A budget would be helpful. One of the best small speakers out there are the various iterations of the KEF LS50.
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I used to have many pairs of totem speakers: model 1’s, arro, and a couple pairs of mani 2’s. I used a Rel sub with the model 1’s. The mani’s are far better than the model 1’s but you need a very good powerful amp, even the model 1’s need a good amp to sound their best. I sold all of my totem’s and bought all Usher speakers. I think the new Ushers blow away the totems mainly because of the Diamond tweeter. Even their silk or beryllium tweeters sound better. A small usher speaker is the s-520, the bigger bookshelf are the x-719 with silk tweeter. A move up is to the mini-x with the Diamond tweeter. I’ve owned all of these plus some of their floorstanding speakers and still have the s-520’s and their larger x-towers. |
I just picked up a pair of RS6 Infinities for 50.00 usd I had 2 new Dayton 8" reference HE drivers.. Holy moly. What a killer speaker. That speaker will better most bookshelfs at 2-4k. AT least 92% efficient. A MC225 is just thumpin' and clear as a bell with poly dome mids and planar/ribbons for highs.. No kidding they will better the LS50 2 X pretty easy.. I like the LS50 just no match for the RS6s. I have a whoppin 200.00 usd invested.. All poly caps (100 year caps). 50-100.00 more on a XO rebuild.. Fun project took me 3 hours.. with a clean and wax job.. Options ay... Regards |
OP: Small speakers. The smallest. I listened yesterday to a BBC Radio piece on Joni Mitchell. At my desk where there is a cheap Dell with standard sound card and two tiny plastic speakers. The speakers are 3.5 feet apart and not toed in at all or angled up. My head is a foot above their plane and 3.5 feet from the line joining them. The programme celebrated the 50th anniversary of 'Blue' so most of the music was from there. I don't know what the BBC's source was but presumably CD or streaming. The radio signal is digital. The thing was that on this crudest of replay systems the soundstage stretched way outside the speakers. I closed my eyes and pin-pointed the limits and found on the left side the image stretched fully one foot beyond the speaker. I can also say the sound quality overall was very good. I am very familiar with 'Blue' and have four different LP issues. In scale, my big system with Martin Logan CLX Anniversaries doesn't stretch nearly that wide. Go figure. |
HARBETH P3ESR XD Amazing clarity and astonishing bass from beautiful shoebox-sized speakers; the Harbeth P3ESR loudspeaker is the ultimate mini-monitor. The clean, clear Harbeth sound, in miniature. HARBETH C7ES-3 XDAn all-around satisfying listen, the Compact 7ES-3 loudspeaker has fantastic micro-resolution and an electrifying clear presentation. HARBETH M30.2 XD if your budget permits |
What's the budget? At the cheap end, Paradigm Atom Monitors. For about $300, great bass and good treble dispersion. Also Dali's have some in the under $1k range that are surprisingly good. At the higher end, ATC's or the new small Spendors. Need a little grunt to push them (50 WPC minimum). The LS 50's left me cold, but that's just personal preferance. A pricey used option are the JBL L92's. Nice dome tweeter and a 10" woofer. Ported and very efficient. Saw some for around $600 with new caps and refoamed woofers. |
What size room? A lot depends on that Listening arrangement to reveal imaging? ON or IN bookcase, or just small on stands? You want to have your tweeters aimed at seated ear height. Efficient or high efficiency speakers will help keep the integrated amp's power amount low, thus small: size, heat, weight, cost, and more options regarding placement. Small space: less heat is always good. I have that Carver, amazing, for what it does, fits anywhere, but I would not recommend it for it's sound qualities, it has no features, no volume or balance, spring clips for speaker wires, thus even for a single source, you need a preamp, thus space needed for 2 pieces. Staying small, wanting tubes, I just replaced my Carver with a wonderful sounding compact Luxman Tube Integrated, fits in or on top of a bookcase. SQ-N150. Has both MM and MC phono built in, keeps you down to one component. (limits: only 10 wpc, no pre-out/main in). http://www.luxman.com/product/detail.php?id=33 I go out to a single self-powered sub for low bass extension, not 'real' low bass. Then to 'real' bookcase speakers (fit inside the shelf depth with no port or front port only). It would be better to have an integrated with pre-out to self-powered sub, sub back to integrated main-in (or a tape or processor loop). That method reduces amp's need to make low bass, and small mains don't try and make low bass, which helps small speakers with no ports; helps you use less efficient small mains, allows a much lower powered amp. Raven says low bass is about 65% of power needs, scroll down a bit here https://www.ravenaudio.com/product/nighthawk-mk3-tube-amplifier/ Despite the advice about efficient speakers, I am getting away with using the least efficient speakers I ever owned (Wharfedale Diamond 225, 87 db) with the lowest powered amp (10 wpc), and a self-powered sub, 12", 800 watts in my small office. btw, before I brought it up here, I hooked the little Luxman 10 wpc to my very efficient horns/15" woofers in the main system. It sounded great, good volume for my typical needs, but not enough when I want to blast bass heavy content. |
Don’t overlook the Aerial 5T. It is similar in design to the Salk that Hilde recommended. These are great sounding bookshelf’s but are power hungry. If you’re going to use your Carver you should be in good shape. Not sure what your tube amp may be, but you can bi-amp the 5T too. I have mine hooked up to a MA 7900 (ss 200 wpc) and they sound fantastic for a little speaker. A little light in the bass but that’s the reality of a small driver. While the speakers are well made, the stock jumpers really hold them back. I replaced them with some WW Oasis bi-wires ($90) and could hear an immediate improvement. Money well spent. Here’s a little rah-rah infomercial: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=D5210292D83AF9C0A8DCD5210292D83AF9C0A8DC&... Good luck with your move to downsize. The upside to downsize is there’s freedom in simplicity. |
Any LS3/5A type speaker including Harbeth, Spendor, Falcon, Stirling, etc., should fit the bill. I have owned many of that type of speaker and the Harbeth is my keeper. There are many positive reviews and this guy is right on describing the P3! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqFIaiPT_kY |
+1 for ATC. I owned the KEF LS50 (V1, passive) before switching to the ATC SCM 11v2 and the difference was astounding. The KEFs were more analytical, and very detailed….but the ATC is way more fun to listen to and not at all fatiguing. Warmer, more holographical, bigger sounding….. I did my research and landed on ATC. So glad I did. Now I have SCM 40v2 and will likely never upgrade, short of moving to a bigger room or coming into a windfall…. Just my $.02. |
There are a million small speakers that range from $200 to $50k. Budget would be super helpful. If you like Thiels with a Carver Amp, I am going to guess the sound profile you like will be a bit forward. For sound, and not crazy expensive, I would look at: raidho x-1 with stands vivid Kaya S12 with stands Wilson-Benesch Vertexes Verdant Nightshade 1 and Blackthorn 1 B&W 805 D3s focal Kanta no 1 and Soprano No 1 these are all brilliant speakers that will run $6k to $13k with stands and short of some really crazy expensive speakers, these will sound great, and will give “best” type performance. there are lots of less expensive options but won’t be “best” type quality. |
Check out Wavetouch audio V2 speakers. The best sounding room at The Home Entertainment audio show 2021 (Long Beach, CA) to my ears. It was a smallest sound system (Oppo bdp-95, Chord Hugo DAC, and a 3 watts tube integrated amp only) at the show. The sound was very realistic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hUIlxgcF1k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDfzDqOhSEI |
Dynaudio Heritage. I’d never listened to Dynaudio speakers before last week and I’m not a fan of small speakers. Three and a half years ago, wife and I had to move into a travel trailer while a LONG renovation was done. I spent months auditioning, buying, trying out dozens of vintage and current production small speakers and ended up with three that I thought were very good - ProAc Response 2s, Revel Performa M106, BMR Philharmonitor. All easily bested the KEF LS50 and can be found for less than $2000. Last week I happened to wander into a store that had the new Dynaudio Heritage. Those things blow everything else out of the water! They’re beautiful, too, with very fine walnut veneers. The only drawback is price, $7000. I’m still waffling but will be buying a pair, I’m sure. Can’t stand the thought of missing out on the chance to own such fabulous speakers - limited run of 2500 pairs. |
Vandersteen VLR Wood or CT. Another to consider. But, Richard did design these to be actual ‘bookshelf’ speakers (so they can literally be placed anywhere, even against a wall/cabinet), those who have heard them, either in an actual bookshelf or not, have been very impressed. I have not heard them, but Vandersteen should speak for itself. |
Better than all the above would be a full range 8 inch full range Lii Audio driver in a one cubic foot box. The Fast 8 drivers are $200 plus shipping and the Silver 8s are $430 plus shipping (prices are for a pair of speakers). Make the box yourself, or have one made or buy some boxes off ebay or wherever. Wire the speaker directly from its voice coil wire and add my Ground Enhancer right on the voice coil wire too. The other end of the wire your wrap around the binding post on the outside (my binding post bypass system). This will blow your mind.......the drivers are 94 and 97 db sensitive....so anything can drive them. No crossover, no phase shift, totally time aligned....great sound. I will have info on my website this next week (tweakaudio.com) with more info about how to do this (including pictures). You can also use the Silver 6s.....$200 the pair. https://www.lii-audio.com/shop/ Here is a video of a pair of the silver 8s mounted in big homemade floor box. Of course a one cubic foot box will not have the bass of this system. First song fades in an out.......but WTF......these things are amazing! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_VqDN5-878 |