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Room Downsizing. Amp advice and options

Mr Magoo

Mr Magoo

Hello. How are you?
We’re downsizing our home and as a consequence I will be using my system in a much smaller room. This isn’t an issue for my source, but it seems unnecessary to have a 120 watt Sony TA-F870ES amp. It also raises an element of doubt over my speakers, although I’ll need to see how they perform before considering a change. They’re PMC Twenty23 speakers and they are not ideally suited for use against a rear wall. We’ll see how that works out.

The room is 11’3” long and 8’6” wide. Solid walls all round and solid floor. It will be a dedicated music room with some vinyl storage. The WTA Versalex tt will be on a wall shelf.

I see this as an opportunity to try Class A amplification and/or valves.i use a Dynavector 17D3 MC cart. Looking for suggestions to draw up a shortlist. New or used. Budget up to £3k, Will need to include a phonostage somewhere within this budget. Listen mainly to rock/prog music.

Many thanks
Pete
 
I’d consider the amp and speakers as one coherent ‘thing’. The powerful Sony is likely a very decent match with the PMCs, so I’d only consider a change if you find they don’t work in the new room. Having power in reserve on solid state amps is never an issue unless it is class A and running the electric meter far too fast (big Krells etc). Valve amps are obviously more expensive to run the more powerful they get, e.g. a huge Audio Research or Conrad Johnson with four KT88s a side is obviously going to cost a lot more to run than say a Leak Stereo 20 with a pair of little EL84s both in electricity and in replacement valves.
 
I've had more success over the years getting large 'speakers to work in small rooms than small-medium 'speakers in large rooms. Small drivers working hard invariably sound bad.
The physical size of the 'speaker enclosure matters far less than the LF tuning and polar pattern.

Agree with Tony on not worrying about having too much power in reserve. The benefit of a small room means you can of course get great results from far lower powered kit.
I regularly run a vintage Pioneer SA500A at 13wpc into ESL57s in a small room and it plays louder than I would need. In a room much larger it would really struggle.
 
In my experience it’s much more difficult to get the best speakers for the room than it is to drive them properly once you have found them. Definitely stick with what you have until you’ve demonstrated to your own satisfaction that they’re too ‘big’. Especially, once you’ve got your chair, furniture and records/cds etc, shelved up in the room as they will all change the acoustic.

Also, in all the rooms I’ve ever had the speakers have sounded better across the room than down it’s length. I’d recommend you try this too.

As you like the PMCs you may we’ll find that some of IPL’s smaller transmission lines may work for you. A 2nd hand pair of Castle Chester’s might surprise you with their scale and depth.

I have a pair of Totem Staaf in a room the same size as the one you’re contemplating. They are in the corners back up against the glass fronted bookcases. They sound excellent, so I would suggest the slim floor standers in the Totem range is worth investigating too.

Finally, and this may be a bridge too far, there are lots of effective and credible ways of tuning the system to the room digitally using some magical boxes and a microphone. These too might well be worth investigating to see what benefits they offer in your space.

Happy hunting and let us know how you get on...
 
Thank you all for your thoughts. Whilst I am jumping the gun a little (in that I haven’t yet heard my existing system in this new room), there is an element of overkill with the Sony; although the points above are well made. However, a small room presents opportunities to try something different without the prior need for higher power output my previously much bigger room required.

Pete
 
Mr Magoo said:
Thank you all for your thoughts. Whilst I am jumping the gun a little (in that I haven’t yet heard my existing system in this new room), there is an element of overkill with the Sony; although the points above are well made. However, a small room presents opportunities to try something different without the prior need for higher power output my previously much bigger room required.

Pete
Click to expand...


No, no, no "overkill" is more like 600 wpc Bryston monoblocks!
 
Think seriously about acoustic treatment, I am running ATC SCM50A`s in a 9 foot 6, x 10 foot room.
Wall panels and bass traps will make your system sound better than they would even in a bigger room :)
 
There seems to be a consensus building which I will take on board to wait and see. Should be moving in next week and will give it a go.
 
Alexh said:
Think seriously about acoustic treatment, I am running ATC SCM50A`s in a 9 foot 6, x 10 foot room.
Wall panels and bass traps will make your system sound better than they would even in a bigger room :)
Click to expand...
Those are big speakers in a modest sized room. I’ll investigate acoustic room treatments. Thanks.
Peter
 
Woodface said:
Don't do anything until you've tried current set up in new room.
Click to expand...

This first, and if you are not happy then try different speakers. I honestly don't see a need to change your amp if you like it. You never know the speakers you end up with might like a bit of welly. Good luck in your new home.
 
Alexh said:
Think seriously about acoustic treatment, I am running ATC SCM50A`s in a 9 foot 6, x 10 foot room.
Wall panels and bass traps will make your system sound better than they would even in a bigger room :)
Click to expand...

I also installed 2 quarter round bass traps in my smallish room and was totally amazed by the results : deep and very clean bass that really sound bigger than what your eyes can see !
 
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