2. speakers
  3. 1200590462

Size matters...need smaller speakers

It pains me to write this but alas I have finally accepted the fact that I am never going to have my own large listening room (not with real estate prices the way they are here in SoCal). The best I can hope for is my current corner of the living room or my yet to be built loft or a small den. For those of you who have read some of my posts, you know I love my Usher BE-10 speakers. They are some of the most accurate and transparent speakers I have heard. The problem is that I think they are just too big for the space I have alloted them. In the past year, I have complained a lot about my soundstaging issues (too low, too narrow). I know I can use room treatments but this is not possible in my living room and even with them, I still feel that my speakers are too darn big. I tried different toe in angles, pulling them out as far as I could, moving them away from side walls, etc. There is simply not enough room for them to breathe. Will monitors work better in smaller spaces, especially with regard to imaging and soundstaging? I think perhaps monitors with a sub could be the right way for me to go given my domestic situation.

Anyway, I do not know much about monitors and would appreciate a starting point. I prefer my speakers to be as accurate and transparent as possible. I prefer a dynamic sound that is true to the upstream components. Price does not really matter but I guess for monitors I would hope to spend less than $10K. One option is the new Usher "tiny dancer" monitor. Another is the Focal BE series. Are there others I should look that fit my preferences?

Thanks in advance.
128x128tboooe
springbok10
711 posts
 
I can recommend the Mark-Daniel Maximus Monitors, particularly if you can bi-amp them, for a superb, vibrant, live-like audio experience. And they are relatively small. They really do make recordings as close to live as I have heard, especially when used near-field. No subs necessary, I guarantee.
semi
649 posts
 
Being a big fan of Usher BE-10/20 myself and an owner of BE-718 in my temporary place, I doubt you will ever find any monitor speakers that can fill the shoes of BE-10. You know the strength of BE-10, I don't need to repeat it here. I haven't heard any speakers regardless of price that can compete in transient attack and detail retrieval. BE-718 is a fine monitor, better than most of the speakers listed above, but it does not have as much jump factor and weight as the big BE.

I myself is also waiting for Usher to come up with a model with BE tweeter/midrange but smaller woofer to fit into my decor better. But if you need to buy something now, I will recommend an older pair of Dynaudio Confidence 5 which is a floor stander but can be placed close to back wall (and designed to do so). It also consititues some of the fine quality of BE-10, just not to that degree.

I heard the Magico Mini, don't think they are worth the price. I used to own SF Extrema for years, Dyn C5 is better overall. What you need is sealed speakers, monitor or floor standers, so they can be placed closer to rear wall. I don't like most of the front ported speakers out there, they just don't sound right to my ears for whatever reason. Rear ported speakers are way too sensitive to the wall distance behind them so you are better off staying away from them for now.

You can PM me if you want.
eweedhome
227 posts
 
I downsized from floor standing Vandersteens to Harbeth Monitor 30's and am quite happy. The positive buzz about Harbeths is true--they are unusually musical. They image well, but some other speakers are more holographic. Yet their midrange is really something--you might read about them, see if they seem interesting, and try to hear some. Personally, I'd take them over the Focals and the Revels, though I don't doubt some would disagree.
ttowntony
145 posts
 
I'm somewhat biased as a Dynaudio dealer myself. However, if you can get an audition of the Dynaudio Confidence C1 monitors, you would be hard pressed to better their performance regardless of price. An excellent review of them can be found in the November issue of Stereophile magazine. You have an excellent dealer near to you..www.theaudioarchitect.com. Matt is a dear friend and an excellent person to work with.

Imaging can become more precise with monitors and placement is much easier when a dedicated listening room cannot be achieved. Setting up a sub can be somewhat tricky at times, but's it's possible. Depending on the monitor chosen, a sub may not even be needed. The Dynaudio Confidence C1 is quite good on it's own. I do own these myself, so that should say something. I could own any speaker I want and I chose the C1's. For fun I have these with stereo subs running with the Parasound Halo JC2/JC1 combo. They are a lot of fun indeed.

You did not mention your components.?. As with any highend speaker careful consideration should be given to it's amplification.
gsm18439
895 posts
 
I love your space. However, one issue that is often overlooked by space-challenged audiophiles is speaker placement and the real estate involved. You should consider speakers that are designed to be placed against the wall rather than speakers that must be free standing.
More to discover