Speaker Help


I'm looking for speakers with a nice soft delivery. Meaning full range but not harsh. Some might say a lush midrange. I have a 13' x 16' room and can't use an extremely large speaker. On the other hand I want more than a monitor. I use an aesthetix calypso pre and a modified McCormack DNA-1 amp. Would be buying used. Speakers I have tried; Aerial 8, Vandersteen 2 old version, Gershman rx20 and Salk HT3.thanks for the help.
dpm2340
What did you like or dislike about the ones you mentioned? What's your budget?
Vandy & McCormack is a known good combo. 3A or Quatro might be a starting place. Ever listen to Sonus Fabers? If you can afford them Peak Consults are nice and not too large. Cheers,
Spencer 

Budget?  Given your stated preferences I have to ask what you didn't like about the Gershmans?  What are your source components?  The more info you give, the better responses you'll get here. 

my budget would probably top out around $3500. No I'm not looking to change amps or pre. The Vandy 2 would be my starting point. But where do I go up from there. I know the 3. I have never heard Sonus Fabers. I do like the Olympica II but do they have any bass? They may be slightly over what I want to spend. The Gershmans were fine. The problem I had was with that "lady" that acts like she's doing you a favor by not helping you when you call them. I've never heard Proacs either.
Yogiboy is on the right track, but go with the new Spendor A4 -- killer speaker for the price - excellent British midrange but with some real bass punch and depth. They're one of the most well-rounded speakers I've heard in recent years.
You should also consider speakers from Fritz. Something with a ScanSpeak 18W in a 2-way. :) Lush/warm as hell. 
We have a terrific pair of Gershman sonograms for $2k smooth, musical great bass.
not interested in Gershmans. If I had to talk to that lady up there ever again it'd be too soon. I'd really like to have a three way. Does anybody have any input on Proac speakers?
Keep away from rear ported speakers in that size room. That’s why I suggested the Spendor A5r ( 2 1/2 way ) with sealed woofers! I've owned that speaker and found it to be an excellent performer!
ProAcs would be a great choice, but I don't think you can get any of their 3-way designs at your price point.  I thought the Spendor recommendation above was a good one given what you're looking for.  There's a pair of Joseph Audio RM33LE 3-way speakers here now (this version uses the tweeter from their Pearl flagship) that I think would meet a lot of your requirements and might be worth a look. 
Perhaps a pair of Vandersteen VLR's and 2wq subs. That is, if you like the Vandy sound- Small footprint and not hard on the wallet. Even a pair of 1ci's and 2wq subs would be a pretty sweet speaker system.
B
thanks for the suggestions. still don't know where I'm headed. I never really liked the idea of subs. Maybe I'm just old fashion. I guess it just kind of sucks having that small of a room. I'm still looking though.
FWIW I have the following JBLs available.

Pair L300 Summit

Pair L222 Disco

Pair L100 Century

Pair L120 Aquarius Q wood with yellow grills

2 Pair Aquarius S109 

1 S1 woofer column matched to Aquarius

Local High Desert, CA pickup only. All but L300 could be picked up in Las Vegas.

Buyer to arrange shipping.





+1 on the Vandy 2wq subs with either the Vandy 2’s or Treos.  You may be able to find a pair of used Treos for $3500.  If so, I would get them first, and then save your money for the 2wq’s somewhere down the road.   I have a DNA-1 too,  and that is my plan – if you beat me to it, let me know how it sounds!
Keep away from rear ported speakers in that size room. That’s why I suggested the Spendor A5r ( 2 1/2 way ) with sealed woofers! I’ve owned that speaker and found it to be an excellent performer!

The A4s are rear ported but they really don’t need that much space. I heard them in a room similar to the OPs. They were only a couple feet from the walls and no bass boom or overhang whatsoever. They sound sort of like a ProAc/A5 love child.
What about Golden Ear Triton 2+s?  Based on what you say, this might be ideal.  Anything with a folded ribbon tweeter is worth a demo, IMHO.  The Triton Ones I heard were not at all bright, but still detailed.  The powered woofers will give you a lot of adjustability, and there is no rear port to make placement tricky.  They are a bit tall, but slim, so they don't have a huge footprint.  $3500/pr, MSRP.
@dpm2340 ,
The Vandy subs work with crossovers-
M5-hp or fixed impedance, they allow the amp to run more efficiently as well as offer a seamless transition between the main speakers and subs.
I own both a pair of 2w and 2wq's. I don't think you will find a better or less expensive way to get full frequency sound. Now that Vandersteen has introduced a new sub model, I would expect prices to fall. And, considering my 2w's are close to 20 years old and still functioning perfectly, I can attest to their build quality.
But, don't take my word, just visit a Vandy dealer.
B
We have nice 3 way Lexington 001 and Urban-001 by  Bache ,is fit to you budget ,

What is it with dealers and manufacturers hawking their products for sale on threads
The Chapmans, something I wouldn't have thought of. What components are you using with the chapmans?
I looked on Chapman, T5, They use woofer on the side and cross point
180Hz, for my experience and for all 3 way speakers made all famous
manufacturer is too low,  it becoming to lack midbass (sound is thin)  Mostly all Company now use 500-700Hz
I dont know it slil alive
Actually that link says the Chapmans, which I've never heard, have front firing woofers, not side firing. I was going to warn you that side firing woofers need plenty of room between them and often sound best when placed on the long wall in a rectangular room. Not an issue with those.

Transmission line is a good method for getting relatively deep bass in a medium sized or smaller cabinet. One of the best and most influential speaker brands to employ this methodology is Fried. If you want to explore that type of speaker, I'd suggest taking to heart any opinions offered up by @trelja, who knows them intimately. Cheers,
Spencer