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Need Perfect Speakers for Acoustically Hostile Placement

Seeking speaker recommendation. Here is the situation:

 

Cabinetry in our kitchen has two cabinets for speakers. (See photo.) This is next to the ceiling,...about 7-8' off the ground. For the last 8 years, these have had a pair of B&W 705 speakers, wired to a multi-channel amp pushing about 60w. And it has sounded terrible.

 

There are several issues which, I believe, make this an especially "hostile" environment for speakers:

  • No fixed listening position. It is a kitchen. We are all over the place.
  • Next to ceiling...I imagine this creates unhealthy reflections
  • Inside a box. Ugh. It is what it is. Should this disqualify any rear-ported designs?

 

New system:

  • New amp will deliver 140wpc of class A/B power
  • Rebuilt "grills" to allow much more open space
  • I may treat the inside of the cabinetry with absorptive material (should I?)
  • Bookshelf speakers will lay on their side, likely on dampening foam like Auralex Mopads that will reduce vibration and allow some downward tilt

 

Now I need to choose speakers. Any suggestions...?

 

 

 

Thanks in advance.  


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roxy54's avatar
roxy54
8,009 posts
 
Your stated budget is $11,000,000. You can build an new house, buy the speakers of your choice and retire.
kgbspy
60 posts
 
i had similar situation ... with the budget several hundred bucks. i have a small family room with a 55 " tv at the opposite wall and bookshelves on both sides. the speakers had to be placed inside shelves . pair of used Energy C2 biamped (paid $100.)+ PSB SubSeries 200Powered subwoofer (used, paid $35.)hooked up to yamaha RXA730(paid $35) (yes , I’m a cheapskate ! )created a sound I’m surprised. the trick is Yamaha with calibrating mike automatically sets up the level and equalization of all 3 speakers with the divine sound on a budget ... you can repeat the same result or better with similar set up without a budget . and you are correct , the speakers should be front ported.
good luck . Alex
coffee-jerk
73 posts
 
I have a similar situation, and am having very good results with Proac Response D2, which are front-ported and a hair less than 17” tall.  I previously had difficulty using rear-ported Proacs and Dynaudios.  
headphonedreams
527 posts
 
Buchardt S400 might work. Some speaker with a sealed box should work better than a reflex ported.
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,570 posts
 
Oh, 1 million dollars. I though you were nuts:)
I still would take the cabinet out of the equation by using a baffle board (painted like the cabinet to match) and a plate speaker but if you have to stick something in there fill the remaining cavity with old towels or something and make sure the speaker is pushed right up against the grill in the doors (but not touching). I do not think you have to angle the speakers at all. Modern dome tweeters have decent dispersion and treble will bounce right off the ceiling and come right down at you anyway. 
This brings up old memories. I was asked to re due the system in an old mansion. In the living room the speakers, AR 3s were stuffed into the upper shelf of a book case with wicker doors over them. I think you can guess how that sounded😜. The wife was determined to repeat history. And I quote, "I am not going to have f--king ugly boxes ruin my room."
So I sold her on a pair of.....Beveridges! 😎
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