deciding betw. some fine, small speakers-Advice?


Hi—First post! Long-time reader--I have made numerous purchasing decisions using this forum. You will see I am something of a budget audiophile. I am having trouble deciding between these fine speakers: B&W CM5, Dynaudio X12, DALI Ikon 1 MK2 (or a used MK1). More exotic, but still of possible interest: Dali Royal Tower, and B&W CM1. I have a space constraint, hence these speakers (the Royal Towers are the largest, being the only floor standers--also the most beautiful form factor, IMHO). I am requesting advice on which speakers will go best with a tube amp (MP-2a3C by Dared, for example) and which would match best with a pair of Bryston 2b bridged to monoblocks. I use a very transparent PS Audi pre-amp (PS-4 with no line amplification--close to a pass-thru signal). My sources will be Marantz SACD 8005 mostly, but eventually I will have my largish Redbook CD collection ripped to FLAC playing via a local, wired server, possibly a Mac.

I listen to everything, except hip-hop and rap (yes, I sometimes listen to some techno and hypno, despite being 55). I have a penchant for classic rock, prog rock, blues, jazz, and classical/neoclassical music. I have decent ears (trained by Monster Cable engineers) and have had some of the high end of my ears shot off by 45 years of playing drums. Additionally, I like (for contradiction’s sake) tubey sounds—meaning I seriously dislike listening fatigue and harshness in highs and mids. There is no Monster Cable in my Gear--I have hunted it down and replaced it with newer, less costly cables all around (think along the lines of Blue Jeans Cable, factory terminated). OK, I'll admit I still have a couple interconnects.

Your thoughts on possible speaker choices and matches to my amps are welcome. Thanks and fine listening!
-Bruce (Parser)
parser

Welcome to the Audiogon forum!

When using an amp in bridged mono mode, the minimum speaker impedance is 8 ohms. Using lower than 8 ohms will risk damage to the amps. From the speakers you listed, the B&W's are the only ones that are 8 ohms, so the only ones you can use safely with the bridged Bryston's.

The MP-2a3C is an 8w SET, and none of the speakers listed are suitable for it. This amp needs speakers with a much higher sensitivity, something like Zu, Tekton, Klipsch, Omega, Coincident, Decware.
It just so happens that a pair of B&W DM5s just came up on the board at half off retail - I have no relationship with the seller.
Don't know how they pair with your amps, but a used pair of Nola Boxers or Joseph Audio RM7s exhibit many of the sonic characteristics you're looking for. Given your preferences I'm a little surprised you have those Bryston amps. Best of luck.