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What is the best audiophile speaker for a tiny square room?

I currently have Soundlabs M545 electrostatic speakers in my 9 x 11ft room. They are great speakers particularly for this small room because they are more directional than box speakers and therefore decrease sidewall reflections. However, like other electrostatics, they are hard to drive and require big amps (>200W), which tend to generate a lot of heat. Class Ds don't go well with ES speakers. Are there great easy to drive speakers that would work well in this room without compromising SQ?
chungjh

Showing 2 responses by musicfan2349

musicfan2349's avatar
musicfan2349
258 posts
 
Hello chungjh, I'm respectfully skeptical by your assertion that your speakers require >200wpc. In contrast, I have a pair of Acoustat 1+1s, 83 dB sensitivity, which I can play to delightfully loud levels with an ARC VS110 (115wpc) with subwoofer. I happily grant you that the M545's are a very different animal but you've got less than 800cu/ft to fill (9x11x8') (accounting for 8' ceilings) vs my 12x18x8' room. Disregarding the difficulty of the load, are the M545s at 86 dB sensitivity truly that inefficient? Goodness in a 9x11' space, how loud do you play them? LOL

However it also appears that you've found them a new home already:
 https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649563999-mint-sound-lab-m545-bass-focus-speaker-panels/

Which is a pity as I was going to suggest that you audition something in a tube amplifier before you did that. Granted tubes will generate heat but I think you might've been surprised at the sound of your ESLs without having to have a huge amount of wattage to push them.

Happy listening!
musicfan2349's avatar
musicfan2349
258 posts
 
Hello @chungjh,
My apologies for the late reply. I humbly suggest that you approach it from a feasibility POV first: Will an amp of this size and configuration really work for you? By looking at a class of amp vs. looking at a specific brand or model you can get yourself "into the ballpark" as it were. My thought on this would be to audition something in the tube/100wpc range to start. Once you've made the determination that it works to satisfactory sound levels (I suspect it might.), then you can redirect from there. More power? Less power? Any favored brands? Price range? New vs used?  It sounds like you've decided to keep the speakers. Now it's time to find something to drive them properly to your requirements. In closing, I'm not going to get on the "buy this brand!" bandwagon. IMHO too often people get too strident about brands, seeking validation for their choices. Listen carefully. Make notes. In your area of the country I would suspect there are many suppliers to choose from or one of the use market places will net you a nice amp. Choose what makes you smile.

Happy Listening!
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