Your favorite Small Apartment Speakers


  1. I view this as sort of a companion thread to the “Best Small Speakers At any Price” thread.

Lets hear what you’ve used and loved!

Thanks in advance.
gochurchgo
The JMlab (Focal) Electra 905s are rare to find on the used market because they’re older, but they are fine speakers. They feature the time-aligned D’Appolito configuration that helped put the brand on the map. They are very fast, neutral and lively, so accommodate any style of music, but also revealing, so can tend towards bright or dry if associated gear is not up to par. Though the drivers are small, the slotted port produces surprising bass.

The Sonus faber are really nice, but do tend to favor unamplified music. They’re liquid, but may not have enough speed or snap.

I would also agree with those recommending Polk, which are fine value for the money. They have some slim floorstanding designs as well as bookshelves that could work. Polk were my first audiophile speaker purchase, and those speakers are still in the family. I bought the slim RT series towers, which I considered "mini-towers," MSRP of about $550 in 1996. At one point, I got out of high end, and rebuilt a mid-fi system around them. I subsequently drove them with much higher end electronics as I got back into the audiophile groove and upgraded my system. They are always great fun to listen to.

I like the small Spendor towers, too, which have a lot of resolution. They have a slightly warm, woody characteristic, which I find common in a number of British-designed speakers, but it’s very attractive on acoustic music, and overall more neutral, if less overtly beautiful or liquid, than the Sonus faber designs.
Suggest that you look into the Vanatoo T1Es. DSP driven... plenty of bass output and extension with a balanced frequency response. They will work well in a small apartment and you won't need a power amp or pre-amp to use them. They are self-powered and fully digital. No sub will be needed, but a good set of stands will enhance the experience. See my review of these speakers. Click Here 

John