Small room - small speakers - enveloping sound

[admin_exported]

Hi

I'm looking for some speakers for a very small living room (2.9 x 3.1m) with a reasonably low ceiling.

I currently have a huge pair of old floor-standing Tannoys with a NAD amp bunged on top of one of the speakers. Great, but I'd kinda like to fit a small sofa into the lounge ... So I'm looking for something wall-mounted.

I listen to a lot of acoustic jazz, classical, and radio 4 (i.e. talk). I don't listen at high volumes but I do like to get lost in the soundscapes, so I'm looking for 2 or maybe 4 small speakers mounted vaguely at ear-height.

The problem is that I want to avoid a sub-bass (space issues), I don't watch movies, and most of the systems I'm finding are 5.1 systems.

Can anyone recommend a course of action? Are my expectations too high? Should I just get a pair of smallish bookshelf speakers and mount them on the wall?

Thanks,

Mat

 

[Sizzers]

Through my own experience Dali Lektor 1's at around £250 are excellent wall mounted speakers (better than being standed IMO) and work fantastically well with jazz and radio (can't speak for classical).

Cheaper option to consider are the Dali Zensor 1's at around £180, and although I've not heard them personally they do come highly recommended. They're rear ported so I have no idea how they perform against a wall, but Dali incorporate the same wall bracket arrangement on these as the Lektor's (basically a screw/rawplug) so I wouldn't have necessarily thought this would be a problem if they're giving wall mounting as an option as well.

Further up the food chain are the Rega RS1's at £400. Again, I've not heard these speakers either (very much on the "to-do" list at some point mind!), but I've never read a bad word about them anywhere and they appear to match up perfectly with what you're looking for. These also are rear ported and Rega supply a specific wall bracket for these speakers at £20 and are apparently just as excellent wall mounted as well.

Hope this may help a bit.

 

[Lo Fi]

How about Monitor Audio BX2s they are front ported so no problem against walls they have a high efficiency so big power output is not required. They are dynamic and highly rated, see What Hi Review

 

[altruistic.lemon]

Harbeth, Dali, Sonus Faber wall mounts, Totem wall mounts, ATC, Royd (old), some Neats, some Spendors, some pre Ovator Naims, some Q Acoustics, plus quite a lot of active speakers, too.

What's your budget, mate?

 

[chebby]

Spendor S3/5R2 (£850) or ex-dem/new old stock S3/5Rs if you can find any.

Naim nSATs, (I can personally recommend these.) They are expensive new, so do what I did and find a good used pair for around £400 - £450. Naim sell bespoke wall brackets for these.

 

[rendu]

You may still be able to cath some Dali Ikon1 on ebay for 250 pound. These used to be close to 600 pound and higher up in the line than the lektor´s. I have mine hung on the wall and they sound really good. The only thing maybe is that the bass is not too tigh or low, is just enoght and controlled but it will not shake your room. The double-tweeter really creates an enjoyable listening experience.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi all

Thanks for the really useful replies. Really appreciate it. I have lots to follow-up on there.

My budget isn't set in stone, I'd want to pay 200 squid if it were a pair of bookshelf speakers (to wall mount them) or a little more if there were something bang-on my requirements. (Invisible speakers that sound like heaven = pipe dream.)

I have a sneaky feeling that the basics of audio reproduction haven't changed *that* much over the last ... er ... 30 years (?) and therefore would be most happy buying some nicely made seconds on ebay. That is, unless there were a product that looked less like bookshelf speakers and more like "style" speakers, but one that actually sounded good.

Any more recommendations for second-hand wall-mountable bargains on ebay that looks unintrusive in a small white room?

Cheers,

Mat

 

[Anonymous]

One more question.

Is it a good idea for me to look for even smaller units and mount 4 around the corners of the room? Would this totally ruin the stereo imaging, or could it work for the 'enveloping' effect I want? Mine is an almost-cuboid room...

I went to this coffee bar in NYC this year, they had the most incredible sounding system of small spherical speakers. I didn't find out what they were (I guess each speaker was the size of a grapefruit, dark grey in colour, I think half of the sphere was a grille), but I remember the sound was lovely. Music was playing quietly and the speakers were really out of the way, but the sound was great.

Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

Hi ,

I think Iknow the kind of sound you are after, clear, enveloping unobtrusive.

I would look at something like these.

http://www.coolgales.com/store/cart.php?target=product&product_id=434&category_id=94

Theyvwill work well in corners. They are £296 for the pair I think and they come in white silver and black.

They are very clear speakers with not much bass but might give you the sound you are after. You could start with 2 and get another 2 when funds allow.

 

[Anonymous]

Actually looking at your requirements I think these Eclipse speakers are bang on what you require! Mounted in the corners pointing down. Perfect.