Downgrading to little speakers - will it be that bad?

When I go back to uni in September I'm almost certain that my room is gonna be tiny. I was lucky last time to have an enormous room which accomodated my floor standers perfectly but if these have to go I'm wondering what I should replace them with?

Currently I've got:

Denon 3802

Tannoy Revolution R3
Tannoy RC centre
Tannoy R1 sides
MS302 rears

Paradigm PS-1000 sub

That's the 7.1 system at the moment.

I'm thinking something along the lines of VM1s, LM1s, eggs, blueroom minipod speakers.

What's gonna be the best compromise? I'll be keeping the sub of course. Also will it really be much of a downgrade? What kind of difference will I notice?

(I love my Tannoy R3s at the moment)

 

what about the little velodyne deco system? Ive heard it to be very capable

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It's all about scale and with the best will in the world, little satellites cannot impart the scale and authority that larger speakers can muster.

Perhaps bookshelf or standmount speakers with your sub might give you the full sound that you are used to, that is if you can squeeze them in.

 

This is something im also going to have to consider so I will keep my eye on this thread.

Im leaving uni at the end of may and at the moment it seems I will be back in my box room for a while. The room is pretty tiny (3.5x2 possibly) so there is no way I can accomodate my kit but I dont want to downgrade after buying a setup im very happy with.

 

OK so don't downgrade, live in a smaller space for, ooh how long...a week? a month? a year?

Put your speakers into storage....

How important is your audio system to you? can you live with two speakers instead of 5.1 for a "short" period of time?

Your current system is "dead money" in that (I assume) it's all paid for so don't throw it away!

Hmmm, that's why our house is full of speakers.......moved a complete Arcam/Meridian system to the dining room this evening...and the conservatory is still full of Isobariks & Meridian kit.......not to mention the lounge which is full to the brim with the systems below.

But seriously, it's all about moving air (or for technical people, sound pressure). Big speakers like the Linn Isobariks (e.g. the "stereo") move large quantities of air over a substantial frequency range, they go deep & powerful. Small speakers even with a subwoofer (e.g. the "HC system")....(see profile for exact details)......cannot give the "weight" to a sound that large speakers do; the sub moves a goodly amount of air up to, say 150Hz, and then what 3 inch speakers for the surrounds for the higher frequencies? OK they sound good and I've heard some great liitle speakers (I think they were Kleggs?), but they don't have the weight that big 'uns do. There's nothing magical about this...you have to move air! So you've decent bass from the sub and decent highs from your mini speakers....what's missing?....the midband; arguably the most important for sound quality. Indeed, from my own very subjective experience (based upon comparisons with my collection of Meridian speakers) I would place emphasis on the "lower midband" for considerations of "weight". But it's all subjective.......isn't it?

 

A pair of Genelec 1029a's may work for you. They are highly detailed monitor speakers which might pan out well with your subwoofer in a small room.


Genelec 1029A's

 

I'd take the R3s with the amp and simply live with 2 channel for a while. Buying new smaller stuff will be a shame.