Room too small - any suggestions

Hi Pops; I went through that several years ago, 12 X 14 room and Vand. 2Ce speakers. I just listened at low to low/mod. levels, but if I had it to do over again, I would get a nice pair of stand mounted speakers with bass down to 40-50 HZ and enjoy. A small cube shaped room is going to be tough at anything more than low listening levels, but with $3K you've got some flexibility. Good Luck. Craig

You may be in luck if it's a padded cell. Otherwise you're going to have a lot of reflections. You need something rolled off on top I think. Most mini-monitors that are designed for near-field listening also have very good dispersion and will sound bright if the side walls and ceiling are too close. I use very inexpensive speakers in my home office that have a nicely rolled off top end.

Here's an unusual suggestion. If you search through the recent Audiogon/AudioWeb/Audioreview/AudioShopper speaker ads you will find a pair of vintage KLH Model 5's for sale at $225 by someone in Maryland I think. They are very heavy 3 way "bookshelf" speakers requiring stands. Put them up high and toe them in and they are very linear, have really deep bass and sound great at low volumes. (You cant play very loud in such a small room, and these speakers are about 77db efficient.)

I would check Red Rose Baby minitor for about 2k used! You'll get all, tight bass and superb mid's an highs from ribbon tweeter. Easy to 'drive' and look beautiful.

Merlin TSM"M" are the way to go. Designed as near field monitors for small rooms. Extremely musical, esp with your electronics! USe Cardas/JPS/HT cable throughout(maybe even Silver Audio), use maybe a foam pad for the first reflection points (sides) and carpet the floor, curtains if need be. But thats it, and back you go to metling away walls, and having a wide/deep stage with everything your used to and more! I don't think you'll need a sub, as your room won't really support it.

Thanks guys. Monk - I have HT cables throughout now, just need to add the treatment to the side walls. I will investigate the Merlins.

Brukowski - and the Red Rose - often wodnered about them. Thanks.

Hello fellow small roomer. First, I think Paulwp should be shot at dawn. [:)] Garfish is the man. You need a great monitor. I use, and love, the Harbeth C7ES. It is within your price range and will create (recreate) your beloved jazz collection to an unbelievable degree. If you are curious, email me and I will be more specific. Good luck. Charlie.

p.s. Email Paulwp about HIS Harbeths and he'll tell you the same thing as me. [:)] (Sorry Paul)

I would have recommended the Harbeths but I was really serious about a rolled off top end being better for such a small room. If your room is that small Charlie, then my guess would be (1) you amp is very soft on top and (2) you have curtains or something that absorbs the reflections. When I move my Harbeths into my living room (not as small as the rooms we're discussing) there's too much reflection off the french doors. I have the same problem with my mini P3's but can move them around easier.

With the Sony and the BATs and the preference for the Vandy's, I dont know if a world class monitor is the way to go.

Plus, have you ever heard the KLH Model 5? It was a great speaker if you didnt need to or couldnt play really loud. I have a pair that my father in law bought in Bethesda in 1968. The only reason I dont have them hooked up right now in his system is one of the tweeters (or the crossover) is dead.

Any chance to knock out a wall and make the room bigger? I would probably work on improving the listening room itself before trying any more gear. If you can't adjust the room you probably need monitiors instead of full range speakers. Something along the lines of a Sonus Faber Grand Piano Home. Good luck.

Pops: Pick up the pair of Rogers Ls3/5a's at this site (under $800.00) and have some fun until you get your main listening room back. A shoebox speaker for a shoebox room.

i too have a small listening room. i have a pair of silverline sr-16s. they are sitting on sand filled osiris 24s. i keep them at different distances from the corners, in a triangular set-up. they are only being driven with a single ended forty watt t.a. and i still overfill the room... but they still crank it out pretty good, with alot of detail. playing with the room seems to have the most effect now.

While I am awaiting a move to a larger room, rather than trade in my full range speakers, I opted for a room correction DSP, and some room treatments. It really is effective.

My experience with the Harbeth C7 ES, (as well as some other Harbeth users with less than "ideal" listening areas that I have talked to,) has not been what Paul relates. The design of this speaker was for use in the sound mixing rooms of BBC engineers who had to have pure voicing in order to properly create a soundtrack or record a live performance. These engineers work in chaotic rooms with mixing boards, desks, stools, etc.. and do not have the luxury of relaxing in a "sweet spot." There are some very good speakers that cannot perform in these environments.

My room could not be worse. It is 9 X 9, with a soft 10" drop ceiling. There is a large banker's desk and a metal lateral drawer file in this small space. It is carpeted. My Harbeths are flush to the rear wall and only about 6' apart with my furthest listening distance about 5'. I had a pair of very good JM Reynaud Arpeggiones (floor stander) that sounded terrible in this confined environment. The Harbeths are amazing in my room (on 24" stands.)

My system in listed in the Virtual Systems, I do not have the big guns, but I have no dogs, either. I played the double bass for 8 years. I know what it sounds like. This speaker, with it's 8" proprietary driver, reproduces it, as well as a magical mid and top, at "live" listening levels. The room does overload quickly if I were to listen to Van Halen at "live" levels, (so you've got me there.) But you might think Miles Davis is back from the dead. [:)]

I rest my case.

p.s. I actually have 3 dogs, but they require no electricity, and their tails still wag all the time.

Thanks Dan for the detail. I will find a pair and check them out.

Since you stated that this is temporary, what about Apogee Centaur Minors, the smallest of the Apogee ribbon hybrids? You could have fun with these for about $500 or less, and dabble with ribons for a while. Probably less shock than going cold turkey to box speakers from your Vandy's.

Pops and Charlie, Elizabeth has the answer. It may the reflections that I worry about because of what happens in my larger small room arent a problem for Charlie and wouldnt be for you Pops because you're so so close to the speakers. If that's so, then I certainly agree with Charlie about the Harbeth Compact 7's. They are my main speakers and they do everything I want a speaker to do.

The only problem with the Harbeths is finding a pair to listen to. Where do you live Pops?

I would highly recommend the Dynaudio 1.3 SE. You can find them at around $3,000.00 with stands and they are just an all around top performer. I thought that this was going to be a very analytical trip but the highs that come out of this breadbox sized bird's eye maple block are the best I have ever heard regardless. There are not deep on the low side but I tend to not use my sub when it is a top level recording just to hear how well these play the bass that they have. All right, I was able to reach the ammonia cap and I am back. But I am serious.