Loudspeaker Recommendations: Standmount or Small Footprint Floorstanding under $2k

Hi folks,

Wow! Thanks for all the replies. Seems like the Nola Boxer is getting a lot of nods so I’ll read up on those.

I’ve done the subwoofer thing in the past and found I was fiddling with the settings more often than sitting and listening. But perhaps moving up to a small Rel will offer better results.

My room is approximately 13’’ wide by 20’ long. It’s an open family room space with a half wall that goes into the kitchen, and also peels off to hallway that’s to the right of the stereo. Not much I can do about that, but I know I’m loosing a lot of bass as it sound moves down the hall.

You can see photos here: https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/7783
[I have since upgraded the TT to a Clearaudio Concept]

As for other brands I’ve demoed I dig ProAcs, Harbeths and Chartwells (although these are out of my budget at the moment). Not sure if that gives an idea of the flavor I’m after.

There is a listing here for Harbeth P3’s rosewood for $1525.00. You should make an offer on them!

another vote for the Nola Boxer.  I've had the original ones for five years and added a Rythmik L12 sub.  when set up right they are superb. 

I haven’t heard your current speakers, so can’t speak to how some of these suggestions compare, but these are some of the speakers I’ve used in a fairly nearfield situation that can be found within your budget.

Harbeth P3ESR. I love these and they rival my main system in terms of detail, instrument separation, and enjoyment. I have a small SVS SB12 NSD sub in this system to flesh out the bottom end. My room is fairly small, about 12 X 12 with no treatment of any kind. The speakers are maybe 5 - 6 feet from my listening position.

In your larger room, something like the Focal 1008 BE might have more body and presence and will do well with imaging and detail and musical separation. I tried them in the aforementioned room and they were good, but a little too much for that small space. They are now in my home office and sound great there.

Canton makes some very nice speakers, but they don’t seem to be very well known in the US. They are German made. I have the Vento Reference 9.2 DC which are currently available at accessories4less for $1200, which is a steal for speakers of this quality. They are not quite as detailed as the other two I mentioned, but are very easy to listen to and produce a surprising amount (and quality) of low end for their size.

It’s possible you’re looking for improvements in the wrong place. I have not heard the Heed Obelisk, but owned the Heed Elixir for a short period of time. I liked it at first, but over time realized it was a bit grainy and hard compared to some of my other integrateds (Peachtree Nova 300 and ARC VSi55). Perhaps the Obelisk doesn’t suffer from those faults? The reviews I read about the Elixir didn’t match my listening impressions and the Obelisk is supposed to be better than the Elixir, so I may be off base.