very small speakers suitable for wll mounting


Hi guys,

Would like to seek your opinion about a decent pair of very small speakers suitable for wall mounting.

The application is more for background music in the children's room, definitely not hi-end stuff. Having said that, the kids grew up on nursery rhymes played back on a good main system. So, good sound is highly desirable. A nice finish will be a bonus.

I imagine we are looking at unported mini-monitors. Can't seem to find any to match my price range (under $1K). I have heard Spendor's wall mountable HT speakers. They are fanastic sounding but cost more than what I would like to pay for. Don't mind used.

cheers,

Tom
gilas
The JBL Control 23s are nice and inexpensive and come with wall mounts. There are larger models also.
Linn Katans or Tukans if you can find them.
NHT super Zero
era Design 4

Email me for more info.
LS 3/5 or any derivative thereof (spendor, harbeth).

If you buy used you can later resell for little loss.

Linn's Kans or Tukans are supposed to be very good but I've never heard them.
Have you thought about the MMGW speakers from Magnepan. $300 a pair factory direct. They wall mount and swivel. less then an inch thick, sound very nice but you might have to pick up an inexpensive sub as they only go down to 100Hz.
Here is a link for you.

http://www.magnepan.com/rev_mmgw_c.php

Might be right up your alley.

Regards,
Bill
The Gallo micros or A'diva might be worth checking out. Kids would probably like their looks. They have a new version out which was just positively reviewed on 6moons.
I would recommend Aperion Audio 422's. They can be wall mounted (with Omnimount system), are a sealed enclosure, and only $200/pair! Great for general background music, especially in the playroom. With your budget you can definitely get better, but just thought I'd throw it out there...
The original ADS 200/300/400 series are very good speakers and meet your criteria. Polk also makes some nice, small, wall-mountable speakers that don't cost a small fortune. IMHO, LS3/5 are not suitable for this application...

-RW-
How about some speakers designed to be wall mounted.

B&W M-1's - $400/pr

http://www.bwspeakers.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.models/label/Model%20M%2D1

B&W LM1's - $350/pr

http://www.bwspeakers.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.models/label/Model%20LM1

Tannoy arena's - $900/pr

http://www.tannoy.com/ArenaSatellite

Mission elegante E80 satelites - $1000/pr

http://www.mission-usa.com/index1.htm
look under the specs for the E80 systems to see the E80 sats.

All these need to be paired with a sub to get full range sound.

I personally own both the B&W LM1's and M-1's. The m-1's have a bit more treble detail than the LM1's. And, the LM1's have bit more midrange. I use the M-1's in my office system, pair with a sealed DIY 8" sub and monarchy audio se-100 monoblocks, were I do about 90 percent of my listening.
A friend of mine uses LS3/5 in exactly this application, and it is one of the few applications in which I think ls3/5s sound very good. In general I find them overpriced, but for wall mounting their small size and sealed cabinet produces a very clear non-boomy sound.

Perhaps you could elaborate on why they are unsuitable.
A friend of mine tried Aperions (522's I think) based on research I did for her - seeking very small, cheap, yet attractive and listenable speakers, and is very happy with them. I haven't heard them yet.

Michael Fremer (with all obvious caveats about the HiFi press) wrote, "Whether because of the DiAural crossover or some other aspect of design, the system's biggest plus was its ability to produce a remarkably large, coherent sonic picture. Even in 2-channel mode, this small system's soundstaging abilities were remarkable. When I closed my eyes, I would never have guessed that I was listening to such small boxes....The high-quality Vifa drivers easily handled high power without strain, and the system could play surprisingly loud, filling my large listening room with finely focused music or movie sound. Friends were routinely astonished by the sheer amount of brute force these speakers produced..."

One thing that's great - which sold my friend on them - is that Aperion offers a 100% Money Back (including shipping in BOTH directions) guarantee if you don't like them for any reason.
I've been using wall-mounted NHT SuperZeros and SuperOnes for close to ten years and have enjoyed them greatly.

I think the vintage ADS monitors Rlwainright mentioned would be ultra cool. Another I'd consider are the Gallo Micros.
Besides sounding great, the colorful finishes will be nice in a Kids' room. Since they're milled steel, they're almsot kid-proof to boot.
I'm very happy with a pair of Soliloquy SAT 5's hanging from the ceiling in my kitchen. They're close to the walls so get a bit of extra low end from their position. No rear ports to consider. Well built, small, nice finish, sound fantastic if you don't mind the lack of bass, which, I'd feel safe to say will be a shortcoming with any small speaker recommended here. Still, midrange clarity and great dynamics make these speakers a hoot. On the used market a pair can be had for around the $275 range. You'll need some heavier mounts than others recommended here as they weigh about 18 lbs per box.

I just helped my mother in-law buy a pair of Epos ELS3's for high mounting in her house. I reserve an opinion at this point since I've yet to hear them. I did warn her of the rear port and implications of putting them up high and, or on a shelf as she wants to. I'll be happy to chime in once again once I've heard them. By all accounts I've read they'd be a good candidate as well, but do take that rear port into consideration.

Marco
Role Audio Kayak or their sister company NSM's model 5. 8"x5.5"x6.5". Sealed enclosures. Go to 65hz. Non fatiguing. Excellent reviews and both well under 1k.

BW Maxx
Thanks !

I did try the LS3/5 also. The other one, can't remeber model no, optimised for wall mounting, sounded better but also more $$.

Will check out the Gallo Micros. They look like they will go well with kids' taste.

cheers,

Tom
Ubid has MB Quart speakers at great savings - they sound pretty good too - metallic and some what transparent.