Russell,
I know the designer/owner of Parker Audio very well. I've also heard several of his speakers. As a matter-o-fact, his largest speaker (no longer available because of driver unavailability) is one of the absolute best speakers I've ever heard.
Dave Dutill (the owner of Parker Audio) originally designed all of his speakers to work well with the Decware Zen Select amp which puts out about 1.2 watts and really prefers a 2 ohm load. Dave now has speakers that will also work well with other amps that prefer 4-8 ohm loads.
As you've seen on his website www.parkeraudio.net, most of Dave's speakers are tall, narrow floorstanders. They have a very small footprint, so they will fit almost anywhere. They do sound best when they have a little room (as do almost all speakers), but they will be satisfying also in a tight space. They are also not typically museum quality finished, but if you build the kit, you control the finish, so that's up to you.
For the price, I highly recommend them, especially for use with a Decware Zen or Zen select amp. If you are using a more traditional amp, there are also some other good choices. However, at a big gathering of Decware fans a few years ago, I picked several of Dave's speakers over Pi, Lowther and Hammer Dynamics. These brands have a huge following in the DIY high-efficiency circles and as far as I'm concerned, Dave's speakers mopped the floor with them!
Give Dave a call. He is extremely passionate about good sound. He'll give you the honest facts about the speakers and may be able to recommend someone in your area that will let you audition his work.
Enjoy,
TIC
PS, the Decware forum is the best place to get real world comments on Dave's speakers from people who own them.
I know the designer/owner of Parker Audio very well. I've also heard several of his speakers. As a matter-o-fact, his largest speaker (no longer available because of driver unavailability) is one of the absolute best speakers I've ever heard.
Dave Dutill (the owner of Parker Audio) originally designed all of his speakers to work well with the Decware Zen Select amp which puts out about 1.2 watts and really prefers a 2 ohm load. Dave now has speakers that will also work well with other amps that prefer 4-8 ohm loads.
As you've seen on his website www.parkeraudio.net, most of Dave's speakers are tall, narrow floorstanders. They have a very small footprint, so they will fit almost anywhere. They do sound best when they have a little room (as do almost all speakers), but they will be satisfying also in a tight space. They are also not typically museum quality finished, but if you build the kit, you control the finish, so that's up to you.
For the price, I highly recommend them, especially for use with a Decware Zen or Zen select amp. If you are using a more traditional amp, there are also some other good choices. However, at a big gathering of Decware fans a few years ago, I picked several of Dave's speakers over Pi, Lowther and Hammer Dynamics. These brands have a huge following in the DIY high-efficiency circles and as far as I'm concerned, Dave's speakers mopped the floor with them!
Give Dave a call. He is extremely passionate about good sound. He'll give you the honest facts about the speakers and may be able to recommend someone in your area that will let you audition his work.
Enjoy,
TIC
PS, the Decware forum is the best place to get real world comments on Dave's speakers from people who own them.