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Modern speaker upgrade, please help

MWalt

MWalt

Super Member
I really need to upgrade at the speaker position. I have a relatively small listening space, an office room about 11' x 14'. I really only use about 8 feet of the long wall where the speakers are placed and the room is well damped with heavy carpet and padding, so "bright" isn't an issue. I use Snell Acoustics Type EII speakers which sound beautiful, but I feel that they are too large for the space (standing waves?). I also have a pair of Rega RS-1's that are sweet little speakers, but I really want to move up a notch or two sonically. I am asking in this forum because if I ask this same question in the speaker forum I'll get the usual answer, "Pioneer HPM 1100's", or "Large Advents", Dahlquist DQ10's", etc. If I wanted to use 40 year old vintage speakers, I would go down to my basement and pull a pair off of a shelf.

My current equipment:

-Parasound HCA1500a amplifier (205w RMS)
-Dared SL2000a Preamp (Psvane 12AT7, Brimar rectifier)
-Basis 1400 TT (Rega RB300/Incognito Wiring, Expressimo end stub and counterweight)
-Highly modded Cambridge Audio 640p phonostage
-Squeeze Box Touch, Grant Fidelity DAC09

I use Shunyata and Pangea power cords and Signal Cables for interconnects, etc. Nothing fancy, but sound nice for the money.

I am willing to spend up to $2000.00. My thoughts are that I don't have the space to get the most out of a floorstander, but correct me if I am wrong. I may or may not integrate a subwoofer if needed.

I was looking at:
(at the top of my budget)
-Monitor Audio Gold GX 100
-Spendor S3/5R2
-Harbeth P3 esr
-PSB Synchrony B
-B & W CM5

(lower on the budget)
-Monitor Audio Siver
-PSB Imagine B
-many others.

Please share your experiences or thoughts on where I should go with this. Yesterday, I was at an Audio store in Cleveland and listened to B &W and Paradigm. I liked the floorstanders better but the rooms they were displayed in were huge, so of course there was a difference.
 
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A lot of great speakers in your price range. Unless you don't play your music loud and aren't into prog rock or something I would probably stay away from the BBC style monitors. I love my Harbeth's but I don't play loud music and I rock out far less often than I play Jazz and Classical.

You may want to look at ProAc Studio 115's or Tablettes. Both of these speakers can reach significant SPL's and play all genres well.
 
Art K. said:
A lot of great speakers in your price range. Unless you don't play your music loud and aren't into prog rock or something I would probably stay away from the BBC style monitors. I love my Harbeth's but I don't play loud music and I rock out far less often than I play Jazz and Classical.

You may want to look at ProAc Studio 115's or Tablettes. Both of these speakers can reach significant SPL's and play all genres well.
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I'll take a look at them. Do you agree with me that due to my room size that I am pretty much limited to bookshelves/standmounts?
 
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MWalt said:
I'll take a look at them. Do you agree with me that due to my room size that I am pretty much limited to bookshelves/standmounts?
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It would depend on the speaker. I think you will get more speaker for your money (stands included) with a standmount.

Another good speaker to consider would be the Nola Boxer.
 
Go buy a pair of Cerwin-Vega VE-5M's and see what you think. For an inexpensive pair of small bookshelf speakers, you just might be pleasantly surprised!

:D
 
Look at whichever ATC model is available within your budget. At this point likely the SCM7 plus the next model up, an SCM1x where x is 1 or 2 if memory serves.
 
I have mentioned these before and since they are a speaker I would like to hear I'll mention them again. Martin USA makes a variety of bookshelf speakers as well as some larger models. The companies owner Mike is an AK member and an easy guy to talk with. No affil., as I said I've never heard any Martins but some AK members speak highly of them.

cubdog
 
I guess that next will come the recommendations for the HPM 100's and Large Advents.

Hard to believe that it is this difficult for a person to come here to AK and ask for recommendations and be as specific MWalt was and still get inappropriate responses. It seems that anyone looking to not pick up their HiFi from a garage sale or from the dumpster gets treated like they are throwing their money away. I know this is a side conversation and I'm sorry, MWalt, but I'm just about fed up with it and about ready to cash in my chips here at good old AK.

I'll stick with my earlier recommendations for auditioning. Also, have you tried Totem?
 
Art K. said:
I guess that next will come the recommendations for the HPM 100's and Large Advents.

Hard to believe that it is this difficult for a person to come here to AK and ask for recommendations and be as specific MWalt was and still get inappropriate responses. It seems that anyone looking to not pick up their HiFi from a garage sale or from the dumpster gets treated like they are throwing their money away. I know this is a side conversation and I'm sorry, MWalt, but I'm just about fed up with it and about ready to cash in my chips here at good old AK.

I'll stick with my earlier recommendations for auditioning. Also, have you tried Totem?
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"All too often folks get caught up in the downward spiral of spending more money on their HiFi with the belief that they will get more from their music. Truth is that the music will still move you whether on a transistor radio or factory car stereo or ghetto blaster...

Yeah, I love Music and I love HiFi...but mostly I love simple HiFi and beautiful music...can I get an Amen!"

Art Kyle
 
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Kind of thinking as I go here. The new Epos Elan range may be interesting as well. They have a couple of standmounts. Those Snell's and RS1's set the bar pretty high. The Epos brand has always been known for a wide open midrange and tight, well defined bass. The Mi series was too bright for me but if that is no longer an issue with the new Elan range it really could be special...another one to look at and audition.
 
mayidunk said:
"All too often folks get caught up in the downward spiral of spending more money on their HiFi with the belief that they will get more from their music. Truth is that the music will still move you whether on a transistor radio or factory car stereo or ghetto blaster...

Yeah, I love Music and I love HiFi...but mostly I love simple HiFi and beautiful music...can I get an Amen!"

Art Kyle
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True dat...

However here we have a gentleman asking a very specific question. Simple has no dollar tag attached. $129 is no simpler that 10k. One pair of speakers is one pair of speakers regardless of price. Now can we focus on the OP's question, please.
 
Art K. said:
I guess that next will come the recommendations for the HPM 100's and Large Advents.

Hard to believe that it is this difficult for a person to come here to AK and ask for recommendations and be as specific MWalt was and still get inappropriate responses. It seems that anyone looking to not pick up their HiFi from a garage sale or from the dumpster gets treated like they are throwing their money away. I know this is a side conversation and I'm sorry, MWalt, but I'm just about fed up with it and about ready to cash in my chips here at good old AK.

I'll stick with my earlier recommendations for auditioning. Also, have you tried Totem?
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I have not heard the Totem, but have read many laudable comments about them. The ProAc Studio 100's are on sale right now for $1899.00. I have never heard these, but I heard the ProAc Response at a store in Pittsburgh and they were very nice sounding. Some good suggestions so far. I looked at the Legacy Audio HD Monitors that are nice at just under $1500. I will look into the Epos as well. Keep em coming...

ArtK, don't abandon ship just yet. Maybe we can make the modern hifi forum the mecca for modern gear talk here at AK.
 
Art K. said:
True dat...

However here we have a gentleman asking a very specific question. Simple has no dollar tag attached. $129 is no simpler that 10k. One pair of speakers is one pair of speakers regardless of price. Now can we focus on the OP's question, please.
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Elegance can be found anywhere. Since I wasn't the one who pointed out their actual price, I will avoid commenting on the $129 vs $10k remark as it really isn't germane to the conversation. Also, I own a pair of these speakers, and they really do sound good! If they didn't, I wouldn't have mentioned them.

My apologizes to the OP. When I posted my suggestion, I was serious. However, I was also kind of expecting the response I got, and not being disappointed, I had to respond. Yet, in doing so, I'm afraid I have hijacked your thread, so please accept my apologies for having done so.
 
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