@Mike Hanson . Yes I used Mites in a bedroom system where they are fabulous. They aren't normally boomy - you don't have them in an ideal location. On decent stands with spikes does the trick - a bit away from the wall. They like a meaty amp
I decided to try them in my bedroom.
The front end is the same: a SqueezeBox Touch sending an S/PDIF signal via a coax cable to a little
FX-Audio DAC-X6MKII, which is doing DAC and pre-amp duties.
BTW, the DAC+Pre is powered by a big linear wall-wart supply. This unit was originally in my son's room, and one of his pet rats chewed the cord of its original SMPS wall-wart. Therefore, I've never done a comparison to see whether it sounds better because of it.
The power amp was an old Naim NAP110 shoebox, which I had upgraded to use Avondale's NAP110PS and NCC200 amp modules. It's compact, which is why I was using it there. However, it has always produced a small bit of hum and hiss, probably due to the transformer (it also did that as a bog standard NAP110). I notice it only when walking directly in front of the system, which is all sitting atop my dresser/wardrobe. I figured it would be nice to have something completely quiet, so while changing the speakers, I changed the amp.
I swapped in a NCC200 stereo amp that I built as an experiment, using two MeanWell SMPS power supplies stacked up to produce ±50VDC. These are regulated supplies, and very quiet. The audio out is very detailed and controlled, although I find this SMPS doesn't support big bass transients and weight as well as my other amps using linear supplies. Given I don't usually play this system in anger, and the Mite seemed to be a bit boomy in the bass, I felt like it might be a good match.
The prior upgraded NAP110 has a purpose-built RCA-to-DIN cable, so I had to pick a regular RCA cable appropriate to go between the DAC+Pre and new power amp. I decided on one with silver-plated wiring, which some say results in brittle high frequencies, but I've never found this to be a problem. I had noticed the Mites had a "soft" upper range, so perhaps they would benefit from a bit more sparkle in that territory.
The speakers had been the Royd Sintra 2, which I really like. It has a very fast, detailed presentation, but I had noticed the bass balance was a bit low in this system. Again, the Mite seemed like an promising alternative, even though it weighs approximately half as much as the Sintra 2.
Instead of spikes, I've got the Mites on mouse pads (basically neoprene sheets). I also have some
Totem Beaks, which I've popped on top.
After all is said and done, this new configuration sounded really good at higher volumes. I turned it down to "bedroom" levels, then took a break to reset my ears. Reviewing it just now, I think it sounds like the perfect balance for where it is.
I'm always intrigued at the concept of system synergy. It's a fun challenge finding the right combination of components to make a system shine in a particular location.
And the Mites are really good speakers!