12' x 14' room; $10k budget for speakers; help

Smaller rooms also usually means limited options for speaker placement. One of the most versatile speakers I have heard is the Gradient Revolution. This speaker sounds great in a small room and can be located close to the back wall or even corners. The primary downside for this speaker is that it is not the easiest thing to drive (on the other hand, how loud would one play a speaker in a small room).

The various Audionote (uk) speakers should also be in consideration. These have a warmer sound than the Gradients, and are easier to drive. They are supposed to be place near the room corners, but, I actually like them a little bit away from the corner to keep them from booming excessively.

If you are looking for a lively sounding speaker that works particularly well with tube gear, the tall, thin floorstanding speakers from Synthesis Audio (Italian) are quite nice. For my taste, these might be a bit too lean and bright for Audio Research electronics, but, they are still worth looking into.

I have heard the Sonus Faber Liuto speakers sounding very good in smaller rooms. I have heard these only with solid state gear, so I don't know about compatibility with tube gear.

I also like Proac speakers in setups using tube gear. Both the floorstanding and stand-mounted models sound quite good, particularly with respect to soundstaging.

Probably the hardest to find of speakers I have heard, and liked, in small rooms are the models from Trenner & Friedl (Austrian). These are quite lively sounding, while remaining reasonably rich.

Jean-Marie Reynard (France) makes speakers that are great for classical music (rich, beautifully saturated/dense harmonic structure). They are not the fastest/liveliest speakers, but, every choice involves tradeoffs. I don't know if these are being imported into the US.

You don't mention what amp so not sure of power, but from a sound standpoint some brands/models worth looking at:

Rockport Mira
Joseph Audio Perspectives (or maybe even Pulsars)
Nola
Sonus Faber
Vandersteen Quatro Wood

Given your room is on the smaller side maybe even consider good monitors (i.e. Pulsars) with a good sub or two to help manage bass a little easier.

Best of luck.

If I had your budget, I thik I would allot $8k for the speakers and $2k for room treatments. You will get MUCH better sound using that formula rather than throwing all $10k into the speaks...

-RW-

The room treatment consists of floor to ceiling curtains across the front wall.
An 8' x 10' area rug over hardwood floor.
Side panel absorbers for first reflection.

The Silverline Sonata IIs are 3' from the front wall and 2' from the side walls.

I just deleted a very long post. Be thankful! :-)

FWIW Your goal was my goal, non-fatiguing but very articulate speakers. I found them about 5 years ago. Silverline Boleros. They sound NOTHING like the other full range Silverline speakers which IMHO were voiced for typical audiophiles, i.e. dynamic, articulate, and forward. Especially the Silverline Sonata III which I heard at Silverlines store in the Bay area when I auditioned the Boleros.

What drew me to the Boleros was the selection of the drivers (which other speakers I have used) including the Esotar tweeter. The impedence curve and sensitivity which made them an excellent potential for driving with tubes. Also the speakers drivers are spaced closely together which makes semi nearfield listening possible. I use them in a 13x19x9 room in a classical equallateral triangle and find them both easy to drive, easy to listen to, articulate as hell, and they fully explore the potential for three dimensional soundstage (as one could expect in a room that size). And they are really beautiful speakers. Women visitors love the appearance/size/finish. So do I.

I know the pirce is a bit more than your target, but personal contact with Alan and optimally a listening session might result in some serious price accomodation. BTW, there are several excellent on-line reviews if you are interested.