Smaller rooms also usually means limited options for speaker placement. One of the most versatile speakers I have heard is the Gradient Revolution. This speaker sounds great in a small room and can be located close to the back wall or even corners. The primary downside for this speaker is that it is not the easiest thing to drive (on the other hand, how loud would one play a speaker in a small room).
The various Audionote (uk) speakers should also be in consideration. These have a warmer sound than the Gradients, and are easier to drive. They are supposed to be place near the room corners, but, I actually like them a little bit away from the corner to keep them from booming excessively.
If you are looking for a lively sounding speaker that works particularly well with tube gear, the tall, thin floorstanding speakers from Synthesis Audio (Italian) are quite nice. For my taste, these might be a bit too lean and bright for Audio Research electronics, but, they are still worth looking into.
I have heard the Sonus Faber Liuto speakers sounding very good in smaller rooms. I have heard these only with solid state gear, so I don't know about compatibility with tube gear.
I also like Proac speakers in setups using tube gear. Both the floorstanding and stand-mounted models sound quite good, particularly with respect to soundstaging.
Probably the hardest to find of speakers I have heard, and liked, in small rooms are the models from Trenner & Friedl (Austrian). These are quite lively sounding, while remaining reasonably rich.
Jean-Marie Reynard (France) makes speakers that are great for classical music (rich, beautifully saturated/dense harmonic structure). They are not the fastest/liveliest speakers, but, every choice involves tradeoffs. I don't know if these are being imported into the US.
The various Audionote (uk) speakers should also be in consideration. These have a warmer sound than the Gradients, and are easier to drive. They are supposed to be place near the room corners, but, I actually like them a little bit away from the corner to keep them from booming excessively.
If you are looking for a lively sounding speaker that works particularly well with tube gear, the tall, thin floorstanding speakers from Synthesis Audio (Italian) are quite nice. For my taste, these might be a bit too lean and bright for Audio Research electronics, but, they are still worth looking into.
I have heard the Sonus Faber Liuto speakers sounding very good in smaller rooms. I have heard these only with solid state gear, so I don't know about compatibility with tube gear.
I also like Proac speakers in setups using tube gear. Both the floorstanding and stand-mounted models sound quite good, particularly with respect to soundstaging.
Probably the hardest to find of speakers I have heard, and liked, in small rooms are the models from Trenner & Friedl (Austrian). These are quite lively sounding, while remaining reasonably rich.
Jean-Marie Reynard (France) makes speakers that are great for classical music (rich, beautifully saturated/dense harmonic structure). They are not the fastest/liveliest speakers, but, every choice involves tradeoffs. I don't know if these are being imported into the US.