BEST LOW VOLUME FULL RANGE SPEAKERS?


I LISTEN TO MOSTLY INSTRUMENTAL CLASSICAL AND JAZZ AT PRIMARILY LOWER VOLUME LEVELS. MASTER BEDROOM=AROUND 210 SQUARE FEET WITH GOOD ACOUSTIC PROPERTIES.
1) I WOULD LIKE FLOOR STANDING SPEAKERS WITH GOOD BASS INTO 20HZ RANGE THAT DO NOT REQUIRE SEPARATE SUBWOOFERS.
2) THE SPEAKERS SHOULD LOOK GOOD (WAF)AND SHOULD NOT BE TOO BIG,SMALLER THAN 4.5 FEET IN HEIGHT.
3) I COULD SPEND AS MUCH AS 10K OR MORE, BUT WOULD LIKE TO FIND A USED OR DEMO PAIR FOR MUCH LESS THAN THAT.
4) AT THAT MUCH MONEY, THE SPEAKERS SHOULD HAVE GREAT DETAIL, AND THEY SHOULD NOT BE LACKING IN ANY AREA.
I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS. MY ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT SHOULD NOT BE A FACTOR.
REGARDS,
JOHN
jhwalker

Showing 3 responses by bignerd100

I would third Audiokinesis. The fact that the electrostats have one crossover point between the pannel and woofer make for a more seamless blend between the two. I'm not terribly familiar with the SoundLabs but with judicious use of tone controls you can usually make an electrostat sound very full at low volumes without being congested assuming the pannel is covering a large enough portion of the spectrum.

Do keep in mind that most electrostats are funny about room placement so you will need some freedom of movement away from front and side walls.

Good luck!
Graphic equalizers usually do more things whong than right. Because the signal has to pass through so many bands of equalization it vails and colors the music in a big way.

Properly designed tone controls concentrate on a small part of the spectrum that makes the most difference. Some manufacturers are also using a tilt spectrum control that acts like an equalization see-saw. It boosts the bass while attenuating the treble or vice versa. I think that the new NAD Masters series integrated amp is selectable between traditional tone controls, tilt, and tone defeat.

When speakers have to be placed in less than ideal locations in a room for livability/WAF reasons the tone controls can be really useful to make the bass a little less congested when it is dictated that the big @ssed speakers will go a little closer to the wall so that decorative knick knacks are not obstructed.
Trelja,
That is an apt description of the electrostatic sound. They will sound that way if you tell them to with your choice of preamp and amplifier. Like em, love em, or hate em the electrostats are telling of the equipment they are connected to.
If you are going to smoke your pipe (or anything else around them) do keep in mind that the panels will build up a residue that can't be removed. They will sound muted and congested (becasue they are physically congested with tar) because teh woofer is relatively unaffected while the panel is opperating at a far reduced efficency.