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Small room, "budget priced" speaker advice, please

Hi,

I recently sold my dearly beloved, old Vandersteen 2C's here on Audiogon (and I hope SgtPeppers is loving them at this moment!) :-) I did this because in our remodeled house, my new listening room (which will double as a guest room) is just too small for the 2C's. The Spousal Acceptance Factor was just too low. ;-)

I have a PS Audio Elite-Plus integrated amp for power (around 70 W/Ch) and a soon-to-be-shipped-off-for-a-refurb Sota Sapphire for an analog front end (I have "miles" of vinyl)! I will also get a CD player at some point.

For now, I need to find a pair of best-of-breed, truly "budget" speakers. By "budget," I'm talking upper limit of $850/pair. (Gone are my free-spending, single days... I'm a dad now...) :-)

Listening habits: lots of 60's and 70's folk and rock, some jazz, Donald Fagen/Steely Dan, a little classical. Listening volume: not too loud. Sonic preferences: I value transparency and imaging/soundstage. Bass should be accurate above all, as opposed to chest-pounding powerful.

I've looked at Paradigms, which I know are highly regarded at lower price points. Trouble is, our one, local dealer is primarily a TV/home theater outfit, so you're trying to hear them in a showroom crammed with other stuff... you know the drill. I've also hit a high end shop. Listened to a pair of PSB small towers and disliked them; they sounded muddy and veiled to me. Listened to a pair of the smallest Rega's and liked them quite a bit, but would want to go back to listen again. I even wrote to PS Audio for advice; they recommended the "baby" Epos monitors, but they're out of my price range.

Thanks if you've read this far. Knowing how subjective all this is, I'd still welcome any advice you have to offer about what I should try to audition.
rebbi
bondmanp
1,824 posts
 
I've never done any serious listening to the Arros, but I did audition the Preludes (at HE2007 in NYC). For their size and price, they are very impressive. Huge, 3-D soundstage, subwoofer-like bass extension, and clean, smooth, extended highs. They are not, IMO, pinpoint imagers, but for a smaller room and modestly powered amp, I think they are ideal. Not knocking the Arros, but I simply haven't heard them. The only speaker I like more than the Preludes (that I've heard) in their price range, is the DCM TFE200 ($1K/pr). But they are physically too large for your room. The only downside to Silverline products is trying to get a demo. I would contact Alan at Silverline Audio. If he cannot recommend a dealer, he may be able to connect you with an owner in your area. Perhaps for the price of a dinner (pizza and beer?), you can get an audition from an owner, then, if you like them, order from Silverline directly. But be careful: Silverline is not an online retailer with a 30-day return option!
rebbi OP
1,326 posts
 
I am definitely leaning toward getting the Arro at this point. I have noticed, however, that the Ohm Micro Walsh Tall is often mentioned in the same breath with the Arrow. The Arro will cost me something like $1350 plus tax, because I need it in the black ash finish and I've only seen it here used in mahogany or cherry. The Ohm is currently on sale, direct from the manufacturer (and they even give you for months to decide whether or not you want to keep it). It is $1000, shipping included, until the end of next week. Like the Arrow, the Micro Tall really is a tiny little thing, a 6" x 6" tower that stands only 33 inches high. But from all of the reviews I've seen, it shares a lot of the Totem's virtues, including a huge soundstage with a very broad "sweet spot" and surprisingly good bass, provided it is used in a small to medium sized room.

If you have heard the Walsh Micro, whether or not you have a basis for comparing it to the Totem, I would love to hear what you think. People who have the Walsh Micro seem to be extremely devoted to it.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,464 posts
 
If you think a live performance would sound good in your room, and are up for trying something a little different in order to achieve live-like sound from a small, affordable design, and like the idea of saving a couple c-bills perhaps, definitely try the Walsh first. The smaller mini's should not take too long to break in. If they don't float your boat, return them and go for the Totems.
rebbi OP
1,326 posts
 
Mapman,

Thank you. I spoke to John, the owner, and he recommended the Talls. He said that they will reproduce everything but the deepest pipe organ or synth notes, and would sound good in a room my size. Have you heard the Ohms, yourself?
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knownothing
1,620 posts
 
I have heard the Ohms and they sound very different to me than the Arros. The Arros throw a coherent (perhaps even etched) sound field across a broad area, but instrument and voice placement are fairly precise within the sound stage. The Ohms on the other hand throw a more "natural" sound field that relies a lot on reflection and so is less "coherent" than the Arros. In fact, critically listening to the Ohms, I had a hard time pinpointing instrument placement in their sound field compared with most any dynamic loudspeaker I can think of.

I prefer the Arros' presentation, but because of their relative precision, I think they are less forgiving of electronics upstream than the Ohms. Comes down to a matter of choice. I have a close friend who loves his Ohms and has two different pairs (including the talls) as a part of his home entertainment system.

I would listen before you buy.
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