The Snell Type M loudspeaker

[Guth]

As I don't see too much mention of this speaker around here, or on the web in general, I thought I'd go ahead and create a post dedicated to the Snell Type M if for no other reason than to help develop awareness of this little speaker. I was inspired to do so when once again I recently found myself so immersed in the music that I lost track of what I was doing. This is not an uncommon occurrence with these speakers. While they are definitely fun to listen to, they aren't over the top. These little speakers reproduce music with such depth and 3-dimensionality that it simply catches me by surprise again and again.

I have the Type M's set up in my home office where they've replaced a set of ADS L300W's that I had been using up until I acquired the Type M's earlier this year. I am powering them with a NAD D3020 Hybrid Digital Integrated Amplifier (rated at 30 wpc into 8Ω). I'm also using a small JL Audio Dominion d108 subwoofer, which I'll admit enhances the overall listening experience significantly. I will say that as much as I enjoyed the small ADS speakers, they never quite managed to grab me the same way that the Snell Type M's have. I listen to this system on a near-daily basis and it has brought me far more joy than I could have ever imagined.

I haven't been able to locate a whole lot of information on the Type M's so I have no idea when they were produced, although I do know that they came along after Peter Snell's involvement with the company's designs. These would appear to be of similar age as the Snell Type K/II speakers that I own. Like the Type K/II, the Type M is a sealed design. At 7.5" wide x 11" tall x 6" deep (including the grills), these are a bit bigger than the ADS L300W speakers that I had been using. The pair that I have is finished in real wood veneer — black Ash in this case. While the quality of construction is very nice, the looks really aren't anything to write home about. (Especially when compared to the gorgeous ADS300W that they replaced.) Therefore these speakers tend to disappear both visually as well as sonically, which is their real calling card. The driver array consists of a 1" soft dome tweeter that includes a fine wire mesh grill along with what appears to be a 5" polypropylene woofer that uses a rubber surround. I've seen these rated at 8Ω but have not confirmed this. I've just happily been letting them do their thing.

I have my pair set up in a nearfield configuration in my small space. They are sitting upon a shelf on the wall in front of me that places the tweeters above ear level. I am using some Auralex foam speaker supports that angles the speakers downward slightly. The two speakers are located 3' apart and sit 3' away from my ears. I have the 8" JL Audio Dominion subwoofer placed underneath my desk and once I got the integration of this subwoofer dialed in, it's been "out of sight, out of mind". The effect is almost eerie in its ability to convincingly portray the Type M's themselves as having full, tight, articulate bass. Overall there is a lot of depth to the music coming from the little Snell's. That music is well defined without being sterile or fatiguing. I think the key to this system revolves around the subwoofers ability to crossover at such a high frequency as well as it being placed underneath my desk. This seems to help not only with the visual illusion that no subwoofer is involved, but also with the sonic illusion as well. I can't claim to know why this is. I'm just very happy with the results.

While these speakers are getting on in years now, should you ever happen upon a pair of the Snell Type M's, I would recommend that you give them a listen.

 

[goodolpg]

By your own words there is little information to be found about the Type M.
Maybe you could post pictures of yours so someone else doing a search would see what they look like and the drivers they have.

 

[Guth]

By your own words there is little information to be found about the Type M.
Maybe you could post pictures of yours so someone else doing a search would see what they look like and the drivers they have.

Thanks for the suggestion. Photos added to original post.

 

[HypnoCoosh]

I use Type M's in a dual Sansui integrated amps(217,719)|(w/Rolls input distribution-amp) set-up, above Snell QBX 20's and an unmentionable slim sub tucked under my listening chair.

But to be on topic, the Type M is such an elegant little speaker. I've made multiple people weep with set-up and I will have them until I'm dead.

Fun-fact: I just integrated a Nakamichi DR-10 into the system and started collecting my favorite albums on tape... Crazy I had literally no idea how awesome tape can be and on this interesting set-up it's truly a unique experience.

 

[trinhsman]

Almost any Snell speaker is a great speaker. IMHO

 

[BigscreenBob]

As I don't see too much mention of this speaker around here, or on the web in general, I thought I'd go ahead and create a post dedicated to the Snell Type M if for no other reason than to help develop awareness of this little speaker. I was inspired to do so when once again I recently found myself so immersed in the music that I lost track of what I was doing. This is not an uncommon occurrence with these speakers. While they are definitely fun to listen to, they aren't over the top. These little speakers reproduce music with such depth and 3-dimensionality that it simply catches me by surprise again and again.

I have the Type M's set up in my home office where they've replaced a set of ADS L300W's that I had been using up until I acquired the Type M's earlier this year. I am powering them with a NAD D3020 Hybrid Digital Integrated Amplifier (rated at 30 wpc into 8Ω). I'm also using a small JL Audio Dominion d108 subwoofer, which I'll admit enhances the overall listening experience significantly. I will say that as much as I enjoyed the small ADS speakers, they never quite managed to grab me the same way that the Snell Type M's have. I listen to this system on a near-daily basis and it has brought me far more joy than I could have ever imagined.

I haven't been able to locate a whole lot of information on the Type M's so I have no idea when they were produced, although I do know that they came along after Peter Snell's involvement with the company's designs. These would appear to be of similar age as the Snell Type K/II speakers that I own. Like the Type K/II, the Type M is a sealed design. At 7.5" wide x 11" tall x 6" deep (including the grills), these are a bit bigger than the ADS L300W speakers that I had been using. The pair that I have is finished in real wood veneer — black Ash in this case. While the quality of construction is very nice, the looks really aren't anything to write home about. (Especially when compared to the gorgeous ADS300W that they replaced.) Therefore these speakers tend to disappear both visually as well as sonically, which is their real calling card. The driver array consists of a 1" soft dome tweeter that includes a fine wire mesh grill along with what appears to be a 5" polypropylene woofer that uses a rubber surround. I've seen these rated at 8Ω but have not confirmed this. I've just happily been letting them do their thing.

I have my pair set up in a nearfield configuration in my small space. They are sitting upon a shelf on the wall in front of me that places the tweeters above ear level. I am using some Auralex foam speaker supports that angles the speakers downward slightly. The two speakers are located 3' apart and sit 3' away from my ears. I have the 8" JL Audio Dominion subwoofer placed underneath my desk and once I got the integration of this subwoofer dialed in, it's been "out of sight, out of mind". The effect is almost eerie in its ability to convincingly portray the Type M's themselves as having full, tight, articulate bass. Overall there is a lot of depth to the music coming from the little Snell's. That music is well defined without being sterile or fatiguing. I think the key to this system revolves around the subwoofers ability to crossover at such a high frequency as well as it being placed underneath my desk. This seems to help not only with the visual illusion that no subwoofer is involved, but also with the sonic illusion as well. I can't claim to know why this is. I'm just very happy with the results.

While these speakers are getting on in years now, should you ever happen upon a pair of the Snell Type M's, I would recommend that you give them a listen.

Just chiming in as a fellow fan of the Type M. I picked up a near mint pair a few months ago, and teamed them up with a Yamaha subwoofer and a favorite model of integrated amp. Particularly considering their small size, I think they sound exceptionally good. I placed mine on sorbethane disks. These speakers are surprisingly heavy for their size.

 

[Blue Dog]

Found the thread while trying to research the type M. A few years back my wife was managing a pawn shop and a lady came in with some snells for sale. Her late husband bought them and she wouldnt let him put them out so he put them back in the box and there they sat. My wife bought them and surprised me with them. I had never heard of them at that point and Once they were hooked up I love them. There were 4 and a center speaker. They were brand new in their original boxes with all the packing. Foam and plasic bags. I will never part with them. I am on a mission to replicate them and I found new drivers. Going to build a 9.2.4 system. Super stoked!

 

[trinhsman]

Found the thread while trying to research the type M. A few years back my wife was managing a pawn shop and a lady came in with some snells for sale. Her late husband bought them and she wouldnt let him put them out so he put them back in the box and there they sat. My wife bought them and surprised me with them. I had never heard of them at that point and Once they were hooked up I love them. There were 4 and a center speaker. They were brand new in their original boxes with all the packing. Foam and plasic bags. I will never part with them. I am on a mission to replicate them and I found new drivers. Going to build a 9.2.4 system. Super stoked!

Atomic HiFi has original Snell drivers.

 

[twiiii]

One thing about Snell speakers that I liked was they matched the speakers with in 1 db or so of each other as far as sensitivity and frequency response. So each speaker had a custom crossovers where necessary to bring the two speakers together. So you want speakers with consecutive serial numbers or maybe the same number with a suffix to give each one a separate identity. The factory use to keep records so if you blew a tweeter or other driver they would also send the components to update the crossover insuring the speakers still matched. We should be so lucky if other speaker companies so carefully matched their speakers.