speakers for small room

An update on how to use RAAL phones. I sold my amazing RAAL VM-1a tube headphone amp because I needed money for an amp for the Magnepan LRS+.

I had the new RAAL TI-1b 2-channel amp interface box ($800). I use that with the following:

• Schitt Yggi+ Less is More DAC
• Schitt Aegir amp ($800)
• Schitt Mjolnir Class A preamp ($1100)

The above setup gets me to about 90-95% of the VM-1a tube amp ($7k). So one can get almost the best sound out the RAALs for a rather low price. I got this Schitt gear not because of the price, it was because of the sound.

BTW - The Mjolnir (sp?) is a headphone amp / preamp but I use it as a preamp only. It is not powerful enough for the RAAL CA-1a as a headphone amp. I also cannot use SR1a with them due to the need to do baffle compensation. I use the above Schitt setup as a 2-channel system.

Monitor Audio Gold 200. Specifically designyfor smaller rooms where room dictates placement closer to rear walls. Incredible build & finish, but most notably clean, transparent, and excellent dynamics. The dual rear ports can be individually plugged to tune the bass, both for extension and eliminating thickness on voices. 

Magico A3s work great in my 15’ sq listening room pushing them with Hegel H590. Anything bigger would probably be overkill. Retail for about 16k but available used for under 10. Picked mine up for 9 on the US Audio Mart site. I find that people will justify selling them at a loss when they find “end game” speakers at 50-60% of retail and decide to move up. All genres sound good to me on the A3. It’s the quality of the recordings that make the difference in listening pleasure.

I would definitely consider using dsp room correction. My results are night and day and I’ve tried to do room treatments in the past. Floor standers, room correction and at least one sub would be my suggestion. IMO Lyngdorf RP is the cats meow. I haven’t heard many others besides the cheapy home theater receivers room correction and it was not good for music. 

On the particular Lyngdorf unit if you play vinyl just be aware is digitizes everything. If you can get over that it sounds awesome, sounds like vinyl should.