Is it even possible to set up a system in 12x12 room?

Further......


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Don't take this the wrong way, but this is a silly question. Of course you can set up a system in a 12 x 12 room. I have had a great sounding system in a 9 x 11 room that in some ways is better than the same system in my current 11 x 13 room with open closet (no doors) at the back of the room.

Part of the question relies on your hearing. Some people listen more critically and base new setups on something different. Your brain will always hear something different and that can be bad or good. At first ...

I don't use wall treatments. I could use them, but frankly, I have found positioning of speakers to have the biggest payoff. 

I have Vandersteen 3A speakers and some M&K S-1B's and V-1B sub. The 3A's are in a permanent position, and the M&K's are setup for my listening position at the desk. This allows me to maximize the experience while I work during the day, and when I want to enjoy the 3A's, I just move the sats/sub out of the way. The 3A's are almost 3 feet from the back wall and 2 feet from the side, and slightly toed in. With some material, it's like living in a pair of headphones. They sound great. When it gets to hard rock, or congested material, that's when my room size shows weakness. But that is at high volumes. My wife's office is below mine, so that doesn't happen too often. 

Where there is a will, there is a way. I'm just saying. Many have to work with what they have. If I wanted to optimize my room, I would just use small speakers and reduce the audio stacks for more space around everything. But the compromise for me is not to the point I would do that.

@paulcreed Sounds like you have a little work to do to get all of that gear into the room. The fact that it will be dedicated means that in all likelihood it should sound great!
Placing gear as low as possible can also pay dividends. Although having the LP12 on a wall mount is probably a good idea. I have mine on a center stand that is very massive ( yes I know that’s not what Linn likes) but I use a Tramp 2 and this seems to alleviate any issues with that. I also place the power supply on a separate lightweight shelf with Harmonix footers beneath it. The WTA arm replaced an Ekos 1 in my set up. It is FAR more transparent and resolving and a lot more precise across the frequency spectrum. The imaging jumped up a notch and the air around instruments was much better delineated. There was a minor loss in bass power but not in bass precision. Overall, a major increase in SQ. Having heard your previous set up with an Aro, I can say that the WTA is a far more precise and accurate sounding arm than the Aro. ( I never like a pivot point bearing on any arm, very easy to hear the chatter as it pivots off the point, IME) To that, I think that the very poor cabling that comes with the Linn arms and the Aro is a real detriment to the table. The Nordost Tyr that I use from the arm to the preamp is in a different league to the stock cables and connectors that come on the Naim and Linn arms. Odd that both Linn and Naim don’t seem to place much emphasis on this highly imperative aspect! Oh, set-up...that’s another thing. I am VERY lucky i have a set up wizard near me, no way i could attempt to set up the table, or the WTA by myself! The WTA is very difficult to set up...and not for the hobbyist like myself to consider! To that I have mounted a Lyra Kleos ( fabulous match) and the set up there needs to be ultra precise to get it to sing. Took my set up wizard hours and hours to do...if that tells you anything.

I had this same dilemma and settled on a pair of Quad 57's with a small subwoofer. Amazing sound since, when one puts the speakers about 3 feet from the wall, one is in an ideal listening position to listen to these marvelous performers. Like opening a window to a performance. Could always put a small sub in also if desired. Won't work for rock music!!!!!

I too have a 12x12 audiophile room, and vaulted ceiling up to 20 feet with a pair of Vandersteen 2CE Sig II Speakers driven by a pair McIntosh monoblocks 601 watts each and a Mac tube preamp, two large acoustic panels behind each speakers and two behind the back wall,  I tell you, when I’m listening to my music and volume at 50% or higher, it sounds like listening to a live band, it’s so clean and clear like having an audiophile headphone over your ears.