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Help Me Interim Speakers Suggestions?

Health & location problems are forcing me to move from my big house with my 24' x 22' listening room to a much smaller house or condo. This will require me to part with my beloved B&W 802 with accompanying large outboard Northcreek crossovers, as the combo will take up too much space in a smaller room. Plus, I need to simplify & downsize my complex system. Most likely my new place will end up having a 16 x 14 room, or smaller, and will be either a living room or a bedroom.

I find speakers to be one of the hardest things to choose, and expect it will be some time until I find something full range yet not overly large that I will be happy with. So, I'm looking to pick up some bookshelf or floor standing speakers on Audiogon that will sound good and be easy to resell a little later.

Any suggestions? Thoughts of mine were PSB Stratus Gold Mini, Vandersteen 1C, Thiels. I like accuracy and clarity, but not coldness. I don't find my 802's cold, just accurate, and since I use tubes, I have an accurate, but slightly warm overall result. Appreciate your suggestions.
kevziek
kevziek OP
323 posts
 
Thanks for your suggestions. I have heard good things about Harbeths, but I'm looking for something I can find at close to half of retail on Audiogon, so I can later resell it. It doesn't appear I'll be finding such deals on Harbeth, or Tetra or Dulcet.

I remember a large minimonitor of Sonus, perhaps the Amator? It did sound great. Nice and full, robust. If this was colored, I sure didn't care. But they were expensive speakers. At a price point I'm not considering are the Sonus Cremonas. In the setup I heard, I found them to be too laidback and wondered what all the excitement about them was. Sounded totally different than the Amators I remember.

How about NHT? I read Stereophile's Nov.99 review of the 2.9 (not a small speaker, but take up less room than my 802's w/crossovers), but was turned off by a comment that the midrange was almost a bit recessed and there was a bit of shrillness on top, and the bass so flat, that there lacked the nice rounded fullness that a small bass plateau gives to the sound.

Don't know if I'd like Thiels, as they may sound too thin and analytical. Other suggestions greatly appreciated.
budrew
467 posts
 
Also consider JM Reynaud speakers. Sound great according to your needs and are popular yet somewhat rare on Audiogon so should be fairly easy to resell.
kkursula
95 posts
 
If still own PS audio amp, i think i would consider Vandersteen 1c, as you suggested yourself.
eman_49
1 posts
 
sounds interesting from the comments I have heard etc
http://www.shamrockaudio.com
The cabinets are made from 3/4" MDF and are well braced internally for a quiet cabinet. The cabinets are veneered in your choice of oak, cherry, or walnut veneers, and then given several coats of lacquer for a high-gloss luster.

This moderately sized speaker delivers remarkable detail balanced with surprising bass extension and low distortion.

www.shamrockaudio.com
Shamrock Audio Keelin

Dual 5" "Sandwich-Cone" Woofers
1" Textile Dome Tweeter
Air-Core Inductors
Separate High-pass / Low-Pass Boards.
Bi-Wire Capable
* (4 ohm speaker)
They have been discussing this new model called the Keelin
On Blue Circle..$ 749.00 a pair
this and another product I forget the name of it for affordable end of the spectrum..
cmo
471 posts
 
I am suprised nobody has mentioned Dynaudio's. I just sold a pair of special 25's that would seem to fit your bill. I think they sounded wonderful(good bottom end for a stand mount), and played many types of music well. I regretted selling mine............but needed the money.
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