The LRS+ is pretty good and maybe the most interesting listen of anything listed. Only issue I have with it is the detail is not as good as something like a KEF LS50 Meta. However, the sonic presentation of the LRS+ is amazing, a wide and deep soundstage.
I sold the LRS+ to get the Magnepan Mini for a even smaller room than I had before with the LRS+. I needed power for both speakers and had great success with the Sanders Magtech amp. The Mini has better detail and a smoother sound. It is supposed to be a miniaturized Magnepan 3.7.
See my Virtual System for Office and Office 2 to see both the LRS+ and Mini.
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The best there is: ELS 57 - the reference:
1. Magnepan LRS+ (None better with right set up - essentially an ESL 57)
2. Harbeth 30.1 / 30.2 (again - superb with the right set up - ESL 57 like)
3. Clayton Shaw Caladan's
All above best with jazz, classical, country - all things acoustic!
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Have to agree with the Clayton Shaw Caladans, being open baffle they need more room. I had them in a small room for a month or so, but really started to shine in a larger space.....and soften up. Otherwise I LOVE my Caladans.
++1 Joseph Audio Pulsar Graphenes, hard to find used (especially at $5,000.....but worth it if you do
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Lots of great recommendations for speakers from others, so I won't recommend speakers. I also have a small listening room, and my room is even smaller than yours and it is both my office and 2-channel music listening room. I went through a number of speakers and integrated amplifiers and settled on Focal Supra N°1 speakers on Focal stands, paired with Naim Uniti Nova integrated amp/streamer. What made the room & my setup come alive was when I added acoustic panels and reduced a lot of reflections. I feel it is easier to get by without adding anything, except maybe some carpets to reduce sound reflection in a large room, but with a small room the sound I was getting was far from ideal due to all the reflections. Getting decent (and still nice looking) acoustic panels in the past used to very costly, but these days you can fairly good acoustic panels for a good price and they look good as well. You can also do some simple sound measurement once you decide and buy your speakers and see if you need acoustic panels or not before buying them.
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I wouldn’t write off Harbeth based on their limitations with music you dont listen to.
I own 40.3 XDs and had the opportunity to compare them with 30.2 XDs paired with 2 REL subs while they were up for sale.
They really held their own in a big room. They don’t rock out and they don’t do classical well (at least not loud) but Jazz, vocals, blues, well recorded music like Dire Straits (self titled) - very nice and not at all fatiguing.
Not the only game in town though…good luck.
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With your preferences I would avoid the Clayton Shaw Caladans. They are rather hot in the presence region (upper mid to lower treble).
Fyne F1-8 are a standmount speaker with an adjustable presence control. You might find they meet your needs. Very expensive new, but I know where you can get a beautiful used pair within your budget.
Also, the QLN suggestion someone else made is a good one if you can find them used.
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Another vote for Harbeth. My room dimensions are similar. The 30.2 XD (in my case 40th anniversary) are fantastic. Easy listening , outstanding for vocals . Much bettethan the HL5+ XD for vocals and soundstage IMHO. You need to plan a budget for stands however. I have tried different stands with the Harbeth the best by far are the Ton Trager. More expensive but they make the Harbeths sing because of the cabinet resonance configuration . All in all that should fit in your budget if you get used. Pulsars (graphene) be another option to explore but more expensive. Keep us posted!
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became quickly congested with orchestral music
Orchestral? Seems you’d need a full range speaker for that.
GokdenEar Triton. Great top to bottom, images well.
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Clayton Shaw Caladan discussed here
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+1 used Joseph Audio Pulsar
+1 Harbeth
MoFi SourcePoint 10 or 888 - a sonic bargain
Tekton - also high sonic value
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How about $5K floor-standers new with warranty?
Paradigm
Monitor Audio
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Wow. thank you @bigtwin I will post them by Monday!
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@grislybutter It's so annoying trying to send some basic information to another member, only to have the message blocked by admin. Let's try this work around. Where there's a will.......
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@cooper52 I'm sorry but I have to disagree with this recommendation..I owned the R610's & found them very bright compared to the Fritz Carbon7SE they replaced..
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I enthusiastically recommend Ryan R610's. I admit I'm kind of a cheerleader for these rather underappreciated speakers, but they do everything right, especially for a small(ish) room like the one you describe. I'm using them in a room that's somewhat bigger than yours (about 22 X 16) but they fill the space extremely well, image precisely, and exhibit a very even tonal balance. They have a very good bass response for their size, though I do use a sub with them. The other thing about these speakers is that they won't break the bank--they retail for about half your stated budget.
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With your room,budget,DREAM SPEAKER(PMC IB2SE) & easy listening requirement you should have a long hard look at the Wharfedale Linton 85th.Anniversary...You'll save a TON of $ as well as getting a SUPERB speaker!
My second recommendation is the Harbeth M30.2Xd,which is a bit more extended in the treble,even more resolving through the midrange & an easier load on an amplifier...
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@bigtwin I can add whatever people request...
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QLN fits the bill soundwise, but would stretch the budget. I have seen the 3’s for sale used in the $5k range. Check these forums for opinions.
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Fischer & Fischer SN 70's for the win. $4k I believe.
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Joseph audio pulsar would be on my audition list. Good luck!
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@maurice89 fair enough. I did spend a couple months a/b’ing a set of Dynaudio Heritage Specials. What a beautiful sounding speaker. Just packed them up and sold them to fund some other investments. But, they have a really smooth high to mid transition and the bass from them was astonishing. Drove them with a Pass Labs X150.8. FWIW.
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@maurice89 I won't make a speaker recommendation but I will suggest you try placing the speakers on the long wall. When your room dimensions are entered into programs that calculate the best combination of L - W - H, your particular room gets a better rating using the long wall placement. Just something to consider, IMHO. Cheers.
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@grislybutter What kind of list is this. SoundLab doesn't even get a mention. I'm beside myself with indignation! 🤣
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we are a long time dali dealer the ms 4 are fantastic loudspeakers we had ours in an 18 by 16 foot room and they sounded great
you may just need to play with placement
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Continued…
from the front wall.
@toddcowles
I listened to the Harbeths HL5 when I bought my amplifier, they sounded gorgeous in the midrange but they became quickly congested with orchestral music( which doesn’t happen with the Euphonias). While it’s not a genre I listen to a lot, it showed me the limitations of the speakers and made me consider the 40.2, sadly they are also out of my budget range…
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@bigtwin The ceiling is very low, only 7 feet.
the treatment consists of bass traps in corners and a mix of diffusers and absorbing panels on all walls and ceiling. There’s a big sofa, rug and some velvety beanbags. So the room is not empty, but it is very small and the speakers are only 7 feet apart and listening position is 7 feet away. They are about two feet away fro
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Based on the info you provided, I would highly recommend one of the smaller floor standers from Sonus Faber.
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@maurice89 You have only listed the width and length of your room. May I ask what is the height and what have you done in the way of acoustic treatment?
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I would encourage you to check out Harbeth HL5+, or + XD’s.
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