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250$-300$ Compact (powered) Bookshelf speakers that don't look ugly?

DanielT

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Not a bad idea. IKEA has some of these.
I actually have some ceiling mounted Yamaha IC600 (4 of them) already in the house. I hooked them up to a buddies receiver that he brought over. They sounded liked total garbage tho lol. Our Alexa speaker was much better. I think something in similar design to the Kanto YU4's could be good. Maybe I can find something that works for them.
Not all ceiling/pendant/wall mounted speakers are created equally. Most are absolute rubbish, but good ones do exist.

My favorite speakers in these categories are made by Meyer sound..... those are little bit out of budget though. ;)

Their UP-4 "slim" line is fun. Small, sexy, and sound just phenomenal... and also have enough SPL to plaster you to the back wall.
Good review: :)

Maybe a little too big in this particular case, based on your / OP wishes regardning size but still.:D


Ikea SYMFONISK picture frame Speaker review by Sonos.jpg
 

NiagaraPete

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Finding a new wife may be easier.
 

DanielT

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Finding a new wife may be easier.
There is no shortcut to the perfect HiFi sound so ...he he ..:D.....o_O

Edit:
In fact, a friend when he was in his 20s received an ultimatum from his then-girlfriend, who was jealous. Zappa collection (which should be mentioned he spent the most time on) or more time with his girlfriend ... he chose Zappa. ;)
(it would probably have ended regardless of Zappa). :oops:
 
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DanielT

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Probably not what you're going for but thought I should mention these 4" ELACs are on sale.
Why not and so cheap if you do not like the black color repaint or put on: DECOR PLASTIC ADHESIVE TABLE EK 90X210CM

Edit
Attached pictures, flea market speakers B&W 202i where I put plastic veneer on.:)
 

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svinyard

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oh geez, the wife likes the ikea looking stuff. She's coming around to a slightly bigger speaker (tested some existing speakers). I might be able to get away with the Fluance Ai41's we have in the mail. (I have a bunch of speakers in the mail at the moment).

Those ELAC's might be decent tho are about the same size as the Ai41's but smaller woofer. 68$ + Aiyima D03 = 220$-ish compared to the 250$ of the Fluance. Perhaps not a bad idea.

What about these Polk T15's hooked up to the Aiyima? Pretty compact for a 5.25" woofer and 99$. Prob not good looking enough.
 
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svinyard

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Good review: :)

Maybe a little too big in this particular case, based on your / OP wishes regardning size but still.:D


View attachment 185261

Hey is it possible to hook up a turn table to those things? Of course my wife kind of likes the Ikea stuff.

EDIT: So yeah to get a turntable connected to that speaker frame...I have to buy a Sonos Port for like 450$ lol. F Sonos.
 
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DanielT

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Hey is it possible to hook up a turn table to those things? Of course my wife kind of likes the Ikea stuff.

EDIT: So yeah to get a turntable connected to that speaker frame...I have to buy a Sonos Port for like 450$ lol. F Sonos.
Hm, I do not know. More experienced here will hopefully help you with that. As for Bluethooth, turntable, Sonus compatibility and so on that is.:)
 

TimW

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oh geez, the wife likes the ikea looking stuff. She's coming around to a slightly bigger speaker (tested some existing speakers). I might be able to get away with the Fluance Ai41's we have in the mail. (I have a bunch of speakers in the mail at the moment).

Those ELAC's might be decent tho are about the same size as the Ai41's but smaller woofer. 68$ + Aiyima D03 = 220$-ish compared to the 250$ of the Fluance. Perhaps not a bad idea.

What about these Polk T15's hooked up to the Aiyima? Pretty compact for a 5.25" woofer and 99$. Prob not good looking enough.
I had the old version of those Fluance speakers and they were quite good.

Forget the Polk T15's they are garbage.
 
OP
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svinyard

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I had the old version of those Fluance speakers and they were quite good.

Forget the Polk T15's they are garbage.
I've heard good things about the Ai41's and they don't look bad. Kind of wish they had a nice grill with them perhaps like Jamo but they look good.

Also, how about these? About the same size as the Fluance Ai41's (which my wife *thinks* might actually work size wise). 150$ is pretty damn good.
 

TimW

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I've heard good things about the Ai41's and they don't look bad. Kind of wish they had a nice grill with them perhaps like Jamo but they look good.

Also, how about these? About the same size as the Fluance Ai41's (which my wife *thinks* might actually work size wise). 150$ is pretty damn good.
Those are pretty good for the price but I didn't realize they "don't look ugly."
 

Spkrdctr

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I'm assuming you have a small subwoofer. No 4 inch driver is going to be turned up past 85db without running into serious problems. If you only want 200hz and up it will be fine, but to get down to 50hz, you will need something bigger like a 6 inch driver. You are at the extreme limits of a 4 inch speaker without a sub. With a small sub they will sound great. But it does add more cost. It is very, very tough to get super cheap speakers that will give you full range sound without a sub. Once you drop the size way down it becomes impossible. I would just be a man and tell your wife how it is. Don't take any back talk. Please report on how this works and if she changes her mind. You never know!

I want to add if your only looking for 80db from the speaker, than you can run it full range and the natural roll off of the driver will handle everything. You will not bottom out the little woofer, so it really all depends! Volume and a sub are two issues that will greatly effect your choices.
 

SIY

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These passed my wife's scrutiny, but you'll want a subwoofer.

1644349857185.png
 

DanielT

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On the back wall under those two mini-windows. There is a wide dark wood table just past the dining table. Will have a turntable and a set of speakers for general listening/dinner parties etc. (yeah I know these speakers are going to not cut it, just trying to salvage things without buying junk)

View attachment 185242
Now wait, so you had planned to place two small speakers there under the window at the dining room table and listen to some soft music at low volume while you sit and eat? Or am I wrong?
If this is the case, you will not listen to them that much and will not have such a high volume, is that correct? And you liked that one, see attached picture...It looks so dang awesome....as you said
Can you do carpentry? Do you have the time and desire to DIY something similar? Build something together with, for example, a couple of broadband elements. Tailored to fit your home.:)

After dinner, do you gather on the couch and hang out there and listen to music via another HiFi system?

Edit:
Another thing, why not hang up, for example, flat wall speakers where that board is located?:) See attached picture.

.....I have no idea if any of what I said now would suit you. I'm just throwing out some ideas.:D
 

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OP
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svinyard

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Now wait, so you had planned to place two small speakers there under the window at the dining room table and listen to some soft music at low volume while you sit and eat? Or am I wrong?
If this is the case, you will not listen to them that much and will not have such a high volume, is that correct? And you liked that one, see attached picture...It looks so dang awesome....as you said
Can you do carpentry? Do you have the time and desire to DIY something similar? Build something together with a couple of broadband elements. Tailored to fit your home.:)

After dinner, do you gather on the couch and hang out there and listen to music via another HiFi system?
All good thoughts, thanks for the help. So the plan is listen to music in that entire room (kitchen/living/dinning area). We (family of 4) are often in the kitchen and living room hanging out. We also eat at the dinner table often (which prob isn't the biggest use for the system). It'll mainly just be music for that entire space in general. We've had nothing but crappy Alexa style speakers in there and in a similar area. Wife seems to want the turntable in that space on this table. For size reference those are Jamo S 803 that are too big I'm told. I don't disagree aesthetically they are a bit big for the space.

-idea about flat wall speaker other than that Ikea/Sonos one but that requires Sonos BS $$$ adapters just to get an Aux.
-Fwiw the wife thinks a 5" woofer speaker in an 11" tall (max) package that doesn't look bad will work in that space. That bigger 14" Jamo (5" woofer) is too big tho.

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DanielT

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All good thoughts, thanks for the help. So the plan is listen to music in that entire room (kitchen/living/dinning area). We (family of 4) are often in the kitchen and living room hanging out. We also eat at the dinner table often (which prob isn't the biggest use for the system). It'll mainly just be music for that entire space in general. We've had nothing but crappy Alexa style speakers in there and in a similar area. Wife seems to want the turntable in that space on this table. For size reference those are Jamo S 803 that are too big I'm told. I don't disagree aesthetically they are a bit big for the space.

-idea about flat wall speaker other than that Ikea/Sonos one but that requires Sonos BS $$$ adapters just to get an Aux.
-Fwiw the wife thinks a 5" woofer speaker in an 11" tall (max) package that doesn't look bad will work in that space. That bigger 14" Jamo (5" woofer) is too big tho.

nhWA07OfXHsM1TsvjdCO8Q5Inh1pzTfwnbDe-pMyeyPxspX7lVRggUOlTeLSxL5vJ1M4pPDra0UXOei9V_vyQ7NsotzbWO_NtgEWjyMwOKUp54W0Gy1sVuwVKN6ZPR8kBbCN2HOsX0h8U9Vq9m3sZRJy1H6k9i2c6h4bGXzySsHzTHpgwgqFn_RLlgRMpRrwkFdrszHW0yjQO6ptKYiUq87wqzng14oV9coO5AmZq0nmgyEHvkTCuz53zPg88CBdafIbwl7eDj2GYrqevYljeiuGKBWKU0w11SnTsLWsPXYKHTrPiCcEJU0lsMGdvrH25ojdirlDMNxjZgGNhXNm1NefQTbBkzYIGACQFt8JrYwsVzo-U1w8Wfk5jIyBURsHFTaLP9JWJYQkNQDcOKiscUNcQdGZYExGQqKahHOzjvFtpPZOf572GBNS54rN1gRq9JGF5AlNcHdfru0N_6ngfL5-cRfrzKGVJhxn7ZhsL9-v8i3vQq9WU3FbngtM8bEjAnAquid-M_THSBMyRJwUHH1deThg0tKKKnadXw979CPhTbRkAFRy2_z-sOlGtS9q8ggMav8RcVsGEy3m_N-BF9pAg2iYIkf8bSzHhW57C7oh047_9EdTtljMOeAYNfj-vRSI3HrX-rNsMlQJmrM6mSKPWetf60vV63YD9iU7Q_PJBhgbwDnY6Oi1POWB9iHFoouhNbjBr6_jrwyyvqLovd66=w1293-h969-no
Well, hm. It's nice to have a small stereo where the kitchen table is, if you sit at that table and listen. But that small type of speaker you are looking for and then fill the entire living room with music, .... hm ... Let me be honest. It's just going to be like a pfffff sound of it all. Maybe as an emergency solution if it is the only sound system you can have, just to get some sound in the living room but it will not be more than that.

You can count on slightly different listening distances and volume / dB here and you will realize the challenge.


Amplifiers, speakers that are pressed too hard against their limit for what they can handle sounds bad. Sometimes really bad.:oops:

Edit:
Then I have not even discussed the placement of the speakers and how they will sound there on the bench if you are sitting on the couch and listening to music.
If you move around a lot in the living room, then perhaps a pair of omni speakers instead?.:)
 
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