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Versatile, non-fatiguing speakers for a small room under $1500 used or new: advice needed!

Hi, first post here! And not a very original one, my apologies!:)

So after years of listening to music through miscellaneous mid-fi solutions, I am finally thinking about dipping my toes in hi-fi audio and putting together a dedicated stereo setup. Currently I am looking at speakers, and my head is already aching from the abundance of options, so I am looking for suggestions from you guys, primarily from those of you who have had first-hand experience building a stereo in a small room like mine and achieved results they are happy with.

My room is pretty small (approx. 13’ x 10’), and I will be placing my speakers along the long wall. My listening position will be 6 feet away, give or take; plus the speakers will have to sit fairly close to the front wall. 15 inches from the back of the speaker would be nice, but if needed, I definitely I could move them out farther into the room (up to 20 inches from the back of the speaker), for listening sessions and then move them back again. There are several rows of shelves , filled with CDs and stuff, in the middle of the back wall above my head (not wall-to-wall though) - would that work as dispersion? I’m thinking of applying some room treatment behind the speakers, and on the right-hand side wall as well (if needed) - on the left hand side is a window covered with thick curtains.

Budget: under $1500 used or new.
I listen to all kinds of music, primarily rock of all eras and subgenres (blues/folk/prog/hard/art/psych/indie, etc), jazz, blues, classical, acoustic, singer-songwriters, female vocal, 80s new wave/post punk, some heavy metal. So the speakers need to be as versatile as possible. As someone who likes rock music, the bass is important, but I live in an apartment (neighbors!), so I have to find the right balance there as I don’t want to overload the room - the bass has to be there but under control and not boomy. I want as big a sound as possible in my small room without overpowering it. In general, I’m looking for engaging, non-fatiguing, dynamic sound with good midrange and tone, with enough punch to rock out when needed, nuance to play softer, more sparse types of music, and resolution so the details in fast complex passages don’t get lost or smeared. Not a fan of excessive brightness, sibilance, or harshness in the upper midrange.

I’m primarily looking at standmounts, but maybe certain smaller floorstanders would be fine? I’ve seen opinions claiming floorstanders are the way to go, regardless of the size of the room. What do you think would be preferable in my situation - apartment with neighbors, 13’x10’ room, long wall positioning, distance to speakers about 6 feet, maybe less?

Thanks!
mermaid_smiles
big_greg
6,646 posts
 
Hearing lots of good things about Harbeth, thanks. But I wonder how good they are with different genres - I’ve read they’re excellent at jazz and vocal but with rock, not so much. But hey maybe in a small room like mine the amount of bass they produce would be enough for me - we’ll see (and, as you say, adding a sub is always an option).

What about the HL-Compact 7ES-3 - would that be overkill in my situation?
A good speaker doesn't care what type of music gets played through it.  I listen mainly to classic rock.

In regards to the 7ES-3, this is from Harbeth's website:

"Space needs - Overall response optimised for use away from walls."

I'd stick with a sealed design.
verdantaudio's avatar
verdantaudio
1,500 posts
 
Monitor Audio Silvers are what I would go with. You might need to put in the port bungs.  
mesch
3,510 posts
 
Given your small room and you live in an apartment I believe you should look for sealed box or front ported stand mounts. They better serve to isolate sound within your room. Get solid stands (check out Audio Advisor for these). Many have accurate bass though lacking the bottom octave. Smaller rooms augment the bass, adding a little depth. 

I would also consider those that have at least moderate sensitivity (86dB or higher) and reasonably high impedance (6 ohm or higher). That way you can focus your amplification search to quality and not quantity wattage. There are simply too many speakers that will fit this description that would work well in your environment to list. I am not one who likes to recommend speakers due to the highly subjective nature of speaker choice. I have always been a fan of 2-way stand mounts.  Been using a pair myself for several years in a room 12x14' (front ported). I am not apposed to buying used.

Are you located in an area providing opportunity for dealer demos? If so go audition some, maybe get back to us regarding your thoughts. 
Post removed 
soix
9,585 posts
 
Agree with recommendations for ProAc, Harbeth, and Wharfedale given sound you’re looking for. If you can find them, I’d add used Nola Boxers that should be within your budget.

That said, in your situation I’d go with some monitors and a small sub. You like bass when called for, and small monitors alone will likely leave you wanting in that department. Floorstanders could help, but given the size of your room you could be facing some bass overload/angry neighbors. The small sub would get you better and deeper bass than cheaper floorstanders can provide, and you can alter placement/volume/phase so you get good bass in your room without pissing off the neighbors — or at least not as much.

One specific recommendation would be Silverline Minuet Supreme+ monitors for $700/pr and an SVS SB1000 sub (will get you down to 24Hz) for $500 both new.  I’d also spring for the $50 SVS SoundPath footers that will help further with both isolation and bass quality. For an amp I’d consider a NuPrime IDA-8 that has great sound/technology, plenty of power for the Minuets, a good internal DAC, and a subwoofer output. It’s around $1000 new I think but can be found used around $600. IMHO that’d be one fine-sounding, near-full-range system given your tastes, constraints, and budget. Add a streamer like a Bluesound Node 2i and you’re done (except for cables and speaker stands of course).  Hope this helps, and best of luck in your search.
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