I listen to music at my living room second floor which is open space linking to first floor and about 12ft x 15 ft.
My source is a Naim uniti atom network streamer and my amp is a Pass Labs XA30.5. I use to run this set up with a small harbeth p3ESR. But I couldn’t feel the speaker is not enough as the space is too huge for it. Now I have sold my speakers I m looking for a floor standing pair or a bigger XD speaker.
budget : within $5k used unit. I will buy a subwoofer eventually to enhance the bass if needed. Need to save up.
I listen to mostly pop and orchestra music. I enjoy good and sweet Treble , clear , detail and musical vocal with lots of air and tight and solid base. I like my music that gives me the feeling that I am physically at the concert hall.
These Joseph Audio speakers will do everything you’re looking for including throwing off an expansive 3D soundstage and disappear as a sound source, and you wouldn’t need a sub unless you want one as they go down to about 25Hz. The dealer allows for 30-day returns, and at $2799 they come in well under your $5k budget. Best of luck.
There's about a million speakers out there that would beautifully meet your needs in today new and used market. You'll just have to figure this one out for yourself. Happy listening
There is a Volti Audio Razz in blue on the US Audiomart which is a good deal. I auditioned the Razz a few days ago and pretty much sold but I am going to get the higher model Lucera or Rival…when I make up my mind when I can fly to Volti audio for a more extensive audition.
There is a used pair of the Razz on the Volti audio web site..
hmmmm....can you get the best out of your amp with $5k speakers? Maybe defer a little longer until the budget increases? Usually the best upgrades are a leap rather than a step forward though this can be frustrating.
You have a small room, you need to buy a speaker for a small room that plays big. If you ask a question like what is the best speaker, with 50 people responding, you will get 50 different responses which won’t get you anywhere. I just moved from a 27’ x 15’ room to a 12’ x 16’ room, had to get new speakers because my other speakers were too large.
i can list off many speakers I looked at but I’ll just tell you what I was looking at so you can make up your mind: floorstanding with multiple small woofers, midrange, and a Beryllium or Diamond tweeter. I also put in 2 rel t7x woofers.
Only you can determine which speaker sounds best so I would recommend attending a few audio shows or travel to a couple of dealers to actually listen to speakers.
I’ve owned several Harbeth speakers and if you like the midrange magic of the P3s, I would consider the Harbeth SHL5s. They sound bigger and fuller than the P3s, without sacrificing the mids. I don’t think they will give you the “in the concert hall” levels without subs, but you were considering adding them later anyway. Great speakers, IMO, and within your price range used or possibly as a demo.
+1 @chayroI’ve owned every Harbeth model minus the M40. I now have the HL5 and the smaller P3. If you have the room the HL5 ( it's large) would be an excellent choice!!
Talk to Erik at Tektondesign . He has plenty of speakers that He can meet your need. His speakers does play orchestra well and pop as well.Nothing to loose except your time if you decided to call Him.
I will agree with @chayro@yogiboythat the Harbeth HL5 would work well in your room. A friend has the P3 and HL5 and we have used both of them in his 10’ x 14’ room. The P3 have nice tone and presence, but the HL5 pressurize the room much better with the same excellent Harbeth character.
If you can locate the speakers out in the room 3ft or more from the back wall, a 2X8" 3-way tower would work. If you have to place them closer to the rear walls, id consider a 2X6" 3-way design. I prefer dual ports for tunability via port-plugs, and rear mounting for most efficient room loading, although bottom mounted ports on an elevated plinth can work very well. Within those parameters there a lot of choices. I'd avoid anything over 10 years old or from out-of-business manufacturers simply for serviceability reasons. In your price range and to my ears, Monitor Audio, KEF, Sonus Faber, and Revel all make exceptional products, with nods to Golden Ear and Sourcepoint for their unique takes. All of these represent great values as well. And of course everyone should own a pair of Magnepans at some point, provided you have the requisite 100W/ch high current amp and a Maggie-friendly room.
Finally comes your specific tastes, both in sound quality and esthetics, not to mention SAF. So you really have to listen to as many as you can, do your research, and know what matters most to you. For me, image and soundstage, dynamics, bass control are all critical, but if the speaker has all those and makes human voice muddy, boomy, honky, or nasal, dead stop, nope.
Most importantly, enjoy the process. And when you finally decide, enjoy the music.
All the above suggestions are great. IMO, if you like the sound of Harbeth speakers, you might just want to stay with their bigger models (house sound) rather than moving to other brands. Just get a bigger model but used to keep cost down
But if you wish to move into other brands, highly suggest that you audition it first. Based on what you wrote, the size of the listening area is similar to what I have, (13 x 23 for me). Although I listen near field, I still believe that stand mounts can perform well. My speakers are Ls3/5a and ATC and they can perform well (loud enough) in my listening area (80 to 90 db.). For me, the perception of the big "you are there" sound is driven by Subwoofers, that your Harbeth needed. In my case, I use 2x Rel T/7x Subs, integrated (using ROON) well in my LS3/5a. AND, I Use a good amount of Room Treatment. All this creates a Synergy that makes my small speakers sound loud enough, as long as you listen near field.
If you wish to move to other brands, I have heard the MoFi Sourcepoints which sounds great and i believe as others have said above, the Tekton models ( i have not heard them)
@starystarynite But I couldn’t feel the speaker is not enough as the space is too huge for it. Now I have sold my speakers...
Not enough of what?
In my experience for the cost of two mid-priced off shore made 'Sub-Bass' speakers a distributed bass array Swarm would have loaded your unusual room with a clearly better integrated mid to low frequency presentation, adjustable to the speakers you just sold or any future speaker choice.
Mobile Fidelity Sourcepoint 8. Andrew Jones design. Under 3K new with stands. Buy from Crutchfield and try them. If you don’t like, return and get full refund. Nothing to lose. If you want to spend more money and want bigger sound, try the Model 10. 4K including stands. May not need sub. Could do alot worse for the dollar.
Check out Spendor A7. Spendor delivers the dynamics of horn speakers with the refinement of box speakers and a huge, well defined sound stage. Like listening to a fireworks display or kaleidescope. Very enjoyable speakers.
I have a very small room (10'x11' ), so definitely near field. I am running a Linn ADSM/3 streamer, S300 PS Audio amp, and a pair of Linn m-109. to my thinking it sound great.
I can't recommend to You a Speaker, I can direct you towards a Speaker in my assessment worthwhile looking at for three reasons as follows:
1, They are well within budget
2, They have an option for a Dedicated Subwoofer that will if purchased keep the funds well within Budget.
3, I recently brought in a Bespoke Design High Efficiency Dual Concentric Speaker, and the experience has left me questioning the ESL Speakers used for multiple years as the mainstay Speaker. Usually a Cabinet Speaker lives in my system for periods of time as the alternative to the ESL. The shoe is seemingly at the present on the other foot.
It does seem the Brand is not producing Speakers any longer, but I can't see this in the used Speaker Market as a Negative.
As buying used is not a concern, there is looking to be wriggle room in the budget, to try out additional devices used in conjunction with the Speakers. To investigate and learn if improvement of the Speaker Purchase End Sound is attainable.
I strongly suggest the use of Suspension Footers / Separators under Speakers, the ancillaries bought as used Purchase will give very very good VFM.
Cabinet Speakers utilising Suspension Footers / Separators as a Tier on a Sub Plinth assembly for Mounting Speakers really do benefit from the usage of the Suspension under the Speaker.
The Links are showing Footers of the same type I own and have a large qty.
These as a result of being loaned to Cabinet Speaker owners has been instrumental in their following up and creating a similar impact as the AT 616.
Townsend - Gaia - Stack Auva are Brands now used under Speakers of Individuals both directly influenced and indirectly influenced by my loaning AT 616 to other set ups.
The Links are showing the types of common prices seen in recent years for AT 616 which is very competitive, when compared to other prices seen from New Brands producing products to do similar.
My Suggestion is purchase 12 x AT 616 - gives 6 x for Two Speakers and 6 x for Two Audio Devices, which can be selected for trialling and kept with the the Footers when the benefits are heard in the End Sound.
There is no depreciation at these prices, outside of Japan if sold in another Country any Shipping and Import will be recovered at the time of a sale.
I have KEF R3 Meta speakers with a KEF KC62 sub in a similar room and orchestral music sounds great. If your budget is higher, the KEF R11 Meta speakers may fit your requirements. The Meta tweeter sounds exactly as you describe that you like. I’m not sure that you’re going to get all that plus a feeling that you’re “live“ in a music hall, though with any speaker.
Have you considered a gently used system. I had magnepan 1.7i with a sub in the exact same space, i think it will give you everything that you’re looking for. Have since made moved to the 3.7i in the same space( that audiophile bug). I’ve always purchased gently used without any problems. Get out there and listen.
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