Choosing new speakers

[Aslund]

Hello everyone

First of all a big thanks to everyone who shared their opinion regarding my quest on finding an all-in-one amplifier in https://forums.whathifi.com/threads/new-all-in-one-amplifier.120072/#post-1242124
The short recap is that I am interested in Lyngdorf TDAI-1120 but my current speakers, Dali 850, is not a good match. The Lyngdorf has a much better separation of the sound which highlights that the bass is quite boomy. RoomPerfect helps but doesn't eliminate the problem.
I have therefore been searching for a pair of speakers to match Lyngdorf TDAI-1120. Since I am from Denmark my choice of speakers is limited to what is available here. Another problem is placement, my current speakers are positioned quite close to the wall, which might also explain the boomy bass that I experience, so I need something that is more insensitive to placement. Pictures can be seen here: https://lensdump.com/a/ZNpa1
I was also told to focus on 4 ohm speakers for the Lyngdorf TDAI-1120.

I visited one dealer in my area which has Dynaudio Emit 50 and Dynaudio Evoke 50 on display.
https://www.dynaudio.com/home-audio/emit/emit-50
https://www.dynaudio.com/home-audio/evoke/evoke-50
I much say I was quite impressed with Emit 50 given the price. It has a good full sound and amazing bass. There was a few hiccups with the bass in a few songs but it might be due to the room being quite small. The audition room was around 4m x 4m and treated. The Evoke 50 was absolutely terrible in that room, the bass was totally off and I did not enjoy them at all. They might sound better in a bigger room but I am a bit hesitant since my experience with them left me the impression that they are quite picky with placement.

Another speaker I have been looking at is the Sonus Faber Lumina V.
https://www.sonusfaber.com/en/products/lumina-v/
Sadly I was not able to find any dealer with Lumina V, but I visited one which had Lumina III on display. That room was even smaller, around 4m x 3m with concrete floor and the back-wall treated. Here the Lumina III again has the issue with bass and it was not a pleasant experience.

Lastly I have tried Sonus Faber Sonetto V.
https://www.sonusfaber.com/en/products/sonetto-v/
That was auditioned at a third dealer with a bigger room, maybe 5m x 5m. The sound really left an amazing impression with me. They where not as bass heavy as Emit 50. Emit 50 could really shift the bass according to what is played, something I a bit missed with Sonetto V, but it has a full and deep sound. The high frequencies really stood out and I enjoyed the ability to suddenly hear things in my music I did not hear before.
While the bass did not impress me so much I also feel a bit relieved as they might work nicely with being placed close to the wall.

Basically what I need to do now is to either audition more speakers or select some for home audition. Currently I have Emit 50 as my budget choice and Sonetto V as the more premium option.
Any input is deeply appreciated

Regards
Sebastian

 

[Al ears]

Have you tried any of the Amphion range?

 

[Deleted member 116933]

Dont really know what you're asking,

But now you have a baseline listen to the ones you like the look of. Don't be afraid to say "Nah not for me what else do you have?" let the dealer help you they may suggest something you never even thought of.

 

[nopiano]

Looking at your picture and room size, I think you should seriously try to create more room to the left. Most manufacturers refer to 50 cm minimum to the wall at each side, and you have less than half of that.

I am sure the Sf Sonetto was lovely, and as a long-term owner of this brand until three years ago I’d always look at their offerings. But it’s a lot of money to them compromise once home.

Can you borrow any model for home demo? Have you written off every Dali because your present one isn’t ideal? Can you get any UK brands like KEF, ATC, Neat or Spendor? How about Larsen, as they like to be near the wall, and you wouldn’t be able to put plants on top!!

 

[Al ears]

Looking at your picture and room size, I think you should seriously try to create more room to the left. Most manufacturers refer to 50 cm minimum to the wall at each side, and you have less than half of that.

I am sure the Sf Sonetto was lovely, and as a long-term owner of this brand until three years ago I’d always look at their offerings. But it’s a lot of money to them compromise once home.

Can you borrow any model for home demo? Have you written off every Dali because your present one isn’t ideal? Can you get any UK brands like KEF, ATC, Neat or Spendor? How about Larsen, as they like to be near the wall, and you wouldn’t be able to put plants on top!!

you're right, I suggest they are crammed into that corner for a reason (doorway to right?), However can see no reason they actually have to be that close to rear wall and not much further out into the room.

 

[Aslund]

Have you tried any of the Amphion range?

I have not tried it. It seems interesting but the Danish dealer does not have any on display. But I am a little worried that they are refered to be very neutral. I wonder how that matches the Lyngdorf TDAI-1120 amplifier.

Dont really know what you're asking,

But now you have a baseline listen to the ones you like the look of. Don't be afraid to say "Nah not for me what else do you have?" let the dealer help you they may suggest something you never even thought of.

Sorry about that. I am not very specific but it is also due to my inexperience. I am not used to listening and playing with equipment . I like to share my experience and see what kind of response I get. Hoping to get some valuable knowledge from all you experienced guys

Looking at your picture and room size, I think you should seriously try to create more room to the left. Most manufacturers refer to 50 cm minimum to the wall at each side, and you have less than half of that.

I am sure the Sf Sonetto was lovely, and as a long-term owner of this brand until three years ago I’d always look at their offerings. But it’s a lot of money to them compromise once home.

Can you borrow any model for home demo? Have you written off every Dali because your present one isn’t ideal? Can you get any UK brands like KEF, ATC, Neat or Spendor? How about Larsen, as they like to be near the wall, and you wouldn’t be able to put plants on top!!

I will try to position the speakers more away from the wall to the left. The backside is a little bit more problematic. I added a few pictures more in my lensdrop folder. If the speakers are moved from away from the backwall it is going to look a bit funny from the sidedoor.
So you would describe my room as offensive for a speaker like the Sonetto V?
I am very keen on Lyngdorf TDAI-1120, as an engineer RoomPerfect has my attention and I managed to demo it and I was quite impressed with its performance, but I was also told by the dealer not to use 8 Ohm speakers with it as it might be a little be demanding and recommend 4 ohm speakers.
When it comes to 4 Ohms speakers I have basically found 3 bigger brands in my pricerange that I could audition. Dali, Dynaudio and Sonus Faber. In my price range the only speaker Dali has is the Opticon 6 mk2, not a bad speaker but I don't feel overwhelmed by it. Then I am left with Dynaudio and Sonus Faber.
An alternative I have been considering is Arendal. They have some bookshelf/monitor speakers that can be wallmounted and combined with a subwoofer. I am only concerned how they fair with music, they are always reviewed and commented in regards to home cinema. For me the priority is music, like 80% music and 20% TV/movies. So I wonder how good they are. They have a buy-and-try but it is a bit of a hoax as they ask 10% of the selling price to handle the freight and even if I do it myself it is a significant expense. So it is something I have to buy with a firm confidence that I would buy.

1961 Monitor

FREE Shipping10 Years Warranty60 Days Audition Period100%

arendalsound.com

https://arendalsound.com/product/1961-subwoofer-1s/

you're right, I suggest they are crammed into that corner for a reason (doorway to right?), However can see no reason they actually have to be that close to rear wall and not much further out into the room.

I have added some additional pictures to my lensdrop folder. It will look a bit funny if I placed the speakers more out than they already are.

 

[Al ears]

To be honest I am confused as to why the TV is where it is when the sofa is clearly looking at the opposite wall and why you feel the need to place the speakers where they are. Are you trying to incorporate them into a home cinema set-up?

 

[Aslund]

To be honest I am confused as to why the TV is where it is when the sofa is clearly looking at the opposite wall and why you feel the need to place the speakers where they are. Are you trying to incorporate them into a home cinema set-up?

The sofa is a leftover sofa we don't use much. Our everyday sofa is further back in the room, you don't see it in the pictures. That one is facing the TV. But yes, due to the size of the house, 110m2, I can't have two systems, one for music and one for the TV.

 

[rainsoothe]

If the speakers have to be that close to a wall, you should consider stuff that's beend designed to work that way. You could look at Guru speakers (they are standmounted) and add a sub if you feel something is missing (which should be a breeze to implement with something like the Lyngdorf), Audio Note, (there's another brand I'm not remembering and, of course, many others) or check out Neat Iota Alpha, or even downfiring or slot-ported designs, like Fyne Audio.

 

[Al ears]

If the speakers have to be that close to a wall, you should consider stuff that's beend designed to work that way. You could look at Guru speakers (they are standmounted) and add a sub if you feel something is missing (which should be a breeze to implement with something like the Lyngdorf), Audio Note, (there's another brand I'm not remembering and, of course, many others) or check out Neat Iota Alpha, or even downfiring or slot-ported designs, like Fyne Audio.

Alas the requirements to be both a stereo and home cinema set-up does not often work as people tend to concentrate on the location of the TV and not where the main sspeakers are going to work at their best.

 

[nopiano]

They have a buy-and-try but it is a bit of a hoax as they ask 10% of the selling price to handle the freight and even if I do it myself it is a significant expense.

That’s such a shame. We are fortunate in that decent main dealers either have demo pair to lend or will accept returns. Of course, many distance selling companies offer trial periods on anything from mattresses to reading lights.

Trying to imagine what I’d do in your shoes, I’d be looking either fir a stand mount speaker or a slim floorstander without a prodigious bass output. But for your experience I’d have considered the Lumina III based on several reviews, so maybe a smaller Sonetto is worth a try? Do any of these ever appear used or ex-demo locally, say on eBay?

 

[Al ears]

Perhaps something like the Totem Arro's would be better in that set-up

 

[Aslund]

If the speakers have to be that close to a wall, you should consider stuff that's beend designed to work that way. You could look at Guru speakers (they are standmounted) and add a sub if you feel something is missing (which should be a breeze to implement with something like the Lyngdorf), Audio Note, (there's another brand I'm not remembering and, of course, many others) or check out Neat Iota Alpha, or even downfiring or slot-ported designs, like Fyne Audio.

Those Neat Iota Alpha looks interesting. Too bad no dealer around me are selling those. I was actually recommended to give Fyne Audio 502SP a listen, but I did not have time to visit the dealer. I am just wondering if the Lyngdorf TDAI-1120 would be powerful enough to drive them.

That’s such a shame. We are fortunate in that decent main dealers either have demo pair to lend or will accept returns. Of course, many distance selling companies offer trial periods on anything from mattresses to reading lights.

Trying to imagine what I’d do in your shoes, I’d be looking either fir a stand mount speaker or a slim floorstander without a prodigious bass output. But for your experience I’d have considered the Lumina III based on several reviews, so maybe a smaller Sonetto is worth a try? Do any of these ever appear used or ex-demo locally, say on eBay?

While online companies can boast how they are cutting costs I enjoy a lot the ability to listen to speakers. If I had to pay 100-150 euro every time I had to listen to a speaker I would quickly loose the discount of buying online.
I actually tried today to give wall-mounted speakers a try at the local hifi shop, HiFiKlubben.
First I listened to a Dali combo:

Køb DALI RUBICON LCR Væghøjtaler | 3 års medlemsgaranti

Fladt, diskret og eksklusivt design lige til væggen. Superflot hi-fi-lyd. En utrolig alsidig kvalitetshøjttaler til både hjemmebio og musik. Sælges som par, kan købes enkeltvis i butikken

www.hifiklubben.dk

Køb DALI SUB M-10 D Subwoofer | 3 års medlemsgaranti

Få dyb, råstærk og præcis bas uden at fylde stuen med store højttalere. Denne eksklusive subwoofer er en ren dybdebombe i sort eller hvid pianolak.

www.hifiklubben.dk

It is not the first time I have listened to Dali. I have auditioned floor-standing speakers from Dali earlier and I currently own Dali 850, which I had for 15 years. To my surprise, as I audition speakers, I learn that I actually do not like the Dali sound. It is hard to describe by words, but I feel it is narrow and tight.
I tried a Lyngdorf combo instead:

Køb Lyngdorf MH-2 Gabriel Væghøjtaler | 3 års medlemsgaranti

Lyd i særklasse fra en flad, elegant og diskret højttaler på væggen. Tilsæt en subwoofer – så er du i mål med din boligindretning intakt!

www.hifiklubben.dk

Køb Lyngdorf BW-2 Subwoofer | 3 års medlemsgaranti

Slankt design, flot finish og imponerende lydpræstationer. Her er subwooferen, som både forkæler din lyd og din boligindretning!

www.hifiklubben.dk

The sound was much more open and I felt a better soundstage. It is amazing given how small the speaker is. Even though I enjoyed the Lyngdorf combo much better than the Dali combo, I must say I was sitting and missing listening to Sonetto V. I must say I have been bewitched about their sound.
I had the opportunity to listen to Lumina III but I think the audition room was very poor as the bass was totally off. I am not big fan of the leather/faux-leather cover of the Luminaseries. I expect it to be faux leather and I just had to throw it out after 4 year because the leather started to crack. I do not really trust the long term longevity of that.
I could try to give the small Sonus Faber bookshelves a try, but my problem is how to mount them. I don't like a stand as I have small children. So how to mount them on the wall?

 

[Ceand]

One of the reasons I was attracted to the TDAi1120 was the possibility of reducing a nasty bass boom caused by the less than ideal placement of my Tannoy XT6F floor standers against a wall with my main listening position being a sofa backed onto the opposite wall. As well as being a fine amplifier in its own right, the Lyngdorf with RoomPerfect also did the job I was hoping for so my advice would be to choose the speakers you really like (maybe your own Dalis?) and let the amplifier work its magic in your compromised room! Don't get too hung up on impedance matching as this will vary with frequency in any case...

 

[Aslund]

One of the reasons I was attracted to the TDAi1120 was the possibility of reducing a nasty bass boom caused by the less than ideal placement of my Tannoy XT6F floor standers against a wall with my main listening position being a sofa backed onto the opposite wall. As well as being a fine amplifier in its own right, the Lyngdorf with RoomPerfect also did the job I was hoping for so my advice would be to choose the speakers you really like (maybe your own Dalis?) and let the amplifier work its magic in your compromised room! Don't get too hung up on impedance matching as this will vary with frequency in any case...

I only had the TDAI-1120 for a single weekend. I borrowed a demo model home and tested it, but it seems I have done a critical error as I placed my speakers a bit forward. Seems in should have been the opposite. Hopefully I can borrow it a second time and try what happens with speakers closed to the wall.