Seeking input on Larsen speakers

I heard some Larsens--6's??--at CAF 2018, set up on long wall of small hotel room.  Listening sofa jammed against opposite wall.  I was severely underwhelmed.  And yes, surprise, surprise, there was no depth of soundstage.

sfmorris, I was a dealer for Larsen speakers for several years and had two pair in my home.  Like all omnidirectional speakers they have a different presentation than direct, forward facing drivers.  If you are a fan of live, unamplified music then you will find the Larsens a revelation.  Music sounds like a live performance.  All models exhibit good range and tone is lifelike and realistic, without coloration.

What twoleftears described above as no depth of sound stage I would describe as an accurate sound stage.  The Larsen speakers exhibit no audiophile tricks or gimmicks.  Also, they can (must) be placed smack against the wall so all you need to adjust is how far apart.  Most times proper placement is achieved in five minutes or less.

I sold the Models 4, 6 and 8.  The Model 9 was not designed when I decided to get out of the audio business but I understand that they sound great.  The Model 4 is a steal, the Model 6 is a very good speaker but the 8 is a remarkable speaker for the price.  I sold more Model 8s the other models combined.  All models sound similar but there is more goodness as you go up the line.

Downsides: sure, like any speaker not one is perfect for all music, all rooms or all ears.  As mentioned, there are no audiophile effects or artifacts.  The soundstage is painted as a huge audio mural on the wall behind the speakers.  Imaging is good but ot pinpoint, as in a live acoustic performance.  And while I played all sorts of music though my Larsens they probably wouldn't be my first choice for heavy rock, metal or electronica.

Great, honest speakers that capture the essence acoustical music better than most.  Interestingly, many of my customer that purchased Larsen speakers are/were professional musicians.

Enjoy

Really excellent and helpful insights! Re genres that are a good fit, is there a bit more you can tell me about why heavy rock wouldn’t be a great fit for them (just curios - I wonder if it’s something the newer 9s perhaps do better than previous models?)

thanks again to everyone!

sfmorris, have you ever heard of Sonab speakers? They were designed by Stig Carlsson in Sweden. They are no longer produced but here is a website with lots of information, including design objectives.

https://www.carlssonplanet.com/en/speakers/produced/sonab-oa-116/

As I understand it the owner/designer of Larsen speakers worked with Carlsson so utilized that experience to produce updated versions of that basic design.

I think the two main considerations will be 1) ability to place the speakers within an inch or two of the front wall (desirable for many people, particularly with WAF considerations), and 2) by design the soundstage presentation will be different from a uni-pole design placed out in the room (an advantage to some, disadvantage to others). So it starts with your listening objectives.

Good luck.