Speaker suggestions wanted

R,
My listening room is very similar in dimensions to the one you describe, though a bit more than 10' width. But a few questions first: I am not sure I understand your restrictions on placement. If the speakers are placed on the long wall, with the right 2 feet from the side wall and 7' between the two, is the left speaker 12 feet from its side wall? And if the listener is 7' from the center axis, won't he be 3.5 feet to the outside of one of the speakers? Maybe I misunderstood the second, and it is seven feet away from the line connecting the two?

In any case, regarding the SM1's: Dunlavy specifically instructs owners to

-place them on the long wall

-to NOT have the speakers be the same distance from their back and side walls

-to have the listener sit reasonably close to his back wall

-to have the distance between speakers be greater than the distance from the listener to each speaker, as the crow flies

I think your set up meets these requirements except for my questions about the left speakers placement versus the sidewall, and the listener versus the center of axis. The SM1s are excellent in many respects and remarkable in imaging, but much less so if the distances from side walls and back walls are not consistent between speakers, and expecially if the listening position is quite off center.

C.

Fly fish nz. C, In response to your questions: Yes the left spkr will be 12' from the side wall (with a desk in between)
Also the listening position will be 7' from the midpoint between the speakers,not the room. Thankyou for your Dunlavy SM-1 suggestion. Why is it do you think that this model (yr 2000 model according to audiogon)is not on the Dunlavy website? Have you heard them? Thanks D.

Maxgain,Anyone, Have you ever listened to thiels with Rowlands? specifically the 1.5's with the concentra integrated?

Resuviator, I never have listened to Thiels with the Roland, so I can't comment.

R.,
Hmmm, it seems that Dunlavy has significantly changed its website within the past few weeks. I seem to recall that a local company in CO. purchased DAL and perhaps they have changed names of speakers or consolidated the line, e.g., I was unable to find any mention of the Dunlavy speaker cables or interconnects. On the other hand, I checked a few Dunlavy retailers, and they still offer the SM1's as current.

If you are interested in learning more, you could do a search here and Audioasylum.com on sm1, and check out user reviews at audioreview. I have owned the speakers for about 2 years, and you can find my impressions at Audioreview, which by coincidence I filled out a few days ago.

In certain respects, your room configuration will pose some difficulties because of the differences in distance from side walls, but I have found that by varying the relative distance from back to side walls, I was able to overcome a similar, albeit less difficult, challenge (one of my side walls is a 1/2 wall between kitchen and dining/living room). For example, by making the distance to back walls relatively smaller, imaging became tighter, perhaps because the reflected wave off the back wall (which IS symetrical in my system) became relatively stronger than off the side walls (which are not perfectly symetrical). No matter which speakers you choose, something you may wish to consider.

C.