2-channel For 11x11 room

[JustaSheep]

Hello Ascended.

I am looking to add a 2-channel setup for my home office and looking for a starting point on monitors. Source will mostly be flac via media server. For a larger room, I understand size/surface area matters in order to fill the room. What about a smaller room? Is there a point at which a larger set of speakers is too much and will muddy or unclear?

I am able and willing to add traps and absorbing panels for reflections and room modes. I will be sitting ~7' from them and can set them 7' from each other.

Thanks,
Sheep

[choirbass]

Sierra Lunas or HTM-200 SEs would be a good starting point, 200s may be better from a cost standpoint tho the Lunas go aren’t as deep geometrically. The Sierra Towers can summarize at 3’ or 6’ one of those, so you’ll be ok at 7’ sitting distance.

Sierra-1s are a good starting point, Sierra-2 EXs from a less cost prohibitive POV. You can upgrade the Sierra-1s for a cost so this may be way to go.

I would recommend an External DAC and Stereo Amp over an A/V Receiver for 2 channel for simply sound quality reasons. Mono-Block Amps over Stereo Amp if you have the choice, cost not withstanding because they’re generally twice as expensive.

Edit: I wasn’t thinking about bass as all when typed this, the HTM-200 or Lunas may not be ideal without a sub. Mainly HTM-200 for cost.

[petmotel]

Either the Towers or Sierra-2EXs will be awesome for this application without a sub, or the Lunas (which I admit to not having listened to) if you integrate a sub into the system. Square rooms present issues with strong room modes, your bass trap suggestion and an amp/receiver with room equalization would probably go a long way to bettering the sound quality.

I have a pair of the 2EXs in a bedroom considerably larger than your room that have been powered with a 60 WPC Yamaha receiver, 75 WPC Audiolab integrated, and now powered from the integrated driving an Anthem MCA 20 (225 WPC) just because it was sitting there not being used, and i can't honestly say I've heard a difference. Dave has shown the Sierra line to present an easy load for an amplifier to drive, my experience would seem to support that.

Jay

[theophile]

Hello Ascended.

I am looking to add a 2-channel setup for my home office and looking for a starting point on monitors. Source will mostly be flac via media server. For a larger room, I understand size/surface area matters in order to fill the room. What about a smaller room? Is there a point at which a larger set of speakers is too much and will muddy or unclear?

Thanks, Sheep

Sheep,

What is your budget for a pair of speakers?

My dedicated 2-channel room dimensions are similar to yours (9'W x 10'L x 11'H) and with my 125W/channel power amp, drive the Sierra 2-EX well beyond my listening comfort levels (undistorted/unclipped wall of holographic sound). I have the 2EX monitors 2 feet away from side/rear wall boundaries with 5 feet of separation and 7.25 feet from their front baffles to my ears!

While playing the 2EX full range with my acoustical genre taste of music (small instrumental/night club jazz ensembles, solo vocalist, small acapella vocal groups, keyboard performances), their deep bass prowess provides for great satisfaction during 90% of my listening sessions. The other 10% encompasses cathedral pipe organ music and very large choir ensembles (w/orchestra+pipe organ), thus one of the main reasons for my powered sub supplement!

Although the RAAL towers would fit in the same space as the stand-mount 2EX's, I feel they could too easily overpower my small listening space (990cf). The 2EX have been said to offer close voicing to the 3-way RAAL towers, so in my music room, they fit Exceptionally Well!!

Ted

[JustaSheep]

Thank you all for the replies. I love this forum!

The 2EX's are within the budget but I didn't want to influence replies by saying so. Looks like they would be the ideal.

Unfortunately, there is a door I have to negotiate with for right speaker placement. How critical is the space behind the speaker and how far is ideal? Does an absorbing panel eliminate this need? OR, what is minimum width between speakers before spacial aspects are compromised? I have a cabinet that is 69" wide where they could sit.

I have an old Oppo 103 I plan to use for media sharing and the occasional sacd, but will also need a dac/amp/avr to drive them. Would love to hear some direction on this, too. I see some general direction mentioned, but anything more specific would also be appreciated, maybe with a budget around $1k.

Thanks again,
Sheep

[theophile]

...Unfortunately, there is a door I have to negotiate with for right speaker placement. How critical is the space behind the speaker and how far is ideal? Does an absorbing panel eliminate this need? OR, what is minimum width between speakers before spacial aspects are compromised? I have a cabinet that is 69" wide where they could sit.

Sheep,

I added the third element (pic) to my above setup info (post #4) for clarification of how I handle the right speaker (near the 32" door entrance to the music room)! It may be hard to tell, but due to just 5ft between on-axis centers, I have the 2EX's "Toed-Out" 5 degrees. Center image is rock-solid and of correct dimensions (vocals, instruments, etc.) with a huge soundstage that can extend well beyond all three listening wall boundaries!

Can you provide pics of your listening room and decor?

Ted

[MusicHead]

Hello Sheep,

for a minimalist 2-channel set-up consider the Schiit Jotunheim 2 with the balanced DAC module at $499 and their Vidar stereo amp (2x100W on 8 Ohm, 2x200W on 4 Ohm) at $699.

It is a little over your budget, but the Jotunheim 2 also has a very good headphone amplifier.

Otherwise, there are several stereo integrated amplifier with built-in DAC around $1,000 such as the Arcam SA10, Yamaha A-S801, Cambridge Audio CXA61, Marantz PM7000N, NAD C 368, Audiolab 6000A and Rotel A12, just to mention a few.

I am sure there will be other recommendations, plenty of stereo amps out there

[JustaSheep]

Sheep,

...due to just 5ft between on-axis centers, I have the 2EX's "Toed-Out" 5 degrees. Center image is rock-solid and of correct dimensions (vocals, instruments, etc.) with a huge soundstage that can extend well beyond all three listening wall boundaries...
Ted

Okay, good to know. I will probably start with the 5' width with slight toe-out. If I don't like it, I can figure out how to work behind the door.

Did you mention the ideal cushion behind the speaker?

[JustaSheep]

...consider the Schiit Jotunheim 2 with the balanced DAC module at $499 and their Vidar stereo amp (2x100W on 8 Ohm, 2x200W on 4 Ohm) at $699.

Otherwise, there are several stereo integrated amplifier with built-in DAC around $1,000 such as the Arcam SA10, Yamaha A-S801, Cambridge Audio CXA61, Marantz PM7000N, NAD C 368, Audiolab 6000A and Rotel A12, just to mention a few.

Thank you. I have a low-end dac/headphone amp Schiit combo and like them fine. I also have a tube headphone amp I inherited. It needs new tubes but sounds pretty good.

I will check out the others.

[theophile]

Okay, good to know. I will probably start with the 5' width with slight toe-out. If I don't like it, I can figure out how to work behind the door.

Did you mention the ideal cushion behind the speaker?

Sheep,

FWIW, my listening sessions are Always behind closed doors...sounds best and keeps the music IN the music room!!

To start, in 2019 I set up quilts behind the Sierra1-NrT's...that stifled the deep soundstage and diffused the high end too much, making vocal and instrumental focus diffused, bloated and soft sounding.

I then obtained GIK Alpha Pro Series Panel Diffusor/Absorber Panels (2″x2'x2') and placed behind the speakers and along the component set-up wall (electronics + speakers). With the GIK panels, heard similar reduced sonics, but to a much lesser degree!

Since IMO, I did not "improve" the music presentations with any wall treatments behind the speakers, or for that matter with the panels on any other walls (including behind my sweet spot), I returned all four GIK panels. Since getting the 2EX in March, I haven't repeated this trail & error of wall treatment testing, but am happy and well pleased with the 2EX sound presentation in my current room configuration!

Ted