Help Me Choose or Confuse Me More


Hello All

I need some help. I have tried asking this elsewhere but need a group of well-rounded, more brand-agnostic opinions. 

Moved into my home office when covid hit. I needed a quick set up, because it was temporary. Now it's not temporary. So I'm upgrading some things.

I'm in the command chair about 15 hours a day. I'm on video conference meetings an average of 5 hours, the rest of the time is split between music via Tidal, or Amazon Prime TV. So I'm either paying attention to meetings, working on docs projects/sending or answering emails/approvals or projects while listening to music or background TV. 
 
Current Set Up: 2017 13" Macbook Pro > Samsung QN50Q80T > eARC Out > Certified 4k 2.0 USB-C to HDMI > Bluesound Powernode 2i > Kimber 4VS bare wire > KEF Q100s on SoundRiser Pro stands and a Rythmik F12 sub crossed at 80hz sitting in the corner. The home office was a spare bedroom at 11'2" x 9'11" with 8' ceilings. I've added moderate room treatments about 60 sq ft with some bass trap in the ceiling corners. I've gotten a bigger desk 74"W x 39"D and use a desk-sized mouse pad to help with reflections. Also hardwood floors, but I put a runner rug down with carpet pad underneath. 
I am nearfield at the desk, about 36" - 40" from tweeter, and usually the phone dB meter is between 55-65 dB.       

Upgrades Coming: Mac Mini (more ports and faster guts) and NEW SPEAKERS. I just don't know which ones.

Short List (in no order)...
Kef LS50 Meta - about $1500. I like the Q100s but know there is better. The LS50 folks love them, but is there THAT much difference from the Q100 to the LS50 Meta?  
Harbeth P3ESR - $1500-$1700 range used. The Harbeth folks love them, but historically I haven't loved standard 2 way speakers. Something about sitting distance and time alignment.
Omega CAM - about $1500. I had a pair of the Super 3i about 5 years ago and liked the sounds, but had them in my man cave system and they weren't big enough for the room. The Omega alnico guys love them, but I'm not going to use tubes for 15 hours a day.     

Even given the sub I have I wouldn't describe myself as a basshead, but some highs are very unpleasant to me. After a recent hearing test I'm out at 15KHz.

What should I get? ≤$2k and used is ok. I do not live in a part of the country where I can go listen, basically 2+ hours from anywhere.  
mpschenck

Showing 11 responses by mpschenck

@ bobauch
I've looked at those and haver been seriously thinking about trying the LRS in my man cave. I have the space there to get them away from the wall. Can I ask how close you have the Minis from the wall behind? 
My assumption is that they need space just like their bigger brothers. 
I just measured the distance from my ears to the tweeter agin and it was about 44 inches. I could sit a little closer or a little further away. The Kefs do off axis really well. I have the Q100s toed in to basically pointing at my shoulders.

@donvito
I have one of those gigantic hand magnets. I have read people have a hard time getting the grills off "normally". 

@arafiq
The Q100s image like crazy that is one of the things I most like about them. I figure that is due to the uni-Q driver set and the LS50s would be the same. The brightness you mention may be the main reason I'm looking for something.  
I'm really looking for a thick rich midrange which by all accounts the Harbeths and Omegas excel at although in different ways, I suppose. 

Musical tastes are pretty varied I guess. No EDM, no Metal, No Jazz, No Classical, No Modern Country. Very, very little current indie pop, mostly listen to Classic and Indie Rock. 

I've already have a sub in the system. Currently using a Rythmik F12 but started out with an SVS SB-12 NSD.  
I appreciate all the suggestions. 

@ antonio33 
The Amphion Argon 1s were on my long list before I started trimming it down.
I'm not really a fan of the Klipsch sound. Years ago I considered some for my man cave and was able to listen to some. I'll say this about it, everyone says they have a live concert sound - imagine being at a concert for 15 hours a day. 

@ soix 
The Silverline Minuet Supreme Plus seem interesting. I'll have to look into those.

@ 10229
My man cave system currently sports a pair of Tannoy Rev XT 6.

@ coffee-jerk
Honestly, the ProAc were on my long list before I started trimming it down. 
Dynaudio Special 40s now there is something I hadn't really considered. I need to look into these some more.
 
@ daveman2
The LS50s, a lot of people seem to mention them being power hungry. My personal, and admittedly relatively limited, experience makes me think a lot of people drastically over-judge power requirements in a lot of cases. One of my first amps was a 2.5 watt per channel MiniWatt and I mostly used with higher efficiency speakers but at lower volumes no issues. I'm sitting really close and listening to something all day. A dB meter app on my phone usually stays around 60 dB, a regular range would be high 50s to lower 60s. At 85dB sensitivity the LS50s, even if over estimated could not possibly need more than the 60 watts, even if over estimated, if I'm 40-ish inches away to hit a max of let's say 70dB. I realize there math and measurements with impedance swings etc, and I don't want to start a thing, but I just don't see needing a hugely powerful 100-watt-plus amp for a desk set up. 
I will poke the bear a little more by saying I have considering upping to the NAD M10 or Lyngdorf TDAI-1120 to be able to play with room correction, but TDAI-1120 doesn't have the app/OS support that I want/need, and I feel like the M10 is basically just the Powernode 2i with Dirac and a screen, slight power bump aside. So is the M10 _REALLY_ worth more than twice the price of the Powernode 2i? I haven't made my mind up about that yet. 

@ blainer55
I've looked into the power monitors a lot and just can't get there for a number of reason. Namely the dependance on in-built electronics and their quality, the inability to swap components, and the price bump of having to basically buy an amp every time I want to try a different speaker. Buchardt, ELAC Navis, LS50W etc 
  
@ coffee-jerk
Dynaudio Special 40s In red birch is a sexy beast. Kinda big though.

Does anybody have experience with them in nearfield at low volume?  
I think I'm gonna go with the Harbeths honestly. Lots of love for them here and elsewhere, generally glowing professional reviews, someone pointed out earlier that they hold their value really well so _IF_ I can't get used to them I can recoup most of the outlay.
My other main options aren't going anywhere. The LS50s have been around and hugely popular for many years, readily available gently used. Also, at any time I can call Omega and have a pair of CAMs made in the veneer of my choice and even front ported, if I want.      
So I bought a pair of P3ESR Sesames in black last night, and went a little crazy and ordered an NAD M10 as well. I figure I spend about 90 hours a week sitting here so I might as well have what I want.

@ mfmncrew
Will do!

@ desktopguy(good name BTW)
The Q100s are pretty close, about 2" on the closest corner with a lot of toe-in, BUT they are front ported and I have an acoustic panel mounted on the wall behind them. Also, I’m be able to keep the Harbeths a bit further away since they are 2.75" less depends than the Q100s. A couple of things about the sub. I own 2 12" subs the Rythmik and an SVS SB-12, but I like the Rythmik more, I figured why not drop it in here. I have it crossed over at 80Hz and with the volume so low I actually very rarely "hear" them. The only times I know it even on is usually watching sci-fi, BladeRunner 2049 and the most recent season of The Expanse stand out in my memory.
I will say, I have been been ogling some matching small REL subs for the corners, but maybe that’s just dumb.
@ cd318
"for those of us who are forced to spend long hours at our desks."

Isn’t the the truth. I’m kind of trying to turn my desk from somewhere I’m forced to be to where I want to be. I started working from home last year on Feb 3rd. Kinda living like hermit ever since. They shut our office down on March 13th. All my work was not constrained to my office location anyway. I had a meeting with my manager a few weeks ago to discuss me not going back, She is fine with that. I’m more connected now than before, fewer interruptions during the day, no commute, lunch is cheaper/easier, and a longer list of other benefits. Plus I can listen to what I want :D
Quick update if anyone catches this. 
Oh my gosh! Got back from out of town yesterday and spent hours getting everything unpackaged and set up. Watched an episode of the Grand Tour just to ease myself in a bit. I was busy today getting caught up from being gone all week. I left them play Top Gear while I moving around. Just got finished with my list of "test" tracks.

 I'm staggered at the sound.