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Downsizing Speakers in Main Listening Room - Your Feedback on Some options

All,

So I am looking to move to a smaller speaker to allow better low volume listening and possibly a little change in sound quality. I like the sound of my PSB Synchrony 1s at higher volumes - not room shaking but loud enough I am asked to turn it down when other family around <smile!> They could still use bit more bass kick (not thumping  loud - just a bit more punch). So I am thinking a higher quality bookshelf for closer, lower volume listening that still has some bite.

My current system is the following:
  * Speakers: PSB Synchrony 1
  * Integrated Amp - Ayre Ax-7e
  * CD/SACD - Ayre C5xeMP CD Player
  * DAC - PS Audio DLlll
  * Sonos Connect
  * Cables - Morrow MA4 Balanced Interconnects/Morrow SP3 Bi-wire Speaker Cables

Room setup is roughly 16'x20' (one side is open to adjoining room and dining area). Theater sloped higher away from setup -- starting at 7.5' to about 16'. Standard living room with fireplace and windows - hardwood floors, but have the usual rugs and furniture. Speakers are about 8' apart (slight toe in) and about 10' from main sitting position. Done usual minor acoustic tweaks to try to improve sound - within reason as this is the main living room.

Listen to all music genres but country(sorry) -- but most often jazz, rock, world.

Recent speakers I have enjoyed -- Aerial Acoustic 7t and Sonus Faber Olympica I and III. Enjoy the sound of both even though they are different (and different from my PSBs, which again I like as well).

So I am considering the following bookshelf speakers and just a few smaller floor standers (most looking at buying used), budget is max at about $2,500(used):

BOOKSHELF:
  * Sonus Faber Olympic I, Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor M, Sonus Faber Liuto, Sonus Faber Venere 2.0
  * Dali Epicon, Dali Euphonia
  * Monitor Audio PL100, Monitor Audio Gold 100 (or GSX 100)
  * Focal 1008 BE
  * Aerial Acoustic 5t
  * ATC SCM 11 v2

FLOOR STANDERS:
 * Monitor Audio Gold 200
 * Aerial Acoustic 6t
 * Sonus Faber Liuto 

So while I am expecting to listen to several of these in coming months - probably cannot access all of them -- likely will hear Monitor Audio, Aerial Acoustic, and again Sonus Faber.

So please give me your best feedback on the list above and feel free to comment in any capacity. Thank you for your valuable opinions!

sbleam
audiotroy's avatar
audiotroy
3,932 posts
 
Your $2500 budget is a little low to get something way better than the Synco 1 low level detail has a lot to do with a systems resolution. 

Have you tried or considered moving to a much better digital front end as the PS unit you have is an ok dac and the Ayre is also an older starter player. 

The Monitor Audio Platinum PL 100 monitors are impressive but they will not have the bass to fill out such a large room  and they lean towards a more agressive treble but the detail and clarity are fantastic.

Based on the amount of room you need to fill you really need the bass response of a set of floorstanders.

A used set of PSB T3 would really impress you as they are way better in every way over the Syncro 1 and they have fantastic bass.

The ATC SCM 19 are amazing monitors but sill will require a woofer in that size room. The 19 are a huge improvement over the 11. 

So I would recommend you save your pennies sell your Syncro Ones and move the T3 also still upgrade your Dac, check out the Mytek super detailed a little cold but overall great. the Aqua Hifi La voice is a super sweet punchy dac, and the T+A Dac 8 is just remakable. These are all dacs we sell, we haven't tested all the others on the market. 

Hope that helps.

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ
willemj
1,036 posts
 
I think this is bad advice. Floorstanders are a bad idea in a small room because of their uneven in room response. Changing the electronics is unlikely to make much of an audible difference, if at all. A bit more power might help, but that is about it.
If you want to create the budget for much better speakers you could, however, sell much of the electronics, use the Sonos as a digital preamplifier, and get a beefy pro audio amplifier like the recently discontinued Yamaha Pxxxs series. See here for a real review (in French): http://www.homecinema-fr.com/forum/amplificateurs-de-puissance-haute-fidelite/mesures-ampli-yamaha-p...
I appreciate this offends many hard boiled audiophiles, but electronics make very little difference to the sound (unless tubes because their frequency response under real load is usually far from flat). Underpowered amplifiers do degrade the sound because of clipping distortion and compression.
The best speakers for the room will make an enormous difference, however, and far more than the differences between different decent quality electronics. In a room of that size I would opt for the Harbeth M30.1, with two (or four) smallish subwoofers, equalized by an Antimode 8033. Harbeths are beautifully clean and sweet.
audiotroy's avatar
audiotroy
3,932 posts
 
Willem his room is 16 by 20 and is open floor plan. That means more bass.

Your 4 woofer idea is great from an acoustic point of view but for many audiophiles who dont have dedicated rooms this will never happen.

Îf he has to turn it up to hear detail means he is lacking resolution.

The T3 have amazing deep bass and are clearer then the syncos.
willemj
1,036 posts
 
Did I say he has to turn up the volume?
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