Looking for suggestions on best small footprint speaker under $4K
Greetings i’m a long time 2 channel system guy that rekindled his interest in music and Is looking to upgrade speakers. I just currently upgraded from a small tube amp to a 150 W Krell amp and have really enjoyed the improved response from my 7 year old KEF LS50’s. My favorite Brands of speakers over the years have been Maggie’s and B&W. I have also downsized homes and size of speaker is an issue. Looking for the best sounding speaker for jazz and lite rock. Attractive cabinets are important to me so I don’t like the looks of golden ear speakers.. 25 years ago I loved Vandersteen speakers but they were just not attractive.
As I begin my search what would yoou suggest. I have started looking at Monitor Audio and Salk but have not heard any. My budget is $4K.
Julie, the LFT driver is a push-pull magnetic planar design (magnets on both sides of the Mylar)---resulting in very low-distortion, with low-mass conductive traces vapor-deposited onto the Mylar. The 1.7i is a single-ended design (magnets on only one side of the Mylar), it’s conductive wire glued onto the Mylar. The LFT driver has a stiff cross-braced metal frame which is bolted onto the speakers’ MDF baffle, the 1.7i has it’s un-braced Mylar glued onto it’s baffle. The LFT-8b has removable front and rear grill frames, the 1.7i a non-removable grill sock (stabled onto the bottom of the MDF frame).
The LFT driver covers frequencies 180Hz to 10kHz, with NO Crossover! Vocal and instrumental timbre remains consistent over their entire frequency range. Each note on the entire piano keyboard sounds like it’s coming from the same piano, ya know? No tonal "shifts" as the pianist’s hands move down the keyboard. That midrange driver has been in production for over three decades, without a single change! Bruce Thigpen got it right. VPI’s Harry Weisfeld stated he considers the LFT-8b to have the best midrange of any loudspeaker he has ever heard.
The LFT-8b has about the same sensitivity of the 1.7i, but is an 8 ohm resistive load, better for tube amps than the 1.7i’s 4 ohms. The LFT-8b has two pair of binding posts, making bi-amping/wiring easy. The LFT midrange driver itself is a consistent 11 ohm load, even better for tube amps. 10kHz up is handled via a ribbon tweeter. Cross-overs at 180Hz and 10kHz are symmetrical 1st order filters.
The LFT-8b plays louder and lower than the 1.7i, partly because of it’s 8" sealed dynamic woofer (for 180Hz down). Unlike other planar/dynamic hybrids, the planar midrange and dynamic woofer blend seamlessly, Bruce having invested a lot of time working on the woofer. And unlike Maggies---known for sounding veiled at lower SPL levels, the LFT-8b remains transparent at lower listening levels.
The LFT-8b has an "immediate" character, making vocals and instruments sound more "there". In comparison the 1.7i sounds somewhat "whispy": less fleshed-out & full-bodied, less viscerally "present". Hi-fi descriptions being so subjective, I’ll leave it at that. Yes, the LFT-8b and the 1.7i are both magnetic-planar designs, but they sound rather different.
It’s a shame the LFT-8b is not more accessible for auditioning. There have been quite a few reviews of the speaker in the UK, every one of them a rave. Robert E. Greene (a fairly reliable hi-fi critic) reviewed it in The Absolute Sound, and came to the same decision. A main take-away in all the reviews was the low-distortion sound of the LFT-8b, how "quiet" (no noise from spurious distortion) the speaker sounds. Pure, direct, more like an ESL than a magnetic-planar. The reviews are viewable of the Eminent Technology website.
@bdp24 in what way is Eminent Tech better than Maggies 1.7? These esoteric American brands are a little hard to find, to listen to, to get servicing for...outside of the US. So one has to be extra cautious. Any detailed review comparing it with Maggies?
@miamiangler hope this is not a bother, resurrecting an old thread. I am in the same boat: trying to seek as best a pair as possible for a small place. Music source will be Tidal on Mac Mini (and occasionally phone), amp most likely Hegel H90 or Cambridge Audio CXA81. I've short listed my options down to:
1. Dynaudio Special 40 2. KEF R3 (I can get a sub later...am not a bass hound) 3. JBL L100
The Salk Song3 is interesting, but being a full floorstanding, might be overkill for me. I'm not very familiar with Salk, and in Toronto it may be hard to find a pair to listen to.
So, question: could you share why you decided to go with the floorstanding -- was it only the ability to get rid of the sub, or was the sound also better?
Thanks for all of the feedback I have recieved on my first post! I have reviewed all of the suggestions and have narrowed my choices down to the Salk Song 3 in gnurly maple with silver grey dye or the Dynaudio Special Forty in Birch gray. At first it appeared the Dynaudio looked more like a distressed wood grey but after viewing some videos it is gorgeous. The Special forty would provides a smaller foot print and I have a sub woofer. With the Song 3 I can get rid of my sub woofer.
twoleftears1,368 posts01-21-2019 12:06pmIf you're serious about small footprint, look at Totem or ProAc. You could get something pretty nice on the used marked for 4K.
Step top up to the Acoustic Preference Gracioso 1.0 used for 1K more. Original price was 15K. One of the best bookshelf speakers I have ever heard and is incredible to look at. Very tasteful. Good luck in whichever you purchase. You’re on the right path.
I agree about checking out the new Kef R7, which looks to be killer in the below $4k price range. Also, if you can find a used set of Dali Rubicon 6 below $4k, I strongly suggest you check them out.
miamiangler Looking for suggestions on best small footprint speaker under $4K
They can be got for around that price now used, if your lucky and a good haggler, and that’s a pair of Sonus Faber Extrema’s old, (new will cost you a kidney), best stand mount speaker I have ever heard, with bass that floor standers can’t match and a tweeter that’s still regarded as the best, but they like a very good amp.
Miami, everything you are saying(small footprint, jazz/light rock, tube amps) points to Totem, I'll add to the other Totem recommendations. The Totem Hawks are really amazing. They pay attention to every single detail from the density of the mdf, point to point crossover wiring instead of circuit boards, silver plated internal wire(different wire for each speaker in their line up), even super expensive WBT 0763 speaker binding posts.
Look up the WBT's, and while you're at it, look up the woofer they selected for the Hawks, the Scanspeak Revelator 15W driver. This is a 5.5 inch driver that can hit down below 35 Hz with Totem's modifications. Everything they do with this speaker is music first, not sales or profit first. You gotta try this speaker.
I've had several of their bookshelf models right up to the Sky, which goes for almost $2000 but this Hawk model eats it for lunch in every way.
Sorry for the slow response, but have been visiting my new granddaughter this week. Thanks for all the feedback I truly appreciate it and have a lot of research to do. I have never bought used speakers though I willing to as long as I can see and hear them first. Russbutton certainlynot hell bent on spending $4K, I have been using a tube amp for the last seven years and really like the sound character. I just bought a recapped Krell amp and have been blown ay by the sound. My next amp will be a high powered tube.
If you're hell bent on dropping $4k, I can't readily help you. But if you're willing to spend a lot less than that and be willing to live with some real magic, then here's a completely different thought.
One of the most wonderful systems I've ever heard was a pair of late 70's vintage KEF Calinda loudspeakers being driven by a Marantz 8B tube power amp. Absolutely spell binding!
That vintage of KEF loudspeaker is hard to find in the USA, but is readily available in Europe. Do a search at https://www.hifishark.com/
The Calinda typically sells for around $400/pair. Shipping extra. The next model up, the Cantata, typically sells for about $600/pair.
As for the power amp, the Marantz 8B is a classic, but an expensive classic. What's a much better value is the 35 wpc ST-70 from VTA. They also have a 60 wpc amp for a reasonable amount. You can either build the kit, save money and get a ton of satisfaction, or have them make it up for you. Even pre-assembled, the prices are modest.
A sleeper in your general price category (4K+ w/stands) is the PMC twenty5 22. It’s a stand mount that is refined with substantial (well controlled) bass. However, with few US dealers, it’s hard to audition. I took leap of faith and am glad I did.
I heard the new Totem Tribe towers, the smallest ones sound terrific, really fast and punchy! They are around $5kish, i have not seen any on the used market or i would have purchased them, haha. They get pretty deep and bassy for the size, they are super compact.
I own Aerial 5T’s and they are a terrific speaker. I’m running them w/a Bryston 2.5 SST2 and a Luxman CL38U SE Tube preamp. For a Floor stander I'd look at the Spendor A-6 or a a bit over your budget the Spendor A-7.
Modified VanL quartettes from VanL Speakerworks in Chicago area
Fit your price range and size considerations perfectly and the sound will be just what you want. I have had many speakers includding Maggie's, quads and martin Logans the modified VanL's with ribbon tweeters are great
For jazz listening which is mostly acoustical (instruments and vocals) single driver speakers are hard to beat. There are very few such speakers in small footprint format. A Teresonic Magus sold recently at Audiogon for $4,995 (demo pair). Another benefit of such speakers in a very high efficiency (100 db!). That allows you a choice of small power amplifiers (even microZOTL from Linear Tube Audio) which is quite important since you are downsizing.
I liked the Aerial 7T but bought the Paradigm Prestige 75F. The Aerial was amazing on voice but the Prestige were amazing on everything. I listen to a little of everything pop rock electronic trance blues piano and I haven't heard anything yet that made me regret my choice.
For the OP I think its a matter of deciding do you want a bookshelf 2-way sound or do you want to approach full range (and how the listening room will accept the acoustics of either). Even from Monitor Audio or B&W, it changes the product line choice considerably. For a small space, I would try to find 805 D3's, then positioned properly and call it a day.
A lot of good ideas. If you like to travel visiting an audio show like the Florida Audio Expo in Tampa next month would be an opportunity to hear a variety of options.
I am a big fan of Monitor Audio for their neutrality and transparency, along with the ability to boogie. Overall, look for 2.5 way systems. They tend to have higher efficiency and deeper bass along with a smaller footprint. Too large a speaker will exacerbate room modes and leave you with more to fix.
The Eminent Technology LFT-8b, though a planar-magnetic like Maggies (at 180Hz and above, that is), is only 13" wide and about the same deep (the dimensions of the bass enclosure the panel is attached to). But being a dipole planar, it really must be a minimum of about 3' in front of the wall behind it.
For looks and sound, the Salk Song 3 or 3A would be excellent--the difference would depend on you sound priorities. Heard the 3's and were very impressed. You could get ones made to your own desires for looks and a little for sound--brand new at your price. Don't disregard my other post, however. The ATC speakers need to be heard. You may love them, although the Salk's are much better wood finishes--as good as it gets in that way. Jim is a very helpful and personable dude, too.
I highly recommend Dynaudio Contour 20's. It's a bit understated in terms of its looks but the esotar 2 tweeter once broken in is nothing short of amazing (to my ears).
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