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

LOL, I have a chair in the same spot! My room is surprisingly similar; open entry on one side, curtained widows on the other (with the chair), stairs and a hallway extending in the back. My room is a bit bigger, and the stairs are descending/ doubled and open. Makes for a pretty good sounding room, actually.

My solution? I drag the chair across the room, into the open entryway. Similar sound absorption as the curtains on the other side. When I'm done listening, I drag it back

edit: FYI, my speakers are horns (tractrix + JBL 2420, 076 cat eyes) over bass reflex JBL 136a

 

Hah! You're a genius!

 

I would definitely audition the brand new Magico A3

 

I’d second the recommendation for the Golden Ear Ones or References. They both have built in digital amps to handle the low end. And each has a pot which enables you to dial in exactly how much bass you want. I’ve had a pair of the Triton Twos in my home theatre and they’re great. All the reviews I’ve read by reviewers I have respect for like Anthony Cordesman (sp?) have given both pairs high marks and they are both within your budget.

 

the recommendation stands (no pun intended) . Within this budget range the JAs are worth being the centerpiece of anyone's system and should be build around- not trying to fit speakers into a category. The JAs define and drive the category of everything else because they are worth it.

 

No question on their pedigree - Jeff Joseph has been making great speakers for decades. But you protest too much.

 

$10k budget. Bless you for having an understanding partner. I'd get yelled at, stuff thrown at me and would probably be sleeping on the couch for a month if I even suggested such a leisure budget with the lady.

 

I know it’s already been mentioned but some Devore o/93s meet all your requirements and are amazing - that’s my vote.

 

For that space the previously mentioned Audio Note E/Spe He ($7,400 list) will provide 25 hz bass response at 98dB sensitivity - if placed in the corners. For superior soundstage - simply fire the tweeters 1 meter in front of the listening position. You can stick them up against the wall within 1cm of touching rear wall.

They are full range speakers on a stand but should be treated as floorstanders. As you can see - just shove them right in the corners against the wall.

Another nice bonus is that you can select from over 20 finishes and no cheap MDF. 100% Russian no void Birch. Hemp woofers.



Devore needs more space than what you have and IMO don't sound quite as good and cost $5,000 more. They do present an easier load but are less sensitive.

Tannoy Kensington SE can also be placed up against the wall or in corners and sound very good - but are less dynamic and offer considerably less bass depth and dynamic proweess. Though they have more attack and sparkle on leading edges than the AN E.

Volti Audio Rival would also work up against the wall and corners and at $7900 have a real open sound and a live feel - like most horns but these don't have that annoying horn shout I get from most horns.




Kensington SE youtube

Volti Rival youtube Volti Audio Rival speakers, Triode Wire Labs, Perla amplifiers, Acoustic Signature LAAS 2017

AN E youtube A show winner, Triangle Art turntables, Music First Audio, NAT, Audio Note

Devore O/96 but I think your space is just too small to let them perform best. DeVore Orangutan Demo

 

Well to be fair, her reaction remains to be seen!

I actually had these speakers in mind when I first started looking... I saw a few mentions of them in a Line Magnetic amp thread, if I remember correctly. They look great and seem to fit the profile of what I'm looking for. My concern with them is placement. My local dealer doesn't have the O/93's anymore and said that he had a tough time getting them dialed in correctly. The next closest dealer is two hours away, which would mean eight hours of driving if I were to take them home for a demo and then go back for a purchase. I'm thinking about it, but I'm not sure.

Beautiful photos, thanks for the suggestions. The AN-E speakers, either silver or copper wire, might be a nice match for me. I could start with them shoved back into the corners, although my entertainment center is pretty wide and might end up being in the way. I could experiment with placement though, I'm sure. I spoke with a dealer earlier today and might have the opportunity for a home audition within a few weeks.

The speakers do look pretty nice! If I go with them, I might add an OTO SE Signature and be done with it for awhile. Thanks again.

 

The Vandersteen Treo CTs are nice, and worthy of consideration/audition. Just don’t compare them to the Quatro Wood CTs: you and your budget will be ruined.

 

I have been recommending the AN E before I became a reviewer all the way back in 2002 and then became a reviewer heard virtually all of the competition and it's basically what I compare everything else against. They're a do it all well balanced sound - very close to Single Driver cohesion coupled with full range full size speaker dynamics and bass. Not quite achieving the heights of those others but shoring up those speaker's weaknesses. And in today's high priced market they're looking like the best bargains around.

I like a bunch of other speakers and I could live with them it's just that in general I know I will have to spend double and chances are the other speaker isn't "better"

 

I don't think it's been mentioned yet but if you're considering a 2-way with a large woofer and dome tweeter, that woofer will beam the treble as it approaches the crossover point. Better to go with a 3-way if you want a large woofer.

 

I wouldn't worry about dialing them in. It is not difficult at all with the O/93s. I sometimes think you have to take what dealers say with a grain of salt. As I mentioned, I have the O/93s in a smaller space than yours, with an open left side and I've had no problems at all with placement. The DeVores (any model really) are a natural fit with the Line Magnetic amps. I've had 4 different sets of DeVore speakers and two LM amps and they've always sounded great. Here's a pic of my O/93s:

 

Thanks for the photo... Those do look great!

 

OP, noticed you still have the Sierras, did you give up or still considering a change?

 

Yeah, I recall when this thread was active I was very curious to see what you ended up with on a $10K budget! (hey, gotta live vicariously in some cases).

 

Thanks for checking in. It took me a little while to decide on a path forward, but I ended up going with Audio Note AN/E-LX HE speakers along with an Audio Note P1 SE Signature amplifier. Being designed for placement in corners, I felt that the AN speakers would be a nice match with my room. They also had the low frequency extension that I was looking for, without the need to add a sub.

Since setting up the speakers/amp about a month ago, I've been very happy with the sound. While not being the last word in detail/resolution, it's a unique presentation that I really enjoy. Everything just flows together with ease. I've found that the speakers handle all types of music well... As my ears have adjusted to the sound, I tend to forget about the equipment and just enjoy the music more and more.

I've actually been meaning to update this thread and my profile. Thanks again to everyone who posted and made recommendations. In addition, @Warren Jarrett at The Audio Home has been patient and very helpful during the process. Thanks again for everything.

 

That's a very nice setup, I bet it sounds wonderful!

 

Beautiful. Those speakers match well in terms of aesthetics with your room. I bet they sound incredible too. Interesting to hear that you have decided to move on from Ascend Acoustics. I am enjoying my RAAL towers quite a bit still (going on 3 years so it is early yet) but have wondered recently if there were performers in the 10K range that would best them.

 

Cool, were you able to audition them locally or have to schlep somewhere to find? And how's the imaging? Noticed that was on your priority list and a biggie for me too.

 

Thanks for the kind words.

As much as I love the new speakers, I'd still consider the RAAL towers in the future. The presentation is a lot different, but not necessarily "better"... The Ascend Sierra Towers are really great speakers.

 

Shipped them...

I'd say the imaging is very good. I'm still dialing in the speaker placement but I like what I'm hearing so far.

 

This is what I am finding too. I haven't really sat down for serious listening sessions but I have heard the Sonus Faber Olympica 2's ($10K) and while those speakers had a lot of dynamic qualities (ie. much better low end punch and pace), I do find the Ascend with RAAL to have a more transparent and easier to listen to top end. You can turn up the Towers with RAAL and not worry about harshness or fatigue whereas the Sonus was a bit hard at the top frequencies. Also tried the Harbeth 40.1's and did not like those.

 

A wide variety of speakers mentioned so far. The choice of speakers is very personal so opinions on forums are of limited benefit. I recommend that you attend one of the larger hifi shows and take advantage of the opportunity to sample a large number of different sounds on one trip. It so happens the Capital Audio Fest is happening in the Washington DC area starting this Friday Nov 2 and going through Sunday Nov 4. If you are anywhere nearby, that could be very helpful.