40m2 - Front ported

[TK421]

Morning all
I've just moved house (and yes it was stressful enough) and now have a larger living room/listening space. I've gone from 20 to 40m2 which my current B&W 601s can't really handle. Therefore, i'm in the market for some bookshelf speakers that can fill the full space. Preferably front ported as they sit close to a wall.
Any suggestions?

 

[jjbomber]

Preferably front ported as they sit close to a wall.
Any suggestions?

Triangle, Elac et al. Any idea on budget as that would help us to narrow it down a bit?

 

[TK421]

1000/1250 GBP max

 

[landco]

Klipsch floor standing speakers are known for their high sound pressure levels.

 

[skinnypuppy71]

I don't think the question here is how large the space is, but how far away are you from the listening position.....the soundstage envelope is the important factor here, nothing beyond that boundary should really be a factor in Choice of components. front ported /rear ported barely makes any significant difference ( I've used both through the years) if bass boom is a problem, most speakers should be sited at least a small distance from the wall, heck I even prefer my Dali menuet se's a bit away from the wall, just wondering in what way the b&w's aren't doing it for you now....if you are a bit further away from the speakers now that the room is larger, then I doubt that the mid bass and upper frequency range will be largely affected. I reckon your probably missing the lower hz range, I proper decent subwoofer integrated into the system might be all that's needed here......and if you feel the speakers are truly lost in the abyss then only floorstanders will suffice...lol........BUT they definitely will sound at thier best out from the wall.......anyway.....all this extra space?..and you still need the speakers sited close to a wall?

 

[Integralista]

Hi, I think solide floorstander will make a better service in your room. Something like QAcoustics 5040 or 5050 (neutral full sound) will be truly great. Or alternative from Dali Oberon 7 (livelier and more airy sound) or Monitor Audio Bronze 500 (full deep bass and good dynamics) or new very very good Wharfedale EVO new generation (real competitor for KEF Q line or B@W 603S3 floorstanders) . Wharfedale is some 300 eur more expensive than Monitor Audio. Also Fyne Audio F501E as new generation are excelent value for around 1200 Eurs. All speakers above are very good. Just consider pls. that you need also very good amp with enough headroom reserve (2×70watt or bit more) for a room like you have and considered speakers. BR. Juraj

 

[TK421]

I don't think the question here is how large the space is, but how far away are you from the listening position.....the soundstage envelope is the important factor here, nothing beyond that boundary should really be a factor in Choice of components. front ported /rear ported barely makes any significant difference ( I've used both through the years) if bass boom is a problem, most speakers should be sited at least a small distance from the wall, heck I even prefer my Dali menuet se's a bit away from the wall, just wondering in what way the b&w's aren't doing it for you now....if you are a bit further away from the speakers now that the room is larger, then I doubt that the mid bass and upper frequency range will be largely affected. I reckon your probably missing the lower hz range, I proper decent subwoofer integrated into the system might be all that's needed here......and if you feel the speakers are truly lost in the abyss then only floorstanders will suffice...lol........BUT they definitely will sound at thier best out from the wall.......anyway.....all this extra space?..and you still need the speakers sited close to a wall?

When I'm 2 meters away from the speakers pointed directly at me, all is good. When I step away, I immediatly lose all the bass which leads me to think the speakers aren't powerful enough. Maybe it's a combo speakers/amp? My amp is a Cambridge CXA60 that I rarely run above quarter volume.

 

[TK421]

Hi, I think solide floorstander will make a better service in your room. Something like QAcoustics 5040 or 5050 (neutral full sound) will be truly great. Or alternative from Dali Oberon 7 (livelier and more airy sound) or Monitor Audio Bronze 500 (full deep bass and good dynamics) or new very very good Wharfedale EVO new generation (real competitor for KEF Q line or B@W 603S3 floorstanders) . Wharfedale is some 300 eur more expensive than Monitor Audio. Also Fyne Audio F501E as new generation are excelent value for around 1200 Eurs. All speakers above are very good. Just consider pls. that you need also very good amp with enough headroom reserve (2×70watt or bit more) for a room like you have and considered speakers. BR. Juraj

Great suggestions but I don't have room for floorstanders... :-(

 

[skinnypuppy71]

When I'm 2 meters away from the speakers pointed directly at me, all is good. When I step away, I immediatly lose all the bass which leads me to think the speakers aren't powerful enough. Maybe it's a combo speakers/amp? My amp is a Cambridge CXA60 that I rarely run above quarter volume.

You say "when you stepped away" so are you standing at this point.....you need to be sat in the listening position and that's where the point of reference should be....not stood up and walking around the room.....if you want to listen about the house etc etc....that's what Bluetooth speakers are for.......so evaluate from your listening position and work from that....not stood up and away from the tweeters /drivers sweet spot.

 

[Integralista]

Great suggestions but I don't have room for floorstanders... :-(

You have 40m² of space, so where is the problem? I have 35m² and I run 2 floorstanders with 100 liter internal volume and two subwoofers. And it just fits. Is not possible to rearange the furniture or some other change? May be, post some pics of current setup, we may have a look and think about. BR

 

[jjbomber]

Great suggestions but I don't have room for floorstanders... :-(

This is how the forum works! You ask for a query about A and the replies come back with X, Y and Z. You'll get used to it after a while.

https://trianglehifi.co.uk/products/enceinte-bibliotheque-esprit-ez-comete?variant=51228450586963

 

[Integralista]

When I'm 2 meters away from the speakers pointed directly at me, all is good. When I step away, I immediatly lose all the bass which leads me to think the speakers aren't powerful enough. Maybe it's a combo speakers/amp? My amp is a Cambridge CXA60 that I rarely run above quarter volume.

Hi Cambridge CXA60 is very good small amp. Well designed for small to mid size room. In big room like you have it can work with high sensitivity speakers. But amp like his brother CXA 81 or new 81mk2 or Arcam A15 or Rega Elex are better choices. Speakers like B@W 600, 700 have very lively character (well matching your amp to prevent shouty sound). But what they miss is bass. Without subwoofer whey will suffer in bass department. This is a big difference e.g. compared to KEF speakers or Dynaudio or Focal as well. There is always something for something. And no speaker or amp is perfect. Your amp has preamp output and even subwoofer output. Before making any big change of speakers or amp, I recommend to try some good fast subwoofer. Something like B@W ASW 608 or ASW 610, they are sealed, no bass reflex. It is very modern and robust design. For your room 10inch version (asw610 is I think better). And you can still keed speakers and amp which you like. Closed SW is easier to place in the room and also to integrate into system. And wife can still put some flowers etc. on it😉. I am using Velodyne SPL 800 x2, one for each channel. For more than 23 years now. They work and work...🫠.

 

[RJW232]

With proper amplification the 601's should be able to fill the room. However...... in a 40m2 room you now have the possibility to create a (much) bigger soundstage. Not necessarily more detailed than with your 601's, but more immersive. And I think moving to a new house is always a good excuse to buy (or at least: dream of) new hifi equipment
🙂

 

[daytona600]

Great suggestions but I don't have room for floorstanders...
Small floor standers take up the same area as bookshelf on stands !

2.1 System or Wall Mounted Speakers
or Active Studio Monitors can fill 40-400m2 room easy

 

[Al ears]

Space is a premium you say but if you can manage to squeeze these in.....
They are technically floorstanders but can be placed back against a well and they are highly efficient and cheap.
Perhaps worth a look?

Indiana Line Utah 5 Floorstanding Speaker

Utah 5 is a 3-way floorstanding loudspeaker that, not only by its name but also by its construction, refers to the roots of the Indiana Line brand. It features a bass-reflex enclosure with two vent ports at its base. The electroacoustic transducers deliver powerful sound capable of filling even...

www.kronosav.com

 

[jjbomber]

They are technically floorstanders

This is how the forum works! 😆😆😆

 

[Al ears]

This is how the forum works! 😆😆😆

He has got a large room to fill and I couldn't think of any standmounts is my excuse....

 

[davidf]

The 601s had decent output for their size. Could you get more output for the same size? Yes, but it'll cost. I don't think within the budget you're going to get much more. Nothing significant anyway. I think you'll need to be looking at the used market - price point shave changed drastically since the 601 days.

 

[TK421]

The 601s had decent output for their size. Could you get more output for the same size? Yes, but it'll cost. I don't think within the budget you're going to get much more. Nothing significant anyway. I think you'll need to be looking at the used market - price point shave changed drastically since the 601 days.

Yes, I've been looking at Kef Q Concerto Meta's or even B&W 606 S3S which are more in the 1000 GBP range. I also have the possibility to swap the CXA60 for a CXA80?

 

[TK421]

With proper amplification the 601's should be able to fill the room. However...... in a 40m2 room you now have the possibility to create a (much) bigger soundstage. Not necessarily more detailed than with your 601's, but more immersive. And I think moving to a new house is always a good excuse to buy (or at least: dream of) new hifi equipment
🙂

Indeed but as there's always a fair sum of monye involved, I'd prefer to make informed decisions ;-)

 

[TK421]

Hi Cambridge CXA60 is very good small amp. Well designed for small to mid size room. In big room like you have it can work with high sensitivity speakers. But amp like his brother CXA 81 or new 81mk2 or Arcam A15 or Rega Elex are better choices. Speakers like B@W 600, 700 have very lively character (well matching your amp to prevent shouty sound). But what they miss is bass. Without subwoofer whey will suffer in bass department. This is a big difference e.g. compared to KEF speakers or Dynaudio or Focal as well. There is always something for something. And no speaker or amp is perfect. Your amp has preamp output and even subwoofer output. Before making any big change of speakers or amp, I recommend to try some good fast subwoofer. Something like B@W ASW 608 or ASW 610, they are sealed, no bass reflex. It is very modern and robust design. For your room 10inch version (asw610 is I think better). And you can still keed speakers and amp which you like. Closed SW is easier to place in the room and also to integrate into system. And wife can still put some flowers etc. on it😉. I am using Velodyne SPL 800 x2, one for each channel. For more than 23 years now. They work and work...🫠.

Bought a second hand B&W ASW 608 and the difference is phenomenal.