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Suggestions: Interesting small speakers with flexible placement

Hey guys. Long time member. Proud owner of some Ohm Walsh 2s with Parasound electronics. 
 

i just moved into a new apartment and am looking for speakers for my bedroom. It’s relatively small at 500 square feet. I have some weird considerations that have led me to eliminate a lot of typical choices. Looking for any ideas on speakers that could work!

requirements:

 

* listening position is the bed, but I’d like wide sweet spot so that I can enjoy them as I dress, which would place me well outside of the typical listening triangle. 
* they are going to have to be fairly close to the wall. Probably no more than 6” from the wall to the back of the speaker

* unless they are omnis or something, they will likely have to be in an actual bookcase or on a dresser

* they should look interesting and sculptural

* price range under $3k retail for a pair

 

will accept any suggestions. I love floor standers but doubt this room can accommodate any. Omni directional or other unusual designs encouraged. 

128x128ledhed2222
rar1's avatar
rar1
1,755 posts
 

Placement on top of a dresser or even on top of a bookcase, will yield much better results than inside a bookcase.  Inside a bookcase leads to a box inside a box situation and that is just tough to work around.

I have had speakers placed in this manner for most of my life (65) and have found that you don't have to go crazy price wise, so your budget is more than enough.  

Just realize that the goal is to get things to sound good.  Some of the audiophile niceties will get lost with this type of set-up, but that is ok.

Of current production speakers, I have had the most success with:

Omega Super 7MKII - $1K -(have also had the Super 3i & CAMs.  The Super 7s are preferable.  Used with a Rega Brio integrated)

GoldenEar BRX - $1700 - (currently in use with a Rogue Sphinx integrated).  The Aon models could satisfy the look factor you want.  

In a small bedroom you can also get creative with your choice of amp.  You don't need tons of power.  Something like a Jolida Glass FX 10 or even a vintage receiver (thinking something like a Marantz 2216B) could look very cool.

Good luck.

 

djones51
4,947 posts
 

https://www.genelec.com/home-speakers

Use wall mounts 

ctsooner
2,480 posts
 

My favorite small speaker made for shelf or up against wall placement are the rarely talked about Vandersteen VLR carbon fiber tweeter.  Asked on the 70k+ Model 7 XTRM. 
 

they make a much less expensive version with the ceramic tweeter I believe. It s a must audition IMHO. It’s ver detailed while keeping its smoothness.  Sounds much larger than they are. I’ve heard them with an all in one Naim unit as well as with a system with Audio research integrated. They always scale and deliver. 

ledhed2222's avatar
ledhed2222 OP
45 posts
 

@jasonbourne52 - I thought about some smaller Walshes, but wanted to go with something different from my other speakers :) They are awesome though, especially in how flexible they are with placement, right!?

@rar1 - good tips I have to take a look at these!

@djones51 Thanks for the suggestion!
 

@ctsooner - I was looking at the VLRs, actually. Any ideas on how to get a hold of these to audition? Was the all-in-one Naim you saw them with a Muso Qb?


By the way, does anyone have thoughts on Sonab speakers, or their reincarnation as the Teenage Engineering OD-11? Those are getting hard to find in the US.

mlsstl
1,414 posts
 

I have Ohm 1000s in my living room and Golden Ear BRXs in my bedroom.  They are quite different in the way they interact with the rooms (quasi-omni versus front-firing box) but both sound excellent, though my preference is for the Ohms. 

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