Very small room systems and synergy

I have had the same problem and ended up using active monitors (Genelec Ones) for a couple of years.

There was simply no high end proposition on the market to give me the sound quality without the overkill power.

Recently, when I heard that Wilson Audio were finally releasing something small, I knew this could be the ticket. Had the Duettes before but they were too big, both physically and SPL-wise, for my room.

The TuneTots are the ticket. I know there are a lot of haters. I know people mock their value proposition and I am not going to go there. I acknowledge and respect their point of view.

But the Tots deliver the goods in my small room, better that anything else I have tried before and I have had many speakers, small and large.

They are very limited in what they can do, agreed, but what they deliver is a mature, high end, refined sound that will not require a pile of foam on walls, Dirac and all that other modern voodoo (I really don't like Dirac. Let me say this again: I really don't like Dirac for stereo reproduction!)

I know they are way over budget but for me the quest is over. Connected to a Pass Int-250 they sing like no other in my small, challenged space.

To return to your budget, Genelec Ones have worked reasonably well for me. They are the LS50 Wireless with less box coloration, no annoying metallic tweeter (I demoed it for exactly three days hoping that that tweeter would "burn in" but it didn't so I sent them back), a better frequency response (they are three way speakers) and quite a smooth sound. Probably 8341 would do slightly better than the 8331.

Still over your budget but you can probably try the SH market.  

I have the same room size (though I removed the closet door) and the same speakers and Class D Peachtreee Nova 150 integrated. I also keep the room entrance door open. My system sounds 100% better after adding the following GIK Acoustics room treatments. They cost $700 in total.

https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/7605

GIK will work with you over the phone to recommend treatment options. You can use something like photos or Facetime to show them the room.

BTW - I am going to put a bigger speaker into this room soon because the acoustic treatments now allow me to do this. I will not use any digital signal processing to help out.

+1 on the acoustical treatments.

I also like the TuneTots but are definitely out of your budget.

Personally as much as I like what they can do I would probably not be satisfied with ls50 without a sub for serious listening.   They are small. 

With Ohm Walsh you just need the right size with a good high current Class D amp for your room and listening needs.  Some folks use a sub with them but I have never felt the need if set up right. 

I have had plenty of class D amps, some quite expensive - Devialet, Parasound, NAD to name a few. They never sound as smooth, lush, natural and musical as the class A monsters. I have never enjoyed a class D and it is with relief that I am now back to class A, remembering what I have missed all these years. It might be part of your problem.

LS50 on the other hand is a cheap monitor, it looks like a cheap monitor and it performs like a cheap monitor.

The box is not neutral at all and there is a very disturbing resonance, particularly if you come from a good studio monitor. That sound signature might appeal to some but it is not for me.

The bass performance is modest and, unless you use a sub below 70-80Hz, it muddles the midrange. The net effect of a sub is not necessarily bass extension, but clearing up and opening the midrange and treble. And it works effectively - if you are going to keep your setup I suggest a small REL sub (you really want something small and fairly low power for near field) to hear the difference.

What really spoils the LS50 though, because pretty much everything else is fixable, is the cheap metal tweeter. I remember the first Panasonic CD boomboxes in the 80’s - they sounded just like that.

In case people are wondering - I have had both the LS50 and LS50 Wireless for a demo for a week, at home, with my own toys. Tried a lot of stuff, from valves to Devialet and they didn’t deliver the goods for me. I tried Dirac as well which did correct quite effectively much of the box / bass problems but nothing could be done about the tweeter.

In my opinion the Quad Z series are so much better that I have never understood why the LS50 achieved this status. LS50 are supposed to be direct descendants of the cult LS3/5 BBC monitors. But those monitors had a soft dome tweeter and a superb midrange. LS50 has neither.