Making the best of mediocre speakers


I want to get the best system I can, given unfortunate constraints. I'm building a new 2-channel listening system in a new apartment, and my wife insists the speakers in our 17x23 living-room must be in-walls. They fit into a particular lowered soffit, so they'll be installed just above head height. The Sonance Z4s are the best I could find to fit the area; they're OK, but obviously this is a compromise.

So I am planning on a nice subwoofer (which, btw, must also be in-wall), maybe by James, to beef things up. Then about 3K for separates--I am considering a Rowland 102 amp, a Rogue Audio Perseus preamp, and a Cambridge or NAD CD.

My question is, am I wasting money, given the in-wall speakers and placement? Do a nice sub and electronics make up for the speakers? Or should I throw in the towel and just get an Arcam Solo or something?

Many thanks.
price

Showing 1 response by mglenn

This may be a dead issue, but I would revisit the question of whether you might find a way to use conventional speakers in the room. I have a pair of Salk SongTower QWT finished in Hawiian Koa wood. My wife, who has rarely seen a speaker that she likes in a room, okayed these. She treats them like pedestals and displays something on top. I have my SongTowers at one end of a long series of open rooms and they project throughout the open space quite well.

The SongTowers received very good reviews, have a small footprint, can be custom finished to blend into any decor, are flexible in placement and have great dispersion. These sound good to my ears even when placed in less than ideal locations. You might try a SongTower or variant thereof along each wall.

My suggestion would be to contact Jim Salk at salksound.com. He might have some additional suggestions for your difficult room. Since he custom builds speakers, he may also be able to offer a speaker you could mount on the wall or place in an acceptable location as an alternative.

There is a forum on audiocircle.com for Salk where you might post and get additional suggestions.