Graham Audio LS 5/9, beautiful sounding speakers, I drive mine with tube pre and class A amp, never tired of the sound.
High end bookshelf speakers for Small room
I have to downsize my listening room. Looking to get a pair of bookshelf speakers for a room size 13x14 which has furniture carpet and I plan to do some acoustic treatment if needed. Would love to get some subs as well. Currently I have rels510 which might be too much for this small room..
My audio chain - Aurender N20, dCS Rossini + clock, luxman509z amp.
Music preference - Acoustic, rock, pop, piano, instrumental.. pretty much different genres.
Sound preference - bold close to you vocals, clean detailed sound. Slightly warm is fine.
Current candidates - TAD ME/CE, Joseph audio pulsar2, dynaaudio, Sonia Faber..
Any inputs here are much appreciated.. thanks in advance
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With respect to your initial list, I've had the pleasure of listening to pairs of Dynaudio C1 Platinum, Heritage Specials, and the older non-20i version of the Contour 20. I think any of these might be great candidates, but some seat time might be needed to sort them for yourself. The tweeters are wonderful. I have not yet heard any of the other lines, but Joseph Audio would be on my short list to seek out.
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@saurabhgarg I would recommend a different solution for a small, almost square room. The Larsen 4 speakers work wonderfully in almost any room. They sit smack against the wall and project a large soundstage behind them. I used to sell these and I never met a room where they didn't work fabulously and better than any conventional box speaker. I don't know what they retail for now but before the pandemic they were around $2K. Highly recommended |
Do yourself a favor, and give these speakers a chance -- Watkins Generation 4, the recipient of The Absolute Sound’s 2017 Golden Ear Award and their 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019,& 2018 Editors’ Choice Awards. The late William "Bill" Watkins (and now his son, Bill, Jr.), have been manufacturing amazing speakers in my hometown of Kingsport, TN, since the early 1970’s. There have been several Audiogon posts over the years where individuals have found a pair of Watkins Stereo legendary WS-1’s, WS-1E’s and WE-1’s and are inquiring about what they’ve found. I spent MANY a weekend in the 1970’s sitting in a hazy party basement listening to Rainbow, Genesis, Led Zep, Black Sabbath, Robin Trower, Rush, and other excellent "stoner" bands through Watkins Stereo speakers. Finding a pair of those speakers is a Holy Grail search for me now. Mr. Watkins became well known when his woofer design was purchased by Infinity. From their website:
The Gen 4 speakers have gotten rave reviews and in my opinion, they outperform any bookshelf speaker I’ve heard in the sub-$10,000 price range. At $3,000 a pair, you will be amazed. I’ve heard them go toe to toe against Sonus Faber Amator II’s, Concertino’s, Nova 1’s, and Amator III’s, and the Gen 4 is right there with them -- I like the Gen 4’s bass better, actually. Available factory direct at $2,995.00 a pair with a risk free 30 day return privilege (terms apply).
I’m not affiliated with Watkins Stereo in any form or fashion -- I just enjoy seeing a business that I’ve known for almost 50 years continue to thrive in little old Upper East Tennessee. As an added bonus, the cabinet woodworking is beautiful. The Cherry and Walnut are my favorite, but I’ve seen an Alder and Maple pair that were freaking striking.
Here are upgrades that have been made to the original design: |
@gdnrbob most people don't take anybody seriously here but themselves. It's a miracle when they read the post and react to that and not to their own feelings about the day or their spending that they want to brag about. |
Due to hurricane Ian in 2022, I had to move into a condo while rebuilding our home. I started with LS50 metas and they were so thin and lacking in bass. I moved on to Fyne F501-SPs which were much better than the Kefs. I then moved up to Fischer & Fischer SN70s which cost double the Fyne' and sound 4x as good. Lastly upgraded to TAD ME1's and they blew me away with their imaging and musicality. They just sound right. I'd love to audition the Marten's and Kaya 12s to compare. I don't think you can go wrong with the ME1s. Good luck ! |
PS Audio FR 5 speakers are getting very good reviews. PS Audio sells directly to the consumer in the US. I have many of their electronic/digital components and not only do I like them but their customer service is excellent. Here is a recent in depth review: https://youtu.be/lVM8oynxy4s?si=Q_NxhfHeIm12Ti1x
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@re-lar-kvothe the Fritz speakers look interesting. What price range are they in? |
such interesting recommendations. I am going to check a few out myself. Couple I can add: 1. Buchardt S400 MKII 2. Gato Audio FM15 3. Wharfedale Linton The first two are from Denmark. Both excellent. Lintons are outstanding too- little larger bookshelf speakers- more like stand-mounters. regards, Manu |
If the TAD are even remotely in your budget, I would give those first choice. An absolutely stunning design. Absolutely state of the art technology and execution n Expensive, but you can easily see, and more importantly, hear where every cent was spent. I cannot imagine a.more perfect small room speaker. |
I listed the ps audio Aspen fr5 at the beginning of this thread, I’m pleased to see others agree. Really folks find a way to audition these, they punch way beyond their price point. Much of what’s been listed here pretty polished handcrafted wood included are just…well just plan small box speakers. |
His speakers range in price from $2,800 to $4,000. The Cerraras are $3,800. Sound: Fritz Speakers Loudspeakers Sound System Speaker Designs |
@re-lar-kvothe thanks. not sure how I missed that. |
Another plug for the Dynaudio Heritage Specials. The more improvements I have made in my system, the more and more they truly shine. They are incredibly musical, have very good dynamics, image and soundstage is great, and sound great with a wide variety of music. I’ve only grown fonder of them over time. |
gryphongryph +1 Graham LS5/9... I use an Aesthetix, Calypso Sig & Chord SPM-1200e on mine; no sub required in my med 18' x 26' size room. Been through a ton of standmount speakers & these are my jam!(today anyway, lol) |
I purchased the Fritz Carbon 7 II several months ago after watching a review posted by Dave on Youtube...one of the best audio buys I ever made all things considered. Fritz speakers are a incredible value (a steal in my opinion) and Fritz is a really good guy who cares about customer service and a passion for audio and will discuss your application with you (room size, equipment currently in place) before selling you gear. It would appear the OP is seeking a very high end set of speakers but if you are looking at under $10,000 for a set standmounts do yourself and your wallet a favor and check out the Fritz line A+. |
And...DeVore O/baby https://www.stereophile.com/content/devore-fidelity-orangutan-obaby-loudspeaker |
@sextantcv4 +1 on the Aerial Acoustic 5T's |
Looks like a lot of great recommendations already. I'll throw in the Magico A1's. I picked up a pair over the summer and couldn't be happier. They are super versatile with both stand mount or a true bookshelf (I have mine stand mounted). Very articulate and full with plenty of low end. Best "small" speaker I've ever owned. |
The Harbeth 30.1 monitors are fairly large 2-ways. On the face of it, they might seem kind of large for your room. They are not: I have mine in a desktop/nearfield configuration in a 13' X 13' home office, and they sound amazing. I try not to think how great they might sound in a better setup than mine. No matter: I love them to pieces. A pair is for sale on AG at very good price. No idea if this is a good seller, and if it was me, I'd ask for many more pix. Still, these are well worth considering: |
Hey, saurabhgarg... Best to assume you will require room tuning for maximum performance. A smaller room can be a blessing, especially if it is a dedicated room for music. A highly experienced close friend is having a wonderful time with his Dynaudio Heritage bookshelf speakers in a new, smaller space. A floor standing version has been announced. The mentioned Duch & Duch 8c's are used by Prof Edgar Choueiri to demo the BACCH crosstalk cancelling at audio shows, a mature DSP process I've truly enjoyed for a full year now. After 50+ years of "chase," I would never be without it. Nearfield benefits the BACCH greatly. Best, Pin More Peace (bold print for older eyes) |
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So can someone that has been around this joint for a long time explain to this to me? Do the Mods delete your posts if you mention companies that don't advertise with them? I posted a reply yesterday giving the OP information about a speaker manufacturer from my home town in Upper East Tennessee -- Watkins Stereo Center. I gave details on Watkins new Generation 4 speaker that has gotten rave reviews. Today, I got the message below. I had NO PROFANITY in my post. It WAS NOT SPAM. I DID NOT THREATEN anyone. There was NOTHING VIOLENT in my post.
So, what gives? I am absolutely baffled at the decisions made by the "Mods" at this site. How do I find out what was so offensive about recommending the Watkins Generation 4 speakers? Does anyone have the knowledge of how to access the "way back" feature of the internet so I can show what was posted before it was removed? This is ridiculous. I also noticed another thread got the axe within the last few hours. Thank goodness we have people protecting us. OP, check out the Watkins Gen 4 before this gets deleted!
Hi allenf1963 Your Post was removed by a moderator 2024-08-23 22:07:04 UTC Do yourself a favor, and give these speakers a chance -- Watkins Generation 4, the recipient of The Absolute Sound's 2017 Golden Ear Award and thei... Content may be removed for one or more of these reasons:
Please make sure your submissions comply with our guidelines. https://forum.audiogon.com/pages/guidelines |
@allenf1963 if you open a ticket https://support.audiogon.com/hc/en-us/requests/new they will tell you why your post was removed. If other users flag it, it will be removed, regardless of the content |
