Very small very sensitive floor stander 1000?

I have had the Preludes, Arros and Micro Walsh Talls in my listening room at one time or another. The Preludes are handsome and, used, a real bargain. And they're skinny... but if they're too tall for your location, so be it.

The Arros and and the Micro Walsh Talls are exactly the same height, but present a slightly different footprint. The Arros are 5" wide and 7" deep. The Micro Walsh Talls are 6 x 6 inches, so they look a little larger from the front.

I'd suggest giving John Strohbeen at Ohm a call. Tell him about your location and amp situation. He's a good guy and will be honest with you. The Ohms have a 120-day in home audition period, so you can't go too far wrong with them.

I second the Monitor Audio RS6 idea. Really like those speakers, even driven by modest AV receiver.

How about Focal Chorus 714V? They are very efficient, a little more than 35" tall and sound very good.

I would also have suggested the Triangle Altea EX, but they are over 40 inches tall.

I've got a Pro-Ject amp box powering the Arros just fine for rear surround (or is it?). I'm really a two channel guy who dabbles in surround. Fronts are Wilson Benesch Curves powered by Kharma MP-150s. I have a used Zamp already purchased, which I was going to swap in as the rear surround amp for the Arros, and then use the Pro-Ject with the new speakers as a bedroom system.

What speakers and amps are you using in the family room surround rig? Are the Arros standing in front of a wall or in free space? In other words, could you replace them in the surround rig with even less obtrusive wall-mounted speakers?

And what is the 30 wpc amp in the bedroom? You don't need a lot more power than that for the bedroom, you just need a high current amp that's comfortable driving a 4-ohm load. You can fix that with a $150 used Parasound Zamp.

Think about replacing the Arros as surrounds and getting a high current amp to drive the Arros in the bedroom.

Totem Mani-2 - probably the deepest bass excursion in a small speaker - good bass too. (I know it is not a floorstander but it will sound like one - on stands of course)

Thanks all for the additional suggestions. Yes, upgrading the power amp is a good idea. I still need speakers though -- my Arros are in use as rear surrounds. A waste you say? Perhaps, but they look really nice in the family room (meaning they don't stand out), which is how it must be.

Hi Dgaylin,

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Omega Super XRS either 3 or the newer 5). They come up used not too infrequently, are 93db sensitive, and in the right veneer look excellent. I haven't owned them, but I've heard them many times and they are wonderful.

5-03-09: Tvad
The Mirage speakers are almost 42" tall... 2" taller than the
Preludes, and the Mirage go down to 52Hz wheres the Preludes go to
35Hz.

So claims Silverline, but the href=http://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/307silver/index4.html>
Stereophile measurements indicate the Preludes are down 10dB at 50
Hz, so I'd bet the Mirages' bass is at least as strong with its three woofers,
five passive radiators, and ribbed elliptical surrounds.

Also the test indicates that in spite of Silverline's claimed 91dB sensitivity, it
measured 87.5dB, which is about the same as the Totem Arro.

By the way, I just checked the specs on the Totem Arro, and it's factory-rated
as a 4-ohm loudspeaker. Your problem with your current amp is probably
current delivery, not power. I suspect you are using a tube amp and its high
output impedance isn't up to the current demands of the Arro. Any chance
your amp has 4-ohm taps?

05-03-09: Dgaylin
Acceptable height is of course the height of the Arros because she likes those. Or a bit higher (maybe 36-37" max).

If you both like the Arros, why don't you use the $1K budget for a more powerful amp instead? I suspect you need current delivery more than power anyway.

Since it's a bedroom system, do you need to have small unobtrusive electronics as well? In that case, look into a PS Audio Trio C100 integrated amp or a NuForce integrated. There are a couple of the earlier model NuForces in the A-gon classifieds well within your budget. The NuForce is small and sexy enough your wife might consider it worth the extra money. I know my wife will extend the budget with sufficient visual appeal.

The better ICE-powered amps are not only compact, they provide the low level detail you'd need in a bedroom system and the fast current delivery you need for the Arros.

05-03-09: Dgaylin
Although the Mirage's (recommended by Johnnyb53) may be okay. I'm a tad concerned about sound quality from a dipole speaker though.

The Mirages are anything but a dipole. They have a hemispherical dispersion pattern with a 60% bias toward the front. You don't have to be between the speakers to get correct timbre and a soundstage; it stays put no matter when you stand. They are very room filling. The entire bedroom would be the sweet spot.

I can vouch for their sensitivity, too. I have one model up, the OMD-15, rated at 91dB. They are in a large, high ceiling open architecture living area, and 85 wpc is plenty even for bombastic symphonic music. 30 watts powering 93db sensitive loudspeakers in a bedroom should be plenty.

Sorry, I should have checked the height on the Mirages.

Actually, the wife instructs me to note that the stereo in the marital bedroom is good for the marriage. ;-)

It's just that the stereo needs to be heard and not seen.

Perhaps the Tonian Labs TL-D1. Only 33" tall (the entire speaker has a small footprint IMO), 95db efficient, and easy to drive. Although the stock finish is nice, since you have the WAF to deal with you can pay extra for a veneered finish. These are very good speakers IMO. You can see them here:

http://tonianlabs.com/TL-D1.htm

Yes, I think you are right Tvad. I was looking at the Walsh's and couldn't get their sensitivity rating.

Acceptable height is of course the height of the Arros because she likes those. Or a bit higher (maybe 36-37" max).

Altough the Mirage's (recommended by Johnnyb53) may be okay. I'm a tad concerned about sound quality from a dipole speaker though.

Take a look at these Klipsch RVX-54's. I have their younger brother the RVX-42's in my bedroom and they sound great. The 54's are 98dB efficient and have a small footprint(7"x6.5"w/stands). They really sound a lot bigger than they are.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00096ZT38/ref=asc_df_B00096ZT38786779?ie=UTF8&condition=new&tag=dealt5641-20&creative=380345&creativeASIN=B00096ZT38&linkCode=asm

Bill

These are great. Thanks. The Preludes looked like a winner. Except they are too tall. La Jeffa balked. Sigh.

Had the Cicadas, would definitely look into the AV123 Xstatics.

I like the sound of my Coincident Conquests and Triumphs better than my Soliloquys. However, if WAF is a factor, Soliloquys are really nice and have passed the test with my wife-check out the 2A3 model with stands.

Moth Audio Cicada, now discontinued--if you can find them. I've wanted to try a pair of these ever since I read the review in Listener. ( Mr. Dudley reviewed them again for Stereophile in 2004. ) Here's another review ( which also mentions a couple more speakers in the Cicadas' class ) :

http://www.tnt-audio.com/casse/mothcicada_e.html

I think the Cicadas' WAF is very high, at least for my W.

Check out the Monitor Audio RS6. Very easy to drive (91dB). Amazing bass for this size floorstanding speaker. New under $1000. The the Rosenut wood is beautiful!!!

Thanks for the good suggestions all Sorry for the confusion -- the Audiogon system deleted my "less than" sign. Yes I'm hoping to keep this under $1000 but that includes used. Part of WAF of course is total outlay ;-)

Soulbrass -- I have a set of Arros and I love them, but they are not sensitive speakers -- they take a fair amount of juice to sound good. I want to drive these speakers with a 30WPC amp.

Totem Arro!

I have a friend who replaced the MDF bases w/ polished granite (cheap from countertop company) - looks and sounds beautiful!!!

Does 1000 mean the budget in $?

If so, that could make it difficult in terms of finding superior WAF. If not, how about Gemme Vivace?
Gemme Audio Vivace

Mirage Omnisat OS3 FS. 93 dB efficiency, 5-1/2" x 6-1/8" footprint. Very good sound; fills a room effortlessly, attractive, devoid of cabinet resonances.