I second the suggestion of getting Dynaudio X14 or X12. I have the X12's and they are quite small, and they will play plenty loud if you have some good power. Plus they look really nice.
Need Small Bookshelf Speakers With a Big Sound
Good morning. I have been out of any kind of audiophile circles for a long time. We moved into a house with built-in speakers about 5 years ago, which I really enjoy, but of course it's better for casual listening at a party than for quality listening. Our family room is in a pretty open space that borders our living room and kitchen, so my wife is very focused on speakers being unobtrusive in appearance. I was therefor looking for small speakers and got turned onto KEF LS50s, which sounded really nice for the price, and more than good enough for my desires. And they are small. But I didn't really focus on their "untraditional" looks. It turns out that was a deal-breaker when I brought them home to demo.
So, I am back to square one. What I would really like is a speaker that is about the size of the LS50s, or maybe a little bigger, and has a nice looking, traditional wood finish. Bright colors and artificial surfaces, no matter how good they sound, need not apply...
I would say my self-imposed budget is around $2,000 at the top. Unless new speakers leads me down the audiophile slippery slope, the speakers would be powered by my old Adcom 545 II amp and GTP 500 II tuner, with either an Adcom CD changer or Apple TV streaming the music. Not exactly Audiogon Best In Class, but I think it will bring a smile to my face. And you never know if this will lead to upgrading the whole shebang.
Any thoughts appreciated. Not that it matters, but I am in the Chicagoland area.
So, I am back to square one. What I would really like is a speaker that is about the size of the LS50s, or maybe a little bigger, and has a nice looking, traditional wood finish. Bright colors and artificial surfaces, no matter how good they sound, need not apply...
I would say my self-imposed budget is around $2,000 at the top. Unless new speakers leads me down the audiophile slippery slope, the speakers would be powered by my old Adcom 545 II amp and GTP 500 II tuner, with either an Adcom CD changer or Apple TV streaming the music. Not exactly Audiogon Best In Class, but I think it will bring a smile to my face. And you never know if this will lead to upgrading the whole shebang.
Any thoughts appreciated. Not that it matters, but I am in the Chicagoland area.
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I have heard a good number of the speakers suggested, and many are excellent. However, I have found some of the most musically engaging moments while listening to several speakers in the Rega RS line. They all sound big with very nice bass, have an excellent finish, and they do an excellent job of capturing the palpable presence of instruments and voices. Placement is not critical - they sound pretty good no matter where you set up. We have too many great choices, but the Regas have quieted the voices in my head looking for something "better". Good luck! |
This is going to sound crazy at first (maybe longer than that), but if you have two good corners in your room, you might want to consider some Klipschorns. Yes, those giant speakers are what I'm suggesting. Now hear me out. If you do have two good corners, Klipschorns tuck away in those corners and for the most part, really don't take up much space at all. In fact, how many people actually utilize the space in the corners. The other thing about Klipschorns is that they can come in some beautiful real wood finishes and most people would not even know they are speakers. They can look like fine furniture if you get a nice set. You should be able to find some used ones in your budget and they will exceed every requirement you have stated except for not being "small bookshelves." And, as I mentioned, they may just meet your real requirement of not being visually obtrusive or taking up a lot of space. |
You can find some great vintage speakers out there with a sound that just can't find today. There are lot's of people who would say thank the lord, modern speakers are better by far. I will not argue with with what someone likes, but I am so glad I got to hear great vintage speakers at the very beginning of my audio journey, I feel very lucky to have a house full of vintage stereo's. Enjoy those AR4x's |
Maybe you can find a nice set of vintage Klipsch or better yet Altec horn loaded speakers, they sound great and I think most come with a set of balls . I was just told, that was just bad of me to say, by my better half. I'm sure she rules the roost in the house but you should be able to have the speakers you want. You sound like you are a reasonable guy, I wouldn't think you would come in the door and say ,Hey honey ,I found these A7's and what a deal, the couch will have to go of course, don't worry kids like to sit in the floor! Yes honey they are antiques, I knew you would like that , and they still have the grey patina on them, It's a win , win! |
You found Focal and Dynaudio too polite and weren't hearing the high end but Sonus Fabers had it? I've always found the former two to be brighter than the latter. I find most Focal speakers to be very accurate and detailed, but most people I know find them overly bright. I do love some of the pricier Sonus Fabers. |
Interesting comments all. I see LS50's pop up often. I owned a pair and while I liked them to me they excelled at acoustic music and not electric, especially "classic rock". One line of speakers I always thought that had "big" sound were PSB's. They have a nice lineup at various price points and sizes and always seem to garner positive reviews. I've owned several pair and always liked their signature sound. |
The Ryan R610 sounds like it might be a good fit for you. They have a very traditional look and sound great. Also, like Harbeth, they play well at low volume. The MSRP is $1999. http://ryanspeakers.com/Products/Products/R610.html But whatever you decide to do make sure you them before you buy them. |
I can’t say my defn of a big sound = yours. But I listened to a lot of speakers but decided to take a chance on the sierra 2’s without even hearing them. I listened to harbeths, spendor, rega, focal, dynaudio, golden ear, various others in some notable shops but wasn’t hearing the high end and opening imaging I was after (and that other speakers seemed to deliver). Most sounded too polite for me. Although Focal came close to what I was after. The speakers I did like a lot included maggies .7 and 1.7 (too big), B&W 805D3 (too $$), sonus fabers ($$$). Probably speakers some would think had exaggerated highs. So in the end I decided to take a chance on Ascend and their ribbon tweeters and got a LR & Center for under 2K. Hope to get them this week. |
I agree that Monitor Audio Silver 1s are worth an audition. For your preferences, I would check out the Epos Elan 10 or Elan 15. Both can produce astoundingly deep bass for their size and have a very neutral sound that pairs well with almost any type of amp. EPOS makes matching ST35 stands for them and your invested total would be under 2k. They are no longer made but new pairs can still be found online. Musing Direct might still have some. Their look is sort of a modern take on a British monitor. They're no nonsense good quality speakers that use tried and true technology. |
Just curious if Holm had the Joseph Audio Prisms there? I know they're a bit above your price range, but they may be worth a listen just for reference if nothing else. Be interested in your thoughts if you ever get to hear them. Also, if they happen to have any used JA RM22s or RM7s around you should definitely give them a listen. FWIW... |
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chiguy,click on my user name,click "Details" & then click on "MIGHTY Mouse"... oem-wheels,my room is the same size as yours 11'x 12'x8'..They are 32" from back wall to front baffle & 36" from side wall to center of speaker.I tried them as far as 5' out from the back wall,imaging & sound staging was unreal but the sound thinned out to much in the bass so they went back a bit... |
I had the same issue with the LS50. Instead, I got the KefR300. It is to my ears better than the LS on the bass end and a little less bright on the high. In piano black it looks great in my living room and my wife is good with the look. I thought the R100 viable too though it had less bottom end. I have the Spendors recommended and feel they are not good rock speakers...great for jazz and acoustic and voices. I also have Ohms Walsh units and love them. |
A lot of good recommendations here, but I may as well throw in my two cents. As long as you're okay with listening to (rather than feeling) the bass, you can't go wrong with the smaller Harbeths. They're very natural sounding & I doubt your wife could find fault with the cabinets. If you want something more visceral than the Dynaudios are great (if you have enough power), but nowhere near as attractive. I also had to integrate my speakers into pre-existing decor (subject to approval), and ended up with the Monitor Audio Silver 2 's. They don't quite have the cohesive character of either of the above speakers--more a jack of all trades, master of none--but I feel they beat out any floorstanders I've heard in the same price range; not only in their articulateness (they're very revealing of any upstream changes) but also in their fullness of sound. They're not exactly small, but perhaps their excellent finish & rather reasonable price will make up for it--as it did for me. Kirk (There's also a smaller Silver 1, but I haven't heard it.) |
After many years and having heard various setups both large and small, I am of the opinion that for a truly "big" sound, even in a smaller room, you need at least 8" woofers or larger and larger enclosures to match. In 1978, few serious speakers used bass drivers less than 8" and these could be had for a few hundred dollars. Nowadays, for that price new, "high end" speakers are minuscule in size in comparison. They may be of very good quality for what they do but do not sound "big" or close to full range and dynamics are limited. The result is nice but not very exciting sound compared to what is possible. |