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smaller speaker suggestions

As many of you know one of the keys to a happy marriage is having the ability to say "yes dear".
I've been "asked" to downsize the size of speakers from the current Spendor SP1/2's (24t x 12w x 12d) to ?
The room is 13 feet wide by 16 feet.
Amp: Musical Fidelity A308cr with a Audio Research LS15 pre.
Musical taste - very eclectic (no head banging/rap/opera)
Speaker attribute - along the lines of the Spendor which I feel is best described as "musical".
Limited to a spacing of no more than two feet off the wall.
Speakers will reside on the narrow wall.
Now I realize it will be my ears that are the deciding factor as to what is purchased however I'd like some suggestions from those out in cyberspace that have already gone through the trials and tribulations of choosing a smaller speaker.
3k a pair is the upper spending limit.
Thanks in advance for any and all insightful responses.
128x128hbarrel
aball
2,016 posts
 
Check out Royds. Sounds like you like the British speakers already and these little ones are really cool. Hard to find in the USA but they are designed for small rooms and can be placed near the back wall with no sound problems. I heard the Doublets and Minstrel SEs and was VERY impressed with their bass and musicality.

They are little (most of them) but are considered floorstanders.

http://www.roydloudspeakers.com/main.htm

Good luck! Arthur
hbarrel's avatar
hbarrel OP
342 posts
 
Thanks.
About the stands, we do realize they are a necessary evil.
She just wants something that doesn't "look" so large.
I'd imagine there might even be some small towers that would fit the bill. I don't know about placement when it comes to towers.
golden_ears
224 posts
 
She thinks 24" x 12" x 12" is big?! Take her to a store and show her what "big" really is!
How about down-sizing her area of the home? Like, "Get outta' my music room woman!!!" :-)
You might also explain that even if you do get a smaller speaker, you have to put it on a stand, which takes up the same amount of room anyway.
Suggestions? Gawd, there are so many choices. There are probably more speakers available than anything in Audio. Browse through the threads on this forum, look at show reports, which have pictures and comments. Then research the one that intrigue you.
If you have to put them close to the wall, rear-porting is not a good idea. Wilson Benesch makes a good little speaker called the ARC, which is bottom-ported, and looks very sharp. http://www.wilson-benesch.com/arc/arc.html
hbarrel's avatar
hbarrel OP
342 posts
 
She let's me go play golf ANY time I want and never reminds me about her levity.
For that alone I'm willing to make sacrifices.
tobias
1,534 posts
 
She sounds great. Speaker swapping is fun. Thanks for letting us in on it. Here are my ideas:

1) Totems. The Arro mini-tower sounds very musical to me, is small and can go right next to a wall. Very nice-looking wood veneer, amazing sound for a small driver.

Totem floorstanders

2)Aurum Cantus. These guys made the Red Rose monitor that sold for three grand. The Leisure 2 SE model has a ribbon tweeter, a Kevlar-carbon fiber mid-woofer and 14 coats of lacquer over real wood. It looks gorgeous, sounds pretty decent in the bass and mids and is magical in the highs.

Canadian Aurum Cantus distributor's page
(Sorry I don't know the US source for these.)
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