Speakers for Large room.

fatheroftwo

New Member
I am quite new here and need some help. I have been researching speakers and the information is completely overwhelming and over my head. Here is my dilemma. The room I will be using is 25'x25' with 16' Cathedral ceilings. I am trying to figure out what type of speakers will work best for this environment? I have an Onkyo Integra m504 and Onkyo Integra p308. My budget is around $2k. I have heard so much about just listening to speakers and choosing what sounds good but I don't think too many places have a room like mine. I also don't think there are a lot of places that will let me try before I buy. Any advice is greatly appreciated. BTW, $2000 is the top of my budget for now. Thanks in advance for your help.

I appreciate all of the suggestions so far in this thread! I am going to ask another question to see if this changes anything. All of these speakers I am looking at seem to be HUGE! Do I need this size? I do not plan on listening at high volume. Medium would be tops. I would like to maintain peace in the rest of the house! haha. I showed my wife the Magnepans and she about flipped! She said they were way to big! So now I am back to square one. I am not looking to shake windows or wake up neighbors. I am looking for efficient speakers that will put out a ton of detail. I want a crisp clean sound. I hope this helps!
 
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I am quite new here and need some help. I have been researching speakers and the information is completely overwhelming and over my head. Here is my dilemma. The room I will be using is 25'x25' with 16' Cathedral ceilings. I am trying to figure out what type of speakers will work best for this environment? I have an Onkyo Integra m504 and Onkyo Integra p308. My budget is around $2k. I have heard so much about just listening to speakers and choosing what sounds good but I don't think too many places have a room like mine. I also don't think there are a lot of places that will let me try before I buy. Any advice is greatly appreciated. BTW, $2000 is the top of my budget for now. Thanks in advance for your help.

Klipschhorns
 
I am in St Louis. My music is mainly rock, folk, blues, alt country and old country. Listening volume will be moderate. I have a wife and three kids that I am sure will boycott excessive volume. I am looking forward to hearing the small things in the music. The pick across the string of an acoustic guitar, a cymbal crash, etc. The things that are usually lost with a bad set up. I hope this helps.
 
An electrostatic or planar type of speaker would work very well in the space you have. Martin Logan and Magnepan both offer these types of speakers in your budget range.

https://www.google.com/search?q=mar...Qsxg&biw=640&bih=279#spd=17620718750089820332

https://www.google.com/search?q=mag...UoAQ&biw=640&bih=279#spd=10196800579829824221

https://www.google.com/search?q=mag...UoAQ&biw=640&bih=279#spd=14861187667576631415

The above links are for reference only. I have no association or affiliation with any of the vendors.

They are also usually sold by dedicated audio stores who are more likely to offer the opportunity of auditioning them at home.
 
I have been looking into the electromagnetic speakers. Is a sub necessary for bottom end? I definitely have the room to pull them 3' off the wall.
 
Also, check out the JBL 4430s, which usually go for around $1,100-1,300 on eBay or Craigslist. They were JBL's best-selling large-format professional studio monitors, so you see them for sale pretty often, and they fill a room very well, with good bass. They are pretty efficient and put out a lot of sound over a large area. They are very durable and they might need only cleaning the controls and possibly refoaming the woofers.

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two come to mind, Voice of the theaters or my personal favorite Bozak Symphony grands. no corners needed with the bozaks
 
Check out brands such as:

PSB
Monitor Audio
GoldenEar Technology
These brands, and many more will have speakers in your price range that have good reputations and offer good sound for the money.
You don't say what gear will be used to drive said speakers (receiver, integrated, separates).

Since you are new to all this, I would suggest getting a subscription to an audio mag such as Stereophile or The Absolute Sound and start absorbing the recommendations, terminology and equipment reviews.

There are just so many variables in the audio universe. Everything affects everything else. Some equipment mates well with others, some doesn't. The trick is finding the ones that makes the magic happen. The longer your involved in audio, the more you will know what type of sound you are looking for, (clinical,romantic,realistic ect...). Many find that they start out wanting a certain sound, but end up with something different all together because of changes in musical taste, or just unexpected exposure to different gear (solid state, tube, vinyl, digital, low end, hi-end ect...)

Back in the day, I would just recommend you go to a reputable brick and mortar store to get the wisdom of someone who has played the audio game for a long time. But that is harder now days. If you live near a bigger city, see if there is a good audio retailer that can give you some advice and let you audition some gear. Tell them your needs and see if they can set you up or at lest steer you in the right direction. Good luck!
 
They only work if you have corners you can use. Otherwise they are a waste.

Klipschorns come (or used to) with instructions on building false corners in the event it wasn't a conventional shaped room. I would guess 25 X 25 more than likely has corners.
 
I wouldn't recommend Magnepan to anyone who doesn't like to tinker as they generally need quite a bit of work.

I'd 2nd the 4430. Or the Klipschorns... or some big ol Altecs... or... :D
 
I'm a big fan of horns. Klipschorns or Altecs specifically. A pair of Altec Model 19's would do admirably if you didn't have corners. A pair of Altec A7s, A5's or even larger would be even better for room filling sound.

Here's a friend's A-5's for size comparison. They sounded wonderful in a room smaller than 25' x 25'...:music:

 
Are you looking to buy new or open to used and/or vintage? That's a question that hasn't been asked and this thread has suggestions in all of those categories.

What's the output rating of your amp? Is it rated for 4 ohms or only for 8?

You should chat with AKer Sheltie Dave. He's tuned in to the audio market in STL I'm sure, and now and then he's had AK gatherings at his place to listen and swap gear. You might even find an AKer in the area who has something for sale that you could demo, and AKers are better to do business with than the average Craigslist people. Not to trash CL, there are often great deals there too.
 
Also, Altec Model 19s and JBL L250s are great in a big room, and they're right in your budget.
 
I wouldn't recommend Magnepan to anyone who doesn't like to tinker as they generally need quite a bit of work.

I'd 2nd the 4430. Or the Klipschorns... or some big ol Altecs... or... :D

What kind of work do you think a new pair of Magnepans require ?
 
I just sold some Klipsch La Scalas that I felt were too big for my room, but they would easily fill your space with sound. However, people seem to either love horns or hate them, so an audition is a must.
 
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