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Floorstanding Speakers - 12'x14' Room

I have a 2-channel audio system which I have moved from my basement to my main floor living room. This living room is 12' x 14' with the system along the 12' back wall. The living room has a cathedral ceiling which goes from 8' on the left side to 12' on the right side. Also the right side does not have a side wall since this is the opening to my hallway. Experimenting with my existing bookshelf / subwoofer combo has revealed that I must adopt a toe-in configuration to avoid early reflections from the left side.

I'm interested in replacing my existing bookshelf / subwoofer combo by a pair of floorstanding speakers. However, I don't want something too big where I will not be able to control the bass.

By the looks of it, the speakers would be about 9' apart and 2' from the back wall. On the right side, the speaker would be about 1.5' from the side wall.

So far, I've narrowed down my possibilities to the following:

Gershman Sonogram
Totem Forest
B&W 804S
Definitive Technology Mythos STS
Aperion Intimus 6T
Duevel Planets

My power amp is a Linn Akurate 4200 and I listen to all types of music except country / western. I what something that will sound great low volume but that can also dish-it-out at high volume.

Would all these work with my living room? Any other recommendations?
agiaccio
djtiti
27 posts
 
Did you ever audition aKEF reference,that pretty well on ur set up it is 4way design but if u like more bass it should be 205 series
goatwuss
875 posts
 
With that sized room, I would stick to the sub + monitor system. That way, you can optimize the speakers for imaging/staging/etc, and place the sub where it measures the flattest.
agiaccio OP
147 posts
 
Last night I received my new furniture for my 12' x 14' living room. As it turns out, the furniture is quiet bulky leaving no room for floor standing speakers, especially if I would need adequate room to make them breath.

Therefore, I'm back at a pair of monitors on stands.

My existing bookshelf speakers (Linn Katan) are rated at 60Hz – 20kHz (Aktiv) with an efficiency rating of 85 dB.

I would like to replace these with a more efficient (easier to drive) monitor that will play equally well at both low volume and high volume and that is front ported. I’m using a 200W solid state power amplifier in my 2-channel audio system. Also, if possible, I would like to either get rid of my existing subwoofer (Linn Sizmik 10.25) or get a “better matching” subwoofer with the new monitors. Due to my budget of $2000-$3000, I may hold-off on the subwoofer for now and get better monitors.

Depending on the dimensions of the monitors, it looks like there will be about 1.0-1.5 feet of space behind it and they will be about 6.5 feet apart.

By the way, I listen to all types of music, except country / western.

A friend has suggested the ProAc Response D Two. Any other monitor suggestions / recommendations?
cruz123
585 posts
 
I would suggest looking at the Merlin TSM, which are in your budget. The ideal listening triangle for the TSM is 6.5 feet apart and the listening position 9-9.5 feet away. I have mine set about 1.5 from the wall (measured from the rear). Better yet they are a sealed design, which makes them easier to place in a small room. In my experience, even front ported speakers can introduce some "boom", especially if your placement options are limited. If you decide to go with a ported design, experiment with plugging the port for better integration.

I am using a Martin Logan Dynamo sub that works pretty well for the money, but there are better choices out there. I've been thinking of upgrading to a 10" Velodyne SPL or DD sub that reportedly have very good built in equiliaztion software that aids in room integration.
trianglezerius's avatar
trianglezerius
105 posts
 
How about the GR-Research NEO-2X? As a kit there around $800 but will easily compete in the $3k range.
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