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Altec Advice for Small Listening Room

Hello all, I am hoping to build a vintage audiophile setup in my living. I am planning on buying a Mcintosh C22 preamp and either MC30 monoblocks or an MC225. Obviously, I would want to pair these with high efficiency speakers, and from my listening and research, I'm thinking about going with Altecs, either Valencia 846b or Model 19.

Here's the rub: my listening room is rather small, 11'3"W x 16'6"L x 8'H. My thought is to sell the couch in the photos, move the tv to the shorter wall and place the speakers on either side where the red circles are, then buy another lounge chair for listening approximately 8-10' from the speakers (I can probably get about 8' between woofers in this setup). I've made a rendering of what this might look like in the images. Will altecs work stuffed into the corner this way, inches from the side walls with possibly a bit more space behind (depending on tv sightlines)?

I've heard that horns do better with room reflections than woofers, so altecs might work in this setup? I'm also considering Klipschorns, which are designed to go in corners, and even Quad ESL 57s, though this would be a different experience altogether. Anyone care to weigh in--I'm open to suggestions beyond the speakers listed here. Thanks for your help!

Images Here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/202281044@N02/albums/72177720323943089/

chfarago
4 responses Add your response
russ69's avatar
russ69
3,543 posts
 

Looks good to me, a good chance they will be fine. 

yyzsantabarbara
4,959 posts
 

Your biggest issue is the center console and the TV. Keeping the space between the speakers clear makes a big difference. The TV in-between the speakers is going to add reflections and smear your sound.

I use very long XLR interconnects from Benchmark to keep my gear away from the space between the speakers. My gear also properly supports XLR (see XLR AES48) so I did not need to spend big $$ on XLR between the preamp and amp.

I no longer watch TV and improved the sound of my system by ditching the TV.

I found that Magnepan LRS+ is a very good speaker in a small room. Give it 3 feet from the front wall and do not worry at all about side-reflections with the LRS+. The cost is under $1000 and will sound great in your space. I used the KEF KC62 sub with the LRS+.

The Sanders Magtech amp is great on the Maggies.

Edit: Sorry did not remember your request for high efficiency speakers. The LRS+ are not that type of speaker.

billstevenson
445 posts
 

First of all you should try to listen carefully to both the Altecs and Klipschorns because in that small room you are going to be very close to whichever one you choose.  They may both be horns, but they are quite different.  It has been years since I messed around with systems like this, but I had a customer who had a pair of Valencias driven by a MC240 and a C22, and another customer who had a pair of Klipschorns driven by an MC224 and a Marantz 7.  Both were in small rooms.  (I was a Bozak man myself, which tells you these were very good friends and customers -besides after the 2nd scotch is all sounded good - oh to be young again).  Anyway, FWIW, I personally preferred the Klipschorns.  I also always liked the MC225, a amplifier that worked well at all times, easy to like.  FWIW, the TV is going to compromise the sound.  It is what it is.  In my main system between the speakers, also in a smallish room, the compromise is a piano.  LOL!

pdreher's avatar
pdreher
1,219 posts
 

Having owned 19's in recent years, your room is too small.  A single driver horn or smaller Klipsch would be a better fit for that room.

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