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The Dynaco Tube Audio Forum

Dedicated to the restoration and preservation of all original Dynaco tube audio equipment - Customer support for Tubes4hifi VTA tube amp and preamp kits and all Dynakitparts.com products


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Peter W.
corndog71
10-E-C
Kentley
skriefal
oldvstar
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    oldvstar


    Posts : 18
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    Post by oldvstar Mon Jul 24, 2017 10:03 pm

    My wife and I are selling our house and moving to Florida. My stereo was setup in our 15 X 20 family room and I really enjoyed listening to my modified Klipsch Forte speakers. We are planning to purchase a condo so my listening room is going to shrink! I'm looking for some recommendations for speakers that you have found do well in a smaller room, probably one of the bedrooms. I listen to a lot of classical and acoustic music, but I am a huge Rush fan and would really like to make sure I can hear all of Geddy's licks on his Fender bass. I have one of Bob's ST70 amps and Roy's SP14 pre-amp.
    Thoughts??
    skriefal
    skriefal


    Posts : 135
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    Post by skriefal Mon Jul 24, 2017 11:18 pm

    The Ascend Sierra 2 is a very nice speaker with frequency response that extends deeper than would be expected for its size. But it's on the lower end of the efficiency scale at 86dB/watt @ 1m. With small speakers you usually need to trade some efficiency for lower frequency output. Also check Vandersteen's 1Ci - a small floorstander with somewhat better efficiency than the Sierra 2, and slightly better low-frequency extension.
    Kentley
    Kentley


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    Location : Worcester, MA

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    Post by Kentley Tue Jul 25, 2017 2:14 am

    Tyler Acoustics Halo 2s. Sealed enclosures make placement in smaller rooms relatively simple. Unmatched performance for a modest floorstander. Nice efficiency. Fantastic value. In my 10X13X8 room, as good as it gets. I do 90% classical, and I'm fussy as f--k.

    http://www.tyleracoustics.com/Halos.html
    10-E-C
    10-E-C


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    Location : upper east tn

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    Post by 10-E-C Tue Jul 25, 2017 7:30 am

    I have a pair of Watkins Stereo Gen 4 speakers in my bedroom, amazing sound out of my ST-70 or any SS amp you want to use.

    http://www.watkinsstereo.com/
    corndog71
    corndog71


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    Post by corndog71 Tue Jul 25, 2017 9:03 am

    Are you thinking bookshelf size or tower?

    Wharfedale speakers have impressed me. Their clarity is impressive even in their lower end speakers.
    Peter W.
    Peter W.


    Posts : 1351
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    Post by Peter W. Tue Jul 25, 2017 9:26 am

    Without specific information on amp power, I will only make suggestions. But, I have found in smaller rooms, conventional 'bookshelf' speaker do best as they are extremely flexible in placement and forgiving of room shape. A further refinement of this option would be a very good sub-sat system, allowing even more flexibility.

    With that in mind, and referring *only* to those speakers with which I have direct and long-term experience, I suggest the following, in rank order:

    AR3a, AR11, AR10pi: Fully restored and upgraded, these are excellent full-range speakers, but power-pigs. I keep a pair of 3as in the wife-friendly system. The room is 15 x 17 x 10, and they do just fine.

    AR Athena Sub-sat system: Not quite as much bass, but much more efficient. The room is 12 x 15 x 9

    Revox Piccolo Sub-sat system: A bit more bass than the Athena, a bit more elegant, and want a bit more power. Same room size as above.

    Dynaco A35: A quite satisfactory speaker overall with decent bass and a reasonable size. Same room size as above. Replace all capacitors if not already done.

    It is my considered belief that the minimum woofer size for a decent speaker is 10" - full stop. Good sound is about moving air. Moving air takes a certain amount of surface, and a certain amount of energy behind that surface.

    My main speakers are big Maggies -not appropriate for your application.

    Best of luck with it - I had to get off my AR9s when I got married - for largely the same reason. The Maggies do make up for it.

    http://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649158150-acoustic-research-athena-speakers/images/847792/  

    http://img.canuckaudiomart.com/uploads/2/648968706_large_c0b6ba3b050196793fe21f9c4e8cda60.jpg

    http://img.canuckaudiomart.com/uploads/large/319188-dynaco_a35_speakers.jpg  

    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AEfa4P7i4Y0/T1fZglZ2GHI/AAAAAAAAAgc/cN9llWM-E-o/s1600/Acoustic+Research+AR-3a.jpg

    http://usr.audioasylum.com/images/y2010/08/38939/MG3A_002.jpg
    Dave_in_Va
    Dave_in_Va


    Posts : 443
    Join date : 2013-04-02
    Location : Mid. VA

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    Post by Dave_in_Va Tue Jul 25, 2017 10:33 am

    What Kently said. My Tyler's are actually probably too large for my room but I'm sure he has something appropriate for your rig. I also have a VTA 70 and SP 14 (and PH 14).

    http://tyleracoustics.com
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    ramon68


    Posts : 118
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    Age : 83
    Location : naples fl

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    Post by ramon68 Tue Jul 25, 2017 12:11 pm

    Oldvstar, I moved to Florida 7 years ago and bought a "villa"- one unit of a 2 unit dwelling. Couldn't play music loud with a 12" hollow concrete block wall separating our unit from our neighbor's.
    We have since bought a house and would never again consider living 12 inches from a neighbor. Consider carefully condo living.
    deepee99
    deepee99


    Posts : 2244
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    Post by deepee99 Tue Jul 25, 2017 12:12 pm

    I have Tyler Decade D3MXs in the man-cave, mounted above my desk.
    http://tyleracoustics.com/Decade%20X.html
    Love 'em; and being ported are quite efficient at 90 dB. A very, very close second is a decent set of Dynaco A-35s, which are a step-level improvement over the more plentiful Dynaco A-25s although they use the same Seas drivers. As Peter W suggested, re-capping them is a must. The crossover is very simple: a cap and rotary switch. Two warnings about the old Dynacos:
    1: Nobody makes a drop-in replacement woofer for them; the flange diameter of the nearly-identical new woofer's basket requires carpentry to fit in.
    2: Dynaco used some NASA-grade Gorilla-Glue-type sealant on the original woofs, and removing them is an absolute bitch -- which you need to do to get at the cross-over. And albeit "bookshelf" size, they're heavier than lead so shipping will probably cost more than the purchase price.
    For some reason, most A-25s and A-35s seem to be in Canada and listed on Canuck Audio Mart. Upside is, the original woofers have rubber, not foam surrounds, so no need for tedious repairs in that department so long as the voice coils are OK.
    All that said, if you can kick down $2,200 for a brand-new set of the aforementioned Tylers, you won't look back. And Ty ships for free.


    Peter W.
    Peter W.


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    Post by Peter W. Tue Jul 25, 2017 1:34 pm

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Acoustic-Research-STC660-Stereo-satellite-speakers-with-subwoofer-/253052774111?hash=item3aeb1ee6df:g:77wAAOSwglZZbwEZ

    I forgot about this model. My step-daughter has this system on permanent loan, and very nice, it is. Certainly the price is right. Made by AR in Massachusetts. Not a knock-off.
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    oldvstar


    Posts : 18
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    Post by oldvstar Tue Jul 25, 2017 4:18 pm

    Great suggestions, thanks! I don't think I want to go down the vintage path, newer can be a bit steep in price for what my Scottish side wants to pay but I think that's what I'm going to look for. Still have a pair of ADS L710's but their not moving with me, not quite the sound I'm looking for.

    Ramon68, thanks for the caution about living in a condo. Right now it's just a thought we have but I understand the potential downside. Where do you live in Florida? We're moving to the Space Coast area, just not sure which of the many towns around here will work the best for us. Looking to rent first and explore the area to try to find what we really like.
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    ramon68


    Posts : 118
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    Age : 83
    Location : naples fl

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    Post by ramon68 Tue Jul 25, 2017 9:53 pm

    Oldvstar, I'm on the Gulf side, way down in Naples. Never been up to the Space Coast, but, when you get to Florida, if you ever get down this way,
    look us up. Naples is nice, especially off season.
    By the way, more on topic, I just finished listening to Beethoven's Ninth on a pair of Tekton Lores. 98db with 1 watt, 8 ohm speakers. They aren't
    perfect, but for $1000, I don't think they can be beat.
    Peter W.
    Peter W.


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    Post by Peter W. Wed Jul 26, 2017 7:37 am

    [quote="oldvstar"]Great suggestions, thanks! I don't think I want to go down the vintage path,  >SNIP<

    My advice under these conditions is that if you do purchase *new* speakers, you do so on a option-to-return basis. Whereas I do not believe, even for a hummingbird heartbeat, that speakers need to break-in in any meaningful way past the first couple of hours (think about the implications were that an actuality!), determining if they are right for *you* under *your* conditions for the long-term is not something you can determine in a showroom, or even after a few hours at home. The minimum I would suggest is about 2 hours per day (at least) for at least 5 full days. More and longer being better. Other myths that need exploding include the touching belief that a full-range audio-purposed speaker can be 'better' for one type of signal or another. Not so. Either the speaker is capable of reproducing the signal that is fed into it, or it is not. What that signal includes is not the issue. Or that speaker power-ratings are indicative of performance. This may apply if all one does is listen to highly compressed signal at ear-bleed levels. But otherwise, not so much.

    From some of the prices thrown about here, you could try many, many vintage options before accounting for even half the cost of a new pair of speakers. And, should that new pair of speakers disappoint you (if purchased unheard), you are in the words of the prophet (profit for the speaker maker), SOL - unless you establish return protocols in advance.

    Best of luck with this process! It can be fun. How do you think I wound up with 9 pairs of speakers from 4 different manufacturers?
    peterh
    peterh


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    Post by peterh Wed Jul 26, 2017 7:57 am

    oldvstar wrote:My wife and I are selling our house and moving to Florida. My stereo was setup in our 15 X 20 family room and I really enjoyed listening to my modified Klipsch Forte speakers. We are planning to purchase a condo so my listening room is going to shrink! I'm looking for some recommendations for speakers that you have found do well in a smaller room, probably one of the bedrooms. I listen to a lot of classical and acoustic music, but I am a huge Rush fan and would really like to make sure I can hear all of Geddy's licks on his Fender bass. I have one of Bob's ST70 amps and Roy's SP14 pre-amp.
    Thoughts??

    I'd recommend to postpone the actual deal until you have got to learn the new house and
    also what local dealers are in the neighborhood.
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    oldvstar


    Posts : 18
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    Post by oldvstar Wed Jul 26, 2017 9:21 pm

    Peter W and peterh thanks for the input. I do intend to wait until we've decided what we want to purchase for the long term. Going to kill me not to have my stereo set up, but after living in a house with a half concrete wall behind the speakers I understand the importance of seeing what the listening room is like before I start putting speakers in it. At this time I have no idea of what there may be in the way of stereo equipment stores in the Cocoa Beach/Melbourne, exploring the area and seeing what's there is part of the fun. I do appreciate all of the input so far, it gives me some speakers to consider when I begin the search in earnest.
    deepee99
    deepee99


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    Post by deepee99 Wed Jul 26, 2017 9:39 pm

    The abode must accommodate the hi-fi, not vice-versa. Or you will die an unhappy man.

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