Speaker Recommendations: Small/Mid-Size Floorstanders, $10k Max Budget

I haven't gone through a system change in about 5 years, and lately I've been thinking about upgrading my speakers/amp. I'd like to start with the speakers first and then address the amplification.

I currently have Sierra Acoustics Towers with NRT tweeters, which I love. One option that I'm considering is ordering a new pair with RAAL tweeters, which would be about $3k. I think I would be perfectly happy with them, but before doing that I'd like to explore some other options. I'd like something with more low end extension and weight to the sound, and I'm not interested in adding a subwoofer.

I know that the best way to make a decision is to listen to as many speakers as possible and ideally arrange for an audition in my home. I'll try to do that if possible. There are just so many options out there, and I think that some specific recommendations might help me out as a starting point. I'll do some research into all suggestions and try to find a local dealer if they might be a good fit.

Here are my priorities, in order of importance:

1. Speakers can't be too difficult when it comes to placement. My room is 11' wide with a 5.5' rack in the middle, and I don't have a ton of flexibility on where they can go. Currently my speakers are 15" out from the back walls, 20" from the side walls and 7' apart. I sit about 10' from each speaker. I can make slight adjustments of course, but I can't redesign the room. It's open behind me, with an open doorway to my left. I've included a picture in case it helps.

2. I value soundstage, tone and texture over huge dynamics. Most of my listening is done at a lower volume, so a speaker that really needs to be cranked up in order to sound great wouldn't be the best match for me.

3. I'd like better low frequency extension and more weight to the low end than my current speakers, which go down to 41Hz and into the mid 30's for in-room response. Again, I don't want to add a subwoofer to the room.

4. Ideally, the speakers shouldn't be too difficult to drive. Although I haven't chosen an amp yet, I'd prefer to go with tubes. This is just a preference, not a requirement.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions you might have.

 

Whatever is recommended to you, I want to thank you right out of the gate, for supplying the two simple photos, that provide a perfect view of the room that you have to work with, which really does help when offering opinions.

With that said, I find it VERY hard to tell someone else what speakers to buy, as we all hear so differently, so the answer is VERY subjective in the end. I'm sure that before it's all said and done, that nearly every decent speaker will be recommended and you will end up feeling overwhelmed. If that were my room, I'd get some old heritage Klipsch speakers (Cornwalls or Chorus II's) and a 15 to 25 watt tube amp and sit back and enjoy. (Note: You would be smart to update the crossovers and diaphrams in those old Klipsch) Those old Klipsch speakers have the ability to turn up and scream, but they also have a wonderful "room filling" warmth about them at lower levels, when paired with a good tube amp. I currently use a Scott 299b, which I had updated by Craig at NOS Valves in Michigan. I'm also about to have a Fisher 500c redone to be up to spec and soon to be doing the same on my Cornwalls. Happy listening with whatever you end up with!

 

The Salk's Veracity HT3 or the Focal's 10xxBe series speakers should do the trick for that room. In fact more than enough. I've demoed both and came away very impressed. I ended buying a pair of used Focal 1027Be's mated to a SVS PB12-NSD Sub for movies in a 20'x20' room and they're crystal clear at low or ear bleeding volumes with no break-up whatsoever with music. Unless you're listening to rap or organ heavy music you're not even going to need a sub-woofer anyway.

Good luck and enjoy the hunt.

 

I would suggest you take a look/listen to the Devore Fidelity Gibbon Super Nine. They retail for just under your max budget and seem to meet your priorities.

 

Audio Note AN-E series might be worth a listen.

I've heard this several times at Deja Vu West paired with tubes - great micro dynamics and wonderful tone even at low volumes.

 

Thanks for your reply... I know how tough it is to offer advice on something like this. I'm rarely on the market for something new, so I figured that if I have a few suggestions from people here, I can start my research into those models.

 

Devore's new Super 9 is something I'd imagine might work great. I haven't heard that brand new design, it was only released a month or so ago, but I've heard every other speaker in their lineup and know their narrow floor standing speakers in particular can go very low and they all sound incredible.
It's a 10 thousand dollar speaker so it pushes your budget to the limit, but I'm sure that it's well worth the effort to try to demo a pair.
They are tube amp friendly speakers as well with their 91.5 db sensitivity rating and easy to drive impedance load.
That's my Sunday morning 2 cents. Good luck and have fun!

 

Also the DeVore Orangutan O/93s would fit the bill. And you'd have enough left over for some Auditorium 23 speaker cables.

 

The O/93 would be the way I might go if space were not an issue, with that budget as they are definitely designed to be used with a tube amplifier, sound amazing and go pretty low.
I suggested the Super Nines since the room already had a narrow speaker in place and I'm not sure how much room there is between the audio stand and the walls. The O/93 is a wide baffle design.

 

A used pair of Revel Studios - the early version which I have are only about 3-4K on the used market and the newer models are about 6-7K. Simply awesome speakers that image exceedingly well - many times disappearing when the music is mixed well and sound natural which is why several reviewers selected them as their reference speakers.

The bass in my similar sized room and speaker placement was measured to 23Hz using the frequency generator and calibrated mike in my old Velodyne DD15 !

There should be a Revel dealer around you.

 

I can recommend two speakers to try. The first is the Janszen Valentina, which I own. It's also available in an active version, which may give more bass. They are superb for great tone, low distortion, and accurate depiction of what's on the recording. They will not generate a soundstage that is not on the recording. They are very easy to place and are said to work well near the front wall. I am not sure if they will go deep enough for you, but I strongly recommend a home trial.

My second idea is the Aerial 7t, it it's not too large for you. I had this in my room, also, it is a wonderful speaker for the qualities you mentioned, and it goes pretty low. It's possible you won't have room for it, but again, a home trial would be the only way to find out how it will work in your room.

You know, of course, that having two large openings in the room (rear and left) may make it more difficult to get deep bass?

 

GoldenEar Triton 2+ or 3+. Loads of bottom end from in-built subwoofers, & very efficient. I have the one's and they sound great at any volume.

GoldenEar Technology | A Passion for Sonic Perfection - Triton Series | GoldenEar Technology | A Passion for Sonic Perfection

 

You might like the ProAc Response D18/D20 or D30.

ProAc - Perfectly Natural | Speakers

 

You have many fine options at your budget - I've heard the Spendor D7 and loved their tonality and midrange.

 

WOW, 10K budget. good luck, thats about every speaker made is in that range. with the uber-high end excluded.

good luck, let us know what you end up with, and how you like them. photos, ...or it didn't happen

 

if I had a 10K budget (max) i would do a serious consideration of Dynaudio, they make really nice speakers.

but there are literally hundreds of mfgr's you can look at.

 

Well, maybe not. One dealer we visited on Wilshire in Santa Monica (LA?) recently said "Don't play too many songs on too many speakers. They all sound different and you'll drive yourself nuts." I think picking a few main alternatives which firstly you like the aesthetics of. Looks MATTER for something you're staring at on a daily basis.

RAAL tweeters should be awesome.* OTOH, if you want more low end extension and weight it doesn't seem to me you would be "perfectly happy." Physics (Google "Hoffman's Iron Law") and the realities of design constraints say that to get what you want you need larger drivers and a larger cabinet. Now, Sierra has a line of subwoofers, which I should think would complement their speakers, though I'm not sure if your electronics allow a proper crossover. Maybe you should think a bit about their subwoofers.

*I'm curious, can the RAAL and crossover be swapped into your existing speakers? That could be significantly less expensive. Or maybe not.

 

I'd suggest a look at the Spendor A7 as well. I don't believe any stateside dealers have them in stock yet, but an audition of the A4s will give a good sense of their sound. I recently heard the A4s at my local dealer and their performance was silly good for the $$$$. For their size, the bass performance was stunning. One reviewer claimed they have usable output to under 20Hz. That's probably a stretch, but they definitely reach into the mid 30s.
To my ears, they had all the attributes you describe. They'd also look great in your room.

 

I’m intrigued by Prana Fidelity’s floor standers. About 10k
High frequency attenuation switch on the back as well

 

I would suggest speakers from the Salk line. The sound and the quality of the hand built cabinets is incredible IMO. I've worked my way up the Salk line from SongTowers (dome tweeter), Ellis 1801-TL and now HT2-TL. A friend has the Veracity STs and they're a real nice speaker. Basically the HT2-TL with a smaller footprint. I've had speakers from Dynaudio (Focus 140 and C1) and Ascend (Sierra-1) which are both excellent companies. I have no plans to change speakers in the future unless I hit the lottery and move further up the Salk line .

Salk Sound

 

Thanks for all of the posts so far. The reason I started this thread is the sheer number of manufacturers and options available. It is a little overwhelming, and I think that suggestions from the knowledgeable people here will be helpful for me to use as a starting point.

When I first started looking, I was thinking about something from Devore like the O/93 or O/96. My hesitation with them is the width of the speaker considering my space limitations. Also I've had conversations with people who said that they can be difficult to dial in, based on positioning.

Hopefully I don't come close to the maximum of the budget!! And sure thing... I'll be happy to post a photo or two once I land something.

Unfortunately, I would have to ship my speakers back for the RAAL installation. It involves a different crossover and some woodworking. If I end up going that way, I'll just buy a new pair and sell my current speakers.

 

Vandersteen Treo CT-that will be my next speaker when funds permit an upgrade from my 2ce Sig II's. Richard's carbon tweeter is really something special. Detailed without being at all harsh.

 

Thanks for the suggestions. Yes, I understand that it will be difficult to get deep bass with my room. That is partly why I'd like something that goes lower on its own, relative to the Sierra Towers. I'm not expecting miracles though, because the room isn't ideal by any means.

 

According to this thread in the official Ascend Acoustics forum, it CAN be done, however, due to the complexity of the task the recommendation is to let the manufacturer perform the necessary modifications.

If I were you, I would probably try your existing Sierra Towers with the RAAL ribbon upgrade before dropping thousands of dollars on a new pair of speakers. I own a pair of very similar Sierra Horizons with RAALs (essentially Sierra Towers redesigned for horizontal placement) and cannot even conceive of better sounding speakers at anywhere near their price point. As (sort of) stated above, Rythmik subs are featured on the Ascend Acoustics website (although technically not a Sierra line). I have one of those in my system with the Horizon speakers now but, truth be told, it does not come into play very much during two channel music playback. (Multichannel home theater use is a whole other story...) In my opinion the Sierras have very good in-room bass reproduction on their own merit (34Hz ± 3dB, as you correctly alluded to) so I'm not sure you'll accomplish all that much by investing many thousands of dollars for replacement speakers. Again, I would try RAAL upgrades and maybe a modestly priced sub (both of which you could turn around and sell if you're not satisfied) before parting with $10k or anything even close to that much.

 

Thanks. I might end up doing just that. My reluctance to add a subwoofer is mostly related to the room... I wouldn't have many placement options, and I know subs can be difficult to properly integrate. I'll probably stick with just two speakers for now.