Speaker advice for large room... On a budget...

[Edmeister]

Hello fellow audio lovers,

I'm looking for some ideas to fill my new house with sound. My problem: the living room is about 4x as large as my current one and I doubt my setup will cut the mustard. New room size is 5.5 meters/18 feet wide, 12 meters/39 feet long and 3.5 meter/11 feet high.

My current setup is:
- Linn LP12
- Sonos-connect + Arcam Sonlink dac
- Rega Brio-R
- Totem Mite's
- V/d Hul cables

I have two separate sonos play 1's around, one in a kitchen and one in a bedroom.
The Brio-R drives the tiny Totem Mite's very well, no deep bass but a pretty exciting and detailed sound. I'de say this small setup has plenty of boogie. (to refrain from saying PRaT)

I mostly listen to rock, have quite a collection of 80's hairmetal on vinyl, some female/male vocals stuff like Diana Krall, Michael Bolton and some more epic classical pieces on a sunday morning. Background music is digital, serious listening strickly on vinyl.

At this point my most logical solution would be to buy larger floorstanders due to budget constraints I would prefer to keep the Brio-R in my setup. I do not listen very loud and I find it's a very enjoyable amp for it's money.

My budget is not stricktly set but I'de like to keep the cost at max 1000 E / 723 GBP.
I do not mind buying used, for this money I figured out the following options:
New:
- Cambridge Audio Aero 6
Used:
- Spendor A5
- B&W 683S1
- B&W CM9
- Tannoy DC6T
- Kef Q700

Idea's are very welcome. Am I on the right track thinking the Brio-R will power these speakers or would I be better off buying a more powerfull pre/power setup with a cheaper but large speaker (like old Dali 606's, Mission 753's, Linn Kaber..) ?

 

[davedotco]

The used market is very hit and miss, a pair of Klipsch Heresy would do very nicely, but finding a pair at the right price....*unknw*

For new speakers the floorstanding Q Acoustics is fairly sensitive, more so than any you mention and sound good when given space.

Compared with, say, the A5, the 2050i/3050 is around 6dB more sensitive, ie they will make your Brio sound 4 times as powerful. When filling a big room this is important.

 

[SteveR750]

I'd include kef R500 in your list of used. I've seen a few on ebay when I was searching earlier in the year.

 

[Edmeister]

Thanks!

The Klipsch Heresy series looks very interesting, efficient and it gets good reviews. Hardly around here on the used market though (I am in Holland).

Q-acoustics didn't float my boat when doing a demo on the 2050i and concept 20. The sound good but I missed some finesse somehow, which made me go for the Totem Mite back in the day.

The Kef R series is interesting, though the R500 is still a rare sight on the used market here I will keep my eyes out! I heard the R700 a while back and liked it a lot though it is quite a bit out of my budget.

 

[Vladimir]

JM Lab Electra 926. link

 

[Al ears]

JM Lab Electra 926. link

Just wondered if OP is getting standmount and floorstanders muddled up. It looks like it.

 

[lindsayt]

Make an offer on these.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ALTEC-JBL-SPEAKER-SYSTEM-/221891138021?hash=item33a9be11e5

They will fill your pleasantly large room with beautiful music. They will co-operate with your Brio, instead of fighting against it and giving it a hard time.

What spec is your LP12?

You should be able to raise some funds by selling it and replacing it with the right type of 10kg+ Japanese direct drive for better overall sound quality too.

 

[davedotco]

Make an offer on these.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ALTEC-JBL-SPEAKER-SYSTEM-/221891138021?hash=it...

They will fill your pleasantly large room with beautiful music. They will co-operate with your Brio, instead of fighting against it and giving it a hard time.

What spec is your LP12?

You should be able to raise some funds by selling it and replacing it with the right type of 10kg+ Japanese direct drive for better overall sound quality too.

Interesting speaker, as always the condition of the drivers are everything.

Difficult to know how someone coming from regular, modern hi-fi are going to react to these kinds of products, I love the sound but it appears not to be for everyone.

These JBL 4312 might be a little more accomodating.

 

[Edmeister]

Make an offer on these.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ALTEC-JBL-SPEAKER-SYSTEM-/221891138021?hash=it...

They will fill your pleasantly large room with beautiful music. They will co-operate with your Brio, instead of fighting against it and giving it a hard time.

What spec is your LP12?

You should be able to raise some funds by selling it and replacing it with the right type of 10kg+ Japanese direct drive for better overall sound quality too.

those are a bit leftfield but I like the idea! The WAF might be a problem...

I am in Holland so shipping speakers from ebay uk might not be the most cost effective solution.

The lp12 has an akito, adikt and lingo. I'm pretty fond of it so I don't think I could part with it for something Japanese. I also have a technics sl but it is no contest..

Thanks for the ideas so far people! I will take a look if these JBL's are around on the local used circuit.

 

[Edmeister]

JM Lab Electra 926. link

thanks! That looks like a very nice option, will the brio be able to drive these beasts?

 

[Al ears]

JM Lab Electra 926. link

thanks! That looks like a very nice option, will the brio be able to drive these beasts?

They are 91dB efficient and nominally 8 ohm (3.6ohm lowest). If your Brio couldn't drive them I would be very concerned.

 

[davedotco]

Always thought these to be good product, generally superior to those under the Focal brand name, but that is only an impression based on modest experience.

With used gear you are always limited to what is or is not available in your market place, pot luck really. Given your room size and amplifier power, keeping the speaker sensitivity at 90 dB/watt or better is probably a good idea.

Going back to the Q Acoustics, their floorstanders are very different, bigger and 'bolder' in all respects, they do a decent job in a big space where the compact models simply would not cope. A good, inexpensive and easily available solution, they may not suit on audition, but worth a try.

 

[Edmeister]

I will give the new q acoustics 3050 a spin this weekend, I have found a local retailer.

The JM Labs speakers look very interesting and it looks like a lot of bang for bucks, which is what I'm after. The WAF is borderline acceptable so they just made it to the shortlist

 

[lindsayt]

Pick the Altec / JBL horns up in an estate car or an SUV or a van. Calais to Dover day trip return costs £30. Plus a tank of fuel from the Netherlands to London and back. Or do it as part of a long week-end sightseeing trip to London.

One of the trade-offs in hi-fi bargain hunting is: quantity of deals available vs geographic flexibility.

Those JBL's suggested by Dave would be OK too. Personnally, conventional coned and domed ported speakers like those JBL 4312's are not quite my cup of tea. But I'd take them over budget modern slimline 2 way ported speakers.

For many LP12 owners it's not so much about the sound quality for the money, it's the pride from owning an LP12. If you ever get the chance, I think you'd find it interesting to compare your LP12 Akito Adikt to one of the heavyweight direct drive turntables fitted with a decent cartridge.

 

[Edmeister]

Always thought these to be good product, generally superior to those under the Focal brand name, but that is only an impression based on modest experience.

With used gear you are always limited to what is or is not available in your market place, pot luck really. Given your room size and amplifier power, keeping the speaker sensitivity at 90 dB/watt or better is probably a good idea.

Going back to the Q Acoustics, their floorstanders are very different, bigger and 'bolder' in all respects, they do a decent job in a big space where the compact models simply would not cope. A good, inexpensive and easily available solution, they may not suit on audition, but worth a try.

Hi Dave, thanks for your advice.

I have heard the Q acoustics 3050 today and I must say it's a very nicely finished product, for their price you really do get a lot. However I was not so impressed by their sound even though all the reviews are glorious. I think they lacked some scale and I doubt that they would be able to fill my room with sound when played louder. For a medium sized living room they are a no-brainer.

Also heard the B&W 683s2's and I think they sounded a lot 'bigger'. Not a fair comparisson since these are more expensive and out of my budget but it does make me think about used 683s1's. However I think these really like some more power and might not be the best match with my Brio-r.

I'm in contact with the JMlabs seller and I might be able to hear these on my own amp. I've read some reviews of the 926's and they are all very positive. W

 

[Edmeister]

Pick the Altec / JBL horns up in an estate car or an SUV or a van. Calais to Dover day trip return costs £30. Plus a tank of fuel from the Netherlands to London and back. Or do it as part of a long week-end sightseeing trip to London.

One of the trade-offs in hi-fi bargain hunting is: quantity of deals available vs geographic flexibility.

Those JBL's suggested by Dave would be OK too. Personnally, conventional coned and domed ported speakers like those JBL 4312's are not quite my cup of tea. But I'd take them over budget modern slimline 2 way ported speakers.

For many LP12 owners it's not so much about the sound quality for the money, it's the pride from owning an LP12. If you ever get the chance, I think you'd find it interesting to compare your LP12 Akito Adikt to one of the heavyweight direct drive turntables fitted with a decent cartridge.

True, it does play a role. Mine is older then I am myself and it think it is a nice piece of engineering. I have an SL1210 with AT440mla and it is better value but not really a heavyweight. Compared side by side I do think the Lp12 sounds more natural and has more 'swing'.

Yes, I could easily live with just the technics but I do think the Lp12 suits my taste better. I would be very interested to hear it against a Kenwood KD990

 

[davedotco]

Pick the Altec / JBL horns up in an estate car or an SUV or a van. Calais to Dover day trip return costs £30. Plus a tank of fuel from the Netherlands to London and back. Or do it as part of a long week-end sightseeing trip to London.

One of the trade-offs in hi-fi bargain hunting is: quantity of deals available vs geographic flexibility.

Those JBL's suggested by Dave would be OK too. Personnally, conventional coned and domed ported speakers like those JBL 4312's are not quite my cup of tea. But I'd take them over budget modern slimline 2 way ported speakers.

For many LP12 owners it's not so much about the sound quality for the money, it's the pride from owning an LP12. If you ever get the chance, I think you'd find it interesting to compare your LP12 Akito Adikt to one of the heavyweight direct drive turntables fitted with a decent cartridge.

True, it does play a role. Mine is older then I am myself and it think it is a nice piece of engineering. I have an SL1210 with AT440mla and it is better value but not really a heavyweight. Compared side by side I do think the Lp12 sounds more natural and has more 'swing'.

Yes, I could easily live with just the technics but I do think the Lp12 suits my taste better. I would be very interested to hear it against a Kenwood KD990

Try and find someone with the skills to set up your Sondek without changing everything in sight and costing you a fortune.

Not that difficult in the uk but it depends on your local market place, just reset the suspension, new springs and grommets, general 'tighten up', new stylus/cartridge if necessary. Improvements should be obvious, particularly if it has not been serviced for a while, if you really want to play a lot of vinyl, spend some more on the cartridge and look into turntable supports.

 

[Edmeister]

Pick the Altec / JBL horns up in an estate car or an SUV or a van. Calais to Dover day trip return costs £30. Plus a tank of fuel from the Netherlands to London and back. Or do it as part of a long week-end sightseeing trip to London.

One of the trade-offs in hi-fi bargain hunting is: quantity of deals available vs geographic flexibility.

Those JBL's suggested by Dave would be OK too. Personnally, conventional coned and domed ported speakers like those JBL 4312's are not quite my cup of tea. But I'd take them over budget modern slimline 2 way ported speakers.

For many LP12 owners it's not so much about the sound quality for the money, it's the pride from owning an LP12. If you ever get the chance, I think you'd find it interesting to compare your LP12 Akito Adikt to one of the heavyweight direct drive turntables fitted with a decent cartridge.

True, it does play a role. Mine is older then I am myself and it think it is a nice piece of engineering. I have an SL1210 with AT440mla and it is better value but not really a heavyweight. Compared side by side I do think the Lp12 sounds more natural and has more 'swing'.

Yes, I could easily live with just the technics but I do think the Lp12 suits my taste better. I would be very interested to hear it against a Kenwood KD990

Try and find someone with the skills to set up your Sondek without changing everything in sight and costing you a fortune.

Not that difficult in the uk but it depends on your local market place, just reset the suspension, new springs and grommets, general 'tighten up', new stylus/cartridge if necessary. Improvements should be obvious, particularly if it has not been serviced for a while, if you really want to play a lot of vinyl, spend some more on the cartridge and look into turntable supports.

Hi Dave, it has been setup half a year ago by a Linn dealer here in Holland. It wasn't that costly and I had an Adikt cartridge fitted at that time. It was a worthwile upgrade from a saggy drive belt and a K5 cartridge

I am thinking about wall supports, I have a wooden floor now which is a bit bouncy.

 

[davedotco]

Pick the Altec / JBL horns up in an estate car or an SUV or a van. Calais to Dover day trip return costs £30. Plus a tank of fuel from the Netherlands to London and back. Or do it as part of a long week-end sightseeing trip to London.

One of the trade-offs in hi-fi bargain hunting is: quantity of deals available vs geographic flexibility.

Those JBL's suggested by Dave would be OK too. Personnally, conventional coned and domed ported speakers like those JBL 4312's are not quite my cup of tea. But I'd take them over budget modern slimline 2 way ported speakers.

For many LP12 owners it's not so much about the sound quality for the money, it's the pride from owning an LP12. If you ever get the chance, I think you'd find it interesting to compare your LP12 Akito Adikt to one of the heavyweight direct drive turntables fitted with a decent cartridge.

True, it does play a role. Mine is older then I am myself and it think it is a nice piece of engineering. I have an SL1210 with AT440mla and it is better value but not really a heavyweight. Compared side by side I do think the Lp12 sounds more natural and has more 'swing'.

Yes, I could easily live with just the technics but I do think the Lp12 suits my taste better. I would be very interested to hear it against a Kenwood KD990

Try and find someone with the skills to set up your Sondek without changing everything in sight and costing you a fortune.

Not that difficult in the uk but it depends on your local market place, just reset the suspension, new springs and grommets, general 'tighten up', new stylus/cartridge if necessary. Improvements should be obvious, particularly if it has not been serviced for a while, if you really want to play a lot of vinyl, spend some more on the cartridge and look into turntable supports.

Hi Dave, it has been setup half a year ago by a Linn dealer here in Holland. It wasn't that costly and I had an Adikt cartridge fitted at that time. It was a worthwile upgrade from a saggy drive belt and a K5 cartridge

I am thinking about wall supports, I have a wooden floor now which is a bit bouncy.

A light, rigid wall shelf is a good idea, whatever you do, do not put it on anything solid and heavy.

 

[Vladimir]

I notice on MarktPlaats.nl there are Tannoy CPA-12 and CPA-15 for sale. Those sound very good and can run on just few watts very loud (96dB efficient, 125dB SPL max). If paired with a good sub they will easily fill the largest rooms. I used to go to a jazz cafe for years that had a pair of CPA12s and I really liked the sound. If you are close to a seller and not annoyed with the pro cabinets, give them a listen. You can run those with a tube amp if you move in those waters sometimes in the future.

 

[Edmeister]

I notice on MarktPlaats.nl there are Tannoy CPA-12 and CPA-15 for sale. Those sound very good and can run on just few watts very loud (96dB efficient, 125dB SPL max). If paired with a good sub they will easily fill the largest rooms. I used to go to a jazz cafe for years that had a pair of CPA12s and I really liked the sound. If you are close to a seller and not annoyed with the pro cabinets, give them a listen. You can run those with a tube amp if you move in those waters sometimes in the future.

I can but the missus can not... same with the altec horns. I think I can sneak in the jbl 4312's since they are a bit more eh.. Room-friendly looking. Don't mind large and boxy but they will be in sight and placed in space (not backed up against a wall)

I might be able to listen to the JMlabs this week as well but I like the idea of studio monitors with high sensitivity. A bit left field maybe but I bet they work well in a large room versus the conventional options.

 

[Vladimir]

Someone has even a better price on the Electra 926.

Speaking of French left field, how about Cabasse Clipper III? They are 94dB efficient, big and somewhat furniture (read: wife) friendly. They look boxy but they are an excellent design with baffle time aligned drivers, proper 3 way and neutral FR.

 

[Edmeister]

Someone has even a better price on the Electra 926.

Speaking of French left field, how about Cabasse Clipper III? They are 94dB efficient, big and somewhat furniture (read: wife) friendly. They look boxy but they are an excellent design with baffle time aligned drivers, proper 3 way and neutral FR.

Thanks Vladimir! I found that deal as well and hope to give these a listen soon.

Those Clippers look like something I would buy, I even like their design (call me crazy). I just send the seller and email. He has loads of very nice speakers around including a immensly huge set of Altec Lansing 9842-8D's

Also found some JBL 4312's in Germany for around 750 euro, they look nice but I think it's still pricey and I wouldn't be able to listen to them first. I like their 'studio monitor' form factor.

 

[Vladimir]

IMO just stick to the Dutch s/h market.

Those Altecs are on many audiophiles dream lists, although probably as the domestic version (Model 14).

 

[Edmeister]

The Cabasse Clipper seller is asking 800 euro's/ca. 600 gbp. They are in great condition but I'm factoring in the risk to buy oldies like this when replacement speakers are not easily available and (by the looks of it) very expensive. These used to be quite expensive and it shows, they look like real quality speakers but hard to tell what they are worth now.

Planned to see the JMlabs, at the guy selling them for the lowest price (500e) which are more conventional but do get great reviews, might be a steal

Also found a pair of JBL L100's as well for 1050 which is IMHO too much. They do look cool with the foam grilles though Klipsch Heresy and JBL 4312's are not around at this moment.