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

Just heard both the Kantas and Sopras this week and compared to B&W's (which I also heard), they are not at all bright. They have a very lovely sound - full-bodied, tight bass, good transient response, silken highs, excellent mids. If I had the money, I'd be buying a pair of the Kanta No. 3.

I suggest with your limited mobility a pair of Kii threeā€™s.

These can be placed easily inches from the rear wall and sound great.

Adjust all sounds via the control unit to how you like or dislike ā€˜highsā€™.

Get rid of your amp and preamp and control everything through the ā€˜controlā€™ that Kii have. The speakers are connected with a thin cable though speakers are plugged in the wall

Look at the reviews. Ā 
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I have a pair with stands that I paid 20 grand that I donā€™t use at all because wife hates the look.

If you can find a pair the Dynaudio Heritage Special has arguably the best soft dome tweeter available!! The Esotar 3. Youā€™ll want the Dynaudio stand 20 with special top plates.The other speaker would be the ProAc K1 with the dedicated stands. It has an amazing ribbon tweeter. Either speaker will fill the room, wall to wall and will give you amazingly great bass.Ā 

@cookiecurlsĀ I recommend Marten Oscar Trio speakers. They are a little bit more than $10k, but you may find them used for a bit less than your budget. Ā They are hard to beat for speakers in their price range. Ā 

Sonus Faber would be my next recommendation.

A pair of Fyne F-701 bookshelf speakers with a pair of Rythmik F12 subs might do quite well and come in about a thousand under your budget. Ā I have the F-702s (floorstanding) and the Rythmiks and am exceptionally pleased with the sound reproduction quality. Ā Alive but not overly bright, excellent imaging, and superb tonal qualities.