Help Deciding On New Speakers For Small Room, $10k budget


Hello everyone! A brief background. For the first time in my life, I have a dedicated room for listening! šŸ™Œ Iā€™m very excited about it. However, itā€™s not very big. Something is better than nothing though. Previously I always lived in apartments and had to primarily listen on headphones. The room size is 10 feet by 11 feet with 10 foot ceilings, almost a perfect square. It has already been professionally sound treated with many panels from Gik Acoustics. So despite its tricky sizing, it should be all set up for a proper experience! And I already have a nice chain, a McIntosh MC52 Preamp and Primare Power Amp and CD Player with a Holo Audio May KTE. Oh, I also have a Rel A7X subwoofer.

I unfortunately have a disability that makes it very difficult for me to travel. I cannot easily just go to a hifi store and try things. I also live kinda in the middle of nowhere. But Iā€™m a former professional musician and music is my life, and I want to feel connected to my music as much as I can, so Iā€™m willing to invest into it. I have a budget of about $10k give or take $1k or so. I donā€™t mind looking at used options in like new condition.

A little about my hearing preferences: I am very sensitive to high frequencies, specifically around 7k-10k. For reference, every hifi headphone Iā€™ve ever used made me wince because the high frequencies are too pronounced. I just put up with it because I didnā€™t have a choice, but Iā€™ve noticed that with speakers Iā€™m usually not so sensitive to them so Iā€™m excited to go down this journey and enjoy my music listening more. I like powerful, punchy bass, and generally prefer a warmer sound signature, however, even though my ears are sensitive to higher frequencies, I love a nice crisp and realistic cymbal sound. In general, as a musician, I think Iā€™d love something that sounds ā€œtrue to lifeā€ because I have obviously a lot of experience hearing instruments live. I mostly listen to jazz (because Iā€™m a jazz musician) but I also love music of all genres like rock, electronic, pop, soul, alternative, and occasionally K-Pop too, Iā€™m pretty open minded. So something that is a good all-rounder might also be nice. Writing this all out, I now think I might be asking for the moon though, so letā€™s just say jazz and realistic instruments is my main priority šŸ˜‡


So with all that said, I would greatly appreciate your suggestions. Iā€™ve been looking at Focalā€™s line of Kanta and Sopra but Iā€™ve heard they are bright. Iā€™ve heard B&W but I donā€™t think their house sound is for me, again too bright. Ā Also debating between bookshelves and small floor standers for a smallish room. Iā€™ve been looking also at Canton, Dali, Tannoy and Wharfdale, but Iā€™m not as familiar with the speaker world as I am the headphone or IEM world, so Iā€™m quite open to ideas. Thank you so much and best wishes on the evening of this crazy time Iā€™m in the U.S.!

cookiecurls

Check out the Revival Audio Atalante 3 monitors. From what you described, it kind of mirrors what Iā€™ve settled for with these speakers. Theyā€™re made by Daniel Emonts who was lead speaker designer at Dynaudio for seven years and their award winners were his designs. Before that he led speaker design at Focal/JMLab and before that at Altec.

Everything is bespoke and made in France from the cabinets down to his drivers. Nothing is off the shelf. Hereā€™s the most recent review (reflective of current pricing as well) that I could find. Thereā€™s lots more online if you wish to investigate.

For just under $2700 (sans stands) you can save quite a lot.

All the best,
Nonoise

I have really been enjoying the Vivid Audio Kaya S12 speakers.Ā  They are small speakers with matching stands ($9,700 with stands).Ā  I have to say they are a slice of pure heaven.Ā  They have an uncanny sense of presence and amazing imaging with "reach out and touch" focus.Ā  Their tonal balance is spot on and just when you are wondering if they have bass, it shines through with detail and articulation and the proper quantity.Ā  A very special speaker with some obviously amazing technology.

I Ā am not saying you're wrong as I have no way to know, but I do wonder why anyone would spend 10K on such a diminutive and theoretically inexpensive-to-manufacture loudspeaker when for a fraction of the price this very similar product can be chosen instead-https://www.stereophile.com/content/genelec-g-three-active-loudspeaker

A lot of fine speakers have been recommended here, but, one of the requirements is sound that is somewhat soft on top. Ā Some of these speakers are on the brighter side. Ā