Yep, horns are a good way to go. How about some of the mid range Klipsch or the Hsu bookshelf speakers?
Of course, another obvious alternative are ESL speakers. :)
Of course, another obvious alternative are ESL speakers. :)
Calling for recommendations: Speakers for a very lively room
I would try a good vintage american speaker made before 1981 with proper tweeter and midrange controls that you can dial in for their surroundings to compensate for the lively room situation. These speakers were customizable to allow you to tailor their sound for almost any environment and a lot will outclass almost any new speaker in so many ways. |
Hello, everyone... I appreciate the thoughts. I'm reading critique of horns and I wonder if this extends to the narrow dispersion characteristics found in the Klipsch 500/600M's. Soft dome actually makes sense... Again, thinking under $1300, what do you all recommend? What have you tried? The 3A de Capos is over $3000 - WAY over budget, but the reviews are greatly complementary. AMPS: The AMPS I'm running are a Dennis Had Firebottle KT88 SEP (11wpc) and a Nuforce STA200 (75wpc). SOURCE: I'm currently using Deezer hi-resolution as a source. Thanks! |
@OP, I would also be in the camp of Klipsch not being the best match for a lively room, but haven't paired them with a nice low-watt tube amplifier. You may want to reach out to wolf_garcia for opinion of Klipsch in your (very) lively room. I believe he is using the same amp as yourself, albeit with heritage series Klipsch. What is your room size, and preference for standmount vs floorstander? There are a lot of great choices out there; not sure if you are strictly looking at new or used. The prior Spendor lineup was a bit too laid back for me, but may work well in a lively room. ProAc might be nice with your Firebottle amp. Proac is usually very good for low to moderate listening (some will say more, even), yet not something you have to "lean into" to hear. Both brands are out of budget if new, but used may be within the budget (ProAc D1 or D2 for standmounts, D18 floorstander). Disclaimer: I haven't reviewed the Firebottle specs vs ProAc or Spendor, for compatibility. |
I have a narrow 15 foot by 40 deep room. One whole wall is almost all glass. The other wall opens into a hallway and further back a kitchen. I have Ohm Walsh Talls 18 inches out from the corners, (stereo subs in the corners) and don’t notice reflections or any difference between left and right channels. Great soundstage. I tried the Ohm Walshes because from all I read and where my speakers need to be (living room) and 40 feet of glass on one side, I decided not to chase pinpoint imaging. If because of your room size Ohms are out of your budget, maybe try a used pair. That’s what I did, and after several years, now I’ve ordered upgraded speakers for the cabinets |
A "Live" room indicates that there are many reflective surfaces which tend to accent upper mid and higher frequencies as they bounce around. That is why often room treatment is recommended. In the case of type of tweeter??? overall it doesn't matter. What is needed is a speaker that has a laid back upper midrange and treble area. If you can find something that the tweeter is down a db or so, you will have a reasonable chance getting a decent balance in a live room. A few things to try.... Get your speakers away from the side walls. Tow- your speakers in just a bit toward the listening position. Add treatment to the most effected sidewall. Try these things 1st, if you do replace your speakers, look for frequency curves Something that looks more like this. ---------------______. Good Luck, PM me if you need some help. Tim |
@russ69 I have thought about the LRS, but I understand they need to be out about 3-4' from the wall. Also, they are power-hungry, no? Would 75 wpc using a Nuforce STA200 do the job? I don't think so... not from what I've heard of Maggies. I will not be buying another amp for quite some time, as I have three in my barn. Still, if the LRS can stand no more than 18" off the wall and 'fly' with 75 wpc, it's definitely on my shortlist. @timlub Love your ideas and I did experiment with some of the moves you describe. Unfortunately, the (Zu DW) speakers are now back in Utah. I wish I could have experimented for another few weeks, but I was already over the 60-day trial limit, which they graciously extended. Speakers I'm (currently) pondering are the:
I appreciate the frequency curve accounting offered by Tim... Much of what I'm looking at seems flatter than the DW. I 'think' the Zu DW was probably peaky in the upper midrange and treble regions. I HAVE to say, however, that they created some of the clearest, most solid musical forms I've ever heard. On good recordings, the drum kit felt like it was in the room, as did the vocalist. Thanks for all the inputs! |