Greetings,
Klipsch Heresys would get my vote.
Klipsch Heresys would get my vote.
Best speaker for small 12x14 room 50 WPC tube amp
I had Spica TC-50's in this room but got no bass out of them; I switched to Klipsch RB 5-II's and got some bass if they were closer to the wall but lost any depth of soundstage.
I wondered whether a Klipsch RB-75 would do better than the RB 5-II overall, and whether they would need a subwoofer (as my amp has a sub output) as they are front ported instead of rear ported.
What would a pair of Klipsch RF-5's or RF-7's do in such a small room? I listen to jazz and vocals. I don't like the Klipsch speakers that are not real wood veneer. The RF-35 & RF-82 are vinyl covered.
The Klipsch forum attracts mainly fanatics and I have been unable to get a straight, helpful answer there.
I wondered whether a Klipsch RB-75 would do better than the RB 5-II overall, and whether they would need a subwoofer (as my amp has a sub output) as they are front ported instead of rear ported.
What would a pair of Klipsch RF-5's or RF-7's do in such a small room? I listen to jazz and vocals. I don't like the Klipsch speakers that are not real wood veneer. The RF-35 & RF-82 are vinyl covered.
The Klipsch forum attracts mainly fanatics and I have been unable to get a straight, helpful answer there.
22 responses Add your response
I have a system set up in a small room approximately like yours. The main part of the room is 11' x 14' and there is a sizeable alcove, 5' x 9', off the left rear. I've tried half a dozen amps and nearly a dozen speakers in that room and have not bettered the combination of Lectron JH30 integrated tube amp (30 watts/channel) and Spendor SP2s (original version, purchased off eBay in 8/10 condition for a measely $395). The speakers are on 20" high steel stands and away from walls as much as is practical. I have Harbeth Compact 7ES-2s that work very nicely in there, too, but the Spendors mate just a little better to the room. My 50 watt tube amp offers no sonic advantages over the 30 watter. |
The Heresy will play *loud* with a 50W amp and are very well-built speakers. I think they sound best when elevated 3-6 in. and tilted back a bit. The Gallo Ref 3s could also work in that space and I'm somewhat biased towards them, I own a pair. They are *fantastic* speakers and not super-fussy about placement. They do sound best if you can get away from the back wall 2-3 ft. and at least 2ft. from the side walls. They will not play as loud as the Heresy (the Heresys excel at rock music), but their soundstage and imaging is sublime. In addition, their rendition of vocals is second to none, an excellent jazz and vocal speaker. Another option for your space would be a sub/sat combination. This might give you more placement options and would certainly deliver a full-range sound. I am biased towards the "British" sound: Spendor, Rogers, etc. They excel at vocals but are usually somewhat lacking in the last octave. That's where the sub kicks in and rounds things out. In addition, the Gallo Dues could fit the bill and sound just terrific with a properly matched sub. There are a pair on Agon for $750 right now. Add a $500-700 sub and you'd have a killer system for your room and tastes. So many choices...[smile] -RW- |
The RF35's or the Older RF3's are excellent for around 500 or less used.. Better bass than most of the series, the RF5's and Rf7's are a bit imbalanced, but part of it is they use a much brighter pro horn and the bass does not keep up as well as the 3's adn 35's in my opinion.. With more modifications and more money the 7's could be very good, but they need a big area to play, I found sitting 12 or 14 feet away was even a minimum to hear they intergrate as well... The 3's and 35's can be placed much closer together without Beaming at you, and you can sit closer as well. |
I'm using the Reference 3A MM De Capo-i speakers in a small room [12 x 16]. I also moved from a 125 wpc SS amp to a 25 watt hybrid class A tube amp. I'm very pleased with the results. Check out the review of these speakers at enjoythemusic.com and look no further. You might also want to check out audiocircle.com, Reference 3A owners circle for more info about these loudspeakers. . Reference 3A MM De Capo-i, Improving On Greatness |
Heresy's might be a good choice, but I suspect you will not get as much bass as you might like. I've owned both Heresy's and TC50's. One direction you might try if you are runing tubes is a Galante Rhapsody. It is a bit on the larger side of a monitor, much like the Heresy. In a small room they will produce what I perceive to be more bass than either TC50's or Heresys. Actual response figures don't necessarily reflect that with the Rhapsody's going down to 50hz before dropping off - they are rear-ported and I have them near corners (where else in a room that small) which may be reinforcing the bass. I have had all three pairs of speakers in the same small room a bit smaller than yours, and the Rhapsody's do best and are more refined than either Heresy or TC50. If you try the Heresy route there are many mods to do on those speakers that will improve their sound. Plenty written already about that subject in the archives here, and by the "fanatics" over on the klipsch site. They're great little speakers, but I have not found them to put out much low bass. I'd agree to raise them up and tilt them up by just a bit. I tried them on low stands, but that really kills the bass. Cornwalls would certainly be a good choice for bass, but are much larger than other options, and may even overload a small room. Forte II's may do the job as well. Chorus II's may also, but again, I'd be concerned about overloading the room at that point. I'd still point at the Rhapsody for a more refined sound, albeit not as fast as Klipsch horn options. Good luck. Marco |
i have had dahlquist 10's and acoustat 3's in the same size room. Very different speakers but both sound better and have a nicer soundstage against the long wall. The 3's lack depth in this small room BUT the mid-bass is very detailed. The 10's have great width and depth but no mid-bass punch. I may try something else in the near future. Just wanted to provide input. |
I too have the De Capo i's in a 10' X 10' room with a 40w tube amp . While they do go nicely down to @40hz , I really don't think that they could compare to the Heritage series from Klipsh in the base department . Don't get me wrong here , I really do like the De Capo i's and they are quite a bit smaller than the Klipsh's . But if he is looking for deep base I think that the Heritage series is the way to go , if you have the space . Heli_dog ; I auditioned the DE Capo i's with a SS amp containing a tube buffer (Cary) didn't like it . I then tried a tubed integrated and really liked them a lot . The De Capo's , like the Heritage series , 'really' like tubes , as you already know . If you get the 'bug', you may want to move to all tubes . Just a thought . YMMV |
While they do go nicely down to @40hz , I really don't think that they could compare to the Heritage series from Klipsh in the base department . Actually much of the Klipsch Heritage series do not go that low...I think this is a common misconception based on the fact that the classic Klipschorns do handily make it down to the 30's when used in the corners...not if you take them out of the corners though. Belles and LaScalas drop off sharply around 50hz. Heresy's definitely don't make it below 50hz and you'd be lucky to get them into the mid 50's. Cornwall's would do the trick down into the 30's. The Fortes and Chorus go pretty low, but are not part of the Heritage series. Marco |
there is no bets speaker, but i urge you to look into an eminent technology design with planar magnetic tweeter. i can't say you will like it, but it costs around $900, and in a small room, 50 watts is probably sufficient. move them away from the wall to get depth. you may want to augment the bass response. |
I run a pair of modified (DeanG crossovers) Heresys with my EL84 SET amp. I have them in corners of a 13.5' x 13' room on 13" stands and towed in at 45 degrees. They sound great and you don't even know they are playing. Imaging and soundstaging is excellent. But for my tastes they still don't put out enough bass. I have to use a subwoofer with them to get that low bass. In my 24' x 16' bedroom I am using a pair of KEF C75s with my 60 watt EL34 PP amp. These speakers do bass very well. They remind me of Heresys but with bass. They are suprisingly small and don't mind being close to walls. They are also cheap (usually in the low $200 range). They also play loud, like the Heresys, if that is important to you. Good luck with your search. |