[dd3mon]

I'm looking to purchase some new speakers for my dorm room (very difficult room to handle, cement walls, tile floors, lots of cheap furniture). I need something sealed (preferably) or front ported at most (rear ports would be next to impossible to place). Placement is dictacted by the small space, so I'm looking for speakers with a very large sweet spot. A sub is also not an option, so a decent bass response is a must. Clarity throughout the spectrum and lack of harshness or boominess on the top and bottom are important (especially in this room, faults like those get greatly exagerrated).

Price range is under $500 for the pair. Right now I'm looking closely at the NHT SuperOnes (very cheap used) or the current production SB-2. Both are sealed designs that are fairly placement immune from what I've read.

I'm open to any type of small-ish speaker, even studio-type near to midfield monitors. I'd also very much consider a good active monitor (would be willing to pay more since amplification would be included and a space saver) if it met my criteria.

Thanks in advance,

-dd3mon

 

[Kirium]

This is a often asked question in here...

Some previous threads...

Bookshelf speakers $500-$600

Bookshelf speakers for $400

I personally have B&W 602's, and cant see them sitting comfortably on a shelf, I have them on low stands with a 5 degree tilt upwards, and i love them to death.

Some other suggestions..
B&W 601's
ATC SCM7
Dynaudio Audience 42 (Need good solid power to get the best from these)
Quad 11L
Mission 780/780SE

These are what's mainly available in Australia, and we pretty much get what the Poms do.... Your mileage may vary...

 

[vrao81]

The NHT's you mention are inefficient and need good power to really sing. They sound fantastic though, if you hear them and like, then get them.
Another option is the Energy C-3 ($500/pair). These are efficient (92 db), are front ported, and have authoritative bass down into the mid 40 hz region. Very neutral sounding. Here's a review .

 

[MoLtoSoLo]

I would suggest Dynaudio Acoustic BM5. It's black and simple. But it was designed for studio use, you can almost place it anywhere and get good sound.

 

[MacDEF]

For your requirements, you should audition the PSB Alpha B. They're half of your budget and sound great. They're rear ported, but work well even right up against a wall, IMO.

 

[AdamP88]

I highly recommend Axioms. The M3ti ($275) or M22ti ($400) are both are true giant killers. They have a fairly wide sweet spot and also sound quite good off-axis.

Check out this thread for more.

 

[dd3mon]

I'm not quite that concerned with efficiency - I'll probably end up purchasing a used integrated with enough power to meet my needs (whatever that may be). I don't have a problem shelling out a little more for the quality power required by NHT's or Dynaudio's.

The Dynaudio Acoustics look great - the passive models are very reasonably priced and many prefer them to the Audience series. The active models look even more intriguing to me, but are at a very steep cost (more than I'd like to spend).

vrao81 - I have heard the SuperOnes in a very comprimising situation (actually inside a bookshelf of a very nice hotel room - I was shocked to see quality gear, much less an actual stereo system in any hotel room!) and even with these significant handicaps - I was still very impressed by them. Given their low second-hand price, I may spring for these sometime soon.

Thanks for all that I've heard so far, keep it comin'

-dd3mon

 

[bundee1]

Wharfedale Diamond 8.1 - $200
budget speaker of the year 2001- What HiFi?
Great Reviews all over the internet. Soft dome tweeter, so no screechy highs. Im thinking of getting a pair from Bestbuy.com and auditioning them.

 

[00940]

Quote:

Originally posted by bundee1 Wharfedale Diamond 8.1 - $200 budget speaker of the year 2001- What HiFi? Great Reviews all over the internet. Soft dome tweeter, so no screechy highs. Im thinking of getting a pair from Bestbuy.com and auditioning them.

seconded

well, they're perhaps not for everyone. The highs are a bit soft and the midrange on the warm side. The music gets some weight, yet it stays detailled. They're certainly not analytic but the music has a particular charm. They also provide a wonderfull soundstage, really crazy. They don't need as much power than the low sensitivity ratings would let think but they need a really clean power. Anything a bit muddy or slow would kill them. Right now I'm using the wharfedale with a 20W H-K vintage and it's more satisfactory than with a 50W modern NAD (320bee).

 

[lini]

dd3mon: JMlab/Focal have just revamped their Chorus series - the new Chrous 705S, 706S or 707S might be worth a try (or maybe you can get a good deal on the older Chorus models, which were also fairly good). All models are front ported, btw.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini