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Big speakers in small room at moderate volume levels

My office is 11’W x 10’L x 9’H and is where I can listen to music for the next few years. I have a toddler and, for now, he has commanded the big spaces in the rest of the house. I have auditioned the Magico A3 and wanted to buy it but that was before I was relegated to the smallish office (I was expecting to move to a bigger room). I have removed the closet doors in this office room. The removal of the closet door gives me another 4 feet of depth to this room, though for only 1/2 width of the room. I can sit unobstructed 8 feet away from the speakers before I hit the area where the closet ends (so near field listening).

I currently I have KEF LS50 with Peachtree Nova 150. It is good and I can listen for the whole day without fatigue. I listen to FM, digital files on ROON, and my Sony SCD-1 SACD player. I want a bigger sound so I am looking at bigger speakers. I also do not want to use a sub since I am not a fan. I will also upgrade the NOVA 150 to the NOVA 500 in Spring 2019 and use with the LS50’s in a bedroom.

I came to the conclusion that my tastes would be best served by one of KEF Reference 1 or Magico A3. I was thinking that I would use the Lyngdorf 3400 in this room but I am having seconds thoughts on this now (some A’gon comments that it maybe a little dry). I am interested in solid state AB units like the Hegel H590 and Mark Levinson 585 to drive the speakers. I have heard the ML 585 and it is a fatigue free sounding unit that was a joy to listen to. I have not heard the Hegel H590 yet (but have heard other Hegels with KEF) and I am in the process of getting an audition of the H590. I have also discounted the class AB Micromega M-One 150 (with MARS room correction) because I do not want a cooling fan blowing in the room.

I must mention that I do not listen that loud when I am working and when I am working very late at night the volume is very low. The Mark Levinson and A3 combo was very good at low volumes during my demo but that was in the dealers perfect large room.

1) Am I making a mistake foregoing room correction with the 2 integrateds I am considering? Should I go with the Lyngdorf and A3 or KEF Ref 1, though I have never heard the Lyngdorf?

2) Will the Magico A3 work in this small room at moderate volumes WITHOUT room correction or will I subject myself to headaches and fatigue?

I am going to ask the dealer selling the A3’s this question when I am ready to buy but i wanted to ask on A’gon first to get some feedback. I doubt I could get the A3’s into my room for a trial but I have not asked the dealer yet.

I think (not 100% sure) the KEF Reference 1 with a non room correcting amp should work in my office space but I would prefer to buy the Magico A3 for the office. I have plans to buy another KEF model once my kid is a bit older and I can kick him out of the big room.
yyzsantabarbara
justanotherhifiguy
17 posts
 
I took a look through the user manual for the reference series and it shows in the setup guide 3 meters recommended distance from the side boundaries. i deduced thatthe kef ref 1/3/5 all require a room of at least 15 feet on the wall they are to be placed.
also wanted a speaker that will work well with low powered set amplification.
due to this i have considered something else.

enter the coherent line of speakers. he is local and i have had an opportunity to hear his speakers. they are very nice sounding. i am probably going to purchase a pair of his gr10 speakers. they will be placed on my wall that measures 9.5 feet wide and I will try to get them placed as far apart as I can, most likely 6 feet apart with 1.5 feet from side walls and 4 feet away from front wall. i will sit 6 feet away and 4 feet into the room. this will be a nearfield positioning for sure.
i somehow doubt the kef ref 1 i was considering would sound very good in this possible setup. perhaps the coherent will be a better behaving speaker and certainly will be so with the 8w el84 amplifier I am planning on acquiring, from finale audio.
yyzsantabarbara OP
4,975 posts
 
@justanotherhifiguy Is this the speaker you are considering?

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=HB8MybMH&id=CF4936C85F6D756CDF2A517303...

If so, that is one big puppy.

I looked at the KEF Ref 1, 3, 5 manual and you are correct when it lists 3m for side wall boundary. Though my discussion with KEF USA rep and also a KEF dealer indicated that the REF 1 will work fine in my room. Dealer was recommending the Micromega with analog MARS room correction just to be safe. Told me to not use MARS if not needed. I decided to try room treatments first with my KEF LS50s then branch out to the bigger speaker once the acoustic panels are settle in the proper place.

If you take a look at KEF Reference systems in A’gon members virtual systems here you will see setups with much less than 3m side wall spacing. Heck, I have seen Ref 3 against the side wall in some dealer HT systems. A poster to this thread has a photo of his Ref 5 very close to the walls. So I think the KEF Ref manual’s statements are not the final word on this issue.

I even conversed with KEF Blade owners who have put the Blades in near-field setups in rooms about my size (they liked it). I am too chicken to do that myself, though I have contemplated it. The Blades are side firing so they are even worse than the Ref line for side wall issues. The issue with Ref’s is supposed to be putting them too close to the rear wall (from a dealer comment). However, as I posted above, Alan Shaw from Harbeth indicates that front port or rear port does not matter when it comes to bass output (maybe I am stating this incorrectly, I think I provided a link to Shaw’s comments earlier).

I also had a very large monitor speaker before in the Thiel SCS4. It also has concentric drivers and not as much bass as the Ref 1. However, it is almost as big as the Ref 1. I tried that speaker in a room about my current office size and it worked OK. I need some treatments behind my couch but it was not tragic.

The TAD ME1 that I am considering has some side port features that seem to indicate that it can be placed rather close to the side walls. Expensive speaker though.

@tomic601 My kid had a lot of fun the last 2 days. I spent 4 hours getting his toy (don’t even know what to call it) setup on Christmas eve. My wife’s idea of buying it. He was a happy camper to see it when he woke in the morning. Lot of fun seeing all the neighbourhood kids out on Christmas day playing with the new toys.

"I know someone w TREO who I trust who has Lyngdorf and he js estatic about the sound he is getting...I have yet to hear his system, when next in Atlanta, I hope to. H9mework for me." 

That is an interesting quote. I keep trying to dismiss the Lyngdorf but it keeps popping back up in 
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
13,080 posts
 
the manual foor any speaker will most likely  cite gold standard distance / geometry..reality and waf then intervene.....such is life before  a purpose builtt room...

get room treatments up, run trial w Peachtree, etc..bet u like it !!!!!

kids here crazy for long board skate boards...swarming the hill, adults surfing on new boardds. ..ggeeezers like me drinking and listening to new Vinyl...enjoy Christmas thru a toddlers eyes
justanotherhifiguy
17 posts
 
That’s the gr15 
justanotherhifiguy
17 posts
 
@tomic601 that hasn’t been my experience. I had JBL Synthesis and they suggested 16” minimum from side boundaries. Indeed I did set them up 16” and they sounded great. So it seems to be that depending on the design of the speaker the manual will suggest varying setup guidelines. 
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