Small speakers...big sound??
nht Classic 3. Three way speakers in a very compact package, about 14" high. Music is very full, and if you really need the bottom octave, get the Classic Subwoofer 10 or 12, or better yet a pair. But I find the Classic 3 sufficient without subs. Otherwise, PSB Alpha, Imagine or Image depending on your budget. |
You know... normally I don't do the whole "x3" bit, but I agree with the Mark and Daniel recommendations. Honestly... Those little Mini's / Mini+ monitors should work nicely in your situation. Speaking from an objective point of view, I feel like the Mini's have a 'maturity' to their sound that is lacking in some of the other M&D models that I've heard. They do a lot of great things, and I wish more people knew about them. Alas, there is a caveat worth mentioning.. These speakers consume rain forests for power. OK.. not really. But for casual to elevated listening volumes, I'd heavily encourage you to pair them with a power amp that is capable of dishing out a muscular 50wpc or more. Otherwise, you should be good to go! |
If you can wait until they hit the stores, the new GoldenEar Aon series, especially the $998/pair Aon 3, looks promising. It's not listed as a product yet on GoldenEar's website , but it's been showing up at shows. Here's a picture and description . I've heard the GoldenEar Triton 2, which shares the same folded ribbon tweeter (a much evolved Heil AMT-style driver) and the treble is extended and smooth and the drivers are exceptionally well integrated. GoldenEar claims usable bass down to 38 Hz on the Aon 3's. Oops! I just remembered another approach which might work for you. What if you got some compact omnidirectional satellites and a couple of "stealth" subwoofers? I'm speaking specifically of the Mirage OMD-5 satellites. The OMD-5's were originally $750/pair but are available from Vanns.com for $340-400/pair. With an omnidirectional radiating pattern, they are very room-filling. I have the OMD-15 floorstanders which use the same mid and tweet, and they definitely fill up the listening space. The OMD-5s work best with one or two subs as the satellites are only rated down to about 60 Hz. The MM8 sub is a 1200 w (peak) 9" cube made to sell at $799. I managed to score mine at $279 from Vann's at eBay but it looks like that sale is off. They're a great match, however, as they are extremely fast and blend easily with a 0-360 deg. continuous phase control. Or you might get a pair of OMD-5's and get a single sub from somewhere else, such as SVS. At any rate, the omnidirectional dispersion pattern of the OMD-5s gives them a big advantage in being able to fill a room, or even a larger listening space such as an open architecture cathedral ceiling living space. The subs would fill out the bottom. Bear in mind that in spite of their $340/pair closeout price the OMD-5s were designed to compete at $750/pair and have that level of dynamics, transparency, and linearity. |
