My listening space has about 4’ on the sides but the speakers have to be more more than 8 inches from the back wall. I currently have ELAC DBR62 which are front ported and not too picky. I do like them but they can be a tad dull sometimes depending on what I’m listening to.

Just curious if anyone else has a similar situation and found some that work well in that scenario for auditioning purposes.

Rega P6 > Musical Fidelity MX VNYL > Cambridge CX81

  • Halfies@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    My thought is something front ported rather than rear ported that is a bit brighter than the DBR62. I think you have a dark speaker and a warm amp. My initial thought would be Focal Aria, Vestia, or Theva bookshelves. They should have a bit more top end energy than the DBRs. Aria’s seam like they will be discontinued or refreshed in 2024 so you may be able to get a deal.

  • AuroraVengeange@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    A couple of options that are not rear ported came to mind immediately.

    Triangle Comete Ez.

    GoldenEar BRX.

    A little bit more budget you can get the newer Mission 700 and Wharfedale Aura 1. Both of them are not rear ported as well.

  • CLEhokie@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    For $1000 USD (including stands) you can get KLH Model 3’s. They are sealed, can be placed as close as six inches from the wall, and they will sound awesome with your CXA81. I have mine paired with an Arcam SA20 and it’s an amazing combination.

    • CLEhokie@alien.topBEnglish
      1·
      10 months ago

      For the first couple of weeks I was concerned about their bass (I haven’t added a sub to my system yet). Hang in there. About a month after I bought them I played “BOOM” by Tiesto and fell out of my chair. These go plenty low in a medium sized setup.

      Love these speakers and will keep them for the long haul while trying better amps and DAC’s.