For prog/metal/rock in particular if you liked the little GEs and PSBs, stretch your budget a bit perhaps, maybe consider speakers with larger drivers and or cabinets and maybe even a tad more efficient where possible. Little speakers will struggle to deliver the power and impact that ones typically wants with that kind of music at reasonably high volume levels.
I've heard both the PSBs and the GEs and I think you summarize them quite nicely! I think the Aeon 3's in particular to be a very good value for a speaker that size and price. The polite top end of the Aeons could help make for longer listening sessions without fatigue with that kind of music. For their size and price, hard to beat. But bigger may well be better in this case, if you work to find something bigger that can fit in your budget range. More efficient may be nice also, again, depending on what amp will be used and room size/acoustics.
What amp would you be using? |
For that kind of music mainly, a pair of classic OHM Ls could be hard to beat. These are front ported and use an 8" woofer, and two tweeters, one low, one high range, and a simple crossover design. They are awesome with prog/metal music! I still have my original pair bought in 1978 that I rebuilt myself recently. Opeth, Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree.....this kind of music excels on these still! Not too shabby for the rest either, though large soundstage and imaging is harder to coax out of these than many more modern designs. A used pair on Ebay in decent condition could cost less than $200. OHM still reffurbs and supports these and sometimes can provide refurbs with modern drivers and components in refurbed cabinets for just a TAD more than their orginal $500/pair price tag back in the 70's. They are OHMs best selling model ever. Worth consideration maybe. FOr power and glory with that kind of music, neither the GEs or PSBs with their smaller drivers and cabinets will hold a candle. |
Micro walsh talls should perform well in a room that size. I have slightly larger 100s I use in my small 12X12 rooms, and they are a perfect no compromise fit there. That size might come refurbed from OHM in Walsh 2 cabinets perhaps like mine if available at the time close to your price range, less maybe if you can find used.. I also use a pair of Dynaudio Contour 1.3mkII monitors in that size room, and those are exceptional as well, with perhaps just the slightest room to benefit from a sub. Those used would fall in your price range. I could see Goldenear Aon 3's working pretty well in a room that size as well. Aon 3 sound reminded me somewhat like OHM Walsh sound but with more polite top end due to folded horn/Heil type tweeter and smaller sweet spot, and less robust low end. |
BTW, I had to work hard to get any of my newer, "better" speakers to deliver prog rock like the type the OP identifies as well as my OHM Ls did quite effortlessly. I had the Ls standing in as my mains during my last speaker upgrade to newer and pricier OHM Walsh models. The Ls, with an 8" bass driver and being a tad more efficient and limited in absolute low end extension, just worked well with the amp I had at the time (A Musical Fidelity A3CR), especially for that kind of music. I had to make a much larger investment in amp especially to get as good or better performance with the newer, larger, more full range OHM Walsh speakers (Dynaudio monitors also, but to a lesser degree).
OHM Ls + the same NAD integrated heard would do VERY well and for minimal cost. The urge to upgrade might only come in if larger scale classical music becomes a focus. |
NAD is not that bad. SOme people may like it better than many others. Its definitely a good value! I use a very old NAD 7020 re3ceiver pre-amp section in my second system. It is my spare unit I use when needed normally when something else goes down, a pinch hitter originally, but it sounds so good that I have had no reason to take it out.
You gotta hear stuff in your room before you can know what is possible for sure. OPs gotten lots of good suggestions and seems to know what he is looking for, so it'll work out fine. NAD is a decent choice to run most any of the speakers mentioned in that price range pretty well. SOme (radicals like me) might even say it is not a bad SS alternative to an inexpensive tube amp, if that's what floats you boat. More so than many SS amps in that price range. Good luck!
Small speakers will limit the "power and the glory" of prog/metal/rock music in particular even in a small room (unless you add a sub maybe). I'm a prog-head as much as most anyone and have been there, done that. I'd get the speaker/room interaction right first. Almost any decent amp can drive most any small speakers with limited low end extension very well, though no two are likely to sound exactly the same. There are many very good choices that need not cost a fortune and lots of good information from knowledgeable people about them to soak in as well. |
Hey, FWIW, if interested in OHMs for a good price, now might be a good time to call and see what might be possible. OHM Annual SUmmer SHutdown SaleOHM Super Walsh 2.2000's on sale could be A VERY GOOD SNAG!!!! I bought my F5 series 3 OHMs a few years back at this time of year. With sale price and max 40% trade in I saved over 50% off complete brand new speakers. I also have a pair of OHM Super Walsh 100Series 3 refurbed OHMs I bought used on Agon for $600 a few years back. 2.2000s are newer and improved similar size drivers in the same (vintage Walsh 2) cabinets. They look exactly like the picture. Footprint size is very modest and these might leave nothing to want in a small room like yours if the price is right. if you talk to John Strohbeen, I'd recommend telling him exactly what you are looking for soundwise and describe your room, etc. That would help him steer you right. Good luck whichever way you might go. |
"From my experience, hifi is about loudspeakers and their environment. The rest is pretty much incidental."
Well, the rest can certainly matter, but not as much as getting a handle on room acoustics which includes getting the right speakers set up the right way. That's 80-90% of the battle for many (but not all, especially for "audiophiles" who tend to be looking for exactly a certain sound they deem as good or best). |
YEs, high efficiency speakers will go louder with less power, but you also have to figure in the bass extension.
Generally, smaller speakers that go lower with less drop-off and at higher volumes to boot without breakup or distortion require a lot more power, as indicated. That's where smaller, affordable, high efficiency, high power Class D amps come in. All the bang needed for most any speaker in a small package that need not cost a fortune in that the AMP is more efficient (as opposed to the speakers).
Smaller speakers that are highly efficient in general will not extend much to the lowest frequencies, where the most power is needed and efficiency drops accordingly. This is basic physics! For a high efficiency speaker to go low, it has to be larger to be able to pressurize air effectively at low frequencies with less power.
This is basic physics and good guidelines to consider when buying.
For prog rock music, you want speakers that are relatively flat well down in to the 40 hz range or so at a minimum, more if you want to catch all of Rick Wakeman's organ, etc. So larger more efficient speakers and less powerful amp or smaller less efficient speakers and more powerful amp, those are the two ways to go. You need smaller speakers with some low end that can achieve some decent SPLs (can't be TOO small and must be well built with good quality drivers to hold up), so you will need an amp that is up to the task. NAD is not a bad choice but I would be considering a 250 w/ch class D amp like those from Wyred 4 Sound possibly for the very best results with most of the smaller speakers that will likely fit your bill. |
Tls, there are many ways to go within the general guidelines. The devil is always in the details. I was recommending OHM Ls specifically at first which use a larger 8" driver and are moderately efficient and can be had refurbed for half the cost of other speakers of interest because I think those are particularly good for the money for that kind of music in particular (I have a pair and have heard them on a good modern amp and system which makes a big difference over the typical Japanese receiver or integrated these used to be run off back then) and most probably do not realize those might even be an option these days. They sold for $500 a pair in 1978 and can be had for similar cost still today but with an updated design and modern drivers. |
