Small passive speakers for kitchen (or other solution)

[AnalogSteph]

I would like to upgrade my kitchen audio setup which is currently being handled by a Panasonic RF-1410LBS portable radio from the early 1980s. I need both FM radio (for the local flamethrowers) and a line input to play music from my old Clip+. As it happens I recently made a Panasonic SA-PM01 micro receiver redundant at my parents' place which would fit on the shelf - 2x 15 W into 6 ohms with an LA4625 if memory serves. Now I need some decent(ish) passive speakers for it - one to be placed alongside the receiver so I have decent sound when standing up, another on the table below when I'm sitting down. (Mono is fine.)

Preferred width: 10-13 cm
Height: <24 cm, preferred <22 cm
Depth: <25 cm, preferred <23 cm
Front port preferred unless depth <20 cm.
Preferred finish: white or light wood tone
Preferred used to keep with the recycling theme, or at least not breaking the bank. (I mean, I could spend silly amounts, but for kitchen speakers? I guess if there's something nice that's a good 2-way with passive radiator this might still be worth it.)
Location: Europe (.de)
DIY may be an option although my go-to option for woodworking support (aka Dad) has been rather less than enthusiastic. And it's not like that's very cheap either. (I spent some time in Boxsim with a combo of SL87ND and TW6NG, and with my 10 crossover parts the BOM may exceed 100€ per speaker.)

Any decent candidates coming to mind?

I spotted a pair of JVC SP-UXT200Hs on the 'bay, a '90s front-ported 4" wideband job that ought to be alright, but the typical Japanese dark wood finish would probably clash and is in fairly good shape.

I have considered going active and using the Clip+ radio, but then the radio ergonomics would be entirely crap. Doing much of anything on the little thing is a chore with my eyesight or lack thereof, and I'm not sure whether I got the voice output files for the several-years-old Rockbox build that's on there. I suppose nobody makes a tiny preceiver for use with active speakers?

I'ved kept the old Panasonic radio for a long time because it doesn't take up much real estate on the table, can be moved around easily when I have to wipe it off and whatnot and sounds OK (if mid-centric) through its 120 mm speaker with loudness on. I'm less enthused about the numerous age-related contact issues in switches and pots and the lack of dynamic range in the FM frontend (keep the antenna down or else it'll tend to overload). Radios in that sort of shape (WHD 289 x 177 x 80 mm) no longer seem to be very common.

 

[ZolaIII]

A wide coverage design with multiple conventional soft dome tweeters on ribbon one, preferably with wall mont, better to search in PA category for mentioned reason. Don't think it will be a big problem finding everything else needed in small from factory form. Last time I look in something like that I found a Wharfedale lineup of such and very interesting JBL with to wall firing woffer's with unusual high score on Spinorama but should be taken with more than grain of salt as measurements were from manufacturer. I can try (hopefully) to find those JBL's if you wish.

 

[ZolaIII]

Found it, they removed it from Spinorama.

JBL Control HST Wide-Coverage On-Wall Speaker

The JBL Control HST is a revolutionary new commercial surface-mount speaker. Get it from the experts in commercial sound systems at ProAudioSuperstore.com.

www.proaudiosuperstore.com

 

[kyuu]

Would something like the Bogen TP-50A work for you as a radio to feed an active speaker? (I've actually got two of the things on the shelf at work that were removed from service a while back. They work fine, though the finish isn't in as good of a condition as the one in that listing. Also the connections on the back are slightly different on mine.)

 

[Marc v E]

I would like to upgrade my kitchen audio setup which is currently being handled by a Panasonic RF-1410LBS portable radio from the early 1980s. I need both FM radio (for the local flamethrowers) and a line input to play music from my old Clip+. As it happens I recently made a Panasonic SA-PM01 micro receiver redundant at my parents' place which would fit on the shelf - 2x 15 W into 6 ohms with an LA4625 if memory serves. Now I need some decent(ish) passive speakers for it - one to be placed alongside the receiver so I have decent sound when standing up, another on the table below when I'm sitting down. (Mono is fine.)

Preferred width: 10-13 cm
Height: <24 cm, preferred <22 cm
Depth: <25 cm, preferred <23 cm
Front port preferred unless depth <20 cm.
Preferred finish: white or light wood tone
Preferred used to keep with the recycling theme, or at least not breaking the bank. (I mean, I could spend silly amounts, but for kitchen speakers? I guess if there's something nice that's a good 2-way with passive radiator this might still be worth it.)
Location: Europe (.de)
DIY may be an option although my go-to option for woodworking support (aka Dad) has been rather less than enthusiastic. And it's not like that's very cheap either. (I spent some time in Boxsim with a combo of SL87ND and TW6NG, and with my 10 crossover parts the BOM may exceed 100€ per speaker.)

Any decent candidates coming to mind?

I spotted a pair of JVC SP-UXT200Hs on the 'bay, a '90s front-ported 4" wideband job that ought to be alright, but the typical Japanese dark wood finish would probably clash and is in fairly good shape.

I have considered going active and using the Clip+ radio, but then the radio ergonomics would be entirely crap. Doing much of anything on the little thing is a chore with my eyesight or lack thereof, and I'm not sure whether I got the voice output files for the several-years-old Rockbox build that's on there. I suppose nobody makes a tiny preceiver for use with active speakers?

I'ved kept the old Panasonic radio for a long time because it doesn't take up much real estate on the table, can be moved around easily when I have to wipe it off and whatnot and sounds OK (if mid-centric) through its 120 mm speaker with loudness on. I'm less enthused about the numerous age-related contact issues in switches and pots and the lack of dynamic range in the FM frontend (keep the antenna down or else it'll tend to overload). Radios in that sort of shape (WHD 289 x 177 x 80 mm) no longer seem to be very common.

I'm thinking out of the box here, but I'll explain why.

Sonos era 100.
They're the only small speakers I heard that truely engage imo.
They're active and you can stream music to them via wifi and bluetooth.

 

[AnalogSteph]

Found it, they removed it from Spinorama.

JBL Control HST Wide-Coverage On-Wall Speaker

The JBL Control HST is a revolutionary new commercial surface-mount speaker. Get it from the experts in commercial sound systems at ProAudioSuperstore.com.

www.proaudiosuperstore.com

Pretty clever thing. 419€ sans wall mount is a bit up there, mind you. That being said, there's some cheaper options if you insist (e.g. the box Oval 4 White 1x 4" + 2x 1" compression, 65€ a piece), and JBL also makes things like the Control 23-1 WH. Mind you, you could also get a pair of decent actives for that kind of money.

The crux with a wall-mount solution is that my breakfast space would be at a significant angle. And I forgot about the clock that's already hanging under the shelf.

Would something like the Bogen TP-50A work for you as a radio to feed an active speaker?

Cute little tuner. I did find one of these on the 'bay ("powers on, otherwise untested", yay - though I suppose this could be true as it's DIN output which is a bit exotic these days). WHD 298 x 70 x 249 mm - that'll be real tight on the depth with the DIN adapter sticking out the back, though I suppose I could just have it overhang a bit at the front. As an old radio nut I've had a number of tuners (and there's still a Kenwood KT-80 for bedside radio duties), but never a micro one.

Main problem with this solution is the need for a source selector. If put somewhere ergonomic, that may mean a bunch of cables going up and down. Guess I could tape a little RCA switch to the side of the tuner.
Another problem is the lack of power outlets nearby, there's just one near the floor. So for a tuner + actives I'd need a power strip of sorts as well (may need to check whether there's ones for Europlug, or an extension + splitter).

I'm thinking out of the box here, but I'll explain why.

Sonos era 100.
They're the only small speakers I heard that truely engage imo.
They're active and you can stream music to them via wifi and bluetooth.

Those are neat, but I don't think I need (or want) it quite that high-tech.

Something similar with an aux in though... and maybe TWS for a pair? Stereo at the breakfast table, how fancy. I found an older model VAVA VOOM 22 that could do that. Just a hair too tall to still fit on the shelf (25 cm). Not like I'm doing that right now, mind you, but it would definitely agree more with ear height when standing.

 

[restorer-john]

I would be checking the Panasonic SA-xxxx for 'flat' response before pressing it into service. Pretty much all the 'lifestyle' Panasonic systems had built-in, non defeat-able EQ, even when set to 'flat' or '0'.

 

[AnalogSteph]

I would be checking the Panasonic SA-xxxx for 'flat' response before pressing it into service. Pretty much all the 'lifestyle' Panasonic systems had built-in, non defeat-able EQ, even when set to 'flat' or '0'.

I don't think the SA-PM01 does... I swapped it out for a Yamaha RX-E400 (Pianocraft) receiver and there was no obvious change in sound, lower noise level aside. It could probably do with a new 2200µ/35V filter cap at some point as I had noticed some hum, and the CD part has been inop for a very, very long time (probably a bad limit switch, the lid mechanism went berserk and started grinding gears so we cut a motor power wire for simplicity's sake).

 

[Spkrdctr]

I would think a lot of the computer desktop small speakers would fit your need. They come in size super small to fairly big. They are available in passive and active forms. Good Luck on your search!

 

[DanielT]

Any used 3005 eggs? Are they common on the used HiFi market in Germany?

FR looks quite ok. Of course they don't go that far down in frequency but you wouldn't expect that:

This graph shows the quasi-anechoic (employing close-miking of all woofers) frequency response of the HTS3001 satellites (purple trace), HTB2 subwoofer (blue trace), and HTC3001 center channel (green trace). All passive loudspeakers were measured with grilles at a distance of 1 meter with a 2.83-volt input and scaled for display purposes.

KEF KHT 3005 Speaker System and Linn Classik Movie DVD Player HT Labs Measures: KEF

HT Labs Measures: KEF KHT 3005 Speaker System Satellite Sensitivity: 86 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz Center Sensitivity: 87 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz

www.soundandvision.com

______
Canton Plus X.3? I don't know how they measure, (maybe good?). Size-wise they should suit you anyway.

Dimensions (WxHxD):
12 x 19.5 x 13 (4.7'' x 7.7'' x 5.1'') cm

Plus X.3 | Black silk matt | 02956

Plus X.3

www.canton.de

 

[kurajber]

I see great relatively small bookshelf speakers in white for under 200eur on the german 'bay. Dali Zensor 1, Wharfedale D320, but they are all lot bigger than what you a looking for.
Most real compact speakers are either active or part of home theater system, can't expect much of a speaker that size.

 

[Marc v E]

Pretty clever thing. 419€ sans wall mount is a bit up there, mind you. That being said, there's some cheaper options if you insist (e.g. the box Oval 4 White 1x 4" + 2x 1" compression, 65€ a piece), and JBL also makes things like the Control 23-1 WH. Mind you, you could also get a pair of decent actives for that kind of money.

The crux with a wall-mount solution is that my breakfast space would be at a significant angle. And I forgot about the clock that's already hanging under the shelf.

Cute little tuner. I did find one of these on the 'bay ("powers on, otherwise untested", yay - though I suppose this could be true as it's DIN output which is a bit exotic these days). WHD 298 x 70 x 249 mm - that'll be real tight on the depth with the DIN adapter sticking out the back, though I suppose I could just have it overhang a bit at the front. As an old radio nut I've had a number of tuners (and there's still a Kenwood KT-80 for bedside radio duties), but never a micro one.

Main problem with this solution is the need for a source selector. If put somewhere ergonomic, that may mean a bunch of cables going up and down. Guess I could tape a little RCA switch to the side of the tuner.
Another problem is the lack of power outlets nearby, there's just one near the floor. So for a tuner + actives I'd need a power strip of sorts as well (may need to check whether there's ones for Europlug, or an extension + splitter).


Those are neat, but I don't think I need (or want) it quite that high-tech.

Something similar with an aux in though... and maybe TWS for a pair? Stereo at the breakfast table, how fancy. I found an older model VAVA VOOM 22 that could do that. Just a hair too tall to still fit on the shelf (25 cm). Not like I'm doing that right now, mind you, but it would definitely agree more with ear height when standing.

This? Under 24 cm high with stand.
Trs input plus usb c

D3V

The D3V is a fully active desktop monitoring system that stays true to ADAM Audio’s industrial design heritage and features the iconic AMT tweeters.

shop.adam-audio.com

Reviewed favourably by Erin

I would recommend not getting lower priced items if we're talking 300 euros a pair, because at this pricepoint you really get what you pay for. Personally I'd get the sonos, but this one seems good too.
I think if we want to go any lower we're getting into the 2nd hand category.

 

[DanielT]

I see great relatively small bookshelf speakers in white for under 200eur on the german 'bay. Dali Zensor 1, Wharfedale D320, but they are all lot bigger than what you a looking for.
Most real compact speakers are either active or part of home theater system, can't expect much of a speaker that size.

That's right. Used, however, there are a lot of small home theater satellites. Now and then (quite often in Sweden) two satellites can be sold separately.

Such small satellites don't go down low in frequency. As you said, you can't expect that. I guess no one expects that.
For talk/speech FM radio, such small satellites would it's perfectly fine, it would be for me anyway. For music listening, I would add a subwoofer with such small satellites.

 

[williamr]

Tivoli portable radio? There is an aux line in. Perhaps a little too small. Many details here.

• AM/FM radio
• Bluetooth
• 3.5mm auxiliary input
• Weather-resistant
• Up to 12-hour battery life
• Stereo headphone output
• Includes: PAL™ BT, Manual, Pre-Installed Li-Ion Battery Pack, Power Supply
• Dimensions: 6 x 3.6 x 4.7 in, 1.75 lbs.

 

[AnalogSteph]

Update:
Snagged an Onkyo T-405 X micro tuna (1999, WHD 205 x 76 x 280 mm) for cheap... somewhat banged up, but it'll do. These basically aren't worth anything on their own, and us eurotypes get a Mitsumi 4-gang frontend plus 3 IF filters (2x MA5 = 280 kHz + 1x MZ2K = 150 kHz GDT) and transistor IF amps of the not-explicitly-limiting variety, with the rest around an LA1837, overall reminiscent of Onkyo's contemporary receiver FM/AM sections. Distortion specs are a bit so-so, but selectivity ought to be quite good.

What do you reckon, folks, Edifier MR3s? That is assuming that plugging in the front AUX input overrides the back RCAs. Then I'd plug in the tuner at the back and an Aux cable for the Clip+ at the front. (All I'd have to figure out then would be the power situation, won't be that hard I hope. And something resembling an antenna, of course. I'd be using the trusty work smartypants phone to change settings if need be.) Sounds like a plan? (Or M60s instead?)

 

[kyuu]

What do you reckon, folks, Edifier MR3s? That is assuming that plugging in the front AUX input overrides the back RCAs. Then I'd plug in the tuner at the back and an Aux cable for the Clip+ at the front. (All I'd have to figure out then would be the power situation, won't be that hard I hope. And something resembling an antenna, of course. I'd be using the trusty work smartypants phone to change settings if need be.) Sounds like a plan? (Or M60s instead?)

Sounds good to me. Checked the user guide, but unfortunately it doesn't say one way or other if the Aux input takes precedence. You'd assume so, but.

Inputs on the MR60 don't look as convenient, plus no volume control on the front could be an annoyance.

 

[Petrushka]

Definitely small Sonos. Or other streaming speaker.

 

[Putter]

Boston Acoustic Soundware speakers. They're 4 inch coaxial and come with mounting hardware and in different colors. Since BA as a company is defunct, Sounds United went with Polk instead, IMO a mistake. They're only available 2nd hand and likely not in Germany so maybe a bit of a thread crap, but I use them in different rooms including the kitchen and would make a great Atmos speaker.

They're

 

[AnalogSteph]

Sounds good to me. Checked the user guide, but unfortunately it doesn't say one way or other if the Aux input takes precedence. You'd assume so, but.

I'll find out soon - MR3s have been ordered. The specifics regarding power wiring and such are still in the works, but we'll figure that out once the whole shebang is here.

 

[AnalogSteph]

MR3s came in already - that was quick.

Doing the dishes has never sounded so good. The midbass is still overdoing it a bit, and there's some sibilance on top, but overall, really quite nice. There's something resembling real bass coming out. Even though they're only powered instead of "real" active speakers (as evidenced by the ordinary twin lead connecting the passive one), they do seem to have something resembling a decent crossover, as I don't notice any treble coming out of the midwoofer. Build seems solid enough, and they look fairly nice in white, too. Not bad for 109€.

Inputs seem to be mixed together - if I touch the 3.5 mm plug with something plugged into the RCAs I can generate a fair bit of buzz (that's your expected power supply leakage current right there).

BT playback works fine (over quite a range, too), and after some initial hiccups the ConneX app connected as well (it needs to have location turned on to connect, but will proceed to work fine with GPS back off). The app found a firmware update to V1.0.5, I installed that which took a tense few minutes.

They go more than loud enough for what I normally need, but I wouldn't call the gain reserves particularly excessive. The dreaded Mahler #4 streamed over BT will just barely go loud enough at maximum. I played France Gall's Babacar on 20 of 30 (RG album gain = +0.14 dB), same for other pop music with RG on in Foobar. Oh, looks like my phone's system volume was only about halfway up - well, that would certainly do it. With my Clip+ at -8 dB plus a -3 dB RG preamp (so hardly the loudest source in the known universe, should be ~158 mV for 0 dBFS if album gain = 0 dB) I'm already down to level 15.

I was just measuring power consumption. My Zhurui PR10 "Power Recorder" says -
Panasonic RF-1410LBS
Off - 1.10 W (holy transformer losses Batman)
On, Phono - 1.42 W
On, Radio (FM) - 1.59 W

Edifier MR3
Off - 0.16 W
On - 3.15 W
On, ongoing BT playback - 3.30 W

I have a feeling the tuner is going to try and ruin my power savings though. Silly thing doesn't even have a standby power supply or real mains switch, according to the service manual. Looks like the Euro extension is going to have to be modded with a switch. I hope the goldcap is still good.

On the radio front, I installed 1 app and added a few stream URLs to Foobar2000 Mobile's internet radio department for the time being. Works fine.