Good Used Speakers ($8K-10K) For A Little Listening Room


I know that this is a tough one, because speakers are so subjective.  My dedicated 2 channel listening room is only 10ft x 10ft.  I listen to mostly jazz and rock.  I currently use a Plinius SA100 Mk III (recapped and upgraded) driving Joseph Audio RM25XL's.  I'm thinking of upgrading and was wondering what speakers would be a good upgrade for a small listening room.  I like the Joseph Audio sound, but want more.  I was thinking of Pulsars or maybe Perspectives.  First, is my room too small for floor standing speakers? Second, what other speakers in the $8-10K range used would be a good fit in a small room?
moto_man

Showing 1 response by soix

The obvious question is how the RM25XLs sound in your room now?  Hard to believe they work well in there without at least some room treatments and/or some sort of EQ.  They are rated at down 2dB at 32Hz while the Pulsar and Perspective measure 42dB and 35dB also down 2dB, respectively.  So at least on paper if the 25s work in your room there's a chance the others might too. 

That said, I can't really imagine stuffing the Perspectives in a 10x10 room, and given the wider spacing of the drivers versus the 25s I'd be a little concerned about their ability to fully integrate at such a small distance (assuming you'll have to pull them out from the wall a foot or two).  I'd go with the Pulsars and augment with a sub (or better, 2 good smaller subs) with some sort of bass management (DSpeaker, etc.) so you can better integrate the bass with your room -- if you even feel the need to add a sub at all.

I'm also a big JA fan, and the only other speaker I've heard in person that does a lot of the same things and affects me in the same way is ProAc and maybe Verity, although I remember them being just a tad softer up top (at a show so the usual caveats apply here), which could be good or bad depending.  The Vandy Treo would also be on my list though I haven't heard it yet.  Personally I'd just stick with JA, but in case you want to explore others just thought I'd mention these other fine speakers.  Hope this helps, and best of luck in your search.