Full range speakers for small room 12x9

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Are those freq response numbers realistic for DefTech and Goldenear towers?

Add another 10Hz and it would be more accurate.

 

[Andrein]

Did quick research. SVS Ultra, DefTech SuperTower, Goldenear triton towers are all available in UK.

In the order of price the options now look like:

1) Bookshelf speakers (like Proac 118 or something of this class) + sub like SB2000 in the boiler room.
2) SVS Ultra or DefTech super tower. Prices more or less the same. SVS slightly cheaper, DefTeach slightly slimmer and even with +10hz goes slightly lower (allegedly)
3) Goldenear towers all models higher than 5, are much more expensive in UK.

Other mentioned brands still need to be looked at.

 

[rojo]

Why not use a pair of subs as stands for bookshelf speakers? The Monolith DF is ~23.75" tall, within a quarter inch from the height of a typical speaker stand. Subs don't necessarily mean boiler room, and I'm sure it wouldn't be difficult to sell your SB2000 to offset the cost. As a bonus, going from sealed to vented, you'll gain more efficiency in the lowest frequencies.

 

[Andrein]

Why not use a pair of subs as stands for bookshelf speakers? The Monolith DF is ~23.75" tall, not far from the height of a typical speaker stand. Subs don't necessarily mean boiler room, and I'm sure it wouldn't be difficult to sell your SB2000 to offset the cost. As a bonus, going from sealed to vented, you'll gain more efficiency in the lowest frequencies.

The answer is space limitation. I can try to put narrow and not too deep tower between wall and table but sub there might make it difficult to enjoy family dinner))) It's a 250+ years cottage with 12x9 living room, sofa, table, dog place, fire place, boiler room, cupboard. The only really place i can put sub is the boiler room cornder or maybe another corner between cupbord and dog place and radiator (not ideal).

 

[rojo]

The answer is space limitation. I can try to put narrow and not too deep tower between wall and table but sub there might make it difficult to enjoy family dinner))) It's a 250+ years cottage with 12x9 living room, sofa, table, dog place, fire place, boiler room, cupboard. The only really place i can put sub is the boiler room cornder or maybe another corner between cupbord and dog place and radiator (not ideal).

There do exist in-floor / in-ceiling subwoofers. Wonder whether something like that would be available in the UK? That + wall-mounted or in-wall speakers would certainly address your space concerns, although I don't know how you feel about such intense modifications to a 250+ year old cottage. *shrug* I'll keep watching for a pair of full range towers.

 

[Andrein]

There do exist in-floor / in-ceiling subwoofers. Wonder whether something like that would be available in the UK? That + wall-mounted or in-wall speakers would certainly address your space concerns, although I don't know how you feel about such intense modifications to a 250+ year old cottage. *shrug* I'll keep watching for a pair of full range towers.

To be honest, would not like do any wall/ceiling modifications in that house.

 

[Pogre]

Did quick research. SVS Ultra, DefTech SuperTower, Goldenear triton towers are all available in UK.

In the order of price the options now look like:

1) Bookshelf speakers (like Proac 118 or something of this class) + sub like SB2000 in the boiler room.
2) SVS Ultra or DefTech super tower. Prices more or less the same. SVS slightly cheaper, DefTeach slightly slimmer and even with +10hz goes slightly lower (allegedly)
3) Goldenear towers all models higher than 5, are much more expensive in UK.

Other mentioned brands still need to be looked at.

I'm definitely biased, but I would take the Ultras over Goldenear or Deftech. I've been doing something I normally don't do; listening to music in pure direct with no subs. Just messing around, but I'm very impressed with the bass extension of the towers. My son walked in once and thought I had the subs on. He was very surprised when I pointed out they weren't.

 

[Andrein]

One of concerns i have is woofers firing to the sides. If tower is close to the wall this might create a problem, no?

 

[Pogre]

One of concerns i have is woofers firing to the sides. If tower is close to the wall this might create a problem, no?

It could. You know room modes. It's hard to say. I think you could deal with it. They come with plugs too, so they're tuned to play sealed as well.

You have 45 days to decide if you like them. SVS will pay the tab for return shipping. I have one of my towers in a corner and Audyssey does a good job of taming it. Like I said earlier, I'm positive I can get a flat response if I moved the subs out of the way.

 

[shadyJ]

One of concerns i have is woofers firing to the sides. If tower is close to the wall this might create a problem, no?

It will not cause any problems. The bass drivers are crossed over at 160 Hz, that is nearly subwoofer territory, so it is omnidirectional. Your listening position and the room dimensions are going to be what causes you problems in bass frequencies, not the driver placement in this speaker. The driver placement here is actually very good because it prevents acoustic reflections from the floor to cause frequency response problems in bass.

 

[KEW]

It will not cause any problems. The bass drivers are crossed over at 160 Hz, that is nearly subwoofer territory, so it is omnidirectional. Your listening position and the room dimensions are going to be what causes you problems in bass frequencies, not the driver placement in this speaker. The driver placement here is actually very good because it prevents acoustic reflections from the floor to cause frequency response problems in bass.

So what clearance would you recommend between the woofer and the wall it fires into? Obviously you would not want to put it against the wall, but wouldn't an inch create a pressure zone to restrict the driver's movement.

 

[shadyJ]

I think a few inches should suffice. That will allow it to move air without much inhibition. The real problem with placing the speaker so close to a wall would occur in the mid and treble frequencies, due to diffraction of being so close to another surface.

 

[Pogre]

FWIW the one I have in the corner is about 18" from the side wall. The ports in the back are about 20" from the wall behind them. I'm very tempted to slide those subs out of the way and do some more measurements. I really just don't feel like dragging everything out again and recalibrating Audyssey...

 

[Andrein]

In my case it can be just 2-3 inches from the wall.

 

[zieglj01]

In my case it can be just 2-3 inches from the wall.

Keep the Canton Vento and Ergo on your list to check out

 

[TLS Guy]

Since you are in the UK I would listen to UK made speakers. The best of UK speakers are unknown to almost all of the forum members here. Their recommendations are seriously inferior to the manufacturers I listed. You can forget DefTech. Their speakers are uniformly in the dreadful category.

I would seriously go and listen to Spendor. Spendor is one of those companies founded by BBC engineers. Every speaker of theirs I have heard is always beautifully balanced. If I had to give up my speakers, and wanted the best value for money then Spendor would be top of the list. Of all commercial speakers the type of sound stage and their presentation is probably more akin to my designs than pretty much any other manufacturer.

There is a brick and mortar store in the Twin Cities that has been a Spendor dealer for years, and the line has been a good steady seller for them. The market hear in the Twin Cities is in many ways more akin to the UK market than other US markets. The reason being that we have tremendous musical activity here, with two full time professional orchestras, a host of good choirs, two of them fully professional and an abundance of good amateur choirs. We have a professional opera company and baroque ensembles. There are also highly competent performing groups all around the state. You would have to go to New York to find more activity.

For the type of program you listed for your preferences, then only superior speakers will fit the bill.

The classical market is much bigger proportionally in the UK than the US. In fact it is probably dominant actually. So speakers have to be good. It is hard to sell bad speakers in the UK, let alone manufacture them. Selling lousy speakers in the US seems dead easy.

You can audition Spendor and Harbeth speakers at Radlett Audio in Saffron Walden Essex. That will be a little trip on the M25 to the M11 for you. You are close to the M25 inside the "beltway".

I know the Herfordshire, Essex area pretty well. Our North London heavy equipment yard was on Cheshunt high street. The South yard was at Greenhithe Kent. I grew up in the Medway Towns.

 

[Andrein]

Since you are in the UK I would listen to UK made speakers. The best of UK speakers are unknown to almost all of the forum members here. Their recommendations are seriously inferior to the manufacturers I listed. You can forget DefTech. Their speakers are uniformly in the dreadful category.

I would seriously go and listen to Spendor. Spendor is one of those companies founded by BBC engineers. Every speaker of theirs I have heard is always beautifully balanced. If I had to give up my speakers, and wanted the best value for money then Spendor would be top of the list. Of all commercial speakers the type of sound stage and their presentation is probably more akin to my designs than pretty much any other manufacturer.

There is a brick and mortar store in the Twin Cities that has been a Spendor dealer for years, and the line has been a good steady seller for them. The market hear in the Twin Cities is in many ways more akin to the UK market than other US markets. The reason being that we have tremendous musical activity here, with two full time professional orchestras, a host of good choirs, two of them fully professional and an abundance of good amateur choirs. We have a professional opera company and baroque ensembles. There are also highly competent performing groups all around the state. You would have to go to New York to find more activity.

For the type of program you listed for your preferences, then only superior speakers will fit the bill.

The classical market is much bigger proportionally in the UK than the US. In fact it is probably dominant actually. So speakers have to be good. It is hard to sell bad speakers in the UK, let alone manufacture them. Selling lousy speakers in the US seems dead easy.

You can audition Spendor and Harbeth speakers at Radlett Audio in Saffron Walden Essex. That will be a little trip on the M25 to the M11 for you. You are close to the M25 inside the "beltway".

I know the Herfordshire, Essex area pretty well. Our North London heavy equipment yard was on Cheshunt high street. The South yard was at Greenhithe Kent. I grew up in the Medway Towns.

I will definitely listen to Spendor after this. Actually was going to do this anyway. But would like to listen to US brands as well as never had US manufactured speakers. Want to hear myself.