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Recommend small speakers?

blind-blake

By blind-blake
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blind-blake Newbie

blind-blake

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I've got speakers all over my house, but my kids seem to dominate the living room, my wife the kitchen, and at night, when I most want to listen to music, my deck doesn't work. That leaves my library, but the speakers there suck. They are small (necessarily so, since there isn't a lot of room), old, and buzz when they are at a volume approaching normalcy. Does anyone have any suggestions regarding small speakers? Thanks in advance.

Edited by blind-blake
clarke68 Newbie

clarke68

Posted
Posted (edited)

How small do you need, and how much do you want to spend?

Some of my favorite speakers ever are the Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1.

The real trick may not be the size of the speakers, but where you can place them. Most "bookshelf" speakers (the Sierra-1 included) are rear-ported, and need a foot or three from the wall to sound their best. If you want a bookshelf speaker that you can actually place on a bookshelf, look for something front-ported (like the B&Ws Late mentioned or the Monitor Audio Bronze Series) or non-ported (like the NHT Classic Series).

Edited by clarke68
BeBop Rookie

BeBop

Posted
Posted

The no-brainer (that's me!) recommendation would be the Rogers LS 3/5a, a small, two-way monitor developed by the BBC in the 1970s. The general design has been adapted, cloned, stolen and enhanced over the years by several manufacturers.

I think this website is still out there, but I'm behind a firewall that won't let me in.

http://www.ls35a.com/

There's also a Yahoo! group dedicated to this design.

Late Collaborator

Late

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Though I'm not sure if they're made anymore, I've had very good results with these.

Thanks, Late. Have you heard anything about the 500 series? Are the 600s much better?

I haven't heard/read anything about the 500 series, unfortunately. Clarke makes a good point about placement. Sometimes just pulling a speaker out about eighteen inches from the wall can make a considerable difference.

Soundproofing is also something to consider. You can go crazy with professional soundproofing equipment, but I actually have had success with a homemade "solution": I purchased pre-stretched canvases from an art supply store, and then backed them with one-inch thick dense foam. Maybe I'm just convincing myself of "better" sound, but I do think it focuses the mid-range noticeably. A painter friend of mine, when he saw the canvases up on the wall, joked that the "paintings" must be from my "minimalist" period. :rolleyes: (I don't even paint.)

clarke68 Newbie

clarke68

Posted
Posted

I'm still using the Insignia speakers I bought at Best Buy...under $100 for a pair and sound better that quite a few $400 sets I've heard.
I wrote a review of these back when they first started generating a ton of hype on the 'net. I know of several $400 (and cheaper) speakers that beat them...but for the money they are nonetheless outstanding. As if they're not already a good value, occasionally they go on sale for $60 or even (rarely) $40 a pair!

Best thing about them is the those coaxial drivers...they image like crazy. If you don't know what "imaging" is as it pertains to speakers, a pair of these properly placed is a great inexpensive lesson.

blind-blake Newbie

blind-blake

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I'm still using the Insignia speakers I bought at Best Buy...under $100 for a pair and sound better that quite a few $400 sets I've heard.
I wrote a review of these back when they first started generating a ton of hype on the 'net. I know of several $400 (and cheaper) speakers that beat them...but for the money they are nonetheless outstanding. As if they're not already a good value, occasionally they go on sale for $60 or even (rarely) $40 a pair!

Best thing about them is the those coaxial drivers...they image like crazy. If you don't know what "imaging" is as it pertains to speakers, a pair of these properly placed is a great inexpensive lesson.

Yeah, this is about the size and price I am looking for. Thanks! You really know your stuff!

blind-blake Newbie

blind-blake

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I'm still using the Insignia speakers I bought at Best Buy...under $100 for a pair and sound better that quite a few $400 sets I've heard.
I wrote a review of these back when they first started generating a ton of hype on the 'net. I know of several $400 (and cheaper) speakers that beat them...but for the money they are nonetheless outstanding. As if they're not already a good value, occasionally they go on sale for $60 or even (rarely) $40 a pair!

Best thing about them is the those coaxial drivers...they image like crazy. If you don't know what "imaging" is as it pertains to speakers, a pair of these properly placed is a great inexpensive lesson.

Oh! And thanks for the link!!! You rock, Clarke!

Shrdlu Newbie

Shrdlu

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There are lots of small speakers today that put out a great sound.

But, do you have room for a stereo boom box? The kind that goes in the trunk of a car. For good bass, you need the large dimensions. You wire it in parallel with the main speakers.

My living room speakers are smallish Jamos, and they are very good, but what a difference the boom box makes. You ought to hear the likes of Ron Carter or Richard Davis on them, plus Jimmy Smith's bass pedals! Not to mention electro/house - that was enough to make the neighbor come around, lol.

AmirBagachelles Newbie

AmirBagachelles

Posted
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I would try to find used B&W 601s on Audiogon or Ebay. They sound fantastic, easy to drive too. Also try www.nsmaudio.com, they make some terrific value-priced small speakers. If you want small, you have the advantage of locating them near your ears, so go for accuracy and imaging. And they have specials from time to time. You can also speak to Cadence/North Country, they know how to help.

always learning Newbie

always learning

Posted
Posted

Speakers sound very different depending on your environment and electronics. You need to trust your ears and listen in your environment with your electronics. If you want thoughtful recommendations, please:

* Describe the room acoustics

* Let us know what electronics are driving the speakers

* What do you mean by "small" speakers?

* Where will these be placed? How far from reflective surfaces- walls, furniture etc?

* Share some of your listening habits- serious listening? Background music? Volume? Genres?

* What's your budget? Are you open to used/demo/b-stock speakers?

I don't mean to interrogate, but suggestions are meaningless without this information.

Other more specialized forums (audio hardware focus rather than music focus) would probably garner a wider response with broader experiences. Some sites to post this information & question in, in no particular order-

http://www.audiogon.com/

http://www.audiocircle.com/

http://www.audioasylum.com/index.htm

Hope this is helpful.

Peter Friedman Grand Master

Peter Friedman

Posted
Posted

I have 2 pair of small size speakers that sound quite good.

The most inexpensive pair which are in my bedroom are B & W DM601.

The other pair sound better, but are more expensive - Paradigm Reference 20.

I can easily recommend both pair.

blind-blake Newbie

blind-blake

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I like my Paradigm Studio 20s. Also have been enjoying my B&W CDM 1s since I had B&W replace the tweets.

Seems like a number of people here have both of these! I'll definitely be checking them both out. Can you recommend a place to buy them? Thanks so much.

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