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Speakers for a unique small room

So I have been going about speakers all wrong.  I am used to having a large listening room, but due to a divorce i am in a house that is pretty small.  I will be buying a new house in July but I need some good speakers for a small room now and hope maybe they will blow me away for when I get a dedicated room. 

So first here are some specifics the size of the area where I listen.  The room is 10 feet (3.1 meters) x 14 feet (4.3 meters) and the listening position from a speakers which front is 3 feet (1 meter) off the wall is 8 feet (2.4 meters).  The 14 foot wall has a large window, behind the listening area are stairs going up to the 2nd floor and their is no right wall as it is open to other parts of the house.  Here are some pics to put things into perspective:

 

So right now I am running a NAD M12 and M23 as well as an SVS 3000 Micro, My speakers are PSB Imagine X2T an 8 feet is just WAY to close.  I want something that if I am sitting 8 feet away from sound amazing!  I cant listen anything fatiguing, I am looking for a bookshelf.  I also would like something that would be amazing when I have a dedicated room as well.  I have tried the LS50 Meta, still have them but thought they were mediocre at best.  

So I am hoping I can get two pieces of advice, great speakers for a small listening space.  Harbeth P3ESR XD's are the only speakers I have seen that can be great in small spaces.    I want something that will be great and I have a budget of $2500 with a little wiggle room.  Would love as wide of a sound stage as i can in a small room, No Klipsch and no Focal please.  Great speakers but just way too fatiguing to me.  

I listen to a lot of Jazz and Classical the rest is filled with Grunge, Punk, and Classic rock but Jazz and Classical are my priority.  

Based on the pictures if anyone sees any opportunities for treatments in any way please call them out and I will get them.   

 

128x128justinrphillips
arcticdeth's avatar
arcticdeth
1,549 posts
 

Hardwood is horrible for music.

reflection is severe. I know, I went through it.

 

 

very nice room, bet Motörhead sounds wicked good !

fatdaddy2
368 posts
 

Look at Salk stand-mounts; a lot of options (model wise and wood-wise) and great sound from the lot.

arcticdeth's avatar
arcticdeth
1,549 posts
 

@justinrphillips 

 

do you always leave the grills off?

 

if you don’t mind, I do this on my basement speakers.

cut some 1.5” x 1.5” old t shirt squares, tape as many as needed to bring down the highs. , start with 1 square, then 2 or 3 if needed, put the grills on, ….and, there ya go, I don’t like shrieking, piercing highs, makes me feel anxious and just,annoys me.   This way you will alleviate much of the high freq reflection.

have had 2 squares taped.over my basement tweeters for the past 7 or so years.

 

robshaw
226 posts
 

Just bought a few months back   Love them, also have a small room 13x14'  Fritz Carbon 7SE   $2500   hand made, Top shelf drivers   My venue is strictly, R&R around 90 DB  They handle it admirably! Robert TN

fleschler
1,922 posts
 

Since you listen to all types of music, you need a speaker that can reproduce all.  I am unsure if this would work, but Legacy Signature iiis with their rear tweeter permits very open and wide sound at close distances (9' tested).  It also comes with four contouring switches for bass, mid and treble as well as a rear tweeter defeat switch.  I don't know if it would work at 8'.  It does require some rear space to work.  Otherwise, maybe Von Schweikert VR35 Export which sits just a foot or less from the wall and definitely provides a very wide and spacious sound even seated 90 degrees from the speakers.  My friend plays all types of music with a Luxman CL35 III pre-amp and RAM 9 amp and it sounds wonderful.  He also has a placement issue so it is his solution.

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