Decent "tiny" speakers?

jasonc · « **on:** 22 Jan 2008, 04:26 pm »

Looking to for decent speakers for my family room but wife would rather not see them. Any recommendations other than Bose?
Thanks,
Jason

TomS · « **Reply #1 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 04:52 pm »

Jason - We need a few more parameters in terms of "tiny" as well as the room size, primary purpose (music/HT), equipment (receiver, sources), but is something like an "in wall" a possibility? That's usually the first solution when they need to be heard, not seen. Plenty of good options there if it works. Tom

miklorsmith · « **Reply #2 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 04:57 pm »

The Maggie MMGs are a great choice for on-wall. They don't take up any room but are definitely visible:

http://magnepan.com/_mmg.php

I have a friend that just did a new HT. He tried to get these but the wife nixed 'em. Now he has some tiny monitors and sorely wishes he would have dug in for something "real".

I don't know if Klaus at Odyssey is still making the on-wall speakers that can look like paintings but there was a lot of good-sound buzz about them a while back.

smargo · « **Reply #3 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 05:24 pm »

Quote from: jasonc on 22 Jan 2008, 04:26 pm

Looking to for decent speakers for my family room but wife would rather not see them. Any recommendations other than Bose?
Thanks,
Jason

This might be sacrilgious - but the Polk I-Sonic http://isonic.polkaudio.com/ is very good in terms of its tone quality. It may look like a clock radio but it sounds scrumptious and it so inobtrusive. I many times prefer listening to it -instead of my regular high end rig.

It doesn't image, do depth, or any of the high end things - unless tone quality and timbre which to me - is to die for - counts for something. This thing sounds so wonderful - it makes you wonder.

regards,
smargo

TomS · « **Reply #4 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 05:28 pm »

Quote from: miklorsmith on 22 Jan 2008, 04:57 pm

...I don't know if Klaus at Odyssey is still making the on-wall speakers that can look like paintings but there was a lot of good-sound buzz about them a while back.

Good suggestion on the Maggies. I think Klaus exited the picture speaker business some time after RMAF this year, but he may have a few pieces left. They cranked. Tom

kbuzz3 · « **Reply #5 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 05:38 pm »

Wonder why the picturre speakers did not work out for him. That seems like a great idea-albeit subject to what kind of art you can use

BrianM · « **Reply #6 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 05:41 pm »

Maybe your wife is convinced speakers are ugly, and if you found some that she agreed were attractive enough?

F-100 · « **Reply #7 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 06:45 pm »

Give Orb speakers a try. These tiny speakers have big and full sound that will put Bose into shame. They also offer 30 days in home trial. Price is very reasonable and customer service is excellent too.

Mortsnets · « **Reply #8 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 07:22 pm »

Amphion Ion
Role Skiff
Gallo round speakers

PMAT · « **Reply #9 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 07:29 pm »

Usher S520, small speakers with big sound. Nice looking.
Arcam solo all in one.

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #10 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 08:31 pm »

If you carve out minimum 2' from the backwall for them, the old Radio Shack LX-5's (with Linaeum di-polar tweeters) were very nice (and small)....under $60 pair on ebay every so often.

The LX-55's, were not as nice....but, the LX-4's were reported to be good, too.

jasonc · « **Reply #11 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 08:54 pm »

Great suggestions, thank you.

I forgot to mention my budget is under 200.00 and the smaller the better. Anybody have any experience with Cambridge Soundworks, they have the small cube size speakers similar to you know who?

jkelly · « **Reply #12 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 08:58 pm »

Check out the Paradigm Atom - the latest version has been getting good reviews.

http://www.paradigm.com/en/paradigm/fronts-monitor-atommonitor-model-2-4-1-1.paradigm

IronLion · « **Reply #13 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 09:06 pm »

Without doubt then, given your budget, and even not having heard them, I would recommend either AudioEngine A2's or used AudioEngine A5's if you can swing that. Self-powered, should sound great.

Russell Dawkins · « **Reply #14 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 09:10 pm »

!! I was just about to post that, only limiting it to A2s:

http://www.audioengineusa.com/news.htm

PhilNYC · « **Reply #15 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 09:20 pm »

Are in-wall speakers an option? I recently heard a pair of NHT in-walls that sounded surprisingly good...

PhilNYC · « **Reply #16 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 09:21 pm »

Quote from: IronLion on 22 Jan 2008, 09:06 pm

Without doubt then, given your budget, and even not having heard them, I would recommend either AudioEngine A2's or used AudioEngine A5's if you can swing that. Self-powered, should sound great.

For family-room use, the A5's are great (I use a pair with my family-room TV and a Squeezebox hooked up to them). IMHO, the A2's are pretty much a "desktop-only" speaker tho...

(disclaimer: I'm an Audioengine dealer...)

Russell Dawkins · « **Reply #17 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 09:28 pm »

how would A2s sound on/near a wall?

jasonc · « **Reply #18 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 09:35 pm »

Quote from: PhilNYC on 22 Jan 2008, 09:20 pm

Are in-wall speakers an option? I recently heard a pair of NHT in-walls that sounded surprisingly good...

In wall is not an option, they would actually be going inside this piece of furniture.
http://www.bdiusa.com/avfurniture/avion_8527.shtml

kbuzz3 · « **Reply #19 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 09:35 pm »

I used a pair of gallo's in my last smaller apt, with surpising sucess in both a mail system and with a flat screen. No harshness, great imaging and really nice looking. You can also mount em on the wall or place them on a bookshelf. Also comes in a lot of desinger colors. Cheap enough to try and resell if you dont like em.

HAve not heard the orbs but the gallos were first.