I have had a small room much like the one the OP has outlined and have had good success with ProAc Tablette 10’s. They are easier to drive than one would think with their 10-ohm impedance, and you can place them close to the wall because they are not ported. I had mine in a small office set up on heavy stands with a Primaluna tube integrated amp. I also added an REL T/5i sub which did a nice job with the bottom end. That setup sounded way better than it had any right to and the imaging was fantastic.
Tiny Room (6' x 9') speaker advice
Dear fellow Audiogon members
I have been an avid Audiogon reader over the past 10 years and have learned a lot from the community and have come to trust the advice I read on here over most other platforms.
Did a lot of listening during lockdown and I decided that I really like vintage audio. I recently purchased a vintage HH Scott, Type 200 tube amp with separate Tuner, which are currently being reconditioned.
In addition, I have a Thorens TD-145, which has an upgraded 8" Jelco arm and Ortofon 2M blue cart (plan to upgrade tot he bronze in the very near future).
For speakers I have the KEF LS50s that are currently connected to a Music Hall 15.3 50W amp (which is being replaced with the HH Scott).
I want to replace the KEFs with speakers that at least look vintage, i.e. does not need to be vintage just want a wooden box like the Klipsch Heresy IV, Harbeth 30.1, etc. that have a large deep sound stage/excellent imaging.
I have heard and really like the Klipsch Heresy IV and the Harbeth 30.1. The issue as per the title, is that my listening room is tiny. I actually had my system in several different locations in my home but being non-dedicated spaces it did not get nearly the use that it has in this small room.
I have searched the web, including all previous audigon posts, for the "best speakers" for small rooms and the definition of a small room is very subjective (i.e., I have read several posts where it was defined as 15' x 15' or smaller). The best I could come up with is speakers for near field listening, most of which are low sensitivity and not ideal for a 12W tube amp (that said the KEFs can easily reach levels that are well beyond comfortable using the Scott before I sent it to be reconditioned).
Right now my KEFs are approximately 4 ft apart, about a foot off the wall, and my head when sitting is about 6 feet away. They are current on isoacoustic stands on solid walnut shelfs that are bolted to the wall at ear level.
Now comes the question.
What speakers should I try to audition that fit the following criteria?
1. Wood vintage look.
2. Small enough for the room. Again I would go for the Heresy IV, which would fit, but I am sure are way to big for the space.
3. Open airy soundstage. I have a sound in my noodle that I keep searching for, which I can only describe as a Fender Strat played on a 65 Princeton Reverb. Again the Klipsch and Harbeth mentioned above came as close to what I imagine I am looking for as possible.
4. Finally, I would like to keep the price under $3K.
Thanks for your suggestions
Budd
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- 66 posts total
- 66 posts total