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Recommendations for against the wall high efficiency speakers

I’m a believer in synergy, not individual components.   I’m setting up a new system in my condo and like most condos, I’ve got some limitations.   My room is 16’ wide and 35’ long, 9’ height.   The system will be placed 2/3 down on the long wall.   It’s the living room and my wife says no ugly room treatments as it’s our living room.   Just to head this off - I don’t need a new wife.    I listen at moderate levels (usually 70-85db).   Mostly progressive rock and jazz, all streamed, no phono.   Budget is $8k, for used speakers.   Once the speakers are mostly set, I'll work on amps, preamp, DAC, streamer, & cables ($25k all in budget, all used components).

 

The speakers will need to be placed right up next to the wall, so I was thinking of Ohm or Larsen, but these aren't very efficient – are there other options?   I’d like much higher efficiency as I like the dynamic presentation I generally get with that setup, but I don’t know of any efficient speakers I can place next to the wall.

 

I can add subs, if necessary, but I do need to take into account my neighbors above and below me.

 

I should add that historically, I've really preferred the sound of dipoles or open-baffle designs, but I don't have the space for them here.

 

Any suggestions or recommendations for my new-to-me main speakers?

noodlyarm
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lonemountain
450 posts
 

When you say up against wall, which wall?  Are up against the front wall (the wide wall you look at while listening) or the side walls?  Two different strategies depending on which wall.  Up against side walls affects first reflection issues and a wide dispersion seeker might NOT be the best plan.  This is the one rare case where a narrow dispersion speaker can work better to keep sound off the side walls.  IF against the wider front wall AND you can get them away from side walls (meaning not in a corner), then wide dispersion is back on the option list so you can sit in a. larger area and still hear good sound.  

SO I work for them, as a caveat, as the US importer, but ATC developed a speaker for home theater I use myself at home.  I have an LCR of HTS40 passives.   This is a three way speaker that actually hangs on the wall.  They are serious speakers, but optimized to sound better mounting to the wall as tropically most speakers have too much bass once they are against a wall pr close to a wall.  ATC makes an entire range of hand made speakers that hang on walls called HTS.  Here's a link to the group so you can see what I mean: https://www.lonemountainaudio.com/2017/05/atc-introduces-home-theatre-series-on-wall-loudspeakers/

Brad

 

noodlyarm OP
103 posts
 

The right speaker will be placed 6-7 feet from the side wall along the front wall (facing the stereo).   The left speaker will be about 8-10 feet from the right one (a long ways from the left wall).   All placements are theoretical at this moment until I get the speakers in here and start playing with them.


@lonemountain, thank you for the suggestion on ATC.   And thank you all for your thinking and suggestions.

ozzy62's avatar
ozzy62
3,129 posts
 

@grislybutter

 

Your list is flawed. There is no such thing as a LaScala AK6.

 

And I don’t think many here would consider 90 db as high efficiency. That’s more like average.

grislybutter
2,988 posts
 

@ozzy62 you understanding of the word "flawed" is flawed. Same for high efficiency. But.... good effort.

dsockel
46 posts
 

@noodlyarm There is at least 1 Audio Note dealer in South Florida. You can find all their US dealers on the Audio Note website.

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