Passive vs Active...Again!

OP you mentioned you had a lot of art work. I guess it is hanging on the walls. Unless there are a lot of glass on the wall surfaces, you’ll be better off. I’ve seen more than one person with a tons of hanging things from the walls, and ceiling.

Painting on canvas with different types of frames will collect frequencies differently than others. When the frames is convex with raised crown borders vs flat stock, they act a lot different. The second is all of the canvas have air space behind them. They act with a certain amount of absorption and diffusion as long as there is not a lot of glass (there is a place for that too).

I have seen rooms over dampened just because of too much stuff in a room, and not a single piece of acoustic anything anywhere to be seen. LOL

Heavy curtains are what I’ve always suggested and used. WHY? An untreated long wall with high ceiling is a hard thing to tame. Being able to open or close curtains over a long bare (or covered with glass) wall works wonders and you can adjust the amount of dampening too.

I say the same thing every time. Add as much room treatment as you can stand, then start at the bottom and work your way up. BASS (sub) first, NOT last.

Now you can buy just about any speaker you want and it will work. It has to be a real pile to not work from 80hz and greater with ok measurements.

How hard is it to get a speaker to reproduce 100hz to 18khz. 90+ on sensitivity? Personally I used 92% sensitivity wired @ 12 ohms and have for over 20 years on my mains. There is no bass in my mains at all. Kind of defeats the purpose of vibration control if the box is banging away beating on mids and tweeters in the same box.. A different box make good sense to me.. At least be able to limit the mains to 80hz and above..

DBA, Swarm, Second (after room treatment), not last.. If you really want to get fancy go with a OB or IB servo sub system. I use GRs 12" dual OB Servo subs.
Real eye openers vs any other type of sub system..

Happy hunting. 

Regards

I’m BACK. Give me your cloths, Sarah Conner, Where is Sarah Conner?

1. GIK Acoustics makes panels which can have anything you like printed on them.

2. You may want speakers with limited dispersion.  Horns and ESL's are good choices.

3. Plan on a good EQ solution for the bottom end.  I'd recommend something like an Anthem receiver or similar with built in automatic subwoofer/room EQ

You haven’t mentioned price but in my opinion Dutch and Dutch 8c or Kii3 are probably your best bet for getting great sound with minimal room treatments if any in active speakers. The Dutch and Dutch can be placed within 10 centimeters of the front wall. 

oldhvymec - overall great advice! I don't think curtains would work, but maybe some heavier weight roller blinds or something. Then you also gave me a good idea. Fill the voids in the back of those open framed pieces of art with Rockwool!

erik_squires - thanks Erik, I didn't read any great things about the Anthem overall, just the fact that it does have room EQ, Anyways, you talked me into purchasing the same amp that you have. It's on lay-a-way, so I could change it, I guess?

djones51- "Dutch and Dutch 8c or Kii3" Those are the other 2 models I was exactly thinking of besides the Genelec's, but they aren't pretty either, especially for the price! Same price I would be at with separate, maybe even less. And, speaking on unattractive, did you audition the Devialets when you were on the hunt for actives? 

russ69 +1 now that's funny! :-)

Not really. If loudspeakers don't sound good in the most likely environment they will be in, the designer failed. That is not to say the environment can't be improved with treatments.