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Big speakers in small room at moderate volume levels

My office is 11’W x 10’L x 9’H and is where I can listen to music for the next few years. I have a toddler and, for now, he has commanded the big spaces in the rest of the house. I have auditioned the Magico A3 and wanted to buy it but that was before I was relegated to the smallish office (I was expecting to move to a bigger room). I have removed the closet doors in this office room. The removal of the closet door gives me another 4 feet of depth to this room, though for only 1/2 width of the room. I can sit unobstructed 8 feet away from the speakers before I hit the area where the closet ends (so near field listening).

I currently I have KEF LS50 with Peachtree Nova 150. It is good and I can listen for the whole day without fatigue. I listen to FM, digital files on ROON, and my Sony SCD-1 SACD player. I want a bigger sound so I am looking at bigger speakers. I also do not want to use a sub since I am not a fan. I will also upgrade the NOVA 150 to the NOVA 500 in Spring 2019 and use with the LS50’s in a bedroom.

I came to the conclusion that my tastes would be best served by one of KEF Reference 1 or Magico A3. I was thinking that I would use the Lyngdorf 3400 in this room but I am having seconds thoughts on this now (some A’gon comments that it maybe a little dry). I am interested in solid state AB units like the Hegel H590 and Mark Levinson 585 to drive the speakers. I have heard the ML 585 and it is a fatigue free sounding unit that was a joy to listen to. I have not heard the Hegel H590 yet (but have heard other Hegels with KEF) and I am in the process of getting an audition of the H590. I have also discounted the class AB Micromega M-One 150 (with MARS room correction) because I do not want a cooling fan blowing in the room.

I must mention that I do not listen that loud when I am working and when I am working very late at night the volume is very low. The Mark Levinson and A3 combo was very good at low volumes during my demo but that was in the dealers perfect large room.

1) Am I making a mistake foregoing room correction with the 2 integrateds I am considering? Should I go with the Lyngdorf and A3 or KEF Ref 1, though I have never heard the Lyngdorf?

2) Will the Magico A3 work in this small room at moderate volumes WITHOUT room correction or will I subject myself to headaches and fatigue?

I am going to ask the dealer selling the A3’s this question when I am ready to buy but i wanted to ask on A’gon first to get some feedback. I doubt I could get the A3’s into my room for a trial but I have not asked the dealer yet.

I think (not 100% sure) the KEF Reference 1 with a non room correcting amp should work in my office space but I would prefer to buy the Magico A3 for the office. I have plans to buy another KEF model once my kid is a bit older and I can kick him out of the big room.
yyzsantabarbara
gosta's avatar
gosta
202 posts
 
@gdnrbob
It’s not about that at all. It would be quite impossible. It’s about giving the speakers a chance to present their best, mostly in the bass and low-mid were the room interacts the most. I mean - they were not exactly build to play music in your listening room at precisely your listening spot. It’s a simple way to more fairly compare the true sound of different speakers.

It’s a real relief when the muddy and freq. wise uneven sound from all room interactions, resonances and standing waves is reduced with a professional correction system. Some also are supposed to work with the phase issue. Naturally, you should try to treat your room and work with your speakers placement as much possible before you use any dsp.

The Anti-Mode 2.0 may be the cheapest and most practical way to experience this. Gives you the opportunity to set the upper freq. for dsp. 500 Hz is standard.

Note though that the resulting correction is rather depending of where you put the mic. So you may not like the first try.
yyzsantabarbara OP
647 posts
 
@gosta You are correct about Vanessa Fernandez and her recordings, the dealer mentioned the same thing to me about the recording I selected. The recording sounded bad with the Lyngdorf amp (bright), then with the Simaudio amp, the brightness was gone. I am not sure if I would call it sweet sounding either. I was easily able to determine this by the physical reaction inside my ears. With the Lyngdorf amplification my ears were feeling some pressure or irritant with the Simaudio the music was pain free and fun to listen, I would not say it was sweet.

I do think the Lyngdorf preamp stage has tremendous potential for me. It sounded really good direct to the Simaudio. The Linn SELEKT that I researched last night is a direct competitor to the Lyngdrof. In both price and features. It does the DSP in a different way (see my post above).

The dealer that I went to see yesterday is also a Yamaha dealer and he is a little bummed that the NS5000 is not being distributed in the USA. The Canadian dealer is also a Persona and Yamaha dealer so I am going to pick his brain on the differences between the 2 units.

The USA dealer I went to see yesterday has the Arc2, Room Perfect, and SPACE optimization DSP engines. He also has the non-DSP Simaudio 390 Network player along with the Macintosh DSP unit that has licensed the Lyngdorf Room Perfect DSP. He will be my pre-amp dealer because I am almost certain I will need DSP since I am 100% going for a floor stander, being true to the title of this tread. No stand mounts for the office.

This search has now become a little more interesting because a few amps that I want to try now become viable or needed (an integrated is out). These include the following:

- Benchmark AHB2 (should sound great with the Yamaha, Harbeth, and Vandersteen)
- KRELL XD 125
- CODA (I was looking at getting more Class A for my $$)
- Pass Labs (spoke with the guys at Reno Hifi and prices are doable)
- Mark Levinson (a little expensive but agreeable sound)
- Simaudio (maybe, if I go with the 390 network player + the Macintosh DSP)

Amps are a little bit more fun and easier to evaluate. Less complications, the DSP stuff is not for the faint of heart.

BTW - is the RP-1 Lyngdorf using the latest and greatest DSP tech from Lyngdorf or is it older Lyngdorf tech? The key to this question I believe is the Texas instruments chip and the software algorithms.

I also searched on the dealer music system to find a Lou Rawls song. I have recently started listening to his deep catalog and I love that guys baritone voice. Unfortunately, I could not find that song and I need to take my glasses next time. I think he is at the level of Roberta Flack.

@gdnrbob The Lyngdorf cannot make one speaker sound like another. It retains a speakers signature sound and tailors it to the acoustical space that it is placed in. I am a laymen with regards to the latest DSP tech but this is as how I understand it.
yyzsantabarbara OP
647 posts
 
A good source for Yamaha NS5000

http://www.livingsound.com.au/2017/01/yamaha-ns-5000/

https://www.avsforum.com/forum/89-speakers/2625537-yamaha-ns-5000-speakers-debut-taves-2016-a.html#p...

Good sound off-axis and non-fatiguing. Keep factors for me in the office.
yyzsantabarbara OP
647 posts
 
Here is the link to the Mac DSP system licensed from Lyngdorf

https://www.mcintoshlabs.com/products/specialty-products/MEN220

http://www.tonepublications.com/review/mcintosh-men-220/

https://www.stereophile.com/content/mcintosh-magic

I have never been fans of Linn and Mac and now I am looking at these products. Times change.
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
2,164 posts
 
cool...

while I absolutely adore Wrecking Ball, I would use Wayfaring Stranger from Roses in the Snow...and then transition right into Mean Eyed Cat from Mr. Cash on Unchained....crank that one up...

btw apparent stage depth on Wayfaring should be like 20’ using the TREO CT....yowsa...
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