ProAc DT8 vs D20R

First of all, why are your existing speakers 14" from the wall? Is that where they perform optimally or is this position for aesthetic reasons such as room furnishings, WAF, etc.? If you cannot place the speakers where they sound best, it will do no good to purchase better ones in the ProAc line. Instead you should be considering speakers which work well in a room your size and near the wall. I would suggest that before you spend any money, experiment with speaker placement first, it can make a huge difference in the areas you are looking to improve upon and costs nothing at all unless there are matrimonial restrictions involved.

Got no options with the speakers placement! Thanks for the advice.

I have owned a lot of different ProAc speakers and currently own the D-40r.

I think there are two significant improvements in some of the older models.

The ribbon tweeters IMO are much better than the previous dome tweeters. The bottom porting has made the speakers easier and more flexible in placement.

i agree w statements about...

1) if the placement position cannot be altered, it somewhat diminishes the value of upgrading speakers ... but that does not mean improvement cannot be had... i would reiterate going with a single bass driver proac models (and with bottom ports) to lessen the bass boom, and the standmount/sub suggestion is even more on target

2) ribbon tweeter models offer more refinement than prior cloth dome models, and a bit less treble amplitude ... that being said, the dome tweeter models can be more aggressive with the wrong source and amplification, but equipment matching can solve (specifically tube amps -- one must realize that all historic response models with the scan speak drivers were voiced by stuart tyler on audio research tube gear, specifically the classic 30, v70 and vt100 series...) - but driving response speakers with solid state gear will give somewhat more ’transparency’ and upper register aggressiveness than intended

i do not agree to...

the notion of blindly spend more on the best pro ac model that one can afford... larger cabinet multi driver proacs are made for larger rooms, more absolutely output level, more power handling -- this may not be suitable for many home environments with normal sized listening rooms ... as is always the case, room / speaker interface is absolutely KEY

@erastof,I own the ProAc D48R and love them. But I have to agree with @aewarren about the placement. If you do not have much space behind and to the side of speakers then the bass boom and muddiness in the midrange will remain. They way to mitigate them are to have bass absorbers on the corners and monster panels on the wall behind where you sit. You will have to experiment with that. I think the D20R will have less bass than the DT8. But with the ribbon tweeters, it should have better clarity.