This would be very cool for a small space
Tiny Room (6' x 9') speaker advice
Dear fellow Audiogon members
I have been an avid Audiogon reader over the past 10 years and have learned a lot from the community and have come to trust the advice I read on here over most other platforms.
Did a lot of listening during lockdown and I decided that I really like vintage audio. I recently purchased a vintage HH Scott, Type 200 tube amp with separate Tuner, which are currently being reconditioned.
In addition, I have a Thorens TD-145, which has an upgraded 8" Jelco arm and Ortofon 2M blue cart (plan to upgrade tot he bronze in the very near future).
For speakers I have the KEF LS50s that are currently connected to a Music Hall 15.3 50W amp (which is being replaced with the HH Scott).
I want to replace the KEFs with speakers that at least look vintage, i.e. does not need to be vintage just want a wooden box like the Klipsch Heresy IV, Harbeth 30.1, etc. that have a large deep sound stage/excellent imaging.
I have heard and really like the Klipsch Heresy IV and the Harbeth 30.1. The issue as per the title, is that my listening room is tiny. I actually had my system in several different locations in my home but being non-dedicated spaces it did not get nearly the use that it has in this small room.
I have searched the web, including all previous audigon posts, for the "best speakers" for small rooms and the definition of a small room is very subjective (i.e., I have read several posts where it was defined as 15' x 15' or smaller). The best I could come up with is speakers for near field listening, most of which are low sensitivity and not ideal for a 12W tube amp (that said the KEFs can easily reach levels that are well beyond comfortable using the Scott before I sent it to be reconditioned).
Right now my KEFs are approximately 4 ft apart, about a foot off the wall, and my head when sitting is about 6 feet away. They are current on isoacoustic stands on solid walnut shelfs that are bolted to the wall at ear level.
Now comes the question.
What speakers should I try to audition that fit the following criteria?
1. Wood vintage look.
2. Small enough for the room. Again I would go for the Heresy IV, which would fit, but I am sure are way to big for the space.
3. Open airy soundstage. I have a sound in my noodle that I keep searching for, which I can only describe as a Fender Strat played on a 65 Princeton Reverb. Again the Klipsch and Harbeth mentioned above came as close to what I imagine I am looking for as possible.
4. Finally, I would like to keep the price under $3K.
Thanks for your suggestions
Budd
66 responses Add your response
https://www.vandersteen.com/products/vlr-ct This speaker is not very efficient, but according to Richard Vandersteen that's because it has far less breakups than most speakers, so should sound detailed and smooth. Its a nice size and goes down low enough that you can get a seamless transition to a subwoofer. |
I have a 10 x 10' room by 11' almost square and I use the Harbeth 30.1's and a Peachtree 300 (because it's all I can afford): No sub, I've considered one but I really don't like them the ones I've had anyway. Sound is good, Loud when I want it, good detail and close range experience. Good Luck, Don't forget Room Treatment |
Totem Acoustic has what your looking for. Classic wooden cabinet, great power handling and they image very well. TMR has 3 pair. https://tmraudio.com/search-results-page?q=Totem+ N |
Some great recommendations. @I don't recall seeing if you only wanted "new" speakers, but what about the old Epos ES11 or ES12 line of used speakers? On stands and close-ish to a wall these sounded really amazing. Might not be as resolving as newer speakers, and may likely need a sub for lower end help, but always loved my Epos.
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Your request presents a conundrum: 1 - For a tiny room like this I wouldn’t go with any speaker that wasn’t a sealed/acoustic suspension design (I’ve had 4 pairs of those in my home office). They interact less with the room than pretty much any ported designs, though the ones that port downwards into a vented base behave better in small rooms than do conventionally front- or back-ported designs. 2 - BUT...sealed/acoustic suspension speakers are low in efficiency and need real power to "wake them up." I mean solid state power, not tube power. There’s your conundrum. If it were me I’d get an ATC SCM11 (pretty wood) or an ATC SCM12 Pro (not pretty but affordable for that great ATC focused sound @~$1,900/pr new, and a bit larger than the SCM11 (the "11" and "12" in these name refer to speaker volume in liters). Then try your reconditioned tube amp, and maybe you’ll luck out. If not, you need a solid AB or D amp w/real power, no less than ~150 wpc. |
I have had a small room much like the one the OP has outlined and have had good success with ProAc Tablette 10’s. They are easier to drive than one would think with their 10-ohm impedance, and you can place them close to the wall because they are not ported. I had mine in a small office set up on heavy stands with a Primaluna tube integrated amp. I also added an REL T/5i sub which did a nice job with the bottom end. That setup sounded way better than it had any right to and the imaging was fantastic. |
Well in a room that size you think you would get no bass. Right, you don't. You can put a sub in there and turn it up but it's not quite the same. So why not consider installing the speakers in the floor or a wall and effectively make the small room the inside of the speaker. If you have that opportunity it wouldn't be that hard to design it. Otherwise you will spend a lifetime of changing speakers and asking for advice. My audio room handles only a 40-50 foot wavelength, so I opened it up to the hall which is 60' long to get it flat to 20 hz. That's bass. Next is the imaging problem. Complete acoustic paneling surrounding the room is needed to enlarge it, because your speakers will be so close you have to back them almost next to a wall. So you'll need about 4" of insulation behind them, then sit close to the far end, a lot of insulation will save that room , and save you money from buying equipment to make up for it time and time again. |
I'm using the ProAc Tablette 10 in a room that's similar size, w/ Thorens TD-160 Super reproduction turntable, Akitika amp, Schiit Vidar preamp. I absolutely love them. I'd circulated a bunch of different speakers before settling on these. I have the Dentons too, and they sound great in my living room (bigger room) but sound stuffy and boomy in the small room. |
Im in a 10 by 13’ dedicated room...If prices are true (vinylvalet) that would be pretty descent...i ended up with atc 19v2 which i got after having the 11’s.I could have settled for the 11’s but felt that 19’s would be gnawing at me and wanted to get the most for $ while i could.I thought that they would be too big at first but they have surprised me how well controlled they are.I think meta would be good.The atc 7 would be really nice...buy power they like.harbeth is one id like to try but atc is solid performer and cant justify right now. |
The higher end bookshelf speaker category is among the most competitive and qualitative market in the hi-fi arena. I also had LS 50s in a small room and I thought those were/are excellent for the price ($1,500) Having said that, I found that the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S2 (new model is S3) as a beautiful wooden finished speaker as well as a premium and accurate sounding speaker for the price (3-4,000 range). The quality of the driver and the exterior mounted tweeter blend the high and low end sound beautifully. The upgraded crossovers help push pure sound through the unit itself.and if you use a small sub-woofer (REL t/zero or t/5) to augment the low end extremely well. I also looked at Focal and KEF bookshelfs, but ultimately the B & W's won me over. Since speakers are subjective to the individual's ear, I wish you the best in selecting your replacement speakers and I know you will be pleased based upon the choices in this category |