Optimal speaker size for given room, or drivers?
How do I determine what speaker size to buy and how many drivers are appropriate for my room? My room is 14x22, with an opening at the back into a hallway. I also have another 6x8 foot arm toward the front. Ceilings are an average of 9 feet tall. Listening position will be 13 feet from the front, speakers 4 feet from the wall and 8 to 9 feet from each other. I can't try any of these at home without committing to a purchase.
Considering a full range like the B&W 802d, Thiel 3.7, Tyler Decade D1 or D2, or Sonus Faber Cremona M. These are examples of the size I am looking at, not speakers I have settled into (I have only heard the 803s, Cremona and older 3.6, for example). Something not too big (150lbs or so) and full, but not overwhelming. This isn't a long-term house for us and although a larger speaker would sound fine in this room, I may be using them in a smaller room in the future.
Some of these speakers feature many drivers and midranges, such as the Tyler D1, whereas others such as the 802D are essentially 1 midrange and 1 driver. The Cremona M is somewhere in the middle. What are advantages and disadvantages to each type of design? Is a larger array more complicated and harder to pull off, or is it simply a matter of cost of manufacture?
