Best Speakers for small room under $3.5k


I have a small room (about 10 feet by 18feet), and want to optimize my listening environment. Speakers may be the next upgrade, but not sure what to get. My current system is Bel Canto Dac 1 & Arcam 7 as transport (also use DV525 as transport sometimes), Bryston 3b-st amp, Bryston BP20 Preamp, B&W Nautilus 805 speakers, PS300 powerplant. Please let me know if you have any suggestions on good speakers that will match my room - they could be monitors or floorstanders with a relatively small footprint. Thanks!
128x128outlier

Showing 3 responses by trelja

Perhaps the best thing you could do is identify what it is about your system that is making you unhappy. Then, I think we can offer more salient advice. You have really good gear, whether it works well for you or not can only be answered by you. Although this is a minimal tweak, you may want to switch the PBJ and KCAG. Won't make or break the sound, but it is one step. The only real areas of change I see for you is to augment the low frequencies(if that is where your unhappiness is springing from), switch to a tube preamp(if you are craving a warmer, more lush sound), or possibly tweak the room/setup(with speaker placement, and things to liven or deaden the sound). Other than that, I think you have an excellent system. We have all been in your shoes. Good Luck!
Outlier, I didn't mean buy some new interconnect. Just put the KCAG where the PBJ is now, and vice versa. It's a free switch. Just to see if it makes an improvement. If you find yourself craving some more warmth after that, then see if a dealer will lend you some copper interconnects. Maybe Tara Labs or Cardas. Perhaps you can get a fair distance without buying a new preamp. If not, look into a Conrad Johnson product if you feel like you want a lot of warmth. Try before you buy if possible, some people feel they have lost some detail, and end up unhappy. But for us tube lovers...
Why do you need to upgrade??? You have a great pair of speakers now! Yeah, you can get different sound, but better? Assuming the B & W's are fed enough current(which your Bryston 3b-st is DEFINITELY doing), they make wonderful music. Just like in your thread about your disappointment in the new DAC, I think you will feel a lot of regret in the end. That being said, speakers I like(in addition to B & W) are Coincident, PSB, Soliloquy, Triangle, and Vandersteen. But, I can't say any of them will make you happier(unless you are looking for a speaker with more bass).