Performer-in-Room Quality with Speakers?

Your priorities are the same as mine---above all else, the voice(s) right there in the room, standing ten feet away (if that’s what’s on the recording, of course). In addition to lifelike tonality and freedom from (to quote Gordon Holt) vowel colorations (which rules out horns for me), for me that requires life-size scale and image height (I don't like looking down on the stage, or voices three feet off the floor), and I’ve been satisfied in those regards only by big planars---ESLs (Quads on stands, Sanders, Sound Lab, Martin-Logan, etc.) and Magnetics (Maggie and Eminent Technology). Planars excel in all those regards, as well as transparency (which you know all about, having as do I Stax ESL phones). But planars as you know require considerable space, the availability of which you don’t specifically mention. Some of the big 6’ floor-standing box speakers come close, but point source radiators don’t do it for me. There are a lot of great speakers out there, if you’ve got the cash and floor space! Try to hear the Sanders if you can---they’re really, really good.

We used to live in a small house that was mostly one big room with a high ceiling. Now we live in a bigger house overall for kids visiting, etc., but the rooms are smaller, especially where we sit and read, listen to music, etc. Too small for big flat speakers.

ESLs are the one thing I've never tried, except for my Stax 'phones.  New ESLs all seem to be huge, and small ESLs means vintage, apparently.  I just worry that I'll get some ESL57s that are older than I am, and they'll be too high-maintenance for me at this stage.

Magnaplanars seem more popular now than when I bought mine new over 30 years ago.  My 6 foot Maggies are in storage in my basement (cool, dry, doing OK I hope) with my other bigger speakers and my big old amps. 

If only Magnepan made a small model to be matched with a modest sub, something 36 by 18 inches and at a slight tilt.  But even then, I'm not looking for a big soundstage, just near field speakers that offer something very close to the actual sound of unamplified acoustic instruments and voices.  Not a concert hall sound but more like a small coffee house sound, if even that.  A performer or three with no mics, just as if they were in my house.  that direct, intimate realism.

A guy I work with read this thread and suggested I try to remove the room from the equation.  He suggested a very small listening room made totally dead acoustically to eliminate all reflected sound.  Then aim for very simple, accurate, near field speakers with small quick drivers, narrow baffles, perhaps without full-fledged crossovers, and maybe even sealed cabinets. 

I chuckled and said I should pick up a pair of EPIs or Genesis bookshelves and put 'em on stands.  He reminded me that I do have an unused powered sub that could be made to work with something like that.  (I need to trade off some of my equipment.  Hah!)  He also suggested that perhaps I try hybrid speakers with large ribbon tweeters.

Michael

Hello Michael, 
There are many ways to skin a cat. However I believe that Bombaywalla  is on to something by suggesting speakers with first order crossovers. 
The builder of my Coincident speakers is a devotee of this type of crossover design. I drive these speakers with their SET amplifier and the result is a very tactile, believable strong in the room presence. True reach out and touch experience. 

I do feel that it is also recording dependant to a certain degree. There are recordings I play that definitely seem to take me to the venue space. I understand your desire to have Chet Baker 7 feet away playing his beautiful trumpet /Fugelhorn. 
Charles, 

I have had a pair of Focal Sopra No2's for the last 6+ months, once "dialed in" to the room, they did exactly what you are after.

With the beryllium tweeters, I suspect a tube amp will match up well with them.

One thing I found in my auditions is that these speakers don't seem to do well in cramped spaces.  I auditioned them on the short wall of a room that was about 12x16 and they seemed "confined", but in my 24x26 "man cave", they really open up.

I have a 450 wpc solid state amp, when I'm really cranking it, the needles dance around 4.5 watts.

Have you tried Nearfield listening?
Put your listening seat at a point equidistant to the width your speakers are separated (preferably, a chair with a low-rise back i.e., rising no higher than your shoulders).
If your speakers are ten feet apart, measure 10 feet from a speaker to your chair.
Dipoles are even better for this as they cancel reflections from side walls.
This is kind of like using your speakers as giant headphones.