Magnepan, Ohm, Spatial or ??

I wouldn't worry about subs until I heard the speakers. I was wondering why the 1000's were suggested when your room measurements are 1976 cu ft which is above the top end rating on those? 

I’m guessing because that looks like a pretty lively room with wood floors so better to not put something too big in there.

You can always add bass but not take it away very easily though isolating from the floor can help make more bass less intrusive.

You do not need big Ohms for good bass in most cases but you might want to add subs in some rooms  if shooting for the lowest octave with smaller ones. Especially with a tube amp driving them.

There is switch behind the binding post cup which is set to neutral. I guess if a little more bass is desired you can move it to + a little less - . If more bass is wanted then try a sub. 

3 dogs!  *L*  I guess one is either 'camera shy' or doesn't want it's 'image' distributed without a 'press release'....;)

Our Sunny is useless as a portable diffuser, prefers to be 'under' furniture.....or underfoot....

Agree with maps, hold off on a sub.  Placement and rotation will be the primary project...inches and angles....

Pet positions are up to them, as usual....*L*

Sorry haven't read the whole thread, but don't forget about room treatment. The best speaker in a bad (acoustic-wise) room, won't sound their best. Best of Luck.

Regarding room treatments, I would only spend effort on that after all else is dialed in and only as an option.

If you find the bass to be a bit much or not articulate or obscuring the midrange, do try the isolating pads under the Ohms.

In my L shaped room where I typically sit and listen at one or two locations 12’ or so back in the long section of the L, I did add 3’X3’ decorative absorption panels (also Auralex off Amazon I think, very clean looking, wife has never said a word) at the primary reflection points on the side wall. That helped to reduce and focus the soundstage a bit by reducing strongest sidewall reflections. VEry inexpensive and easy to try if desired. I can post pics if desired. My right speaker in particular is less than 3’ from the side wall).

By primary reflection point, I mean the location on the side wall where reflected sound would be directed at my primary listening position (with Ohms you might listen from most anywhere in your room and sound should remain coherent and soundstage in place, only from different perspectives).

That is the extent of room treatments for me. I strive to setup my stuff to best use the room at hand, not try and fight it. Like yours, none of my rooms are purely devoted to audio so you have to take a somewhat more practical approach with room acoustics.

@bigslacker, Yup.  Selective cell padding, to restrain random rogue reflections 'n resonances...

The 4 R's...(3R)+nR, formula-ishly....'the bane of audio appreciation' or something like that...*G*

Here is links to my reviews of my Ohms I did here years back when I got them FWIW:

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/review-ohm-acoustics-ohm-walsh-100-series-3-speaker

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/review-ohm-acoustics-walsh-5-series-3-speaker

@mapman pics would be awesome. 

Link no good

Ah.  And you could notice a difference when you put them up?

Yes. 

*stage whisper*

I suspect the lava lamp has some discrete influence on room acoustics....they keep showing up in audiophile installations....

What looks like a small sub under the chess table may have an 'ouija board effect' on the chess pieces, since the 'other player' is a wall panel....

That...and the sudden appearance of what seems 'an exercise device'....perhaps an 'exorcism attenuator', to control room 'funda-mentals'.... 

*'normal voicing*

I guess the lounge chair on the left 'stands in' for an acoustic panel, given the 'open area' to the adjacent room...

*looking innocent, gazing @ my shoes....*

;)

Absolutely look at the Larsen 6.2 model and also the 4.2. Both sound fantastic and are easy to place, right up against the wall. They are also light and made with high quality veneer cabinets. The only possible objection is that they are rather odd looking. I love my 6.2s. 

Jerry,

Yes, everything sounds better with a Lava Lamp.

Those are classic Boston A40s along the side wall, one under chess table. I am original owner and refoamed a couple years back. Great little speakers! I use them for sound off wall mounted TV above the rack. Driven by a $80 Fosi Class D bluetooth integrated amp about the size of a pack of cigarettes. Sound is very good! That is my third standalone system that is mostly for 2 channel A/V but still pretty competent with music.

I don’t do surround sound. Too much hassle and I am mostly a music guy.

Yes and an inversion table. Ohm’s image like champs to the side and upside down. :)

You will notice neither of my two most common listening spots are dead center in front of the Ohms. Not needed. Imaging and soundstage is coherent and tonality balanced anywhere in the room in front of the speakers.

THe blue chair is my preferred listening location. SOundstage there extends a good 20’ left to right and narrows as you move left and loose exposure to the area to the left of the speakers. That is the "coherent" part of the Ohm CLS driver at play.

Most interesting of all (at least to me): with mono recordings the central image is tightly focused in the middle of the rear wall to the left of the left Ohm, just left of the sliding door. REcordings sound like the band is set up right around the middle with ambience similar to what you would hear in a small jazz club, like The Village Vanguard (my room is smaller but similar shaped). I’ve actually been there and compared.    Mono recordings are another particular strength of the Ohms.   So many I enjoy now that never could prior.

Could never get the old Magnepans to work well in this room when we moved in. Basement of our old townhouse which was just a wider and bigger rectangle was easier, but I always missed being able to feel as well as hear the music with planars.

A comment about Ohms v. Magnapans. Mapman describes this well -- the Ohms present a wonderful image regardless of the listener' position in front of the speakers, even in "difficult" or asymmetrical rooms.

I contrast that to the Maggies (I owned a pair of 1.6QRs) which work great IF the room is right. I loved them at my prior house which had a larger, symmetrical room with plenty of room to have the Maggies out from the walls. In the current house, they were a nightmare and quickly got sold.

Take that experience into consideration when choosing speakers. Some makes are far more forgiving than others of the room they are in.

I also had the Spatial M5 Sapphire for a few weeks and couldn’t stand them. They had none of the magic that the Vandy’s have. AND the speakers were damaged in shipping returning them to Spatial and Clayton put me on the hook for the costs. If it wasn't for the buyer protections on my Citibank credit card I would have been out the $2300 or whatever the costs were. Buyer beware.....

Strange. I had quite the opposite experience with Clayton and Spatial. While I ultimately didn't keep the speakers due to room constraints I had at the time, the transactions were smooth and painless. 

To the OP, 

Having owned the Spatial M4 Turbos and M4 Triode Masters, Magnepan 1.7is and .7s, Vandy 2Ce Sig IIs and 1Cis, my bet is the M5 Sapphires would be the best performance value in your space. Of all the speakers I listed, the Vandy 2CE sigs were the most disappointing. I couldn't get them to sound good and my 44-year- old Large Advents outperformed them in many regards. I still own the .7s which I prefer to the 1.7is. The .7s have a rare and addictive musicality but are not as dynamic as Spatials and obviously less efficient. 

If the M5 Sapphires are indeed an improvement over the M4 Triode Masters, they'll outperform most of the aforementioned speakers in three main respects: bass texture, detail, and high frequency distortion. The 2CE Sigs don't hold a candle in those areas. The Maggies can manage much of the bass texture but lack the resolution of the Spatials. 

Thanks @helomech.

Can't vouch for seller but there is seemingly nice pair of white Spatial M4 just up for sale here today for a very reasonable price.   I was half tempted....would be fully if I needed another pair of speakers.

Thanks @mapman 

 I used to own a pair I thought that they were the greatest speakers I have ever heard the base was unbelievable try the ohms either the two or three and if you don't like them send them back they have a 120 day trial.

@dutchydog - 
But if they were the best speakers you ever heard what happened? :-) 

Dutchydog,

I understand that these speakers of yours had a nice “base“ to sit upon, but how did they reproduce bass?

One more thing, punctuation can be your friend if you let it......

@helomech 

I also had the Spatial M5 Sapphire for a few weeks and couldn’t stand them. They had none of the magic that the Vandy’s have. AND the speakers were damaged in shipping returning them to Spatial and Clayton put me on the hook for the costs. If it wasn't for the buyer protections on my Citibank credit card I would have been out the $2300 or whatever the costs were. Buyer beware.....

"Strange. I had quite the opposite experience with Clayton and Spatial. While I ultimately didn't keep the speakers due to room constraints I had at the time, the transactions were smooth and painless. "

My experience was also wonderful. Right up to the point when the speakers returned back to him damaged. He remained cordial and civil but seemed quite ok with me being out $2950. 

I don't wish to derail this thread. If you want to discuss further please DM me. 

I have Magnepan .7 now; previously had 1.6. For my taste they handily beat any box speaker in their price range. What I discovered after farting around with them for years is that a near field listening position makes them sound a bit dull. I've treated my room fairly well and so far the .7 whips the 1.6 on everything except treble extension. I also lust after the 3.7