whats the best sounding "small" speaker you've ever heard

[mickaltamont]

Two votes, RS Minimus 7, Spica TC-50. Not in the same class but for the bucks each was very impressive.

I've had both and only kept the Minimus 7's. I wanted the Spica's for many reasons among which that they were made in my hometown of Santa Fe NM. However, as much as I liked them I found them a bit light sounding and they didn't lend themselves well to casual listening, especially Rock & Roll.

 

[MaxP]

Blasphemy I know, but the Boston Acoustics HD8's are probably some of the best sounding speakers I've heard. The fact that they can be had for pennies makes them a real treat.

Blasphemy only to the uninitiated!

 

[mad shadows]

ATC smc20
The downside is that they are a tad inefficient...

 

[GordonW]

This is now the best sounding small speaker I have ever heard. Period.


Acora SRB with stands. They do things that should patently be impossible for a small speaker- as in BASS, and DYNAMICS. HUGE soundstage, great balance.

I've heard those in a big room- breakfast nook, connected to a living room on one side and a dining room on the other. Total open space of probably 15x30 feet, or more. They didn't struggle at all. Running from an Esoteric integrated amp- nothing particularly exotic.

Of course, being made of stone, they weigh 59lbs each, WITHOUT the stand (the stand itself weighs close to 100lbs). They are also rather expensive ($15K!), but if the idea is to get the BEST small speaker possible- IMHO, here it is.

Regards,
Gordon.

 

[Tom Brennan]

Blasphemy I know, but the Boston Acoustics HD8's are probably some of the best sounding speakers I've heard. The fact that they can be had for pennies makes them a real treat.

Well it might be blasphemy on some audio sites but not here where nothing is so mediocre as to not have fans, especially if the model designation starts with SX.

 

[Romeo Wolf]

Definitely not the best speaker in the world, but they're pretty good to me. I'm certain there's better out there that's approx. DVD/Blu-Ray sized

Ultralinear model M-15 (1978)

DVD for scale:

Criminally underrated but otherwise respectable & versatile speakers that use a 4-½" CTS Mid/Woofer, and considerably rare 1" soft dome tweeters by Solar Labs.

They're sealed and feature mounting threads on the top & bottom of the enclosure, so you can place them virtually anywhere. Be it, a bookshelf, a wall, or even the window sill if you wanted to get experimental

 

[Art K.]

Best sounding small speakers I’ve heard in my own listening space are these.

 

[JRhoBurton]

Picked up a pair of the Mission MS50's from a pawn shop for $10.00. After cleaning some light scuff marks off the cabinets, I hooked them up to a 70's vintage Pioneer SA-500A amp. Fantastic small speakers, very smooth with nice mids and a surprising amount of bass. Being front-ported, they're perfect for actually putting on a bookshelf. They make for a nice small office or bedroom set-up. Easily the best $10 electronics purchase I ever made.

I found a pair of those at a thrift store for $4 and I agree. They break up a bit sooner than other minis I've heard, but sound better up to that point.

 

[wsissons]

There are some mighty fine speakers mentioned in this thread these aren't the best by any means but the fostex fe 103 . It caught my attention and sent me down a different path.....

 

[MisterDK]

I’m not really a small speaker guy but the best sounding “small speaker” I’ve heard is the Angstrom Legato:

 

[snorrewiets]

Without doubt Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) DM4 bookshelves with 8" Woofers and incredible tweeters and supertweeter.
Design from 1972, but still going strong. 10-30 Watts 95 db at 1 meter.
Some complain about bass, but if you place them very near a backwall ,you will be amazed.
Extremely bright midrange.

 

[Jazzy4u]

Small Monitors.
1 Sonus Faber Electa Amator
2 Totem Mani

 

[peterp1]

Okay, these are not the best sounding small speakers in the "absolute" sense, but I'd argue they are difficult to beat in the price range and in something this small. Yes, I'm going to use the "B" word . The speakers are (drum roll please) Bose 161's . I was looking for small (very low height) speakers that would fit under the kitchen cabinet and that had angled drivers for dispersion. The only speaker I could find that fit those requirements were the Bose 161's. They are only 4.2" tall and have two 2 1/2" drivers in each speaker, one straight and the other angled (no tweeter). I'm not generally a Bose fan, but I'm not a hater either (I believe they have had some individual standout products (and also some crap )). I was dismissive of the 161's at first, but as I read about them, I really couldn't find a negative word. They are readily available and very inexpensive used.

I am using them in the kitchen paired with a low profile active sub stuffed behind the refrigerator. That combination, driven by a Lepai 2020 mini-amp with upgraded power supply, sounds great and will go surprisingly loud. Are they for an audiophile system? Probably not -- but for a casual listening system where you need small (low height) speakers, they are very good.

 

[frankwood]

Boston c67.
Those are so clear and well balanced !!!

 

[tuberadios69]

I'll mention four:
1-Spica TC-50 (still outstanding speakers, especially when mounted to the Sound Anchor stands specifically made for them!)
2-Spendor BC-1 (well, not so small I guess but I'd love to own a pair)
3-Celestion SL6si (I run a pair in my office system and still love them)
4-Celestion 3 (cheap but surprising good back in their day)

 

[Rickyo]

Sonus Faber Concertino

 

[lokerola]

Okay, these are not the best sounding small speakers in the "absolute" sense, but I'd argue they are difficult to beat in the price range and in something this small. Yes, I'm going to use the "B" word . The speakers are (drum roll please) Bose 161's . I was looking for small (very low height) speakers that would fit under the kitchen cabinet and that had angled drivers for dispersion. The only speaker I could find that fit those requirements were the Bose 161's. They are only 4.2" tall and have two 2 1/2" drivers in each speaker, one straight and the other angled (no tweeter). I'm not generally a Bose fan, but I'm not a hater either (I believe they have had some individual standout products (and also some crap )). I was dismissive of the 161's at first, but as I read about them, I really couldn't find a negative word. They are readily available and very inexpensive used.

I am using them in the kitchen paired with a low profile active sub stuffed behind the refrigerator. That combination, driven by a Lepai 2020 mini-amp with upgraded power supply, sounds great and will go surprisingly loud. Are they for an audiophile system? Probably not -- but for a casual listening system where you need small (low height) speakers, they are very good.

The Bose don't bother me - I just need to know how you got a sub behind your fridge!

 

[Tromatic]

Magico A1.

 

[DeadTrader]

These Revel Preforma M20"s are the best small speakers I've ever found. At 15 1/2"x10" & 45lbs each. They deliver a detailed wallop. I've tried to replace them several times in the 20 yrs I've owned them, but they are still hooked up in my office.

 

[peterp1]

The Bose don't bother me - I just need to know how you got a sub behind your fridge!

This is the subwoofer:

Amazon.com

I have since replaced the Bose 161’s with Canton Plus S …