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matching speaker to room size?

I have a 14 x 16 room with 9 ft ceilings and looking for new speakers. Presenlty using large old Ohm C2 bookshelfs. Listen to broad range from modern and classic jazz (piano, guitar, horns and vocals) to electric blues, tons of female singers, Hawaiian acoustic and fingerstyle guitar, classic rock and even some classical and newgrass like Nickel Creek and Alison Krauss. The one dealer in town suggeted stand mount monitors like Totem One, JM Focal 1007S and similar. I have been more interested in floorstanders like Gallo 3.1, Dali Mentor 6 or Helicon 4. He is saying this will give me too much bass? Is there a way to compute good match from room dimensions? I listen at low to high levels depending on time...Saturday mid-day vs. 11 at night. I have heard all these speakers, not necessarily side by side, trying to make a call but not sure which type to go with so I cant even proceed to which individual speaker to purchase. BTW, I dont have the optoin of bringing any of these home...most were heard on the US Mainland not in Hawaii.
joekapahulu
ablang
165 posts
 
I use Vandersteen 2ce Signature IIs in a room almost exactly your size, probably even a little smaller because it's irregularly shaped--14x15 (for half its width)/18 (for the other half) x9. The Vandies go low, and with proper placement they work perfectly--the best sound I've ever had. I've owned the Totem Model One and Dynaudio Focus 140, and in this same room neither had the kind of bass extension and impact I've gotten out of floorstanders. The Vandies would be in your price range. If you like the looks of them OK, you can't do much better at the price, though monitors and sub(s) would be a good route, too--but involving more boxes+stands+power cords...
ablang
165 posts
 
I should add that I've heard Totem's The One, and it outclasses the original Model One by a large margin. When I heard it, I thought the Sonus Faber floorstanders next to it were playing. The Totems were powered by a Cayin 100 watt tube integrated.
bobheinatz
479 posts
 
You have the classic problem of matching a speaker for your
room. I have been through the same situation in a 14 x 18 with a 10 foot vaulted ceiling. In most cases medium size floorstanders should work fine in your room. You didn't state your budget but a quality monitor speaker like Focal 1007 (which I heard & liked) would work awesome in that size room. Most quality monitors put out very good bass in rooms your size. I have owned Harbeth's in the past & they would work great in that size room. BTW I now have a great floorstander that works in my room.
Your dealer is right about the concern of to much speaker in that size room but most medium sized floorstanders should work fine. If your budget can handle it check out Dynaudio C1's.
oneinthepipe
22 posts
 
A transmission line speaker, for a full range speaker, will likely perform better in a small room than a ported design. Take a look at Salk Sound's SongTower.
bvdiman
432 posts
 
I have similar size room (width & height), only much longer. Even so, monitors does it for me. Have tried some full-range floor standers, but given my room size, found most times 'less is more' to be the case. They don't disappear as well and when played loud, bass tends to dominate hence overload room--headache inducing. Given more time and effort playing with acoustic/treatments they might just work. But for me, I'd rather be spending those hours tuning--enjoying more music instead. Thus imo, in your room (small & squarish) high quality monitors such as Totem The One will be better suited. Or, If you can swing your budget maybe the Micro Utopia Be. Anyhow, remember to go quality over quantity. Gdlck!
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