Which models would be overkill for my room?

I'm trying to figure out which model would suit me best in my room. The size is:

15' + 3' long (the additionnal 3' is a pair of wardrobes that are inside the walls when you enter the room), so there is 18' between the door and the front wall.

12' wide
9' ceiling

Because they are sitting just in front of the wardrobes, they can be set quite close from the wall and still be free of reflections -> look at the picture:

a
The stringing machine isn't there anymore, thank god.

Which models would be fine for the size of my room, and which ones would require a bigger room to shine?

I'd put Vantages in that room.....

Or Vista's!

My listening area is just about that size and the Vistas sound wonderful. Also had a great results with the Source before that. I wouldn't go bigger then Vantages though.

and if i bought Vantages, i certainly wouldn't buy new for that room...
only used.

I hope you where clothed with more than your socks when you posted that pic lol.
Go buy some vantages and clean up your room boy!

Papomaster, What does the other end look like? The door in the center could be dealt with with a trap on a stand for starters.

I also think Vantage new or used could be appropriate.

Gordon

Mantana said:

and if i bought Vantages, i certainly wouldn't buy new for that room...
only used.

Click to expand...

Perhaps you could explain this comment?

Gordon

I definitely would avoid a wide speaker like the CLS, CLX, Odyssey or Prodigy. The newer ML line are more narrow than previous models and that makes placement easier in a room with a more narrow front wall. The Aeon, Purity, Source, Vista or Vantage are good choices.

I'll bet you would get a deeper center image with the door open.

New or used, I don't think the room is going to know the difference (?).

room picture

Here is a schematic picture of my room :



If I had to put the speakers more towards the wardrobes, I could have the doors unscrewed to leave more place for the speakers.

Looking at what's available right now on the used market in the province of Quebec, I see (prices are in canadian dollars, make it 1$ CDN = 80cents US):

Ascent (not i) for 2000 http://montreal.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-electronics-Martin-Logan-Ascent-W0QQAdIdZ116906378
Scenario for 1200 http://www.lespac.com/detail/groupe/toutes-les-rubriques/undefined/trois-rivieres/trois-rivieres/8361643/paire-de-martin-logan-scenario-tres-propre.html
Clarity for 2000 (negotiable) http://www.lespac.com/detail/groupe/toutes-les-rubriques/undefined/la-vallee-du-richelieu/beloeil/8541426/speaker-martin-logan-clarity.html

Right now I'm looking for a pair of Quad ESL-63, as I've already heard a pair of 57s and if it really is an indication of the 63's sound, it would be really good too. I missed a pair yesterday that went for 700$ (!!!!!) in mint condition... There is a seller close from my home that has two pairs for sale, I have to go see him to find out how much he wants for them.

I have to add that I already have a standalone sub with my current speakers (a B&W asw-300, with a fast 8" driver that sounds fantastic).

The Ascents are an excellent speaker and a big step up from Clarity or Scenario. I've owned them before and they are good. I think that's a fair price.

The Quad's are 26" wide and it would be a tight fit especially with the only door in being in the front wall plus they would have to be closer to the side wall. On the other hand the Clarity and Scenario will provide more space and less cost.

I'm not sure what the effect the two wardrobe's will have behind the speakers but you could place some absorption material in there later on if needed. A bed usually makes a good bass trap. I've found my bedroom to naturally have better acoustics than my living room.

Of course you can't really tell what a room sounds like by looking at a picture but there are some space limitations to take into account.

Just so you know, the 63's sound very different from the 57's...

Gordon said:

Perhaps you could explain this comment?

Gordon

Click to expand...

surely....i wouldn't spend $5500 and cram them in a room
of that size and construction. Looks like it would be a challenge
to get good sound from that room.

Craig said:

The Ascents are an excellent speaker and a big step up from Clarity or Scenario. I've owned them before and they are good. I think that's a fair price.

Click to expand...

My room is about the same size as yours, and my Ascents are not too big. I have a lot of room treatments though - All that bare wood in your room scares me. It was pretty tough to get my Ascents sounding good in a dedicated room, so you'll have a lot of fun moving whatever panels you get for the best sound.

bare wood

In order to make the room "suitable" for a pair of ascents, I would have to put some panels or cover the walls with carpets?

Also, what about the scenarios? Would they be a more affordable solution to the Ascents?

Room acoustic treatments will most likely make a positive improvement regardless of what speaker you use. Going to something other than an Ascent isn't going to change the need for acoustic panels, bass traps or whatever. Room acoustics are what they are and unique to each room.

Getting the best performance from any speaker or system often means making improvements to the room and that can be done incrementally over time (if at all). Although, dipole speakers like electrostats may require a different approach to how you treat a room because they are producing sound from the front and back of the speaker. There is a large archive of posts/threads on these subjects in this forum.

Dw?

Funny enough, there is a pair of Wayton Wright XG-8 mk3 speakers with transformers for 500 bucks. They look like a pair of square panels they used to put in the gyms for boys and girls to undress without having to go to the changing room back and forth... Well, they seem to have their fans and their detractors. Although they seem quite big, I could probably get a use for them in either this room or another. Has anyone heard of those?

http://montreal.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-electronics-Electrostatic-Dayton-Wright-Loud-Speaker-pair-top-of-the-line-W0QQAdIdZ112344866

Carver

There is also a pair of apogee centaur minor for 450$, would these be ok to start with?

...or even a pair of carver AL-3 (don't know if it's the + version or not) for 1000$. I haven't heard of these, what do they sound like?

next time baby

I jumped on a pair of used B&W DM-6 for 475 CDN yesterday, and got them today. They are supposed to be very efficient, so I will try them out first to see if they can have enough juice from my amp before I make my next move. I'd be really interested if anyone had some infos about the carvers, I couldn't find anything interesting.