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Seek non-ported speakers - $700 to $1500 To stop the port-itis in my room!

I have a smallish room 12x12 that has an unusual ceiling.  I've used several highly regarded speakers in the space and the real ported ones are the biggest problem.  I tried KEF ls50's and wanted to love them but the lower-end was too puffy sounding.  Front ported speakers do have less of a "port-itis" issue.  I found a used pair of polk lsi9's and they sound very good in my room but not great.  I'm looking for ideas for non-ported or ported speakers that are less problematic.  Range $700-$1500.  Thanks for your input audio brothers!  Drumbe the retired drummer.
drumbe
sbuckley's avatar
sbuckley
9 posts
 
Rega RX1 or if you can find it used the RS1 (this is what I own).   Smallish standpoint.  Quick and linear bass, no midbass hump.   Very even response from lows to highs, they just get out the way.  I bought mine used and I’m going to the grave with them.

I also dislike “puffy” bass.  Mates well with a small sealed sub for frequencies below about 65hz.  Works well near wall or in space, I’ve lived with both setups happily.  

Don’t be concerned about the rear port, a near wall placement is within the design envelope as they say.
akg_ca's avatar
akg_ca
1,033 posts
 
sbuckley has a great point re REGA STANDMOUNTS/BOOKSHELVES. (The model line goes from the R1 to the RS1, and the most current bring the RX1)

I have both the the R1 and the RX1 models . The RX1 is clearly a better performer with a superior build (it’s larger and heftier ) ....but at a lot more money. In any case, they all share a common feature -  they are designed to be placed up close against a wall even though they are rear-ported. In fact they have OEM REGA wall brackets as options.

here’s a review that summarizes it well:

The Rega R1 Loudspeaker - A New Budget Reference


“... Immediate impressions are a clear and transparent portrayal with very high detail retrieval, fast and controlled transient response, and superb musical timing, both in articulating rhythms and tempi, and in placing instruments within the temporal flow and context of the performance. The RR125 is an outstanding mid/bass driver, sonically and musically right in line with the midrange performance of Rega’s amplifiers and phono cartridges. Get the midrange right and everything else will fall into place. Get it wrong, and all the king’s horses…

...The Rega R1 becomes my new budget reference speaker. In addition of its ability to get the fundamentals of music right, it adds clarity and resolution, and an ability to lay out a vivid and coherent 3-dimensional stereo image. In small room applications, what more could you want?...”


http://v2.stereotimes.com/post/the-rega-r1-loudspeaker


mtrot
642 posts
 
I'd agree that some room treatment is likely the most important thing you can do to reduce the audio gremlins that are bothering you.
As to speaker recommendations, I can highly recommend the new DALI Oberon line of speakers, having heard them at Rocky Mountain Audiofest in October.  They were demonstrating the Oberon 7, which is an incredible sounding speaker at $1,400/pair.  I and the group of guys were bowled over by the quantity and quality of the bass they produced, as well as the mid and highs.  Vocals are fantastic.
We could not figure how they get that bass out of small tower and at that price point.  If the 7 is too much for the room, DALI also sell a smaller Oberon 5 tower speaker at $1,000/pair. 

There are lots of reviews on the web; here is one in particular.
https://hifireference.com/dali-oberon-7-review/
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