Favorite mini-monitors?

TONEPUB · « **Reply #100 on:** 15 Oct 2007, 02:26 pm »

that kind of speed in an alfa on the track must have been awesome!!!!

Zero · « **Reply #101 on:** 15 Oct 2007, 03:55 pm »

Ethan,

"The One" is going to be a special release by Totem Acoustic to celebrate their 20th anniversary. It is essentially a Model 1 that has been given the no-bars held treatment. Only 500 will be made.

I am not privy to all the details, but some changes will include; a custom finish, very expensive crossover components, very expensive (platinum) binding posts, etc. There may be other changes that I am simply unaware of. I actually hesitated to list this monitor simply because it is still not entirely complete. Vince still has some tweaking he wishes to do before officially releasing it to the market. That said, they sounded wonderful.

As for how it fits in between the Model 1 and the Mani-2, well... thats a tough one. Thus far, the projected msrp of The One will be $3500/pair, only $500 below the Mani-2. I will hazard to say that this speaker is not being built to deliver the best value - but more, to make a statement, and to give something back to Totem fans and supporters.

Affordable$$Audio · « **Reply #102 on:** 18 Oct 2007, 01:59 am »

Getting back to the thread question, the mini-monitors I've enjoyed the most:
Celestion SL6si
ProAc Tablettes
Totem Mites
Era Design 5
Paradigm 20

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #103 on:** 18 Oct 2007, 06:50 am »

Quote from: TONEPUB on 15 Oct 2007, 04:06 am

After spending time at the RMAF, I'd have to add the Usher Tiny Dancer to
my list. This is one of the best sounding small speakers, I've ever heard.

Very musical, great tonality, way more bottom end than a speaker this
size should have and remarkably dynamic too! For $2795, they are
KILLER! We have a review pair coming soon, so Ill keep you all posted...

Yes....the Usher Be-718's....I've heard them twice....once in NYC (Stereophile Show '07) and again at RMAF'07. Both in larger rooms....both times sounded excellent. Hard to believe it was only a two way speaker. For price and performance....a very good deal.

Zero...

Quote

ACI Sapphire XL Great jack of all trades speaker. Easy to listen to, rich mid-range, strong bass, great imaging, and versatile. Very few will NOT like this speaker.

Thats another very good mini-monitor.....sit back....relax....listen...N-I-C-E !!!

TONEPUB · « **Reply #104 on:** 18 Oct 2007, 07:10 am »

Lonewolf, I completely agree with you on those two...

Some of the best little speaker sound I've heard.
Got a new pair of speakers in from Sonics, (Germany)
and they are about 1600, look like ProAcs. not too
bad either....

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #105 on:** 18 Oct 2007, 07:16 am »

Quote from: TONEPUB on 18 Oct 2007, 07:10 am

Lonewolf, I completely agree with you on those two...

Some of the best little speaker sound I've heard.
Got a new pair of speakers in from Sonics, (Germany)
and they are about 1600, look like ProAcs. not too
bad either....

Thanks Jeff......

What is amazing today.....all the many speakers that are available....so many choices.....something for everyone....

toobluvr · « **Reply #106 on:** 18 Oct 2007, 02:20 pm »

Having only owned 3 pair, I don't have huge experience with monitors.

But I can say that my DeVore Fidelity Gibbons 3's are just killer. They disappear into a huge and expansive soundstage, and have great detail, speed, tone and musicality. In my view, they stomp all over the Ref 3A MM deCapo 'i' that I once owned.

JM Reynaud Twins excel at texture, tone, nueance and harmonics, and are always musical.
At used prices, great sound for the buck!

TONEPUB · « **Reply #107 on:** 3 Dec 2007, 02:14 am »

Not exactly "mini" monitors, but the new Harbeth Compact 7 version III is quite amazing!
We've got some new truly mini monitors from paradigm that are quite good too and some
new small monitors from Dynaudio in house. All very good!

denjo · « **Reply #108 on:** 3 Dec 2007, 03:58 pm »

Just heard the Harbeth Compact 7 in my friend's showroom. I second the Harbeth Compact 7 recommendation - truly a very musical speaker. Wonder what the Harbeth Super 5 would sound like!!

bhobba · « **Reply #109 on:** 3 Dec 2007, 09:19 pm »

Quote from: lonewolfny42 on 18 Oct 2007, 07:16 am

What is amazing today.....all the many speakers that are available....so many choices.....something for everyone....

I know Chris will agree speakers that need to be better known are the SP's. That Timepiece-mini looks really great, and I can see myself getting one once my finances settle down. At $2995 a bargain, considering how accurate they are, and how low they go for a 'mini-monitor'

For guys that don't know about SP speakers, check out what Jim Merod who has heard speakers galore in his time, says of the Timepieces:
http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue30/sptech_2.htm

'SP "Timepiece 2.1" speakers are unusual because they are gloriously open; effortlessly dynamic; accurate from top to bottom in reproducing sounds and musical capture I feed through them virtually every day (weekends included); utterly engaging to listen to; partners in my work; an unassuming presence on the home front (a domestic plus); instructive because revealing of small audio details that demand exquisite sonic accuracy; fun to spend time with; for me, an unimpeachable ally in the grueling effort to improve my recordings and to enhance BluePort mastering work—which includes the appreciation of my professional partner, Steve McCormack, in such daunting labor and its audible aftermath: e.g., listening to our work on four distinct sets of speakers, one of which is the "Timepieces," which never fail to improve what we know because of sonic clarity and full spectrum audio reproduction taken from their gloriously accurate (and just plain lovely) engineering pedigree. I'm not teasing or jiving here. All that be the main deal that tugs these heavy (did I mention that before?) speakers close to my heart's warm core. These speakers are among a handful of speakers that literally define the concept of "value" in the high-end audio price/performance ratio. Today that ratio needs supercomputing assistance to unravel hyperbole from fact. When I listen to my Timepiece 2.1 speakers, I am the sound of one hand laughing because, these speakers are among the best I've ever heard at any price. (Remember, tears ago, I reviewed the monstrously large, truly iconoclastic, but disarmingly unique Sean McLaughlan In the presence of this beguiling, instructive sound, I'm aware (sworn upon my mother's Buddhist purity) how irrelevant price is when the issue is truthful sound reproduction'

I get the feeling he might like them. The Timepice-mini is worthy of consideration by anyone in the market for a mini-monitor - and yes it is my favorite 'mini-monitor'.

Thanks
Bill

Robert57 · « **Reply #110 on:** 3 Dec 2007, 09:50 pm »

Here's yet another, to further overwhelm the menu:

Tyler Acoustics Linbrook minis.

They are sold direct for about $1200 and have amazing big-sound performance for such a pint-sized bookshelf design. They use the SEAS Millenium tweeter and SEAS mid/ woofer, both excellent drivers. I absolutely love these, even in a rather large living room. Though I augment the bass with a sub, I am surprised how deep these little guys can go, tunefully. With rear port plugs inserted you can place them close to a wall very successfully (which I do). Their best quality is spot-on tonal accuracy, for voices and piano especially, with no treble harshness. This is a real sleeper.

Turnandcough · « **Reply #111 on:** 16 Dec 2007, 10:40 pm »

I happen to be looking for a pair of "all rounder" mini monitors to replace a borrowed pair of PSB B25's which I find to be not to bad sounding for the price, but a bit too bulky and mass market looking for my tastes. There's also a slight chestyness.

My short list includes:
Proac Tablette 8 Reference (not sure about price on signature model)
Spendor S3/5 or S3/5se
Dynaudio Audience 42
Dynaudio Focus 110
Revelation Antares http://www.revelationaudio.com/pages/angantarespag.html
Triangle Titus Ex
Era Design 4 (Heard the D5 but found it way too bass heavy for my room)
Totem Mite
Totem Model 1
Quad 11l

Your comments are welcome

groovybassist · « **Reply #112 on:** 17 Jan 2008, 05:08 am »

I'm a current SP Tech Timepiece Mini owner, but if you're just looking for all-around good sound on a reasonable budget, I'd include the Paradigm Studio 20v4 on your list. They're only $995 new I think and I've found it to be a great speaker, but have moved up to the SP Tech's. I've got a pair in mint condition that I'll be putting on Audiogon one of these days, or maybe I'll list them here on AC. Good luck.

-Mike

Danny Richie · « **Reply #113 on:** 17 Jan 2008, 03:20 pm »

Hey Turnandcough,

I have measured and tested the D5's and they are anything but bass heavy. They are actually down in output in the lower region and have a dipped area at 350Hz. If these were bass heavy for you then you really need to look at your application, room gains, and room treatment needs.

bpape · « **Reply #114 on:** 17 Jan 2008, 03:26 pm »

Turn,

You should also look into the ACI's. The Sapphires are amazing for their size.

Bryan

Turnandcough · « **Reply #115 on:** 18 Jan 2008, 01:26 am »

Quote from: Danny on 17 Jan 2008, 03:20 pm

Hey Turnandcough,

I have measured and tested the D5's and they are anything but bass heavy. They are actually down in output in the lower region and have a dipped area at 350Hz. If these were bass heavy for you then you really need to look at your application, room gains, and room treatment needs.

I won't argue with your findings. Actually I did not try them in my room. I demoed them at a dealer, in an acoustically treated room and only speculated as to how they would have sounded at home.. They were moved forward about 5' into the room and I still found the bass to be overwhelming. This could have been caused by the speaker/amp pairing, the particular source material or maybe it wasn't the quantity(measurable) but rather the quality that was coming into play here. Contrary to what I had read the bass was not taut but muddy and flabby. Maybe they would have sounded different hooked up to 200w/ch class "A" powerhouse but that would kind of defeat the purpose of a relatively low cost mini monitor. As I stated in another post - a pair of Proac Tablettes hooked up to the same amp, in the same room, with the same source provided the type of deep punchy bass I was expecting fom the Eras. As usual YMMV.

bluemike · « **Reply #116 on:** 18 Jan 2008, 02:03 am »

I'm selling my Tonian Acoustic Monitors here not sure if these are of interest
There fabulous speakers that do so many things right
They may be out of your price range though

ACI Saphire's would be another good option

doug s. · « **Reply #117 on:** 18 Jan 2008, 04:31 am »

turn&cough, i haven't heard the other speakers you mention, but i own a pair of the proac tablette 8 ref sigs, & i can say these are some of the most amazing speakers you will find, especially considering the size. and, they will play loud w/all but the most bombastic bass-content music. for that, you need to cross them over to subs. i had them in a ~26x38 room, crossed over to a pair of subs at ~80hz, & they would go loud w/o compression, loud enough to blast you out of the room. soundstaging, dynamics, detail & smoothness are really outstanding. they were extremely close to my retail $3300 meret re's in the same set-up. (these are also amazing monitors, but good luck finding a used pair of these discontinued speakers, designed by the same guy who did the artemos eos', & wery similar to them.)

i prefer the ref 8 sigs to the also outstanding proac 1sc's - they're more open & detailed, only giving up a few hz to the 1sc's on the very bottom. (and this isn't an issue if you run a subwoofer system.) they retail for $1800 (unless there's been a recent price increase?), & can sometimes be found used for ~$1200, but they sell almost immediately...

doug s.

navi · « **Reply #118 on:** 18 Jan 2008, 01:39 pm »

with mini's

Active is the way to go_-_-_
Genelec 8040's (you really hear into the music.... super revealing)
KRK V6 (i own V4's would have loved to have purchased the V6's)

Passives_-_-_-_ I haven't heard many passive mini's but the ones I have.............
ProAc tablette- Seems to be very popular in this post
Legend Speakers "joey"- I heard these a while back and thought they were very musical and came very close to buying a pair
Whatmough "lead-lined" they no longer make these and they where pretty big but sounded amazing. wouldn't call it mini... but it was a monitor.

Ivan.

Merle · « **Reply #119 on:** 18 Jan 2008, 01:53 pm »

Just wanted to put in my two cents for a true bargin. The Energy RC-10. At $550 retail, they are as good or better than anything I've heard for under a grand. Audio Advisor is selling them for $350 a pair. Treble is grain free and goes out forever, midrange is clear and detailed, bass is tight and solid to an easy 50hz. Real wood cabinets, high quality binding posts. I've owned much more expensive stand mount speakers [quite a few actually] that don't come close to what the RC-10 can do. At $350, I think everyone should own a pair. I mean, you can ALWAYS find somewhere to use a damm fine little speaker. ToneAudio should review a pair NOW. Probably the only speaker I've ever owned that I would truly consider a giant killer. I mean come on, $350!