best sounding small speakers

well how small is small?

Merlins were exceptional when I last hear them and have been upgraded since. Green Mountain audio has a lot of fans though never had the opp myself. Magico's monitors look interesting while the Ultimate Monitor is worth checking out IMO

But if you think about the required stands for these, then really some of smaller but really good-great floorstanders shld be considered too whether they by Gallo Ref 3 or even Kharma 3.2

Well since the thread's title references small speakers, the Acapella and Audiomachina products certainly qualified. Both have front baffles around 6 inches wide! Tha Magico's have a cabinet width of 12 inches and while they are stand mounted, I don't consider them in the same category as the Acapella's and Ultimate Monitor- at least in the physicality of the product. BTW, I own the the Acoustic Energy AE-3 Ref Mk II which is floorstanding with a cabinet baffle of 7.25 inches. The AE's are rear ported while the Audiomachina is sealed and the Acapella is ported at the base of the cabinet. I'm inclined to think that the Audiomachina may have the best performance among all candidates in a small room.

Hard to beat SF Guarneri Homage for voice and midrange. I use them with an REL Brittania B-1 sub. I sold Watt/Puppy 6's because the SF/REL combo is much more musical and you don't a fork lift to move them around. 50 high quality tube watts per side and you have vocal and string nirvana.

The original Red Rose monitor (the ribbon mounted above the cabinet with an oversized grill) is the most satisfying small speaker I've ever heard at any price. Very fine sound with ridiculous bass response for a speaker this size.

B&W 805 Signatures or Sonus Faber Extrema should be considered for Hall of Fame status.