Real Ramona
Standard Member
I have owned for many years a pair of Tannoy Mayfair T225. These are late 70's units, floorstanding each with a single 10" dual concentric speaker with a passive radiator below.
Big warm sound, great with jazz and classical, which I like - not a lot of cop on rock music, which I also like but good all round tone.
These have lived in various houses and rooms and really have never had the space to work in that they deserve. Now I have bought a new house that has a small listening area and I really think that they are too big for the room. They are just too close, and at that distance midrange is a bit shouty, and they just do not sound their size at low volume.
I only have one possible placement for speakers:
Room is 3.3 m x 3.3m and speakers stand 0.4m away from the back wall (chimney breast in centre) and are 2.8 metres apart on their centres.
This places the driver at 2.2m from listening position.
They have to toe in a little bit so there is that too.
I am thinking about getting some small standmount units. I realise I will lose some of that big low end, but here is my shortlist and I would love some advice. All have 7" drivers apart from the Monitor2
1. Dali Oberon 3 - great price
2. Dynaudio Emit M20 - way more than the Dali, is it that much better, or suitable?
3. Mission QX2 - I always liked the sound of Mission speakers, tight and clean
4. Monitor Bronze 2 - a bit smaller, but crazily cheap and well loved it seems.
5. Bowers & Wilkins 685 S2
Thats about it really. My amp is a Cambridge Audio Azur 640A which some may scoff at but I find it has a nice sound with quite a lot of weight to it which I like.
I am no expert but I think that as the speakers will live a little distance from the wall, and downward or rear firing port would be better.
Sound source is CD player, another Cambridge Audio model, plus Plex media server streaming FLAC and high res MP3 wirelessly to Chromecast, then out the optical jack to a little FiiO DAC.
Taste in music is all sorts really, except C&W probably!
I have no audio expert mates so really need some help here. Thanks!
Big warm sound, great with jazz and classical, which I like - not a lot of cop on rock music, which I also like but good all round tone.
These have lived in various houses and rooms and really have never had the space to work in that they deserve. Now I have bought a new house that has a small listening area and I really think that they are too big for the room. They are just too close, and at that distance midrange is a bit shouty, and they just do not sound their size at low volume.
I only have one possible placement for speakers:
Room is 3.3 m x 3.3m and speakers stand 0.4m away from the back wall (chimney breast in centre) and are 2.8 metres apart on their centres.
This places the driver at 2.2m from listening position.
They have to toe in a little bit so there is that too.
I am thinking about getting some small standmount units. I realise I will lose some of that big low end, but here is my shortlist and I would love some advice. All have 7" drivers apart from the Monitor2
1. Dali Oberon 3 - great price
2. Dynaudio Emit M20 - way more than the Dali, is it that much better, or suitable?
3. Mission QX2 - I always liked the sound of Mission speakers, tight and clean
4. Monitor Bronze 2 - a bit smaller, but crazily cheap and well loved it seems.
5. Bowers & Wilkins 685 S2
Thats about it really. My amp is a Cambridge Audio Azur 640A which some may scoff at but I find it has a nice sound with quite a lot of weight to it which I like.
I am no expert but I think that as the speakers will live a little distance from the wall, and downward or rear firing port would be better.
Sound source is CD player, another Cambridge Audio model, plus Plex media server streaming FLAC and high res MP3 wirelessly to Chromecast, then out the optical jack to a little FiiO DAC.
Taste in music is all sorts really, except C&W probably!
I have no audio expert mates so really need some help here. Thanks!
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