Speakers small enough for desktop use

Dan: Looking at an online review of the M-00, they seem like they're intended to be used with the matching subwoofer and that they wouldn't really cut it without. Do you think differently? I'd like to get some semblence of circa 50-60Hz bass out of the monitors themselves.

He who Walketh the Swamp: My brother has a pair of the Super Ones that are several years old, and though I'm not sure how they compare with current production, I was pretty disappointed with the sound at his place, given the reviews (granted, driven by a cheap receiver and CDP with gimmie wires, but placement tweaking on my part didn't help much). I think I need to aim a bit higher to get satisfaction.

Hals_den: I own a pair of ancient Optimus 7's and I know I definitely need to aim higher than that. I was hoping to get an audition of something by Gallo, but my closest dealer doesn't stock the model he says would be most appropriate, only ones he feels are HT-oriented and wouldn't work so well in the nearfield.

Ckorody: Funny you should mention Role. I started this process ahead of schedule, before I've even acquired the new computer and faster connection I'll be needing to make the whole thing go, mainly due to Role's introductory pricing on their new Sampan FTL model, a pair of which are currently breaking-in downstairs on 30-day approval. I'm really fishing for some ideas about what to audition in comparison with these single-driver, folded transmission-line passives, which show a lot of promise although I consider them to be on the expensive side for what they are.

Marco and Prpixel: The Era is one of the audition suggestions from the dealer nearest to me, so I will be able to hear these this week.

Eric: I'll have to check with my local pro sound shop to see what lines they carry, but I believe when I was in there last year I did see some Dynaudios on display. The Role speakers I have here will definitely work in the nearfield due to their single-driver design, and in the larger room where they're located right now I feel there are balance and detail advantages at around 1m, although they're very listenable in the farfield.

Dan: Thanks for the elaboration. The review I read seems to suggest that the M-00 satellites roll out fast below 100Hz, but the fact that NHT was willing to demo them with and without the sub may imply differently.

Ckorody: The Sampan FTL (for folded transmission line) has a front port, is 9" deep even though it's only 4" wide, and uses the same 3.5" single driver as the latest version of the sealed-box micro-mini Skiff model, but unlike that speaker is supposed to, doesn't require a subwoofer for near full-range response. I haven't heard any of the Role or NSM 2-way models.

Thanks for the link Marco, I was unaware of the Affordable Audio e-zine. John Atkinson's review of the 4 in the last issue of Stereophile was certainly positive as well.

In addition it turns out that Steven Stone -- who I assume is the same guy I remember as J. Gordon Holt's recording partner from Stereophile days past -- has written an ongoing series of articles on this subject at Enjoythemusic.com, with reviews of some of the models mentioned above (including the Era 4). The series is titled The Nearfield and the different installments can be accessed from the top of this index page.

I did keep the Roles, but still intend to audition others. I've just put it off, mostly because I loathe dealing with audio stores, partly because I'm not ready to set up the whole desktop system yet, and partly because I'm enjoying these well enough (hooked up to the main system) not to be too eager to go looking for something to defeat them. I did manage to go hear a couple things that weren't at high end shops (B&W, Focal), but I'd like to have a couple alternatives for in-home audition as well, and may just try to do that through Audiogon if I can't borrow some likely candidates from dealers.