shocking.  

@yogiboy , I don't think my personal situation is especially unusual (or anyone's business). I was not expressing my personal anxiety so much as sympathizing with a fellow 'Goner who is forced to sell beloved speakers. 

We're all worried about the pandemic and its effects on the economy, jobs, education, and so on. The speakers I'm looking at are within my means, but the world is so unstable that it's hard for anyone to be too confident of what the future holds. I would imagine that most folks out here are in the same situation, asking themselves: is this the right moment to buy that new amp? Is this the right moment to invest in the stock market? How do I put my recreational needs (those speakers!) into the context of a world that is teetering on the brink?

Also, you refer to "those high priced speakers," but "high priced" is relative. I just read a Stereophile review of Harbeth P3esr and the reviewer called the price ($3500 at the time, I think) "chickenfeed." Well, to most of the world $3500 is a TON of money to spend on speakers; in the audiophile world, that may be considered a modest investment. 

In short, while I appreciate your concern about my personal finances, you needn't be. I'm just in the same boat as everyone else, trying to make sense of a fragile world.

Someone asked me why I was selling them, can't remember the user name but he/she deleted both posts. Didn't bother me. Stuff happens gotta roll with the punches. 

@northman
If you are worried about your kids education and your job why would you be a lookin’ at some of those high priced speakers like some of the ones on your list? Just curious!

I've been looking at so many websites, some that sell new and some that sell used pieces, and it's such a mixture. On the one hand, many people, stuck at home, are investing in stereo equipment, creating long waits for speakers, etc. And on the other hand, there are too many people having to sell their gear for financial reasons. I feel like I'm in both camps: at home and eager for the pleasure and escape of a listening room, and at the same time worrying about my job, my kids' education, and so on.

@djones51, I'm sorry to hear that you have to sell those speakers. It's clear you love them. I hope that the medical situation resolves, that the world returns to normal, and that you can have those speakers (and/or others!) back in your life soon.

That's fine these are the best speakers I ever heard and maybe in a year or two things will get back to normal. 

Medical emergency, I need the money and it's..well it is what it is

Thank y'all kindly. 

@soix, I certainly haven't given up on the Pulsars. I auditioned them last spring before all hell broke loose, though I was thinking of a different room when I did that. I know I can do a home trial with those and I almost certainly will. I've never heard the W5, though I've read plenty of encouraging things. The only dealer in the Northeast is in NYC, so that one will have to wait. Honestly, I'm trying not to be impatient about this purchase but it's hard. I've always bought my cars and my stereos for long-term use, but maybe I should consider transitioning to what so many here do: buy and sell items, enjoying the process of change. 

@ladavid , thank you for your very kind post. I know what you mean about some speakers simply looking big in a small room. I've heard many positive things about KEF but have never owned a pair. And I almost bought a Hegel amp a while back (long story); I'm going to start with the speakers and then match the amp, but I hear you on Hegel.

@mijostyn, I'm hardly a digital phobic though I haven't considered the DEQX Premate. (I have looked at the JL crossover, though I'm forgetting the model number.) I'm expecting to pick up a pair of subs, not for the boom but for the lower mids (bassoon, double bass, etc). 

I have to say it's fun to learn about all these speakers that I've never even heard of. Usher. It looks like they only have a dealer in CA, though perhaps that's just a distributor for other dealers. Xavian--Prague! Super cool!

Air motion transformers can be very aggressive. You will just have to listen. If you want anything close to realistic sound then absolutely, subwoofers are a must. You'll need at least two. If you are not digital phobic get a DEQX Premate. It will give you the ability to tune your system to do anything you want and it has digital bass management included. With the DEQX functioning as a two way crossover unloading the Raidho's from having to deal with the very low bass the system will become more effortless and you will add an easy 6 dB of headroom.
JL Audio makes the best subs. Two 10 inch units should do the job but nothing says you can't get 12's:)

very nice thread.  Have similar sized room and have tried all kinds of speakers big and small.  Big speakers as a rule havent worked - although as much as anything it was visual - Spatial M3s were really good but just dominated the room too much.  Maggie like though in sound and in bigger room they were really good.
My current setup is Kef Ls50s with a Hegel 95 amp,  The Hegel seems like the secret sauce with these speakers - that and new Silversmith speaker cables.  Run two Rel 7i subs to round out bottom end.  The Kefs well out into the room in nearfield setup.

Also have corner traps and bass traps and well damped room.

Of course I still think about upgrading the speakers - have had Merlins, ATCs, Audio Notes, Penaudio, Harbeth 3s - they were all pretty good - Merlins maybe the best.  Recently reading reviews of Xavian speakers - look pretty nice in a small room and the new Metas are getting sometimes amazing reviews.

Will read about your journey with interest.

You had two of my top recommendations on your list in the Pulsar and W5.  I wouldn’t be too quick to dismiss the JAs if you like them as I’ve seen Jeff make them work very well in small hotel rooms by placing them such that they straddle the corner, so if you have that option they may be fine in your room. .  

I’d just add another excellent option that could save you some $$$ in the Usher Dancer Mini-X Diamond.  I think they’d also offer just about everything you’re looking for and are also front ported for only about $3500.  May well be all the speaker you need in your room.  Hope this helps, and best of luck. 

Pro audio stores are the only ones that sell them. I got mine on Reverb from legendary audio pro in NYC. I bought them blind based on reviews and measurements. I figured they would be an easy resell. Maybe you would like Janszen speakers if you like maggies.

https://janszenaudio.com/

Thanks to you both.  Yes, @mijostyn, I certainly do plan to listen. And I know that I am not going to reproduce Maggies with a mini monitor; I mentioned Maggies mostly because that's what I know best and because they exhibit some of the acoustic qualities I'm hoping for. I'm wondering, therefore, if the Raidho X1, combined with a pair of subs, would create some of that open, relaxed, beautiful sound. I don't worry about bass so much with small monitors/stand mounts (though obviously that's an issue to be addressed) but rather I worry that they'll sound too bright, clinical, and forward. 

@djones51, I'm on it! You were kind enough to post in my other thread as well. I have a decent preamp and DAC, so I'd have to rethink what to do with them. Also, the dealers within driving distance are ... perhaps not really traditional stereo stores. One is a store for musicians (as in, sells tech gear for stage performances, mics, etc) and the other is ... I'm not sure what, a lifestyle store. But if either has a listening room or a generous home trial policy, I'll give them a listen. They're intriguing. Thank you for recommending them.

Dutch and Dutch 8c, forget the sub you won’t need it in that small room. You won't need the amp or preamp or DAC either just a source.

Northman, I think the Raidho X1 is a great choice but you really need to listen to them first. If you are expecting anything like Maggies forget it.
There are dipole air motion transformers. Mudorf makes one. Using this in a D' Appolito configuration with two good 6 or 7 inch woofers in an open baffle design is an intriguing idea. 
Anyway, fine the nearest Raidho dealer to you that displays the X1 and buy it from them for doing so! You might have to take a trip but you are spending big money so it is worth it.