Schwantner, Thanks. With every store closed, it will be very difficult to try the speakers, although some on-line retailers do allow for 30 day return. I'm hoping I don't have to return though.
Very small room! Help me with monitor speakers
I am sure some of you are tired of reading all the similar posts asking for help picking the right monitor speakers, but with the risk of boring you, please read this one too!
When I was really young, I was fascinated by very small salt-water aquariums full of vibrant, beautiful live plants and fish since I knew the smaller the tank, the harder it is to have the occupants stay alive, let alone do well and thrive. I experimented with building my own and was semi successful... ;-)
I now find myself in a similar situation. I am trying to build a good sounding system in my very small (10 x 9 ft small!) office. Unlike many here, I don't have a big budget. I have painstakingly upgraded many parts in an old EL34 based tube amp (around 35 watts per channel) that I would like to use, or I could go with a Rotel 100W per channel solid state stereo amp depending on the speakers. For source, I'm using an Oppo DAC connected to my Mac for digital music (Flac and DSD files). I will be adding a turntable and phono preamp later. My current speakers are Martin Logan Motion 15 bookshelf speakers and while they sound okay, I feel there is a lot of room for improvement. I listen to many types of music, but primarily Jazz, some mellow rock and old electronic music (the likes of Jean-Michel Jarre, Kraftwerk, The Art of Noise, etc.). I have done some acoustic treatments to my room which has helped. Speakers will be fairly close to the back-wall (around 1ft) and about 6-7 feet from each other.
I am looking for speakers under $2k, and here's what I am hoping for:
- Good sound at lower volumes since I listen a lot at nights, but with the ability to handle higher volumes when needed
- Large sound stage, revealing, a little warm, clean, and with high dynamics and definitely good with vocals
I am not looking for really analytical and super accurate speakers - I want to listen, relax and enjoy the music late at nights.
Since I can't go to stores and listen to different speakers, I've been reading a lot and feel these speakers could be good. If you have any real life experience with these, could you please tell me about what you liked and disliked and if they meet the criteria above? BTW, I am definitely open to buying used as well...
- LSA-10 Signature
- Silverline Minuet Grand
- Revel Performa3 M105
- Canton Reference 9k
- Xavian Perla Esclusiva
I appreciate all your comments and help!
When I was really young, I was fascinated by very small salt-water aquariums full of vibrant, beautiful live plants and fish since I knew the smaller the tank, the harder it is to have the occupants stay alive, let alone do well and thrive. I experimented with building my own and was semi successful... ;-)
I now find myself in a similar situation. I am trying to build a good sounding system in my very small (10 x 9 ft small!) office. Unlike many here, I don't have a big budget. I have painstakingly upgraded many parts in an old EL34 based tube amp (around 35 watts per channel) that I would like to use, or I could go with a Rotel 100W per channel solid state stereo amp depending on the speakers. For source, I'm using an Oppo DAC connected to my Mac for digital music (Flac and DSD files). I will be adding a turntable and phono preamp later. My current speakers are Martin Logan Motion 15 bookshelf speakers and while they sound okay, I feel there is a lot of room for improvement. I listen to many types of music, but primarily Jazz, some mellow rock and old electronic music (the likes of Jean-Michel Jarre, Kraftwerk, The Art of Noise, etc.). I have done some acoustic treatments to my room which has helped. Speakers will be fairly close to the back-wall (around 1ft) and about 6-7 feet from each other.
I am looking for speakers under $2k, and here's what I am hoping for:
- Good sound at lower volumes since I listen a lot at nights, but with the ability to handle higher volumes when needed
- Large sound stage, revealing, a little warm, clean, and with high dynamics and definitely good with vocals
I am not looking for really analytical and super accurate speakers - I want to listen, relax and enjoy the music late at nights.
Since I can't go to stores and listen to different speakers, I've been reading a lot and feel these speakers could be good. If you have any real life experience with these, could you please tell me about what you liked and disliked and if they meet the criteria above? BTW, I am definitely open to buying used as well...
- LSA-10 Signature
- Silverline Minuet Grand
- Revel Performa3 M105
- Canton Reference 9k
- Xavian Perla Esclusiva
I appreciate all your comments and help!
- ...
- 32 posts total
You should also consider Dynaudio speakers. I had the Fourty for about three months. A monitor sized box that sounded like a big one after a month of "burning in". Very high resolution, stunning colors, deep and wide soundstage and very clear definition of instruments and voices. If you listen to hires files out of your PC, this could be an ideal match. Also look for "normal" (not jubilee) Dynaudio models in this range. Their midrange/bass drivers are world class, but don't cost a fortune. Greetz, Hans |
https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649496129-dynaudio-xeo-4-wireless-speakers-black-newinbox-full-w... There are multiple options on Audio Mart as well as here. |
oddiofyl, thank you for the comment regarding Revel M106. It is definitely on my short list. Was it easy to drive and listen to at lower volumes? stereohans, Dynaudio speakers, specifically the Evoke series were on my list initially, but some of the not so great reviews and also the need for high power to drive them made me decide against them. That's one of the negatives of a speaker getting a lot of attention, like the Dynaudio Special Forty or Buchardt S400. A lot of reviews get written and while most are really great some will not be that great. On the other hand, the speakers that don't have a lot of following only have one or two reviews that are generally really good. Schwantner, thanks for your response. Yes, there are many, many bookshelf speakers and also many used ones on sale. I am not looking for wireless or active speakers, and I am also looking for a few specific qualities such as high efficiency in the speaker as stated in my original post. |
- 32 posts total