Speaker suggestions for less than ideal accoustics

To follow up on Cdc's comments

I use ATC SCM 100 active monitors, an SCM 0.1/15 sub and the SCM 20's. I fear the 20's may be a little small for your needs (they definitely need a sub). I am not sure about the 50's as I have not heard them.

What I can confirm, as Cdc says, the 100's are indeed quite comfortable playing louder than anything I have ever heard outside of a rock concert. And with very low levels of distortion or compression.

As a pro speaker primarily used for mixing/mastering they have good dispersion of the sound field with a very even energy level throughout a large room...practically speaking this means that speaker placement is not critical (there is a solid image but no critical sweetspot). They also play consistently at all sound levels. These two factors may make them highly suitable for your application.

However....

A caveat here, these really are "studio monitors" primarily used by professionals for critical listening. You will get ruthlessly accurate sound and a dynamic range that only pros demand and wives/neighbours may hate. Everything is critically damped in the design. The nice sounding harmonic colourations and warm resonant base commonly found in most widely appealing speakers, are totally absent.

They are also, admittedly, not pretty => see the pictures I have posted of my system.

The word "monitor" has been freely adopted by almost all consumer speaker manufacturers and has become quite meaningless, however, in this particular case, "Studio Control Monitor" really does mean something. The large ATC SCM 100 model remains principally designed for and sold to professionals and will probably never be very popular with consumers.

Timberman, I share your concerns for how speakers will sound in "real world" environments. I'm amazed at audio reviewers who rave about the imaging, etc., as long as they keep their head within the sweet spot area of about 1 cubic foot.

So...for you I'd recommend a speaker with wide dispersion, possibly a dipole or Ohm Walsh. With your reflective surfaces, I'd stay with something warm sounding and stay away from anything harsh. A sub will help keep the bass from being lost in the big room, especially for rock. Of the speakers you've listed, I think that the Paradigms would do well. I've had really good luck listening to Totem's that were placed in another room. Somehow they keep the detail in seemingly impossible acoustics without sounding harsh. I'd personally love to try the Totem Winds in a big room like yours. Buy on A'gon and you can always resell.

Timberman, a picture would indeed help, but are you going to be placing the speakers well into your room or back up against your rear wall or something. Also, in your search for speakers, what have you liked about say the Paradigms versus other speakers. We pretty much have no idea what kind of sound you like.

Nice system Shadorne. The ones I heard were active with a Naim pre and Naim CDP. They did not seem ruthlessly revealing although maybe my ears were less sensitive then. Naim is a pretty easy listen as well. All I know is they were the best rock speakers I've ever heard and this guy's house was an open 2 story "barn". Fortunately his nearest neaghbor was over 1/4 mile away!

well I have been listening to as many suggestions provided as possible and so far I would say my favorites, to date , are the Vandersteen 3a Sigs and Sonus Faber Concerto Domus (even though a bit undersized) Others,with less wow were PSB T55, JM labs 716S, KEF, Paradigm Studio 100s, and DefTech 7004. The search continues.