Small Room Speakers - Starting to Fancy a Change

[JMcQueen]

Looking for suggestions on small room (4m x 3m) speakers. I'm starting to get that upgrade feeling again but because its a small room, I have to be careful what I go for.

I'm currently running a pair of QAcoustics Concept 300's and they're great but, as is often the case, wondering what could be better. Music style tends to be electronic orientated (hence the subs) and I'm all about detail, imaging and soundstage. The Q's are great but because I have to have them relatively close to the side walls, the soundstage is above and behind the speakers but there's probably not much I can do about that.

Full system:
HoloAudio Spring 3 KTE DAC
Classe CP800 Mk2 (pre amp only mode - running in LP filter from 80hz to the subs so the speakers are mainly upper bass range, mids and treble
Classe CA2300
Q Acoustics Concept 300 (bunged)
2x Rel T5X for low end
Homebuilt roon player (SOTM & Matrix Audio components)
Roon core on a remote Synology NAS


The budget is up to £7k

 

[tuga]

Monitor Audio Gold 300s perhaps?
They should give plenty of "clarity" in the mid- and upper-bass whilst maybe bringing the soundstage closer to the listener.

 

[Nopiano]

With your budget you could get some nice active floorstanders, and then might not need any subs (nor your lovely Classe amps!). ATC SCM40A for example.

But that’s not what you asked, so I’d be looking at and listening to KEF Reference 1, Sonus faber Olympica Nova 1, ATC SCM20, and maybe something from ProAc or Harbeth though they aren’t obvious contenders to my mind.

Above the price of your Concept 300 you’re starting to pay a lot for lavish finishes, and limited production runs, and boutique designs. QA on the other hand can order in volume and hence you get a comparative bargain.

 

[JMcQueen]

I think floorstanders would overwhelm the room tbh. Its my home office and I'm able to get the standmounts about a third into the room and away from the back wall but not the side due to space constraints. I'd say I'm about 12" from the side walls.

ATC was on my list, along with Harbeth and potentially the Dynaudio Heritage. I really like the Confidence 20 and being bottom ported they might be okay... Another on my list were the Dali Epicon 2's. I had some Dali Zensor years ago and they do make good stuff.

 

[tuga]

With your budget you could get some nice active floorstanders, and then might not need any subs (nor your lovely Classe amps!). ATC SCM40A for example.

But that’s not what you asked, so I’d be looking at and listening to KEF Reference 1, Sonus faber Olympica Nova 1, ATC SCM20, and maybe something from ProAc or Harbeth though they aren’t obvious contenders to my mind.

Above the price of your Concept 300 you’re starting to pay a lot for lavish finishes, and limited production runs, and boutique designs. QA on the other hand can order in volume and hence you get a comparative bargain.

The SFs and Harbeths, possibly also the ProAcs, will make the soundstage distance (which correlates with a dip in the presence region) seem even more recessed.
The Kefs will be better in that respect but may sound a bit dark compared to the QAs.
ATCs might be a better option.

 

[tuga]

I think floorstanders would overwhelm the room tbh.

I disagree because the OP is using subs, and his amplifier provides bass management (high-pass filter for the mains).

Floorstanders won't be any different from standmounts in terms of "overwhelm" but will produce less harmonic and intermodulation in the bass region, and that means improved "clarity".

 

[mac72]

I disagree because the OP is using subs, and his amplifier provides bass management (high-pass filter for the mains).

I hope you realised the person you've quoted actually is the OP

 

[tuga]

I hope you realised the person you've quoted actually is the OP

🤦‍♂️

My comments are still valid, though.

 

[mac72]

🤦‍♂️

My comments are still valid, though.

nothing to worry about as yet but if you start an internal monologue I'd seek for some advice
The OP's (yes him) room is quite similar to mine and I use pair of KEF Ref speakers , the older version , dark they do not sound for certain and I also use sub

 

[rdale]

I disagree because the OP is using subs, and his amplifier provides bass management (high-pass filter for the mains).

Floorstanders won't be any different from standmounts in terms of "overwhelm" but will produce less harmonic and intermodulation in the bass region, and that means improved "clarity".

I've got a pair of REL TX5 subs, like the OP and they will destroy any floorstander for bass quality, especially when the standmoints are not running full range as in the OPs system. IMHO the best in upgrade would be acoustic treatment - bass traps, diffusers etc

 

[tuga]

nothing to worry about as yet but if you start an internal monologue I'd seek for some advice
The OP's (yes him) room is quite similar to mine and I use pair of KEF Ref speakers , the older version , dark they do not sound for certain and I also use sub

"Dark" compared to the QAs is what I wrote. It's easy to understand why if you look at the directivity plots of the Reference 1 vs Concept 300 (the former start beaming from the bass upwards and thus put a lot less treble energy into the room).
This of course is only true in untreated room.

 

[mac72]

"Dark" compared to the QAs is what I wrote. It's easy to understand why if you look at the directivity plots of the Reference 1 vs Concept 300 (the former start beaming from the bass upwards and thus put a lot less treble energy into the room).

No I'm using 201/2 bit different than 1's

 

[tuga]

I've got a pair of REL TX5 subs, like the OP and they will destroy any floorstander for bass quality, especially when the standpoints are not running full range as in the OPs system. IMHO the best in upgrade would be acoustic treatment - bass traps, diffusers etc

Did you read what I wrote?
I said that floorstanders with subs – not full range – will (all things being equal) improve on the performance of standmounts.

 

[tuga]

No I'm using 201/2 bit different than 1's

I know that but I was commenting on the Reference 1s proposed earlier.
Looks like I'm not the only one not paying attention.

 

[Iceman 16]

https://www.vickershifi.com/products/daliepicon2/dali-epicon-2-loudspeakers-xd

 

[mac72]

Looks like I'm not the only one not paying attention.

My comment was about Kef's I use but I really do not need an argument

 

[rdale]

Did you read what I wrote?
I said that floorstanders with subs – not full range – will (all things being equal) improve on the performance of standmounts.

Yes I read what you wrote and my intention was to tell you that you are wrong, because as the owner of a pair of t5xs I know about their incredible bass performance.

 

[tuga]

Yes I read what you wrote and my intention was to tell you that you are wrong, because as the owner of a pair of t5xs I know about their incredible bass performance.

That's merely your opinion.
A 3-way will produce less harmonic and intermodulation distortion than a 2-way, and a floorstander high-passed at 80Hz will "overwhelm" a room as much as most standmounts.
One other potential advantage, if the floorstander has a woofer array, is that it will deal with floor bounce cancellation like no standmount can.

 

[Cable Monkey]

See if you can loan the new Tannoy Eatons and suitable stands. They are front firing and largely room agnostic in a way my old ProAc 1SC’s were not. I have my ten inch Tannoys in a much smaller space than yours and have had them in bigger spaces to good effect. Tannoys can be marmite to some, and the bigger drivers get a much better write up but listen to a pair if you can.

 

[Sotosound]

Budget?