Speaker upgrade recommendation for small room, 14 wpc tubes

I may be coming into some money soon and am considering upgrading the speakers in my main system, a pair of Wharfedale Denton 80th Anniversary, which I use with a sub. Let's say my budget is somewhere around $2k.

The size of the room is a mere 8' x 12', so that limits me to bookshelf speakers, I suppose. My amp is a lovely 1959 Fisher X-100 (EL84's), which put out something like 14 wpc. In my small room, that is enough power to drive the 6Ω, 86dB-sensitive Dentons from the 4Ω taps.

I find myself very attracted to the Harbeth P3ESR, but am concerned that at 83.5dB efficiency at 6Ω, it may be too inefficient, even in my small room. Should I scratch that one off my list? I see that Harbeth recommends >15W of power, so it might be borderline OK. Thoughts?

I've also thought about the Spendor S3/5R2, but user reviews on those have been mixed, so I don't know if the price difference between the S3/5R2 and my Dentons has more to do with country of manufacture (England vs. China) than relative performance. (The only Spendors I've spent a lot of time with are my friend's SP1/2's from the '90s, and they are amazing.)

Some other considerations...

• I prefer a warm/lush presentation over a bright/quick presentation. (For example, I like Grado cartridges a lot and didn't care for the Audio Technica carts I've heard.)

• Outstanding imaging, with excellent front-to-back depth, is very important me.

• Aesthetics are important. I need a wood finish, preferably walnut or cherry. My favorite style is a classic rectangular box, like the Dentons, P3ESR, etc. I've owned and sold a pair of LS50's, and performance considerations aside, I could never embrace their appearance.

Thanks in advance!

 

Omega Super 3i at 94.5dB sensitivity & 55Hz low frequency rated or Omega Monitor 7 at 94.5 sensitivity & 45Hz low frequency rated. Some stated the Super 3i has deep enough bass to be not an issue or needing a subwoofer. You can get away with 86dB sensitivity, but at higher listening levels some distortion may be present due to requiring higher wattage output from your amplifier with the lower sensitive speakers.

 

Stretch the budget a bit and consider the Spendor A2s. They have a minimum impedance of 6.2 ohms, 8 ohms nominal, and are made for small rooms.

Spendor-Spendor A2 Stereo Speakers-Speakers|Acoustic Sounds

I also wouldn't worry about whether the S3/5R2s would be an upgrade over Dentons. The Spendor A1s might also fit the bill:
SPENDOR A1 SPEAKERS: YOU MUST TAKE THE A-LINE - The Audiophile Man

 

I'd definitely consider the Audio Note Ax-Two. Small room with a 14 watt amp. You can put them close to the wall - they sound fantastic. Should come in just under your budget as I believe they are $1,500 or so nowadays.

 

I am very interested in the A1. Reviews suggest the bass response is improved over the S3-5R2. Wish they came with grilles though. Also there are no dealers near me and Acoustic Sounds lists them as back- ordered.

 

One option I'd consider with a low power tube amp is Fritz Speakers. It's a one-man operation afaik, Fritz Heiler, and so you can call him up and talk about what you want in both sound and finishes. He uses some of the best drivers available from Scanspeak, Morel and Seas, and uses a simple series-type crossover with very few components, resulting in a very smooth impedance and phase plot, which is especially nice for low power tube amps. He has some pretty nice 2-way designs.

Anyway, just a thought, he sells direct so not likely you could listen before buying, but he does have a full money back return period (less shipping). I don't have a set but have been tempted. He does offer the occasional model down at your price point, and there are quite a few reviews he points to on the site ... Line Break

 

You need a pair of Klipsch speakers! Hereseys perhaps for that small room. They would fill it with powerful, clean, realistic sound. I prefer Cornwalls myself, but they like medium to large rooms, and some volume.

 

Maybe worth considering are some Icon Audio MVF6 speakers , designed byDavid Shaw specifically for modest output valve amps. Around 88dB and with a very flat impedance curve which will give your valves an easy time and be beaufiful sounding fromt whisper quiet Andy Williams to ear splitting Metallica. I'm using some in a 14x11 room , powered with a 15 amp , I have them a couple of feet way from the walls and get incredible imaging. They're beautifully voiced for a lush musical sound.

They're modestly priced at £600.0 which to me seems a give away.
MFV6 Loudspeakers | Icon Audio

 

I haven't heard 'em but retro styling, high efficiency, relatively flat impedance designed with tube amps in mind, mini monitor form factor -- might want to check out the Decware 945 -- DECWARE High Performance 94dB efficient Bookshelf Monitor model DM946

 

I just sold a pair of Omega Super 3is and will tell you they absolutely need a subwoofer; I'm talkin no bass when placed on stands away from room boundaries. That aside, if you are looking for image depth, they are fantastic. I haven't any experience with the Super 7 monitors, but if they image like the 3is, they are worth a look.

I used the Super 3is with a 4 watt Bottlehead Seductor (EL84) amp and they went as loud as I needed.

 

Those do look nice, Icon is making some nice amps and speakers, especially for the price.

 

I would advise against the p3esr and your amp. I’ve tried it with numerous lower watt amps (most recently the sudgen a21) without success and have come to the conclusion it needs at least 75-100 Watts to excel across a wide range of material. If you are interested in a bbc-style speaker, the Proac Tablette 10 might be of interest. There is a gentleman in the t10 thread who runs his with a Fisher and loves it, and I’ve found bliss pairing mine with the sugden. Sensitivity is 86 but at 10 ohms impedance they present a much easier load than the p3esrs. Like the Harbeths, the T10s are beautifully finished and match well with vintage equipment. Unlike the Harbeths, the T10s are designed to be placed against a wall—another bonus for a small room. If you’re interested, there is also a signature edition available you could check out that I believe is still in your budget. Might be a fantastic fit for your needs.

 

I have a pair of Harbeth P3ESR speakers I’m not using anymore since I purchased a pair of M30.1’s. I believe you’re about 60 miles north from me, too bad, I’d bring them over and you could try them out with your system.

 

That just means they have to order them from manufacturer. Their "back ordered" simply means that they don't intend to maintain them in regular inventory. They also sell ATC speakers and those have been "back ordered" for over a year. Gene Rubin also sells Spendor and offers a fair discount.

 

Action: Consider a pair of Tannoy Saturn bookshelf speakers. Tannoys, in general, are wonderful tonal matches for vintage tube amps, like my EICO ST-40 and your Fisher. You have to check the efficiency rating tho. 14 wpc is a bit low, but they may work.

 

Tannoy HPD based or Klipsch Heresy

 

Action: If you go with the Heresy's, you need to love the "horn sound". Personally, I dont, on certain type of music it sounds awful.

 

Owning Heresys myself, I defintitely wouldn't use them in a room as small as the OPs. The bass is fine with them near the wall, but their coherence is lacking at close listening distance (anything under 10'). While their bass is good near room boundaries, they still image much better with plenty of breathing room.

 

While they do. Our OP has 14 WPC, and most speakers like more, more, more power. Dynaco A 25 are nice with low powered tube amplifiers near field.

 

It bothers me that Spendor apparently doesn't sell the new Classic 3/5 in America, instead offering only the A1. At least that's what Gene told me when I inquired about the 3/5. I guess they are basically the same speaker, but I prefer the traditional magnetically attached full grill of the Classic to the A1 with only the metal grill over the tweeter. I think my environment is fairly dusty and don't want my drivers exposed all of the time. If the Classic 3/5 were available I probably would have purchased a set already!

 

Sent you a PM so we don't hijack the thread.

 

That was my thought as well. I'd be willing to consider Klipsch classics if I had a larger room though.

 

Some really great recommendations so far, thank you! I have some homework to do.

 

The P3ESRs will be fine with your amp and room size and will be an incredible upgrade vs. the Wharfdales.

 

Unfortunately these appear to only be available now with a black vinyl wrap, which is a total deal-breaker.