Budget? What sound characteristics are most important to you?
Bookshelf speakers for small room
I have a small room and listen rather closely. I'm using a Uniti Atom and some older Martin Logan 4s and looking to upgrade the whole system with a great turntable, tube amp and a different DAC. A local dealer demo'd me on the Harbeth P3 XD's and the vocals came through with crystal clarity- loved the sound! But he played it loud and I'm playing at very low volumes (kids, wife, small house).
What are some good bookshelf options for a small room and streamed music (and vinyl) played at lower volumes? A good tube amp/DAC to match??
What are some good bookshelf options for a small room and streamed music (and vinyl) played at lower volumes? A good tube amp/DAC to match??
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- 43 posts total
@ labelman I have owned many small and larger speakers and I always go back to the P3. I have not listened to the newer XD. Ask your dealer if he will let you take a pair for an in home audition. You can find many on line reviews on the Harbeths. This guy likes them as much as I do! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqFIaiPT_kY Same with this guy! https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=harbeth+p3+review&docid=608045663229053633&mid=5D7EB69C... |
Thanks all for responding. Looking forward to your suggestions. Room is 11 x 12. Budget is $15K. I love acoustic guitar, jazz and deep vocals (e.g. Nick Cave) mostly. I listen at lower levels. Oh, and I have Sennheiser HD800s w/ Sennheiser HDVD headphone amp but am not happy with the fatiguing highs so will swap those for perhaps the Focal Clears. @Deadhead- I'm looking at the Luxman L380. I also love vinyl and am finding the TTs are much pricier than I had hoped. Looking at the Luxman L-171. |
The Harbeths sound great at low volumes. If you liked them, I wouldn’t look too much further. In general, you might focus on those British monitors - Harbeth P3, Spendor A1, Falcon LS3/5A, etc. They were made for the type of set up you have, and they do voices extremely well. As an aside, I have owned both the Harbeth P3esr and the P3 Anniversary Model (same/similar to the XD), and I preferred the standard P3esr - a little warmer and more relaxing. Some might argue that the XD is more accurate, but I felt that the standard P3esr really connected me to the music better. Have fun with your search! |
- 43 posts total