If I was in the market for a diminutive floor-standing speaker, I would, almost without question, order a pair of PSI Audio A215-Ms. You’ve no doubt never heard of them. They are very high-end professional studio mastering monitors made in Switzerland by an offshoot of Revox, no less. They aren’t fancy (but should have a good WAF), and they may seem rather expensive @ $3150 apiece, but they’re an "active" speaker, meaning the amp is built into the speaker. Thus, not only do you not need a separate amp, the amp is designed specifically for that speaker, and each speaker simply has an XLR and an IEC power cord input.
OK, but how do they sound? I don’t directly know. BUT, I use a pair of PSI A-21s in my mastering studio, and they are stunningly open, precise, detailed and yet VERY listenable. Frequency response is essentially flat throughout their range. By almost all accounts, that is true of the entire PSI line. If it’s clarity, sparkly and "spangalang" cymbals you’re listening for, I’m certain you couldn’t do better for the money. You can find several reviews on-line, but I would pay the most attention to the comments on Gearslutz. Those folks are pros.
I can recommend this dealer; there are also rumors of one in NYC.
http://www.zenproaudio.com/psi-audio-a215-m
OK, but how do they sound? I don’t directly know. BUT, I use a pair of PSI A-21s in my mastering studio, and they are stunningly open, precise, detailed and yet VERY listenable. Frequency response is essentially flat throughout their range. By almost all accounts, that is true of the entire PSI line. If it’s clarity, sparkly and "spangalang" cymbals you’re listening for, I’m certain you couldn’t do better for the money. You can find several reviews on-line, but I would pay the most attention to the comments on Gearslutz. Those folks are pros.
I can recommend this dealer; there are also rumors of one in NYC.
http://www.zenproaudio.com/psi-audio-a215-m