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Before I throw the towel in on audio - alert: long post.

guydarryl said:
Totally different (and ready to be shot down here :)), but NVA cubes could fit most (if not all) of your requirements.
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A very sensible option. They meet all of the op’s requirements. They also present a huge soundstage. I have a pair of cube 3’s and love them. The larger cubes (1 and 2) add a bit more bass.
 
Thanks to all for the suggestions, really.

Mr Pig, I think I understand that you are being helpful, only you did sort of a straight leg entry.. But I suppose you're mostly right, so. Truth is, I probably do not really like HiFi - having dealt with real music for the whole of my pro life - but I do love audio gear, and that makes it complicated.
Snell, Tannoy, Harbeth, ProAc D2s: I'll try to demo something, the ProAcs being the only ones available for a home demo from my dealer. I wish I had a Tannoy retailer close to where I live.

Now, Mr Pig is about as friendly as a car accident but he's right I fear.. So thanks for his straightforwardness. I can demo Harbeths and ProAcs, the others will need some searching and driving.

Thanks for the suggestions, I now can gather some thought.
M.
 
Duevel Planets omnidirectional speakers are bottom ported, and when used in conjunction with room correction (which in my case was provided by a DSPeaker Anti-mode 2.0) go happily close to walls* where they are great for creating an illusion of life-sized large-scale (or smaller) music in a small space. The far end of my room disappears, opening up into a far bigger acoustic when the recording allows.

I liked the combination so much that I moved on to the Duevel Venuses, which are more speaker than I had ever previously thought of owning. I haven't regretted it for a moment (but the Planets get surprisingly close).

*PS tweeters away from the wall to preserve the omni modus operandi
 
I think the suggestion of Tannoys was a good one. Big, open sound, efficient and a lot of flexibility with ports, bungs and the ability to tweak crossovers etc on some. Not cheap and you'll need to accept a speaker a bit bigger but a good option.

Fyne Audio speakers are also very good. Designed by the people behind Tannoy they share a lot of the flavour and the trick bass port thing they have really works.
 
Maxbertola said:
Thanks to all for the suggestions, really.

Mr Pig, I think I understand that you are being helpful, only you did sort of a straight leg entry.. But I suppose you're mostly right, so. Truth is, I probably do not really like HiFi - having dealt with real music for the whole of my pro life - but I do love audio gear, and that makes it complicated.
Snell, Tannoy, Harbeth, ProAc D2s: I'll try to demo something, the ProAcs being the only ones available for a home demo from my dealer. I wish I had a Tannoy retailer close to where I live.

Now, Mr Pig is about as friendly as a car accident but he's right I fear.. So thanks for his straightforwardness. I can demo Harbeths and ProAcs, the others will need some searching and driving.

Thanks for the suggestions, I now can gather some thought.
M.
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Hi Max, your profile shows you live in Italy, is that right? Don't be put off by Mr Pig's direct approach. When I read your first post I thought the same way as Mr Pig. I might have put them a bit differently but I think he is right and has your best interests at heart. It is best to be honest about what we think and say! Anyhow, you have some good suggestions here and I really have nothing further to add, so will say no more other than to wish you good luck!
 
Maybe you could get some second hand Tannoys and sell them on if they don't suit for a similar price.
 
Again, thanks. A lot of food for thought. As I said, ProAcs D2s are the most easy choice for a demo, my dealer has some; but I am interested in all the other options. I'll make a list of everything.

MikeMA,
I think I am aware of Mr Pig's (and everyone else's) good intentions, and I appreciate a straightforward approach as I have said.. No problem with that. Yes I live in Italy. A nice evening to everyone.
M.
 
As you are in Italy, how about trying to get to listen to a pair of Charios. Lovely midrange, clarity and very warm deep bass.
 
MUTTY1 said:
The amount of money spent on propping your speaker at an appropriate height has always confused me. My Arcs look like 50’s furniture but sound fine without spikes or any other expensive additives
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My Chatsworths live on a square of underlay, kerbstones and rubber washing machine isolation mat - looks like a liquorice allsort, in a good way!
 
Maxbertola said:
I can demo Harbeths and ProAcs,
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If you happen to listen to these, please post your impressions. The Proac D2 looks good, and the Harbeth model that you would be looking at would be the Compact 7-ES3 in their original or latest XD version based on your requirement. The C7ES3s are the best compromise in terms of size and placement as you still get a full sound with adequate bass from a mid-sized box, and they work closer to wall boundaries (unlike Super HL5s which will sound poor when placed close to walls).

Similarly I listen to a lot of piano (classical, contemporary and new age) and both Harbeth and Marten serve me well. They do piano well with their beautiful accurate tone and tube-like illumination in the treble. Believe it or not the Marten sounds smoother than the Harbeth in the midrange and treble. The treble is detailed yet silky smooth. Currently the Marten Duke 2s are my reference speakers in the main system as they sound more refined and nuanced than the Harbeth. Proper attention in the set up is required to get the best performance from the Marten though. It's unfortunate that you require the speakers to work close to walls. Otherwise, the Marten could be another great option.

Good luck and keep us posted.
 
Maxbertola said:
- Small size (not more than LS5/9s)
- A regular impedance pattern that won't disturb my innocent, lovely amp
- Sealed box (or, if a port is absolutely unavoidable, a front one)
- Decent sensitivity (at least 88 dB/1W)
- Can be placed close to the wall
- Do not require more than a 40W amp to be audible
- No particular sound signature and a honest approach to all kinds of acoustic music.
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I don't think this is a difficult set of parameters to satisfy. There are rear- ported small speakers that go close to a wall and have big sound. I have some.
My Audio Design MAD 1920S. I purchased the original models, but I believe there have since been several revisions. They are, frankly, amazing. They produce a good amount of bass, oodles of musical midrange and a volume that seems impossible for that size box.
 
@ryder
I will certainly listen to both Harbeths and ProAcs because my closest dealer is also a friend and won't have problems giving me either for a home demo. I've heard all Harbeth models a number of times in many different rooms and believe that anything beyond P3ESRs and M30s would be too much visually and sonically.
What I have failed to communicate here is that I don't really need big volumes of sound and bass, but a balanced presentation with good detail and the recording venue's ambience retrieval.

As for the Marten, I have had some - the original Miles II - and apart from an important size they were excellent with my Bow Technologies Wazoo XL; then I gave in to some Naim temptation and in short I had sold everything and was taking the Upgrade Path again. Oh well, it was interesting in that I now am sure I know something about home audio, and I have learned a lot at my own expense.

@ampedup
Thanks for the suggestion; one never ceases to learn about unknown brands. I have reached MAD's website but I confess that I cannot go beyond a series of images and am unable to open any significant page.. I'll try again with google.

I will surely post about my findings but of course nobody is forced to read; I appreciate any opinions.
M.
 
If you want to hear the detail retrieval and create the impression of the venue I’m afraid you’re simply not going to hear this with the speakers 2m apart and you sitting 3m downfield. These details snap into place when the listening position is spot on.

personally I would go to your dealer friend, borrow some longer speaker cables, rethink the room where the speakers and you can all sit at the points of an equalateral triangle and try some different positioning.

if this can’t happen as you’re restricted with the positioning you have, get two things - omni speakers and a subwoofer.
 
AndyU said:
ATC anything that will fit your room and budget. I agree with others who have suggested nearer field listening as an option. Don’t be scared to consider active.
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ATC's are not very efficient though are they ? Usually quoted as needing 80-150m amps minimum to drive them...
 
Alun Rains said:
ATC's are not very efficient though are they ? Usually quoted as needing 80-150m amps minimum to drive them...
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True. Though I had some passive SCM7s for years and drove them quite adequately with a modest Linn amp. But active solves all those issues, which is why I suggested considering it. SCM19As and SCM40As for example are a lot of good speaker for the money.
 
Maxbertola said:
Thanks to all for the suggestions, really.

Mr Pig, I think I understand that you are being helpful, only you did sort of a straight leg entry.. But I suppose you're mostly right, so. Truth is, I probably do not really like HiFi - having dealt with real music for the whole of my pro life - but I do love audio gear, and that makes it complicated.
Snell, Tannoy, Harbeth, ProAc D2s: I'll try to demo something, the ProAcs being the only ones available for a home demo from my dealer. I wish I had a Tannoy retailer close to where I live.

Now, Mr Pig is about as friendly as a car accident but he's right I fear.. So thanks for his straightforwardness. I can demo Harbeths and ProAcs, the others will need some searching and driving.

Thanks for the suggestions, I now can gather some thought.
M.
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Max, I had to read this twice before I think I understand..:)
 
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