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Speakers for a very large room?

Reader of posts for a few years but have not posted a serious question until now. Currently have McIntosh integrated tube amp with some old KEF speakers. While I enjoy it in my current setting, I am moving to a house where my listening room will be 30' x 40' x 10'. It has polished concrete floors. Sounds like a grocery store but it is not. I suspect I will need to change speakers but really have no clue where to start. I listen mostly to progressive rock but also anything in the same general area. I don't know where to start with such a room? I am at least 3 hours from any major city. I did experience Treo CTs once and to bright for my ears and Wilsons but did not care for the visual appearance though liked the sound better. It was a few years ago so can't better define what I liked.  Not a great resume of listening experience but it is what it is at this point. For some reason, which may be completely wrong, I am thinking electrostatic may work well in this setting. I could easily move them 5 feet out from the back wall but then again I really don't know what I am talking about. Any kind comments would be appreciated.

Rich
ricmci
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islandmandan
1,260 posts
 
I'm glad Stanley (Stringreen), mentioned Tannoy. In my room (16.5' W X 34' L w/cathedral ceilings), my custom built Tannoy 12" HPD's (they also come in 15"), work great in my large room, with no room treatments, though my carpeted wood floors play a significant part in taming room issues.

I couldn't afford anything new, so I bought vintage ca 1975 drivers and had massive 150 liter bass-reflex enclosures made for them. 2009 prices, it was around $5000. I don't know that I would trade them for anything. Horn speakers are an attractive alternative, though the upper mids and treble frequencies in the HPD's are handled with  concentric horn tweeters. Ebay UK is the best place to find them, I've found.

Hope you find the exact right thing for you, and your SO. Regards,
Dan
ricmci OP
219 posts
 
Thanks you all for the responses.  I will definitely look into the Tannoys.  Never thought about horns but will research.  I am not sure I have very many options other than to make the large room work.  System certainly not going in the master bedroom.  Other smaller room will be a bedroom and the other will be a gym.  Smaller detached carriage house would be perfect but then not ideal for entertaining guests or having my family enjoy it.  I am going to get it set up and see what needs improving.  I suspect first thing will be consideration of some room treatments as suggested by many of you.  

Thanks, Rich 
ibmjunkman's avatar
ibmjunkman
244 posts
 
Your SO likes polished concrete?
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grandsoleil39
4 posts
 
McIntosh Tube Integrated + Big Room = Klipsch.  The amp would seem to suit the horn loaded speakers inherent high sensitivity.  Plus you got the big room to put in the K-horns, and many of us are jealous of that and want you to make it happen for us! I have Maggies in a room half the size of yours, and my MA-6200 (Mac SS integrated, so not totally equivalent) had a hard time rolling “London Calling” uphill this morning before work.  Sounds great, but not authoritative.  Wolf Garcia makes a great point about your listening area being more important than having great sound everywhere.  My loft experience in the 90s had people listening in a specific area of the raw space.  I would try the KEFs out first before making a move.  My experience with some legacy 103.2s on stands and 100+ wpc makes me think you might have a starting point already in hand.
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