Speaker Advice Please...

[dabblet]

Hi - looking for some thoughts on speakers.

All my music is stored on computer and I have no real interest (currently) on using a CD transport to listen. Music tends to be a background to life especially as my PC is to one side of my 6.5 x 6.5 open plan kitchen / dining / study area.

Due to space and SWMBO constraints I'm looking for an elegant solution that can work both within the space as well as be acceptable when sat at the PC.

Have considered standard standmount speakers but their size seems to be an issue both as they are back against a wall and also as my listening position when seated at PC is 600mm from the wall. There is 1800mm of space left to right.

PC feeds into an Audiolab M-DAC and currently into an active 2.1 speaker setup (CA SLA25 & Minx 200). I gather that sometime around March Audiolab are releasing an amp to match the M-DAC which is a 2 channel affair, no seperate sub out - as long as it sounds well I will be getting one as I do prefer kit to match.

Looking for something I can wall mount. Have considered Neat IOTA on wall brackets / Monitor Audio SF1 / Kef T301. Looking for speakers that can do justice to the kit and the music. Small speakers just dont have the presence and completeness/depth of soundstage I am looking for.

Budget is from as little as necessary to £1250.00 any suggestions or experiences would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Phileas]

Have considered standard standmount speakers but their size seems to be an issue...

...Small speakers just dont have the presence and completeness/depth of soundstage I am looking for.

I'm a bit confused about what you're after, but you might want to consider AVI ADM9RSs (or ADM9RSSs).

 

[Exoticsounds]

You could maybe consider the new KEF X300A , which is active so you would not need an external amp.

 

[Overdose]

Have considered standard standmount speakers but their size seems to be an issue...

...Small speakers just dont have the presence and completeness/depth of soundstage I am looking for.

I'm a bit confused about what you're after, but you might want to consider AVI ADM9RSs (or ADM9RSSs).

+1

 

[Frank Harvey]

£1250 seems an awfully popular budget constraint nowadays...

Have considered standard standmount speakers but their size seems to be an issue both as they are back against a wall and also as my listening position when seated at PC is 600mm from the wall. There is 1800mm of space left to right.

PC feeds into an Audiolab M-DAC and currently into an active 2.1 speaker setup (CA SLA25 & Minx 200). I gather that sometime around March Audiolab are releasing an amp to match the M-DAC which is a 2 channel affair, no seperate sub out - as long as it sounds well I will be getting one as I do prefer kit to match.

Looking for something I can wall mount. Have considered Neat IOTA on wall brackets / Monitor Audio SF1 / Kef T301. Looking for speakers that can do justice to the kit and the music. Small speakers just dont have the presence and completeness/depth of soundstage I am looking for.

Audiolab will be releasing a matching power amp soon which I believe will be revealed at the Bristol Show. It might be worth waiting to see what connections it offers, as they may offer a daisy chain connection, which means you would be able to add a sub (if that's what you're after).

The Neat Iota is a very small speaker with excellent midrange and treble performance, but they do need to be used close to a wall though to bring out their bass. I don't think there's anything else out there that is so small with that level of quality. You'll be looking at larger speakers to improve on bass performance.

 

[jjbomber]

£1250 seems an awfully popular budget constraint nowadays...

It's to stop the AVI boys, who start at £1,400. Great idea but, unfortunately, it doesn't work. One of the cult members was recommending them last week when the OP had a budget of £350. It seems we are stuck with them, no matter what the budget.

 

[Exshopguy]

£1250 seems an awfully popular budget constraint nowadays...

It's to stop the AVI boys, who start at £1,400. Great idea but, unfortunately, it doesn't work. One of the cult members was recommending them last week when the OP had a budget of £350. It seems we are stuck with them, no matter what the budget.

So what can be done to avoid the KEF fanclub ^ who also seem to pop up in every thread? :rofl:

 

[Phileas]

It's to stop the AVI boys, who start at £1,400.

Wrong. The ADM 9RS is £1250.

Also, in the context of the OP, my suggestion seems completely unobjectionable. :roll:

 

[Frank Harvey]

So what can be done to avoid the KEF fanclub ^ who also seem to pop up in every thread? :rofl:[/quote]

What, along with all the other recommendations? If it suits, it gets recommended. Not my fault they have a number of benefits that suit more people

 

[Baldrick1]

So what can be done to avoid the KEF fanclub ^ who also seem to pop up in every thread? :rofl:

What, along with all the other recommendations? If it suits, it gets recommended. Not my fault they have a number of benefits that suit more people

[/quote]

:cheers:

 

[jjbomber]

It's to stop the AVI boys, who start at £1,400.

Wrong. The ADM 9RS is £1250.

That's with the rubbish tweeter. With a proper tweeter they are £1,400. Of course, you can recommend rubbish if you like, it's a free World.

 

[Overdose]

It's to stop the AVI boys, who start at £1,400.

Wrong. The ADM 9RS is £1250.

That's with the rubbish tweeter. With a proper tweeter they are £1,400. Of course, you can recommend rubbish if you like, it's a free World.

'Rubbish' by what measure? Seems a rather silly comment.

 

[Exshopguy]

What, along with all the other recommendations? If it suits, it gets recommended. Not my fault they have a number of benefits that suit more people

But that was my point really, if anyone recommends an AVI product here they're attacked for it. KEF seems to be recommended with at least as much zealotry from certain quarters but this is deemed fine. Double standard I think.

 

[Phileas]

That's with the rubbish tweeter. With a proper tweeter they are £1,400. Of course, you can recommend rubbish if you like, it's a free World.

'Rubbish' by what measure? Seems a rather silly comment.

Silly comments seem to be his speciality.

 

[jjbomber]

But that was my point really, if anyone recommends an AVI product here they're attacked for it. KEF seems to be recommended with at least as much zealotry from certain quarters but this is deemed fine. Double standard I think.

People recommend KEF as one of a few to try across a massive price range. AVI cult members recommend them no matter what the question. They never offer an alternative, the price range doesn't matter. They make themselves a laughing stock.

 

[Frank Harvey]

What, along with all the other recommendations? If it suits, it gets recommended. Not my fault they have a number of benefits that suit more people

But that was my point really, if anyone recommends an AVI product here they're attacked for it. KEF seems to be recommended with at least as much zealotry from certain quarters but this is deemed fine. Double standard I think.

You'll have to take that up with those that attack those that attack those who recommend AVI. As I've said, if the situation suitsIll recommend KEF. I'll also recommend ProAc, ATC, Spendor, Neat Acoustics, Acoustic Energy, Naim, Rega, Dynaudio, Monitor Audio, ATC, Dali, Ken Kreisel, Tannoy, Bowers & Wilkins, Q Acoustics, Mission, Wharfedale, and PMC. I'll even recommend some used speakers sometimes. Why? Because I've heard them, I have experience of them, and I know whether they'll suit the situation or not. So while I do recommend KEF quite a lot, it is for a reason. If they start making crap speakers, I'll recommend them a whole lot less

 

[dabblet]

Thanks for the advice. Guess best thing I can do is wait till I know what the capability of the new audiolab amp is. In the short term grabbed a Denon CEOL piccolo and a pair of Dali Zensor 1's as I can use them upstairs when I get sorted with amp and speakers for the PC.

Thanks again

 

[dabblet]

Have changed a few criteria.

Got an offer I couldn't refuse for the amplification so am now running the M-Dac into a pair of Audiolab 8200MB single channel power amps.

Have given up on wall mounting the speakers.

Am now trying to narrow down a list to audition at home:

At the upper end of my budget have some offers of good prices on:

B&W PM1, PMC Twenty 21 & 22 & Monitor Audio GX100.

In the more easily affordable part of my budget:

Keff LS50, Monitor Audio GX50, Linn 109, B&W CM5

At the lower end of my budget:

Tannoy Rev DC6 and B&W CM1.

Any advice on nararowing down the list woud be appreciated. Still limited by only having around 200mm space from the rear of the speaker to the wall.

Thanks in advance.

 

[BigH]

£1250 seems an awfully popular budget constraint nowadays...

It's to stop the AVI boys, who start at £1,400. Great idea but, unfortunately, it doesn't work. One of the cult members was recommending them last week when the OP had a budget of £350. It seems we are stuck with them, no matter what the budget.

Haha, they start at £1,250 actually.

 

[BigH]

I would take out the CM1s think they will have too much bass if near a wall. LS50s are good but need some driving so not so good for low volumes.

What sort of music do you play?

 

[ID.]

What, along with all the other recommendations? If it suits, it gets recommended. Not my fault they have a number of benefits that suit more people

But that was my point really, if anyone recommends an AVI product here they're attacked for it. KEF seems to be recommended with at least as much zealotry from certain quarters but this is deemed fine. Double standard I think.

...ATC,... ATC,

Forget about KEF, lets overanalyse the Freudian slip of you listing ATC twice :shhh:

(J/K)

 

[dabblet]

What sort of music do you play?

A fairly wide gamut: rock, pop, dance, classical, musicals etc so no real help there. Thanks for the comments about the CM1's.

Cheers

 

[BigH]

You may want to add the Spendor SA1 to your list. If you don't want much bass then the Harbeth P3ESR are worth a look if you can hear them.

 

[altruistic.lemon]

Have a listen to the Neat Petites too, they'd be my pick. The Linns are not bad either.

 

[SpursGator]

I agree that wall mounting is a mistake. One thing that I HIGHLY recommend to you, and anyone else who is essentially driving a hifi system from a desk, is getting some desktop stands. I got some from a little company called Item Audio which I found online. They took a little longer than they promised but in the end really delivered - mine are about 9 inches tall and are almost heavy enough to use as barbells. It's a section of an I-beam welded to two steel plates with four holes punched in each, then powder-coated black. You then put eight little rubber feet into the holes and you stick them on each side of the desk, toed in a little. They'll make them any size you want - mine are sized to fit a pair of PMC DB1is, and the bottom a little smaller to save desk space. WHAT a difference this makes - it elminates some of the reflections from the desk and gets the bass driver up in the air. I have tried the Scanspeak 15W's - which for their size are just bass monsters - on the stands and sitting in front of my computer was just sick - you would need huge speakers to have bass like that in the living room. Near-field listening is a wonderful thing - sort of its ówn little backward corner of hifi - but you have to get the speakers off the desk to experience it.

In the OP's room this might be better - when he's pushing up the volume for the rest of the little room, he'll do better that shoving them in corners or on the wall.

As for which speaker, it's overpriced IMO, but it's hard to ignore what a good fit the little Spendor would be in a setup like this. Maybe ProAc Studio 115. The PMCs do it well and the TL is a great compromise in a room like yours, where ported speakers might get boomy, but üou might find the Spendor bass to be lacking.

I also have to admit that David has got a point about KEF. They are on a roll, and you can get more speaker for your money, at your price level, from them than from the other companies I mentioned.

If it were my money - and I if didn't already posses the terrible knowledge that comes from building my own speakers - I would probably be on eBay trolling for speakers that retail for double your budget, for your budget. It's somehow scarier doing it with speakers than amps, but you pay such a massive premium for new, and they aren't even broken in yet, right?

Hope this was helpful.