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Floorstanding Speakers - 12'x14' Room

I have a 2-channel audio system which I have moved from my basement to my main floor living room. This living room is 12' x 14' with the system along the 12' back wall. The living room has a cathedral ceiling which goes from 8' on the left side to 12' on the right side. Also the right side does not have a side wall since this is the opening to my hallway. Experimenting with my existing bookshelf / subwoofer combo has revealed that I must adopt a toe-in configuration to avoid early reflections from the left side.

I'm interested in replacing my existing bookshelf / subwoofer combo by a pair of floorstanding speakers. However, I don't want something too big where I will not be able to control the bass.

By the looks of it, the speakers would be about 9' apart and 2' from the back wall. On the right side, the speaker would be about 1.5' from the side wall.

So far, I've narrowed down my possibilities to the following:

Gershman Sonogram
Totem Forest
B&W 804S
Definitive Technology Mythos STS
Aperion Intimus 6T
Duevel Planets

My power amp is a Linn Akurate 4200 and I listen to all types of music except country / western. I what something that will sound great low volume but that can also dish-it-out at high volume.

Would all these work with my living room? Any other recommendations?
agiaccio
agiaccio OP
147 posts
 
Last night I received my new furniture for my 12' x 14' living room. As it turns out, the furniture is quiet bulky leaving no room for floor standing speakers, especially if I would need adequate room to make them breath.

Therefore, I'm back at a pair of monitors on stands.

My existing bookshelf speakers (Linn Katan) are rated at 60Hz – 20kHz (Aktiv) with an efficiency rating of 85 dB.

I would like to replace these with a more efficient (easier to drive) monitor that will play equally well at both low volume and high volume and that is front ported. I’m using a 200W solid state power amplifier in my 2-channel audio system. Also, if possible, I would like to either get rid of my existing subwoofer (Linn Sizmik 10.25) or get a “better matching” subwoofer with the new monitors. Due to my budget of $2000-$3000, I may hold-off on the subwoofer for now and get better monitors.

Depending on the dimensions of the monitors, it looks like there will be about 1.0-1.5 feet of space behind it and they will be about 6.5 feet apart.

By the way, I listen to all types of music, except country / western.

A friend has suggested the ProAc Response D Two. Any other monitor suggestions / recommendations?
cruz123
586 posts
 
I would suggest looking at the Merlin TSM, which are in your budget. The ideal listening triangle for the TSM is 6.5 feet apart and the listening position 9-9.5 feet away. I have mine set about 1.5 from the wall (measured from the rear). Better yet they are a sealed design, which makes them easier to place in a small room. In my experience, even front ported speakers can introduce some "boom", especially if your placement options are limited. If you decide to go with a ported design, experiment with plugging the port for better integration.

I am using a Martin Logan Dynamo sub that works pretty well for the money, but there are better choices out there. I've been thinking of upgrading to a 10" Velodyne SPL or DD sub that reportedly have very good built in equiliaztion software that aids in room integration.
trianglezerius's avatar
trianglezerius
119 posts
 
How about the GR-Research NEO-2X? As a kit there around $800 but will easily compete in the $3k range.
ryder
1,690 posts
 
You mentioned twice there isn't any side wall on the right side since it's an opening to the hallway, and on the other hand you stated the the right speaker is 1.5' from the side wall. So, which is true? If there is no side wall on the right, the width of your room isn't exactly 12' and that may allow consideration for bigger speakers.

At any rate, I generally agree that monitors on stands coupled with a subwoofer is a better option in smaller rooms to avoid overloading of the room that may cause boom. Small bookshelves often sound better in small rooms with pin-point imaging but a subwoofer(or a pair) is necessary to complete the package. Your friend's recommendation on the Proac Response D Two is a good one. I am not sure what is it that you dislike about your current Linn Katan but the Proacs are really good speakers. I just acquired a 2nd pair of Proac Tablette 50 Signatures and found them to be very musical and engaging. A subwoofer is a must for these speakers even in small rooms. I have them in a dedicated room with diffusors on front wall and absorption panels on side walls and these small little speakers sound quite amazing. Good luck.
ausjoe
98 posts
 
You mentioned The frequency of the Katans in Aktiv (active) mode. Is that how you run them with your Linn amp? If not that might be your first step before selling the Katans. Or another Linn option? Linn speakers do sound better used in active mode.
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