Please help with speaker choices


Hi all,
Well the room and time has lead me down the road to upgrading speakers. A most exciting time, but alas, filled with choices and no possible auditioning for me.

So I must relie on this communities suggestions and help!!

First the current system:
Nick Doshi Preamp
Nick Doshi modded Lectron JH50
Amazon Referenze TT
Triplanar Tonearm
CDP-Don't have one yet
Focal 1007 Be Monitors-current speakers

Room Size:
21 by 13 with 8ft cellings

Music:
I listen to pretty much everything. Sorry for being so general. In one listening session I may move from Coltrane, to Cannonball Adderly, to Muddy Waters and Johnny Lee Hooker to Lucinda Williams and electric/folk Neil Young. Throw in some Dylan and then move onto the White Stripes, Beck, if I'm real rowdy maybe some Ramones or AC/DC, then come down with some Edith Piaf and a sip of 12 year single malt.

Reason for wantng change:
One is I find this a hobby. For me that means having fun with experimentation. So far I have only owned the Focals.
Two is now that I moved my system against the short wall and facing out to the long part of the room, the monitors seems lacking, like they are too small to fill the space, like it is too much effort. Three is I have nerver had a floorstanding speaker and the prospect excites me. Four is, sitting wise, I can only get about 9 feet near to the Focals. To place them closer puts them right in the middle of the living room. Not really acceptable. At 9 feet, the monitors just not presenting the soundstage I desire. At that distance with monitors, I am just not in the heart of the music.

Also something important to note is I like listening loud, but do not always have that option as my system is in the living room and out of respect for others cannot always listen loud so I must have speakers that offer low volume detail.

My choices so far (more of course welcome)
Sonus Faber Cremona floorstanders
Merlin VSM-Mxe
Verity Fidelio Encore
ATC 20's passive

At the higher end(only consider if HIGHLY recommended)
Verity Parsifal ovation
Sonus Faber Amati Homage

Monitors I might consider
Focal Mini-Utopia Be
Sonus Guarnari Homage

OK, sorry for rambling so much. Obviously I am putting a lot of thought into this. Any input much appreciated!

Peter
mariasplunge
2.5 feet is bad. You may benefit in LF do to room gain. But you might think twice about any rear-ported speakers. Your speakers will be about 7 feet apart, which also isn't bad for the 10' distance. Once you have them setup you may talk the wife into moving the listening position forward or back a foot or so to hit the sweet spot.

How long does the clap echo last? A couple of reverberations isn't too big of a deal. You don't want the room too dead. Now, if the clap really bounces around you could add some plants, stuffed chairs, pillows, etc. I doubt you'll ever get the wife to agree to bass traps, corner traps, and all that other acoustic treatment stuff.
Oh thanks there Dan. I was worried for a moment there. 2.5-3 feet is all I got!! So nop rear-ported speakers eh? Does that rule out the verty's? I can turn the base around to face out, although I have had people tell me it sounds better firing against the wall?

The reverberation from the clap is quick and dies solidly with out any continuing echos. So that might be alright? Wife will probably not be interested in any type of acousric treatments, but plants, pillows, ok!

Whats "you may benefit from LF do to room gain" mean?

Cheers
Hi Peter.
I have been following this blog for a little while. I think I made an entry myself early on. I just want to say to you that I am totally blown away by your gracious response to everyones blogs.

You are a model of what civilized behavior should be about.

Thank you for your contributions to this website.

Jim
Jim thanks for the gracious compliment. I truly respect and appreciate peoples knowledge here as I become involved in this hobby.

Take care,
Peter