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Help Me Interim Speakers Suggestions?

Health & location problems are forcing me to move from my big house with my 24' x 22' listening room to a much smaller house or condo. This will require me to part with my beloved B&W 802 with accompanying large outboard Northcreek crossovers, as the combo will take up too much space in a smaller room. Plus, I need to simplify & downsize my complex system. Most likely my new place will end up having a 16 x 14 room, or smaller, and will be either a living room or a bedroom.

I find speakers to be one of the hardest things to choose, and expect it will be some time until I find something full range yet not overly large that I will be happy with. So, I'm looking to pick up some bookshelf or floor standing speakers on Audiogon that will sound good and be easy to resell a little later.

Any suggestions? Thoughts of mine were PSB Stratus Gold Mini, Vandersteen 1C, Thiels. I like accuracy and clarity, but not coldness. I don't find my 802's cold, just accurate, and since I use tubes, I have an accurate, but slightly warm overall result. Appreciate your suggestions.
kevziek
kurt_tank
1,189 posts
 
I have not heard the Harbeths, so I can make no judgement on them.

However, I have heard the Tetra speakers, and they do sound incredible, especially for the size and price.

Another thought is the small Sonus Faber speakers (I can not remember the model) sound very musical, virtually disappearing from the sound stage. I bit colored, but in a good way.)

The Revel M20s might also be a good choice. Very accurate, great soundstaging, but not the deepest of bass obviously.

Good Luck in your search.
centurymantra
133 posts
 
I would chime in with another Harbeth recommendation. I recently purchased a set of HL-P3ES monitors for a smaller upstairs room and must say that they are very nice and possessing of a certain alluring quality that is difficult to summarize. Detailed and accurate yet NOT at all cold...IMHO at any rate. Decent bass for their size as well and quite flexible with set-up.
kevziek OP
323 posts
 
Thanks for your suggestions. I have heard good things about Harbeths, but I'm looking for something I can find at close to half of retail on Audiogon, so I can later resell it. It doesn't appear I'll be finding such deals on Harbeth, or Tetra or Dulcet.

I remember a large minimonitor of Sonus, perhaps the Amator? It did sound great. Nice and full, robust. If this was colored, I sure didn't care. But they were expensive speakers. At a price point I'm not considering are the Sonus Cremonas. In the setup I heard, I found them to be too laidback and wondered what all the excitement about them was. Sounded totally different than the Amators I remember.

How about NHT? I read Stereophile's Nov.99 review of the 2.9 (not a small speaker, but take up less room than my 802's w/crossovers), but was turned off by a comment that the midrange was almost a bit recessed and there was a bit of shrillness on top, and the bass so flat, that there lacked the nice rounded fullness that a small bass plateau gives to the sound.

Don't know if I'd like Thiels, as they may sound too thin and analytical. Other suggestions greatly appreciated.
budrew
467 posts
 
Also consider JM Reynaud speakers. Sound great according to your needs and are popular yet somewhat rare on Audiogon so should be fairly easy to resell.
kkursula
95 posts
 
If still own PS audio amp, i think i would consider Vandersteen 1c, as you suggested yourself.
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