Just moved to an apartment need speaker suggestions

I was referring specifically to the ProAc response 2.5s above, but I believe other ProAc models employ a similar design.

As a fellow Magnepanatic, I want to emphasize advice from larryi who wrote " If you have the room to allow the Maggies to be placed correctly (well away from the wall behind the speaker), it would be a very good apartment speaker".

I will go further and say all my experiments where my Maggie 1.7s were NOT " well away from the wall behind the speaker" failed and had me immediately disconnecting and re-connecting my other speakers.

For some people "well away from the wall behind" will mean more than 5 feet. In my case it was never less than 10. Am not speaking for others, but 5 and 10 was the difference between hoping I'll get used to an imprecise (yet tonally wonderful and fairly deep) image, and hearing exactly the deep and precise soundstage that makes me happiest.

Another spot-on post from larryi. It should probably be stated (if it wasn't already) that stand mounted monitors, even small ones, does NOT imply a lack of bass energy above oh ... let's say 60hz to be safe. With my Joesph Audio Pulsars it was more like upper 40s.

The point is that you can end up with overwhelming bass resonances even with smaller monitors. I know it's hard to audition *anything* but you should be well aware of this point.

maple-

your comment about bass presence at low volumes makes good sense to me since the OP did state he will play "softly".

your "efficient speakers" comment however is so general and unsubstantiated that it’s puzzling at best. can you elaborate without using the word "pressurized" unless you want to go to great lengths to explain how longitudinal waves superpose, reflect, diffract and attenuate?

Telling the OP that he/she NEEDS efficient speakers is just way too subjective an opinion and ends up limiting the choices. It's also confusing and therefore possibly counterproductive for the OP because it's in direct conflict with many of the good suggestions here.

Also, did you read my comment about the Quatros? This PROVES your efficiency statement to be incorrect in general. I know the Quatros are out of the price range, but something like an inefficient $1500 ... whatever (see suggestions above) + a powered sub would not be.

Again regarding the Maggies, as has been stated a few times here, they will only be *right* for an apartment if you can place them well away from the rear wall. 

OK. I understand that you're talking about your experiences here. I also assume you mean to include only passive speakers in your comment, because, for instance, Vandersteen Quatros are not efficient and yet they would be excellent for the OP's room as the bass in so configurable that it would allow him/her to augment the bass. Low volume listening will sound great. Of course the Quatros are out of the price range here, but just making the point about this slightly inefficient speaker being more than adequate. And yes, there are ways to decouple it from the floor if people want  to comment about the low-to-the ground ports.

However, I believe you need to state which inefficient speakers you refer to as well as the amplifier driving them in order to make the general statement you're making. I had J.A. Pulsars in a small room for instance. Not an efficient speaker by any means, but it sure sounded wonderful at low volumes with any of my amps. Again, theses speakers are out of the OP's price range but the principal doesn't change with price: some inefficient speakers can be wonderful in small rooms. 

Funny it took me until now to realize this: I’ve been researching DeVore Gibbon 8s for the last 3 weeks, and often came across an opinion that these are right for small rooms. I think the point there is that the bass isn’t big enough to really call it a full ranger, but maybe it’s enough given the right space? I bring up the DeVores because of the way the drivers are well above the floor. This same design is employed by some ProAcs that I see for sale here. The ProAcs are not known for being light afoot with respect to bass, but again the drivers are well off the floor.

I think it’s worth looking into this design and researching what people say about it. It doesn’t have to be DeVore or ProAc specific, rather what are people’s experiences with respect to similar designs?

By the way, I bought some DeVore Gibbon 8s arriving today. Unfortunately they won’t be going anywhere soon;-)