Speakers for a small room, looking for feedback

I tried the Dynaudio Contours 1.4 two separate times. Neither time was ideal. The first, they were connected with Adcom gear in a large room and the vocals seem very forward. The second time in a smaller room with Ayre gear it was a nicer presentation. It just didn't move me as the ATC's did(as well as concerns about being close to a back wall).

In terms of the ATC 20's, how do you suggest taming them? is there a way to make the vocals not as forward?

Any feedback on the other speakers mentioned? I have selected them based on reviews and internet comments. Once again. thank you.

Well, I finally heard the Spendors & came away disappointed. Based on reviews & user comments, I thought this would be a good speaker for me. I liked the tonal balanced, but just too soft & polite for my taste. I wanted more air, dynamics & detail.

I also heard some Proacs. Very similat to my B&W N804 with a sweeter top-end. Very crisp & detail, but a bit lean in its presentation. Nice, but I prefer the ATCs.

I then heard the Linn Ninka's, and came away pretty impressed. Its going to make the choosing difficult. Very musical speakers with midrange warmth with a detailed upper-end. It doesn't seem to have the same level of inner detail and dynamics as the ATCs, but provides a very musical experience. I find it odd, the reviews on this speaker have been very mixed, while the Spendor has been so well received? Any comments on the Linn Ninka's?

I anticipate listening to the other speakers on my list (JM Labs, Paradigm, PMC) over the next week or so. Hopefully, I will narrow it down to 2 relatively soon.

thanks again...

PS - system is Krell HTS 7.1, Cary Cinema 5, Cary 306/200, XlO cables

The ATCs have really captivated me. I still want to try the 35's in my room, albeit I think the 20's are a better fit. I heard them early in the speaker search & I really want to know this is going to be a speaker that I will want to keep for 10 years. It also makes you questions how resolving you want your system.

I think I want that level of detail & transparency, but I am hoping it doesn't lead to detail overload, detracting from the musical presentaion. The speakers don't seem fatiguing, however. I knew they were a good fit when I was disapponited after I re-connected my B&Ws. The ATCs main negatives are price & their homliness (speakers from the 70's).

I must say I was impressed with the Linn Ninkas though. More engaging than the Spendor. Very musical with a nice tweeter. It doesn't have the detail & air of the ATC, but came away as very musical & enjoyable. The Linns are also quite a bargain and good-looking. They might be too polite for the long-term though.

If it comes down to the ATCs or Linns, its actually going to a difficult choice b/c I'm not exactly sure what type of presentation I want for the long-term.

I appreciate all of the responses. They have definetly led me to try various speakers as well as focus on what type of sound I am looking for.

I heard the two JM Labs today against two Linn models. Both nice, but different. I could probably live with either, but prefered the JM Labs. The JM Labs seemed more open with more inner detail. The midrange and lower bass was great. The tweeter was fine, extended but bright. A little raspy/gritty with certain disc.

I prefered the 926 over the 906. The 926 has the midrange warmth the little speaker cannot convey. Imaging, however, was better with the 906. I think the 926's, however, may be too much in a 12X13 room (6-9 inches from the wall). Will they work in such a small room? Is this an invitation to muddy bass?

At this point, I think it is between the ATC 20's and the JM Labs 926. I also like the ATC 35's, but the tweeter is not as clean (but more bass) & its only available in a natural cherry. I still want to try out the PMC speakers, but at this point I am pretty tired of demoing speakers.

I have receive a lot a good advice over the weeks and it is very much appreciated. D_edwards - your advice has been great & I can relate to the comparisons. Our conversation got me thinking & has brougt up some additional questions. Feedback is defintely appreciated.

I have decided on the ATC 20-2 (high-tech passive), but now wonder if going the active route may be beter in the long run. I would also add a center channel (either passive or active) & leave my existing rear speakers for the foreseeable future.

Going active will cost more in the near term, but I would eventually be able to downize my amp (Cary Cinema 5 amp) & sell off my existing speaker cable (fronts & center).

I have not heard the active speakers, however, and wonder about the tonal qualities of the amp. The 20sl is my room with the Cary amp were very neutral, dynamic and clear without any listener fatigue. Will the ATC amps be more similar to the Cary SS or more neutral like a Krell? Does it have any tendency to be bright? Does the dynamic attributes of going active offset the ability to match the amp to your other components?

What type of balanced cables would be a good match? Given I would need 3 - 3m cables they can get expensive & just make going active too expensive.

I would also want to keep my rear speakers on the low -end of the scale with a lower-end 2 channel amp. The speakers are only used for HT & I feel the expense of going active would be overkill. Is this approach reasonanble?

I realize I have asked a lot of questions. I have searched the internet & the people familar with active tend to prefer it. I just don't have that experience & the intent is to have these speakers at least 10 years. If I am not happy, I think it would pretty hard to sell active speakers that don't have a big name behind them.

Once again, thank you for your thoughts.

I will probabaly be using this room for quite a while. I like the idea of going active, albeit it might be overkill for the room. I would also need to use a smaller center, C4a. Since I already know I like the overall sound of the speaker (passive), the only potential risk is the speaker may be too revealing. At this point, I want to ask my dealer if its possible to hear the actives before deciding.

thank you.