Hi Malcolm,
Can the speakers be put in corners or do the have to be away from the walls? Floorstanders or speakers on stands?
How much funiture is in the room?
Whats the rest of your system? do you still have the Art Audio Argento?
How much do you want to spend?
SCIDB
Avantgarde Solo perhaps or build a cabinet to run a pair of Lowther/Fostex drivers full range in?
Hi, not entirely sure and I think UK prices are a little volatile at the moment due to Euro exchange rates, but I think around 4 or 5 grand. Give Graham at GT Audio a tinkle.
Think I saw the same question on Pink Fish.
That's a whopping budget for a near field speaker.
Lots of options, could do worse than some J's. Significantly below 1k second hand.
http://www.audionote.co.uk/products/speakers/an-j_01.shtml
The E's will be too big for your small room I feel, but you could perhaps get by... just. About 1k used, perhaps slightly more.
The older Snell speakers are pretty similar for a lot less dough. If you want the latest greatest, a pair of J's sounds like a good bet for a small room. The fact that you can put them near the wall will help in your confined space.
They use the same drive units as the 'E' speakers, which I lived with for a few years. Still have a pair locked up in fact.
I wouldn't describe them in those terms.. they have a decent enough tweeter, and a simple crossover - the music comes through.
The 8" bass cone in a nice wide baffle produces a 'healthier' sound than you frequently get from today's modern slim-baffled-small-bass-cone monitors.
A high efficiency makes them very suitable for a SET amp or similar.
Many high efficiency designs trade some neutrality for their high efficiency, and I feel this is one area the Es and Js are strong.
I would reccomend trying to hear a pair with a good valve amp on a home demo.
Their near wall placement would also suit your size limited surroundings.
Other high-efficiency designs I can think of are either hard to use in a very small room (like horns), or err on the wrong side of neutrality, such as many lowther/fostex designs.
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Thanks for your thoughts
Of course, if we move away from high efficiency monitors onto 'any kind' and change the 8w SET amp for something more powerful chocies just bloom.[/
Indeed, it may come to that but I'll start with the HE.
What about some smaller old Tannoy golds, 10" or 12", love valves, bloomin efficient. Still roundly kicks the arse of many speakers out there.
...and change for a holiday!
What else is on the short list out of interest?
I can think of few high efficiency speakers for a small room that I would personally like to listen to... and am curious what you may have narrowed it down to?
Some good speakers there. The Da Capo's - think they are about 92db? - havent heard them on a valve amp.
I love 1sc's, they do a lot of things right. I've normally heard them on the back of 30/40w push/pull valve amps rather than SET amps though. They have never struck me as highly efficient. Can't remember how efficient they are. They are nice speakers, would be worth a try I guess.
do you know Noteworthy Audio/are you near them? - good place to hear some of these.
Here is a speaker that fits the bill on paper, but I have yet to hear. I'd love to however. I don't believe they have a UK distributor?? - unknown.
http://www.ossaudio.com/lothx/ion.html#ion4
do you know this standmount? I love them, a personal favourite but not high efficiency. I've fancied a pair for a few years.
http://www.audiologica.co.uk/dalihelicon300.html
I can't really share my own speakers, they are cupboard sized and would take up half the floor space!