i need advice on finding a small speaker with great clarity and not a lot of bass

[Anonymous]

thanks very much igglebert. my short list is avi neutron 5, rega rs1, quad 9L2 or 11L2. im not sure about the spendors. i have heard a pair of s3 in the past and although musical i didn't find them as open and transparent as the best. as for the atc scm7 i have heard them and they are a bit weighty in the bass for my requirments. i need a bass light speaker with great clarity. does anyone know anything about the Final STi 400 speakers. i think a pair of those might meet my requirements. they are electrostatic and there are some good deals around.

 

[Anonymous]

robertin are you in the uk?

 

[chebby]

Without the 'neighbour factor' I would wholeheartedly endorse the Rega RS1.

However they are a little boisterous, have suprisingly good bass for their size, and really sing in the midrange.

I would actually recommend the Spendor S3/5R after a long demo of them the other day on a Naim system. They were quite warm and very soft and mild in the bass. Midrange was quite good but - again - very laid back and smooth. They take an awful lot of volume turning and still don't really get loud, and I can never imagine them being anything other than perfect 'neighbours'. (Like a big old fashioned Classic Roberts radio.)

Perfect late night, mellow speakers or excellent dining room speakers for good quality but unobtrusive background sounds

I passed on them for their lack of 'bite' or 'grip' in the midrange - and their reticence - but for your neighbour situation, perfect.

(From what I have heard of my friend's ATC SCM11s. the SCM7's could be a disaster in your relations with next door. They really like to rock-out and could punch holes in a breezeblock with their upper bass, and have a midrange so clear that people in other rooms are looking around to see if the singer has just walked in behind them! ATCs would just be a total waste of talent in your situation. They are born to be fast, loud and noticed.)

 

[the record spot]

If you can find them, the Quadral Pico would deliver the lean bass you want, but with a realistic edge, would be small enough to not dominate your room, but deliver a wonderfully lucid musical picture - it's not the biggest box, but it's none the worse for it. Were £650, and you might find one on a deal, if you can find them.

The only other small box that would really step up to the plate would be the superb Audiosmile Kensai - £1500 alas however...

 

[Anonymous]

Don,t think it matters what kind of speaker change you do, you still want to hear your music at reasonable levels to get good detail and it seems that when you listen at the absolute minimum volume that you are happy with, then your neighbours still and will complain. You,ll probably find that as soon as you start to listen to music then the neighbours will instantly say "that,s him started again". Think you would be best to look at some sort of soundproofing, doesn,t matter what speaker you get, your neighbours have now got it into their heads that as soon as you put on some music then according to them it,s going to annoy them. On the other side of the coin, can you hear the neighbours making a noise, if so then you could all club together and insulate between the party walls, ceilings etc.

 

[Anonymous]

Is your floor carpeted? are your floorstanders sit on spikes? like here http://audioaffair.co.uk/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=708&md=96bab0bcf94515e211e7591cc5ff56a3

 

[batonwielder]

I agree with johnnyjazz, spend the money on soundproofing your listening room, unless you are looking for excuses to get new speakers.