Greetings,
I work remotely often, and during project / busy work at my desk I generally listen to music. My current (and old) Klipsch ProMedia setup has served me well for a very long time, but last year I was fortunate to have installed what may very well be my end game speakers in my primary system, and now that I've gotten used to what extremely competent speakers can do, I'm looking for a one-and-done, reasonably uncompromised pair of active speakers for the desktop. The current frontrunners are Neumann KH 150 and Genelec 8331a.
I prefer neutral / transparent speakers (provided they are competent in all other important areas). I will not be including a sub at this time, but may be open to adding one in the future. Frankly, reclaiming some space under the desk by removing the Klipsch sub would be a plus, so if I could permantently avoid the need for a sub, that would be nice. I will not need any super deep / sub bass with this setup. Something that extends into the 30Hz area in-room should be sufficient for my needs here. I also don't need a tremendous amount of SPL output. I'd say the loudest that I'd listen for any length of time would be around 85dB average, possibly pushing into the 90s in short spurts for fun. But most often and certainly for longer listening sessions I'd expect be in the 70 - 80dB average range. Certainly this is well within the capabilities of either of these speakers at a 2-3ft listening distance.
I've never heard (and I'm not sure where I could locally demo) either speaker, so I'm looking for some thoughts / guidance, particularly from anyone who has heard both. Here is what I have for possible pros/cons of each:
Neumann KH 150 -
Pros:
Extremely accurate in the form of a ruler-flat frequency response
Appreciably more bass extension than 8331a
Offers a significant price-savings versus 8331a
Ridiculously low distortion for its size
Cons:
From a size perspective, a pair of these would push the physical limitations of my desk - while not impossible, it would be a challenge to get these to fit "comfortably"
I sometimes lean in closer to the desk while working (within 2 feet of where the speaker fronts would be), and I'm not sure when doing so if the Neumanns would sum properly
I am a stickler for detailed / spacious / "live"-sounding treble (never harsh or clearly shelved up), and I've seen some subjective commentary indicating that the Neumanns may be slightly dry in this area
Genelec 8331a -
Pros:
Also very accurate if not quite as impressively flat in frequency response
While it can't extend as low, it is rear ported, and as my desk sits against a wall the additional boundary gain might potentially help to make up for this
A bit smaller than the 150 and would be easier to place on the desk
Being coaxial there should be little to no change in tonality when my head moves in and out
I don't own any other coaxial speakers and I am interested in trying one of the better examples of the technology
Possibly "better" highs?
Cons:
Significantly more expensive (this is a big one)
Outside of potential boundary gain, appreciably less bass extension
As an aside, I am certainly open to any suggestions / direct messages from dealers regarding potential discounts on either of these, shipped to the US.
Thanks in advance!
I work remotely often, and during project / busy work at my desk I generally listen to music. My current (and old) Klipsch ProMedia setup has served me well for a very long time, but last year I was fortunate to have installed what may very well be my end game speakers in my primary system, and now that I've gotten used to what extremely competent speakers can do, I'm looking for a one-and-done, reasonably uncompromised pair of active speakers for the desktop. The current frontrunners are Neumann KH 150 and Genelec 8331a.
I prefer neutral / transparent speakers (provided they are competent in all other important areas). I will not be including a sub at this time, but may be open to adding one in the future. Frankly, reclaiming some space under the desk by removing the Klipsch sub would be a plus, so if I could permantently avoid the need for a sub, that would be nice. I will not need any super deep / sub bass with this setup. Something that extends into the 30Hz area in-room should be sufficient for my needs here. I also don't need a tremendous amount of SPL output. I'd say the loudest that I'd listen for any length of time would be around 85dB average, possibly pushing into the 90s in short spurts for fun. But most often and certainly for longer listening sessions I'd expect be in the 70 - 80dB average range. Certainly this is well within the capabilities of either of these speakers at a 2-3ft listening distance.
I've never heard (and I'm not sure where I could locally demo) either speaker, so I'm looking for some thoughts / guidance, particularly from anyone who has heard both. Here is what I have for possible pros/cons of each:
Neumann KH 150 -
Pros:
Extremely accurate in the form of a ruler-flat frequency response
Appreciably more bass extension than 8331a
Offers a significant price-savings versus 8331a
Ridiculously low distortion for its size
Cons:
From a size perspective, a pair of these would push the physical limitations of my desk - while not impossible, it would be a challenge to get these to fit "comfortably"
I sometimes lean in closer to the desk while working (within 2 feet of where the speaker fronts would be), and I'm not sure when doing so if the Neumanns would sum properly
I am a stickler for detailed / spacious / "live"-sounding treble (never harsh or clearly shelved up), and I've seen some subjective commentary indicating that the Neumanns may be slightly dry in this area
Genelec 8331a -
Pros:
Also very accurate if not quite as impressively flat in frequency response
While it can't extend as low, it is rear ported, and as my desk sits against a wall the additional boundary gain might potentially help to make up for this
A bit smaller than the 150 and would be easier to place on the desk
Being coaxial there should be little to no change in tonality when my head moves in and out
I don't own any other coaxial speakers and I am interested in trying one of the better examples of the technology
Possibly "better" highs?
Cons:
Significantly more expensive (this is a big one)
Outside of potential boundary gain, appreciably less bass extension
As an aside, I am certainly open to any suggestions / direct messages from dealers regarding potential discounts on either of these, shipped to the US.
Thanks in advance!
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