Speaker Recommendations

I will soon be moving house, no not to the White House, but to a house with a much smaller lounge and need to downsize my speakers. At the moment I use Quad ESL 63s and really enjoy their music making abilities but they are just too big and require to be too far into the room for domestic bliss! Basically I think I need a pair of standmounts, but living on Shetland means that I have no opportunity to try before I buy so I am reliant on others recommendations and what is available. My amps are two Monarchy Audio SMPRO 70S, PRE is a Prometheus TVR - I like open, detailed but smooth sound with a large sound stage, music most genres, especially acoustic blues and singer song writers, but genre doesn't interest me only the music!

Any Advice Recommendations!

 

One of the best sounding system of our group of Audiophile friends is the one owned by Giorgio:

Immedia RPM turntable - Graham 2.2T arm - Benz Ruby2 cartridge
Jeff Rowland Coherence One Series II and now the JR Capri phono
Jadis JA30 KT88 JJ Tesla
Quad ESL63 on Arcici Stands

Dreftar .. if you listen your Esl63 with a pair monoblock Jadis JA30 KT88 you 'll kiss your louspeakers for hours...

 

I really enjoy the way the 63s make music but they will not fit in the house I'm moving to!!

 

Im an enormous fan of the Dali Helicon standmount.

It's treble and midrange are just great, and I like the bass aswell. I haven't enjoyed my demos of the floorstanding helicons as much.

I think (coming from stats) you will enjoy the ribbon/fabric treble and mid on them.

You can get them used for circa £1k, and they look and sound great.

 

just wanted to add, it's not a 'wall mount' type speaker.

If you want something designed to go next to a wall, try some Audionote E's.

They work well in corners and against a wall, - designed to be used that way.

Would be a nice sensitive match for your amps

 

Looks like I'll need to "google" them and have a good read - thanks.

 

Sorry Dreftar .. I didn't get the point!
Now I got it!
Well .. the only speakers my ESL63 friend liked in my house have been the two Harbeth Compact 7 ES
He said if he would have lost his ESL63 the only dynamic speaker suitable for his ears were my Harbeths
The C7ES are kinda small monitors and not super expencives

 

Dreftar

just got some Usher 718be's used. Using quite near to wall with a Berning. Sound pretty darn good and not huge amount inferior to Art Emotions (which I'm selling).

I would say these sound better than the B&W 805 Signatures which stayed in my memory after hearing a few years back.

Very neutral top end and mids. Decent bass too for a small speaker. Worth a google

 

All those recommendations you mentioned for your new speakers fit my speakers the Aurousel A1's. Someone in a review likened them to his Quad electrostatics. Unfortunatley i really think you should demo speakers first and certainly in your home.

You could have the most expensive speakers out there but they could sound dire with your gear and your room.

 

Thanks Jimbo I completely agree with you but the geography od where I live precludes this - I live on a small island across the harbour from Lerwick, Shetland - a long long way from a HiFi dealers and extra freight to pay to the islands etc.... I guess I have to make sense of other kind enthusiasts recommendations and take a chance, remembering what a great place ebay is!

 

Well in that case i would say my speakers fit the bill. Some others may disagree. Not heard your amps so cant comment on whether they would match. The Aurousals are a smooth speaker as they are fullrangers without a tweeter, so no crossover nasties(oh dear hope i havent started something). They shown my Epos ES11's a clean pair of heals as the Epos's were optimised for my room with a Behringer DEQ which made a big change for the better.

The Arousals gave a broader and deeper soundstage with instruments and singers becoming more real with added body.

 

Interesting what you said about using the Behringer for room equalisation. I had a go with it and found that it did not improve things at all, in fact even using it as a DAC was not that much use either as my little plastic box, blue light NOS DAC was so much better that the Behringer is now only used as a DAC for the television! I was very disappointed with the Behringer.

 

The Aurousals are a smooth speaker as they are fullrangers without a tweeter, so no crossover nasties(oh dear hope i havent started something)

I agree with you with regard to full rangers and no crossover. I believe that the simplest is often the best solution, hence I use a passive TVR pre and two Class A monoblocs in a balanced configuration for as low a noise floor as I can achieve.

 

May I suggest the Sterling Broadcast LS3/5a miniature. It is an amazing speaker for the money with fabulous imaging. In general terms, it is much better than the original.

 

I used the Behringer to get rid of a fairly big bass hump which i'm sure was damaging my ears. It did it to good affect, made me hear the lower mid range. Dont need it now for my new speakers as i found a couple of the Asda chopping boards between the stands and wood floor do the trick.

 

there's some excellent amphion standmounts in the classifieds, sold by me. heartily recommended