Help Deciding On New Speakers For Small Room, $10k budget


Hello everyone! A brief background. For the first time in my life, I have a dedicated room for listening! šŸ™Œ Iā€™m very excited about it. However, itā€™s not very big. Something is better than nothing though. Previously I always lived in apartments and had to primarily listen on headphones. The room size is 10 feet by 11 feet with 10 foot ceilings, almost a perfect square. It has already been professionally sound treated with many panels from Gik Acoustics. So despite its tricky sizing, it should be all set up for a proper experience! And I already have a nice chain, a McIntosh MC52 Preamp and Primare Power Amp and CD Player with a Holo Audio May KTE. Oh, I also have a Rel A7X subwoofer.

I unfortunately have a disability that makes it very difficult for me to travel. I cannot easily just go to a hifi store and try things. I also live kinda in the middle of nowhere. But Iā€™m a former professional musician and music is my life, and I want to feel connected to my music as much as I can, so Iā€™m willing to invest into it. I have a budget of about $10k give or take $1k or so. I donā€™t mind looking at used options in like new condition.

A little about my hearing preferences: I am very sensitive to high frequencies, specifically around 7k-10k. For reference, every hifi headphone Iā€™ve ever used made me wince because the high frequencies are too pronounced. I just put up with it because I didnā€™t have a choice, but Iā€™ve noticed that with speakers Iā€™m usually not so sensitive to them so Iā€™m excited to go down this journey and enjoy my music listening more. I like powerful, punchy bass, and generally prefer a warmer sound signature, however, even though my ears are sensitive to higher frequencies, I love a nice crisp and realistic cymbal sound. In general, as a musician, I think Iā€™d love something that sounds ā€œtrue to lifeā€ because I have obviously a lot of experience hearing instruments live. I mostly listen to jazz (because Iā€™m a jazz musician) but I also love music of all genres like rock, electronic, pop, soul, alternative, and occasionally K-Pop too, Iā€™m pretty open minded. So something that is a good all-rounder might also be nice. Writing this all out, I now think I might be asking for the moon though, so letā€™s just say jazz and realistic instruments is my main priority šŸ˜‡


So with all that said, I would greatly appreciate your suggestions. Iā€™ve been looking at Focalā€™s line of Kanta and Sopra but Iā€™ve heard they are bright. Iā€™ve heard B&W but I donā€™t think their house sound is for me, again too bright. Ā Also debating between bookshelves and small floor standers for a smallish room. Iā€™ve been looking also at Canton, Dali, Tannoy and Wharfdale, but Iā€™m not as familiar with the speaker world as I am the headphone or IEM world, so Iā€™m quite open to ideas. Thank you so much and best wishes on the evening of this crazy time Iā€™m in the U.S.!

cookiecurls

I have really been enjoying the Vivid Audio Kaya S12 speakers.Ā  They are small speakers with matching stands ($9,700 with stands).Ā  I have to say they are a slice of pure heaven.Ā  They have an uncanny sense of presence and amazing imaging with "reach out and touch" focus.Ā  Their tonal balance is spot on and just when you are wondering if they have bass, it shines through with detail and articulation and the proper quantity.Ā  A very special speaker with some obviously amazing technology.

I have a Yamaha NS5000 "bookshelf" in a decent sized room, but it is too big for a small room. To solve this for people Yamaha introduced the NS3000 which are true bookshelf speakers (use stands). The NS3000 is not sold in the USA but can be bought from Canada (I know a store in Toronto).

I have heard the TAD ME-1 and the NS5000 is at a different level to the BE drivers on the TAD's. The NS3000 would be the same as the NS5000 since the Zylon drivers are essentially the same.

I recently moved into a smaller office from another small office. In the larger office I had a Magnepan LRS+. It was not the utmost in detail and dynamics, but it was a great listen with the wall of sound it produces. You need a lot of power for this speaker.

Now in my new smaller office I sold the LRS+ and got the Magnepan Mini. The mini is used in near-field but I think it would work in a room 12x11x9. It is a bit more detailed and smoother than the LRS+. This speaker also needs a lot of power. (I tried lower 70 watts and it was not enough). I use a Sanders Magtech which give me 500 @ 8Ā and 900 @ 4. The Mini can be bought used for $1000 and a used amp in the range of $5k (like mine would be perfect)

Remember a small room is not a great friend to great sound.

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Joseph Audio still uses the Infinite Slope Crossover Technology of Richard Modafferi, the most amazingly distinct speakers you will ever hear, I loved my JSE Model IIā€™s in a larger room, they still sound awesome in my friendā€™s even large space, I went back to my vintage family heirloom horns and 15" woofer.

you need a 2 way for your space that is not lacking ......

hereā€™s a used pair at $1,200. local pickup. You would need to use UPS Pack and Ship, just have seller drop them off at UPS unpackaged for you.

note: if sand filled, have them drain it, you add play sand after you get them.

Used Joseph Audio

stereophile review rm22si

excerpt

The improvements in the RM22si Signature Mk.2, while not as dramatic as those I found with theĀ Mk.2 version of the RM7si Signature, were significant.

only sensitivity 86, you need a decent amount of power and wonā€™t need a lot of volume in that space,

...........................

OR, hereā€™s a pair that will take your whole budget

https://nowlistenhere.net/speakers/joseph-audio-pulsar2-graphene

I would prefer the larger rm22si box sand filled, and having most of my money still in my pocket

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