Which speaker size for my room (3 x 4 m)

[Stephan A]

First of all - Greetings! :wave: I am what you could consider a complete rookie when it comes to real Hi-FI. Therefore I hope you guys would be able to guide me in the right direction in this wonderful world

I have a lot of questions but I will start with the one question that is bothering me the most lately.

QUESTION: I have heard a few speakers lately and I was - still am - very impressed with the sound versus my old Harman Kardon and current 2.1 bose setup. This is a step away from the satellite speaker world as I have known till now. I therefore have NO idea about which speaker size I should go for if I want to get the best music experience with the best image. I have been looking on speaker sizes (like the silver 1 and 6 from monitor audio)

Room: The room isn't that big. As a student in a big city my living room is about 3 x 4 meters (2,3 to the ceiling). I would like it to be taken into consideration that I will probably maximum live in a small sized flat for the next 3 years and I plan to buy some good speakers which hopefully can make me happy for a much longer periode of time.

So, question is - Floor standing speakers or bookshelf? Please elaborate your answer

 

[RobinKidderminster]

You will probably be advised standmounts..I enjoy my floorstanders for bass and depth possibly in lieu of focus and image..You could also consider a sub. Others will suggest you audition in a similar sized room. Enjoy the debate.

 

[Daveperc]

As a student, and then ex-student, I think my advice would be to try and identify a speaker that is flexible in where it can be placed. You will probably live in several different rooms over the next few years so flexibility is key.

For me that would point to a stand/bookshelf mounted speaker that is happy with being close to walls etc. A closed box design will probably be more adaptable than a ported design too.

Dave

 

[Thompsonuxb]

If your current amp has tone controls go for floor standers - for scale & solidity the stand mounts you'd have to get would look huge on stands and probably have a larger footprint and require more space.

I do know that many modern standmounts can produce bass that is at odds with their size, but in my experience its at the cost of midrange clarity - to my ears - decent floorstanders provide better scale/dynamics for your money

 

[Jim-W]

Tannoy f1 mercury custom and the new improved Tannoy mercury V1 work very well in small rooms, even if placed in, or close to, corners. They need to be toed in to the listening position and respond well to partnering equipment way above their price range. You can get them both under £100 from Richer Sounds. Glamorous, they ain't but they sound terrific in a small room when positioned correctly on decent stands.

 

[Leeps]

As a student, and then ex-student, I think my advice would be to try and identify a speaker that is flexible in where it can be placed. You will probably live in several different rooms over the next few years so flexibility is key.

For me that would point to a stand/bookshelf mounted speaker that is happy with being close to walls etc. A closed box design will probably be more adaptable than a ported design too.

Dave

Completely agree with this comment. Large floorstanders may not technically take up much more actual floor space than a speaker stand, but if you HAVE to site them several feet away from a back and side wall to prevent huge bass boom problems, then it becomes very limiting, particularly as the above post says, you can't anticipate where you'll be able to place speakers in rooms in the future.

So yes, standmounts and sealed-box designs would be good. Or, how about the Guru Juniors (or QM10 mark 2) that are designed to be used next to a wall?

Later on, you could augment bass with a sub, but if you invest in large rear-ported floorstanders now, and then find your future room doesn't allow sufficient breathing space, then you're only option is Ebay!!

 

[Dommer]

I would also suggest standmount speakers as they can also be placed on a bookshelf or other furniture if you don't have the space for the stands.

However if you're into big bass then floor standing speakers will be the better option.

The speakers you get should depend on what system you will be using. or you could get the speakers first and try and match a good system to them. Try to audition the Kef R100s. They sound fantastic in my lounge which is about 4x6m.

 

[chebby]

Maybe we should know what the rest of the system is going to be. (At least what amplifier.)

How loud are you intending to play the system? Will it be required to do the music for parties?

 

[PEAYEL]

Hi, may I first offer a little guidance that most of us this forum will attest to, and that is try to avoid the dreaded disease called "upgradeitis", it is almost incurable and as a student you obviously don't wish to waste a penny. Secondly may I suggest that you take your time, all of us on here, no matter how new to the world of HiFi will also agree that a lot can be learned from the thrill of the chase/auditioning potential candidates for the job.

If you have a Hifi dealer/dealers close then go and make friends with them. Two reasons, tell them that you are a student and with limited funds and they will give you good advice (because they want your custom in the future), and very often they take in part exchanges which mostly will be very well looked after, so they will give you a call and let you listen to anything. You must be honest to get the best out of them.

You make no mention of what you will use to amplify the speakers, as it is important to get the synergy correct between your 'digs', the amp and the speakers. If you already have an amp, then take this with you to audition your speakers, it's a faff but worth it if you want to avoid mistakes.

Is your source going to be CD or digital player? because if the latter then it may be worth considering powered desktop speakers, some tasty examples can be had second hand for not a lot of cash. Similarly, if you consider QAcoustics 2020i and 2050i as a decent starting point, these will give you and idea of good quality sound and what may make you smile/play air guitar etc.

Lastly, keep the posts on your progress coming, as we aea all ineterested (nosey as hell) and sure enough more advice will be forthcoming and remember it's what makes you and ears happy that is the most important thing here. No matter what we all offer.

All the best...look forward to reading your progress.

 

[Andy Madden]

Hi Stephan A,

welcome to the forums. I've just got a few questions to try and get a feel for what you're after. What kind of budget did you have in mind? What kind of music do you tend to listen to? What source & amplification will you be using?

Cheers,

Andy

 

[Stephan A]

Amazing with all the respons I have gotten in less than 24 hours. First of all - Thank everyone so far.

To be honest, I did not provide more information or questions since, on the danish forums, people tend to answer only 1 question and forget the rest. Therefore I just wanted to start with the speaker size versus room size With that said, I will provide where I am so far.

Budget: 1.100-1.600£

I do not own a suitable amp for the new setup nor cables or anything els for that matter. The budget needs to cover everything.

I have a very wide music taste. Rock, pop, dance, light metal and rap for that matter.

Speakers

I do not, yet, have an idea about which amp I am interested in buying. So far I have tried to narrow in the speaker choices and so far Monitor Audio Silver 6 seems to be a very interesting speaker. I find both the sound and design very appealing. I don't know what people in generel think about this speaker? Is the extra money worth it, up from the BX5 as comparison - And feel free to bring other speakers into the picture.

To be honest, the thought about bookshelf dosen't turn me that much on. As earlier mentioned, I have also made the conclusion that it will probably end up taking minimum as much space as the Silver 6. Another thing which I am a bit afraid of is the bass. Without as subwoofer, I would fear that the sound won't be complete. On the other hand, I have heard that a floorstanding speaker may not provide as nice sound in a small room as a bookshelf due to the bass becoming too boomy? I am not sure about this though. The drivers in a Silver 1 and Silver 6 are 6" in both - though there is 1 more 6" driver in the Silver 6. The Silver 6 has a front port plus a rear port where you are able to put a sponge into if needed where the Silver 1 only has the rear port.

Regarding the amp. At my local HIFI place, they are really fond of Yamaha amps when pairing amps with Monitor Audio. I have heard the RX1 with the A-S 700. In Denmark we also have a lot of used NAD amps for sale on a regular basis. I was thinking about scooping up something like the 275 or, if I am in luck, the 375, though I have heard that the NAD amps may not be the most detailed ones. And I don't know how they go along with MA either.

I do not listen to CD's really. My music source will be my computer where I plan to make a music collection in high quality to get the most out of the speakers.

About the moving around. I am awaiting a new flat in the upcomming months which will be the last time I move in the next 3 years (Until I graduate). Livingroom can be expected to be around the messurements as I have provided. The new stereo setup will become my housewarming gift to myself

So, in short, I would like the best solution which makes me happy now - and also later when I may get more space, but not less.

I hope that I have answered all the questions posted - If not, please poke me. And if something I have written isn't clear enough, poke me as well.

Kind regards

 

[davedotco]

Hi Stephan.

Just a thought but as a student are you likely to through parties and play some load music? (apologies for the stereotyping...... )

If so I have some outrageous suggestions for you........ :rockout:

 

[EvPa]

Hi Stephan,

If you are looking for floorstanders and starting from "nothing" with a computer as your main source, you could definitely do worse than consider ADAM Audio's ARTist6s (do not get fooled by the diminutive drivers, they sound really great).

http://www.adam-audio.com/en/multimedia/products/artist-6/description

They are quite small and slim as far as floorstanders go so this might be an advantage in your situation

They also should fall well within your stated budget (e.g. http://www.thomann.de/intl/adam_artist_6_glossy_black_b_stock.htm)

 

[Stephan A]

Hi Davedotco

I am not looking for a speaker that can blast out the windows, no. I am living in a flat with neighbours as well, and to be honest, I do prefer a superb sound image over loudness.

I normally tendt to listen to music around the 60-70 db and when the waves are high, I crank it up to around 85-90 db. (messured with my iphone so I don't know how accurate these numbers are though)

 

[davedotco]

Hi Davedotco

I am not looking for a speaker that can blast out the windows, no. I am living in a flat with neighbours as well, and to be honest, I do prefer a superb sound image over loudness.

I normally tendt to listen to music around the 60-70 db and when the waves are high, I crank it up to around 85-90 db. (messured with my iphone so I don't know how accurate these numbers are though)

Fair enough, though I do worry that you have not quite fully embraced the concept of being a 'student'.......

Anyway I do second evpa's post above, the Artist 6 have fantastic control and a degree of adjustment (bass and HF level) not normally found on passive speakers. This will make the transition from room to room a bit easier, siting should be less of an issue. See the post above for links.

Complete the system with a good but inexpensive usb dac such as the E-Dac from Ephiphany, just £99.