# Smallest bookshelf speakers for a stereo setup?



## Ymer

I would like to buy the smallest possible decent speakers for a stereo setup.

 Any ideas?

 Smallest I've found was Energy RC-Mini: http://www.energy-speakers.com/v2/pr...age.php?id=315

 Thanks


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## Duggeh

http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/p...roduct_ID/2480

 The Quad L-ites are supposed to be brilliant for the size. Or really small size for their brilliance. Whichever you prefer.


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## Brewmaster

I don't know about that particular models but I have an older pair of the Energy Take series and they sound great (for the size).


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## terrymx

you will also want to look at the KEF QCompact, and the newest series, iQ1.


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## Thelonious Monk

urgh, lost my post.

 what are the dimensions on all the speakers mentioned here? the role audio skiff is 6x4x5 h/w/d. that's absolutely minuscule. it's a single 3.5" driver, covering 115hz-20khz. retails for $200 ea. ($400 stereo pair), but on a'gon right now there's a classified for 3 skiffs and 2 surrounds at $298. anyone looking to make a speaker setup, i'd jump on that. the skiff can be used as a center channel, but of course you could sell the 2 surrounds and extra skiff if you just want stereo.


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## cotdt

if you also care about sound quality, look into the Magico Mini.


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## lini

Ymer: Got a price range for us? To throw in some more models: JBL Control 1 (preferably Pro/G/Universe), Misssion M30i, ProAc Tablette...

 Greetings from Munich!

 Manfred / lini


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## jeffro

Have you considered an Anthony Gallo A'Diva system. I auditioned one the other day and the sound is pretty amazing for its size. A subwoofer is mandatory though, not optional.


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## patrox89

bose cubes!!


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## cotdt

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *patrox89* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_bose cubes!!_

 

i can't beleive you just said that.


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## patrox89

.... i thought bose was an understood joke here on headfi. apparently not.


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## gz76

AE1's perhaps.


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## gz76

Oh, and don't worry patrox89, I laughed!


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## alienman

NSM Model 5's are nice.


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## dura

Dynaudio 42. They can fill a not-too-large room, and have very impressive tonality, detail and soundstage, but they need a powerfull and controlled amp and a good source.


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## audiofil

Epos ELS-3. Incredible mini-monitors, I loved mine and still miss on some of their magic.


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## Nardin

What is your maximum H, W, and D + your spending limit. Additionally, define decent in your terms i.e. "gotta be better than any computer speaker".


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## Ymer

Wow, I'm overwhelmed by the number of responses. Didn't notice I had received so many.

 So, explanation:

 I'm gonna use these speakers with my computer. They'll be my only speakers for a year, maybe more. I have a stereo setup with Energy C-3 bookshelf speakers, but I'm not taking them with me.

 They'll be used mostly with my computer, but yes, I want better than desktop speaker quality. I want to be able to listen to music decently. Most desktop speaker sets have problems and holes through the frequency range. I just want them to be small, neutral and able to reproduce anything I throw at them. They will be powered by an integrated amplifier and the source will be either a decent soundcard or a DAC.

 The Energy RC-Mini (http://www.energy-speakers.com/v2/pr...ge.php?id=315#) are pretty small at 7-1/2". About that size or smaller would be great. 

 Up to 400 Euros is fine (unless there are 1000-2000 euros 7" or smaller speakers that are able to replace my bookshelf system ^_^).

 Hope it's clearer now.

 Thanks


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## classicalguy

"I want better than desktop speaker quality."

 You want a speaker smaller than a desktop speaker to sound better than a desktop speaker? Does that make sense? Small speakers involve compromises. The smaller, the more compromises. Of course, it's possible for a really good small speaker to sound better than a mediocre bigger speaker, but you seem to be looking for a tiny speaker that has no compromises. I don't think you're going to be happy with the result. No small speaker is going to be able to produce bass properly. Physics stand in the way.


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## warpdriver

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *classicalguy* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_"I want better than desktop speaker quality."

 You want a speaker smaller than a desktop speaker to sound better than a desktop speaker? Does that make sense? Small speakers involve compromises. The smaller, the more compromises._

 

There are a few compromises you make when going to a small speaker.
 - dynamics/volume
 - bass depth and output
 - efficiency that comes from a larger/ported cabinet

 As long as you concede those compromises, there is no reason that you can't find a good very small speaker that sounds good otherwise, offering good mids and highs.

 I'd highly suggest the Energy RC-Mini, it has a highly refined sound, better than average bass output for its size, and excellent tonal balance.


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## audiofil

A pair of minute ESI Near active monitors (I'd recommend the near05 experience model) and a balanced soundcard (EMU perhaps) could do excellently for a modest price.


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## ]|[ GorE

Those BOSE cubes sound way better than those Gallios.And,thats only because the Acoustimass system uses active equalization and does it good.Those Gallios get blown away.


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## wisehybred

B&W M-1's!! Gotta love the design as well. I own 6 of them and they are top quality, and very heavy for their size


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## Ymer

I didn't say I wanted better quality than that of desktop speakers with smaller speakers, I said I wanted decent stereo sound from small bookshelf speakers. Desktop speakers aren't usually 8". 

 As long as they make a decent stereo presentation, I don't care about having to make a few compromises. I know I won't have the best of bass responses, but as long as it can reproduce a piano properly... 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I guess the RC-Mini are the best option thus far. The smallest of the bunch anyway.

 Now here's a question... the specs says the useable bass response only goes down to 85Hz. That means anything below that will not be there and the sound will just be hollow or that those frequencies won't have the punch they with system that go lower than that? 85Hz seems pretty high.

 Although I didn't mention before, the spekers will be powered by the B output of my Rotel RA-01 integrated amplifier. I'm getting an amp upgrade later this year, too.

  Quote:


  Originally Posted by *wisehybred* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_B&W M-1's!! Gotta love the design as well. I own 6 of them and they are top quality, and very heavy for their size_

 

But those are intended for a multichannel setup, all I want is stereo 2.0 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Thanks everybody


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## warpdriver

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Ymer* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Now here's a question... the specs says the useable bass response only goes down to 85Hz. That means anything below that will not be there and the sound will just be hollow or that those frequencies won't have the punch they with system that go lower than that? 85Hz seems pretty high._

 

Basically, yes, you won't hear any frequencies below 85Hz and the sound will be something "thin". That is just the limitations of a tiny speaker. Tiny bookshelf speakers are really meant to be paired with a sub. You can use the boundary effect (putting them near a wall) to help the bass to get a few more Hz extension in the bass.


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## phergus_25

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *warpdriver* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Basically, yes, you won't hear any frequencies below 85Hz and the sound will be something "thin". That is just the limitations of a tiny speaker. Tiny bookshelf speakers are really meant to be paired with a sub. You can use the boundary effect (putting them near a wall) to help the bass to get a few more Hz extension in the bass._

 

some kind of ornate "walls" like with pics on them or something could be used as a simi corner loaded situation, which would add to the bass even more


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## chesebert

Harbeth HL P3ES-2 
 305 x 188 x 198mm

 great speaker, awesome bass, floor shaking (I am not kidding 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 IMO the bass is no worse than spendor s5e atleast not by much. extremely usable bass down to 40hz.


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## SebastianS

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *gz76* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Oh, and don't worry patrox89, I laughed!_

 

So did I

 to answer the OP, Monsoons?


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## lini

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *chesebert* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Harbeth HL P3ES-2 
 305 x 188 x 198mm_

 

One can get plenty of nice and full sounding bookshelf speakers in that size class - but that's ~ 4 inches higher than the ~ 7.5 " he'd like...

 Ymer: Unfortunately I don't know those Energy RC-Minis, but they sure look like a serious construction worth auditioning. Nevertheless, if you have a chance to, I'd also recommend to check the good old JBL Control One, which are about the cheapest decent construction in that format one can get, and the Mission M30i/M31i (better the latter, due to the bigger mid-/bass-woofer), which are also decent constructions with good price/performance. Both the JBLs and the Missions are ~ 8 " in height.

 And as others have already mentioned: You can't really expect low bass in that size class - i.e. the response will roll off steeply below ~ 70 Hz. The missing low bass extension isn't that much of a problem, though - especially as the human brain has this nice feature of filling in the missing fundamentals from audible harmonics (even better so, if the source material is already well known). In case of acoustically problematic rooms or placement options, that kind of reconstructed low bass can actually be a smarter solution than having to deal with nasty resonances by real low bass response - and it's definitely much less annoying than the usual dip in the upper-bass/low-mids, one usually finds in common pc-speaker and other sub/satellite systems in which the mid-/bass-woofers and cabinet size of the satellites are just too small.

 Greetings from Munich!

 Manfred / lini


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## Pibborando

I heard the RC-Mini's in a local show room and they were pretty nice sounding. Pretty airy and sparkly in the highs. They were paired with one of Energy's subs though, so I don't know how they'd sound on their own. Even with the sub I liked the sound of the C-500 floorstanders better. Just bigger and fuller. I've got the Energy C-9s and they're even better, but they are also BIG even for floorstanders and you want tiny bookshelves. Space be damned, there's no way I'm not taking these C-9s to college with me though! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Anyway my point is the RC-Mini is a fine choice and with the addition of a nice sub down the road you could have a great sounding full range system.


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## Kokofong

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Duggeh* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/p...roduct_ID/2480

 The Quad L-ites are supposed to be brilliant for the size. Or really small size for their brilliance. Whichever you prefer._

 

Do they work well with a tube amplifier like this? I am not sure if the power supply of this amp is good enough to drive the Quad L-ites...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...3668&rd=1&rd=1

 Also, do the speakers sound good without woofer? Thanks~


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## Wodgy

I don't normally suggest DIY when people ask general questions about speakers, but this is a clear case where it makes sense to go DIY. Many of the smallest commercial speakers sound pretty bad, despite the number of positive reviews they get (e.g. nOrh 3.0s). Within size constraints, you can't do a lot better than this project, no matter how much you spend:
http://zaphaudio.com/audio-speaker18.html
 Very small, and very inexpensive to build. Total parts cost for a stereo pair is around $40, which leaves anyone with enough money left over to buy (or build) a small sub, which most people do need to be satisfied with small speakers.


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## phon-o-phile

Iam not usually a fan of Polk speakers, but one of their models from a couple of years ago was very good and would work well for what you want.
 Tha Polk RT 25i should be able to be found on ebay for about $100. Got good reviews and rightfully so. The don't play super loud, but for a desktop system would be good - and cheap.
 I did the same thing a couple of years ago using the Dynaudio 50' and it was very clean.


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## wnewport

Paradigm Atoms


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## Duggeh

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Kokofong* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Do they work well with a tube amplifier like this? I am not sure if the power supply of this amp is good enough to drive the Quad L-ites...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...3668&rd=1&rd=1

 Also, do the speakers sound good without woofer? Thanks~_

 

I've used an almost identical amp to drive my floorstanding Quad 21Ls. So I'd wager that amp has got enough juice. The danger with those chinese amps is build quality control, some of them are put together well, others not so well, and the stock tubes can be noisy, microphonic or plain faulty.

 With and without woofer is a whole new kettle of eels. Id say set up a stereo system first before trying to add a sub to it.


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## Kokofong

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Duggeh* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_I've used *an almost identical amp* to drive my floorstanding Quad 21Ls. So I'd wager that amp has got enough juice. The danger with those chinese amps is build quality control, some of them are put together well, others not so well, and the stock tubes can be noisy, microphonic or plain faulty.

 With and without woofer is a whole new kettle of eels. Id say set up a stereo system first before trying to add a sub to it._

 

May you tell me which amplifier you use? How much is it and is it good?


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## tennisets

You might try Totem Mites as well, they sound decent for their size. Nice warm sound, inoffensive highs, good mids. I haven't heard most of the offerings listed here though, so keep that in mind. I'm sure there's better, I just haven't heard it.


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## Duggeh

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Kokofong* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_May you tell me which amplifier you use? How much is it and is it good?_

 

I use the next one up, the Aria P14, although the names that these amps give themselves seem to vary. I originally bought this one which appears to be the same on you linked to but not black. It did not work properly and the seller gave me a free upgrade to this one.

 I use that second one at the minute for my Ergo AMT headphones and the TakeT H2 headphones. However I have tried connecting it to my Quad 21L speakers and it did drive them, although not nearly so well as my NAD C352, it doesn't have the power overhead needed.

 Personally in your position, I'd pick the Quad L-ites and a vintage NAD, like the 3020, or a T-amp based solution. You wont have any of the potential troubles that these Chinese amps have then. The only reason for my picking the Chinese tube amps in the first place was because I needed a low-power amplifier and the branded options for that category of amplifier are just inexcusably expensive once you go past the T-amp. If I had to pick an amp for the same task now though, I'd pick the trends Audio T-Amp. That might also be a better choice for your amp needs.


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## Thelonious Monk

here are some speakers that might interest people looking for small solutions, anywhere from $100 to $3000... just off the top of my head though.

 atc scm7 asl
 swans m200
 proac ref 8
 role kayak
 nsm 10s
 thiel pcs
 role skiff
 gallo advia
 quad 12l
 orb mod1 sat
 wharfedale 9.1
 b&w dm602
 quad 11l
 arcam alto
 naim n-sat
 bg corp z-1
 dali meneut ii
 era design 4sat
 aperion 422l
 aerial model 5b
 amphion ion
 any ls3/5a
 spendor s20
 engima ormeus
 harbeth hl-p3
 focus fs-688
 celestion sl6si
 spica tc-50
 silverline sr12
 onix xls
 totem tabu
 aci sapphire xl
 spendor sp3/1p
 dynaudio focus 110
 stone rothschilde a2
 totem model 1 sig
 totem acoustic mite
 tyler mini linbrook
 merlin tsm
 aci emerald xl
 silverline reference 15
 proac response 1sc
 aad pmm1
 aurum cantus v3m
 micropure kotaro
 jm lab micro utopia
 sonus faber concertino
 kef 101
 rogers jr149
 proac super tablette
 gr research paradox one
 modwright/swans m1
 dynaudio compact 25
 hansen audio elixr
 infinity signature 1
 respons baby grand
 diapason karis
 fulton 80
 celestion 3
 ra labs mini-reference
 paradigm atom
 nht m00
 odyssey epiphany

  Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Wodgy* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_I don't normally suggest DIY when people ask general questions about speakers, but this is a clear case where it makes sense to go DIY. Many of the smallest commercial speakers sound pretty bad, despite the number of positive reviews they get (e.g. nOrh 3.0s). Within size constraints, you can't do a lot better than this project, no matter how much you spend:
http://zaphaudio.com/audio-speaker18.html
 Very small, and very inexpensive to build. Total parts cost for a stereo pair is around $40, which leaves anyone with enough money left over to buy (or build) a small sub, which most people do need to be satisfied with small speakers._

 

don't those drivers have like, super low sensitivity? around 79db? not the best for a t-amp solution. i might give that a shot though, although i have pretty bad woodworking skills.


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## gotchaforce

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Ymer* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Wow, I'm overwhelmed by the number of responses. Didn't notice I had received so many.

 So, explanation:

 I'm gonna use these speakers with my computer. They'll be my only speakers for a year, maybe more. I have a stereo setup with Energy C-3 bookshelf speakers, but I'm not taking them with me.

 They'll be used mostly with my computer, but yes, I want better than desktop speaker quality. I want to be able to listen to music decently. Most desktop speaker sets have problems and holes through the frequency range. I just want them to be small, neutral and able to reproduce anything I throw at them. They will be powered by an integrated amplifier and the source will be either a decent soundcard or a DAC.

 The Energy RC-Mini (http://www.energy-speakers.com/v2/pr...ge.php?id=315#) are pretty small at 7-1/2". About that size or smaller would be great. 

 Up to 400 Euros is fine (unless there are 1000-2000 euros 7" or smaller speakers that are able to replace my bookshelf system ^_^).

 Hope it's clearer now.

 Thanks 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			



_

 

get Aego 2s

 theres a sub attached but they are very musical speakers, dont know anyone who doesnt like theirs


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