Can NOLA's "Boxer" compete with big floorstanders?

I have owned the Totem Hawks. It is a good speaker but bass shy. I now use Nola's Contenders which take everything the Nola Boxer does and adds an extra dose of bass.

However, the selection of an appropriate speaker is interdependent on your amplifier and your room. Don't try and select a speaker in isolation

I want to thank everyone who has answer this thread.

To KIWI, the NOLA Contender is about $2000 more than Boxer. I only briefly heard the Contenders in a very small room, and so could not reach any conclusion about their performance. Unless the Boxer's bass response is really anemic, it seems like the better value, and choice for my application.

To MAPMAN, YES, you are right, I have read that break in time is long with the Ohms. Whatever speaker I choose, it will only be used to change up the sound from my speakers, BUT also as a "possible" replacement for the Acoustic Zen Adagios which are very heavy, large, and dominate the room. However, they are excellent speakers

I may have mentioned previously that my concern with Ohm speakers OR ANY OMNIDIRECTIONAL IS THAT THE SOUND seems/is GIMMICKY, that is, too large and wide to be realistic, and which sacrifice accuracy and transparency to create this effect of sound "just being in the room" The question could be asked...."but where in the room??"

A omnidirectional and holographic soundstage reminds me too much of the old quadraphonic effect of the early 1970's, which was carried forward by Bob Carver Holographic Generator pre-amp pf the 1980's,... and today's surround sound obsession. Obviously, a soundstage beyond the boundaries of a speaker does give more of the sense of being there, instead of being outside the musical performance. There is or "was" a pair of Ohm-Walsh M-1000 for sale. They look nice and are definitely small enough to move around or tuck in a corner when not in use. Thanks again. Jim

Sunny,

Chances are you are not going to take to the OHMs with teh perspective that room filling sound is "gimmicky". Only in relation to the traditional box design. How is sound coming out of a box not a gimmick? Is that how sound works in the real world?

Omni's definitely take some time to get used to because they are inherently different. Once you "get" them though, it can be hard to ever go back, which can be a scary thing.

Starting off with them as an alternate to a more conventional design is a great way to test the waters over time and see.

I must agree with Mapman, omnis take some getting used to, but once you get used to them it is hard to go back. My speaker system is very similar in its presentation to an omni, and I have always liked the spaciousness and soundstaging of speakers like mine, the Ohms, Shahinians and mbls. I find it difficult to break away from that presentation, as it is one aspect of the reproduction of music through electronics that can, in my view, make a recording sound more like a real, live event (another being dynamics; there are plenty more that come into the equation as well), and one that I place a priority on. I will acknowledge that some of the soundstage is probably created by the speakers and the room they're in rather than an exact reproduction of the recorded venue, but there is still good image location and palpability within that soundstage, maybe not as pinpoint as with a traditional speaker but perhaps more like what you'd hear in real life.

All that said, there are different priorities that each person has in their listening biases, and I was impressed with the Boxers, I thought they were among the best monitors that I have heard. You will not find them bass shy unless you listen to a lot of recordings with significant output below 35-40 Hz, and in a smaller room their dynamic restrictions are not likely to come into play.