Best Monitor Up To 5K - Tube Friendly


I've put together a nice little home office system, but feel that my weakest link right is my monitors. This new system is: Cary SLI-80, Cary CD-303, Silverline SR15's, Soliloquy S-10 sub and Chang conditioner (DH Labs Q-10 biwire and Air Matrix).

Although I am extremely happy with the Silverlines, and they soundstage their ass off, I would like something with a much heavier bottom end. The office is rather smallish, about 11X16, and integrating the S-10 has been difficult.

My problem in bringing the S-10 up to around 70hz is that it makes it's location known. Two octaves in the other direction (50hz) and the thing vanishes. Since I do not have the liberty to mess around with placement, the only thing I can think to do is spend more $$$ on a better pair of monitors.

Let me know what some of you "fans" of this type setup think.

Thanks,

March
marchman
Marchman: I auditioned the Sonatas at the same time as the SR-17's. I started using mini monitors in the late 70's to early 80's so am accustomed their wide dispersion angle and therefore find wider floorstanders to sound a bit odd at first. I did however really like the sound of the Sonatas and enjoyed listening to them. This was also in a fairly large room though (approx. 20 x 30) and I can't imagine how they would sound in a small room. I would look into this first since your's is on the small side. Another speaker that might be interesting is the Harbeth 7 that Charlie and Paul at the site are using (I know that Charlie is using his in a small office with very good results), though these are large stand mounters.
Marchman,

The Meadowlark Herons apparently have some way of adjusting them for a smaller room, could be a possibility. But I gotta tell ya, my Shearwaters mate beautifully with the sli80 and they go way down, definitely enough bass for me, but then again I'm not listening to very loud rock. The Shearwaters do a perfect job on acoustic bass, even Charlie Haden's super huge bottom end, no problem. If there's somewhere you can listen to them, I'd give 'em a try. Soundstaging is also top notch.