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Small Floor Standers

I'm looking to create a short list of speakers for music only. The room is 15x28 with 9' ceilings and hard surfaces, except a few padded chairs and light fabric window covers. The main listening area is 15x18 and the rest of the room is my kitchen which opens up to it.

Musically, I listen to rock, jazz, and a variety classical but no hip hop or electronic to speak of. The ideal speaker will provide smooth tonal response, good dynamics and importantly freedom from stridency which the live room will only accentuate. High SPL's and subterranean bass are not required but I don't want something that gets lost in the space. The speakers must be compact - 35" or so tall and not more than 8-12" wide and deep. I prefer floor standing designs because of the room volume and as protection against a 6 year old. My budget is around $1k used, maybe a bit higher for the right choice.

A few of my early thoughts are the smaller Spendors and Quad L series as well as Totems and Dynaudio.

The source will be a Squeezebox playing lossless digital and the amp is TBA, but will be matched to the speakers which I think should be picked first.

Any and all comments are welcome. Thanks in advance.
wdrazek
panderso
156 posts
 
Well Wdrazek, if you are considering Nait 5i, the Neat Motives have fabulous synergy with that amp, although somewhat over budget. The Motive 3 monitor not too much over your 1k mark, the Motive 2 a little moreso. They're probably too new for many used ones to come up just yet.

If budget has to rule, IMHO the Reference 3a Dulcet outperforms the Kestrel and the Totems in the context you're describing, but of course it is a standmounter.
wdrazek OP
100 posts
 
Thanks for all of the suggestions. From the looks of it, stand mounts may become necessary after all and in any case they will need to be placed close to a wall. I don't know of a place in Chicago that carries Neat or Reference 3A but I have tracked down Totem, Proac, Dynaudio and Quad so far.

Funny how some brands have their distribution scattered. You would think the 3rd largest US market would have everything.
panderso
156 posts
 
Wdrazek; It is funny. I would have thought there was little the world had to offer for a price that couldn't be found in the Windy City.
wdrazek OP
100 posts
 
Right you are. It's a little like New York that way but when I looked for a Neat retailer Nebraska and West Virginia are my nearest options. Go figure.
nolitan
865 posts
 
the pmc GB1 is very good provided you use 100 watter per side.
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