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how do you match speaker size with a room?

Since moving to an apartment, I have had a suspicion that smaller speakers (than mine) would be what many Agoners might choose. The apt listening space effectively equates to near-field listening. My Infinity Compositions PF-R's work decently well, as they have a 3-position bass switch, which manages the room resonance (as well as a unique shape that lets them fit in less space than typical stand-mounted monitors), but they sounded better when they could open up in a big room. I have always heard small monitors as being "thin" and not realistic, as they just do not play real bass. Was this just a prejudice formed long ago,constrained by budget limitations, that no longer applies? Is it even possible to have decent bass in a small space, or more to the point, somewhat realistic sound in a nearfield environment which is nothing like the spaces in which music is really played? How can one predict the correct speaker (size) for a given room? I have a hard time even imagining that a small monitor (Harbeth, Usher, Revel, whatever), however overpriced it may be, can handle a piano or kick drum or even bass fiddle anything like a full range speaker can, but a full sized speaker may to be too much for my current room. Thanks in advance for your thoughts on this.
128x128lloydc
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mapman's avatar
mapman
21,819 posts
 
Normally, speaker size is not the primary factor, but for smaller rooms, I think it is better to go with smaller speaks that will still have some room to breathe.

Here is one speaker company (www.ohmspeakers.com) where room size IS the key factor because all models in their Walsh line essentially sound similar and share the same scalable design. The drivers used in various models are sized to work best in different size rooms. The weight to the bass in a particular size room is the main sonic difference between models.
mechans
3,048 posts
 
I always had a fairly large monitor that was configured to be a floor stander if you wat that, just tilt em up and toed in. That speaker is a pair of klipsch Heresys that I have shlepped with me since I bought them as a high school student in 1976. I have used them in miniscule dorm rooms, and thru every stage in my life so far. They are now in the basement of a fairly large house after a stint in the biggish living room.
I think it is actually more a question of your taste, than anything else. Think about how different a Harbeth and a true vintage Klipsch compare. They are about the same size !! They really couldn't be more diametrically opposite in terms of their sonic signature. Add to that a low efficiency speaker like a Dyne Audio Special 25 or is it 50., which ever came out around 2002. That is the same size as well and can do both nearfield and fill a big room if you have the right power amp/s.
Do you use tubes etc. there are simply too many factors to come up with an equation of speaker enclosure volume and pleasant hippocampal massaging.
If you are really worried and don't trust your own ears you can buy so called nearfield pro monitors. I do admit that the Duntech Souveriegn is not going to really flesh out in a dorm space but even a small speaker capable of a frequency below 40Hz will take too much distance to playout the wave length. Don't think about being correct your ears will tell you if it is the right speaker for you.
The best speaker in the whole world is the one you like best of all.
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