My room size is 7'8"x9'8"x12'7". My system uses a Hafler DH200 feeding Infinity Kappa 6 speakers. I have seen very large speakers in tight spaces and small speakers in expansive speakers. Aesthetics aside, acoustics, dynamic range and speaker placement will determine more about sound quality then just having large speakers. |
Hi Peter. JM Lab is a great choice (they prefer to be called "Focal" these days). If you don't want a sub, for a room that size and the possibility of the long wall positioning, I think the Divas would be perfect. The Divas love having some room to their sides for good bass integration and it is very hard to beat their imaging since they are so narrow. great speaker. You will only be disappointed if you don't work at setting them up properly - which means experiement with their placement. Sometimes it only takes a couple inches to make them go from good to great.
I prefer the JM Lab sound over the B&W (I currently own some N804 as well as my JM Lab 926). It boils down to the JM Labs being revealing and the B&Ws being ruthless.
Arthur |
I have heard several JM Labs speakers and was pleasantly surprised. They will offer much more speaker for the money...
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Redwood. Thanks for the response. That is fanatastic. Now i wonder it that recommendation is based on putting the speakers on the short wall or long. I only have theoption of the long, as that is my room set up.
On the subject of the B&W's, yes it does seem they have a marketing machine. I honestly love the jm labs sound and will, money permitting, focus on some speaker from their utopia line. Either the L&R monitors or their full-blown alto or diva.
Thanks for everyones help.
Cheers,
Peter |
I have a pair of Klipschorns with a Lascala center in a room smaller than yours:17x13x8. It sounds great, but my secret is iso-wall-damping material from ASC. You also have the advantage of having room dimensions that meet the 1.6:1 "golden ratio" requirements that greatly reduce standing sound wave modes. With an 8 foot ceiling, your ideal room dimensions should be 8 x 12.8 x 20.48 feet. Check out this topic in Robert Harley's "The Complete Guide To High-End Audio" |
Mariasplunge, you're gonna buy what you want, and I know the marketing machine for B&W speakers is a steamroller, but there are lots of better speakers for the money. I have heard more than my fair share of their speakers and have never heard one I wanted buy...
Just do your homework. If you do, and B&W is the winner, then buy them. BUT don't buy them based on some kind of reputation.
JMNSHO...
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Maria:
My room is 21*13*7 and have had floorstanders with great success...set up on the short wall and speakers way into the room if they like to be such as Avalon. You may want to keep the floorstander rather slim, tight bass, may be a 2.5 way with woofers smaller than 8" but you can have full range for sure...Utopia Diva may be an option but at this price range, you have plenty of choice Avalon Ascendent II, Audio Physic you name it, Living Voice OBX, Merlin VSM top of the line, etc, etc. You may not need huge amplification, a bonus. |
Peter,
My room is 11'3" x 23 with my system setup on the long wall. Sitting nearfield I feel is the way to go. View my system pics and you will see. It has challenges yes but IMHO a sweet little system.
Good Luck. |
Thansk for the responses folks. I am considering some B &W's or something from the Focal utopia be line. obviously not the Grands, but maybe the Altos or novas. Should work ok right?
Cheers,
Peter |
My room is much smaller than yours (11x13x8) and I have a pair of 9 cu.ft. cabinets. They are nearfield studio monitors (Altec 604s) and to me they sound excellent. Very dynamic and great imaging. I am sure they wouldn't be for everyone and probably not what you are considering. But they are large and they are in a small room and I am very happy. |
As a gross generalization (which I tend to do) I would say you have a medium sized room and therefore will be able to use most speakers. Medium sized floorstanding speakers will work best, small speakers (all except the very best) will get lost in your room, while huge floorstanders will over power the room...
How's that for gross?!?
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full range floorstanders for sure |
My room is 18x15 and 9 high and I've got my Spendor S8Es on the long wall, about 28 inches out and eight feet apart. Imaging is very good, although stage depth seems a little limited. There are lots of floorstanders that'll work in your room, just don't get something really gigantic with overpowering bass. I think it's all about the balance. |
Your room is not that small. Most speakers will work there. |
Your room is probably close to average. Yes, it's true that speakers that are too big for a room can cause problems. You should be just fine with many floorstanders. |
Should be no problem as long as the speakers do not need to be placed too far from the backwall.
I have Sonus Faber Stradavari's in my office (12.5' W X 21" L X 8.5' H) & they sound fantastic!
You do not want the floorstanding speakers closer than 10' to your listening position or they will be in your face.
12' to 14' should work out very well.
Make sure the speakers you audition are not too deep (18" maximum) & need less than 4' from the backwall.
In the very same room I have had Wilson Watt Puppy 6's & SF Amati's & the all sounded great. |
My room is 22Lx14Wx20+H. Other than the height, it is almost identical to yours. I have my speakers placed along the long wall about 10' apart and have only used floor standers. However, I have selected speakers that want to be positioned very close to the wall - within inches. It works great. |
