I know you guys get this all the time but I'm going nuts. I have a small room 12x12x10 high. I listen to Blues and Rock, thats it. I'm upgrading my CD player soon. I have a Dynaco ST-70 amp with a PAS 3 preamp. I also have an Adcom GFA 555 amp I can use if need be. The most I can spread my speakers is 5', I sit abour 10' away. Now my question. I'm Looking at book shelf speakers and I think I've narrowed my list to.... the Ascend CMB-170, Totem Mite, and Energy RC-10. Help me pick one!!! I know I'll need a sub so recommendations in the $500 range are MOST welcome. PLEASE stop my insanity.
Only your ears can pick what you'll like - everyone else will tell you what they like. I know that won't make you sane, but there you have it. Listen to a variety, pick a pair, then go see a shrink [grin]
No sub, not in your room. You won't need it. A 12 ft square room has a high probability of bass resonance around the 40hz mark and at harmonics (80hz, 20hz). If you excite those frequencies, you're likely to get uncontrolled bass. By all means get a sub if you wish, but be prepared or don't be surprised if you have it set to the lowest possible setting.
Also, blues and rock don't actually produce hugely deep bass or a lot of it. They produce a lot of energy in the mid-bass which is well within the remit of the speakers you're considering. Doing it properly, articulating the bass line, is more important than filling out the room in this case I believe.
I know the Totem Mite and it is a nice speaker with good room-filling potential. In some ways, I prefer the character of the Dreamcatcher myself. Also, if you decide not to go for the sub, this may free up enough cash to go for a Rainmaker or Arro. Definitely worth a look.
I have the CBM-170's, and have heard the other two, but not in a setting where I could accurately distinguish differences. The one thing about the CBM-170's is I have found them to be very neutral and balanced for a small speaker. You'll need the sub (I have one), as they don't cover the lower octaves with any weight.
My impressions of Energy speakers generally is that they have a bit of a tilt in the upper registers, which gives them a cleaner more open sounding topend which many prefer. But a little more care needs to be taken with what is feeding them so you don't end up with an overly bright presentation. If your existing gear is on the other end of the spectrum (a little darker perhaps) then the Energy's could be just the ticket.
I haven't heard the Totems enough to comment, other than I've read very good things about their whole line.
AV123 has at least two subs (x-sub & entry level Rocket), which would fit under the $500 limit. I'm sure there are others out there new and used.
Frank's advice is pretty much exactly what I was going to say. Rock and Blues bass isn't deep frequency bass. Listening to Tool on some Linn Katans proved this to me. The Katans go down to about 75-80 hz. I'd have prefered a subwoofer with those speakers to get a little more bass authority, but if it was strictly for frequency depth I would have been disappointed.
Back to your speakers... I've heard the Ascends on a few limited occasions. They're neutral and balanced as Chris has described, but to my ears they're boring. Maybe it was PRaT they were missing. I don't know.
Personally, I'd take the entire budget and buy a single pair of speakers. Or at least try a demo pair from a dealer. If your budget can stretch it, I'd look into Totem Arros or their other bookshelves, Dynaudio 42 or 52, or even PMC DB1+ or TB2+. They're just a few of my personal favorites, your tastes may vary.
I own a pair of Enery C-10 speakers. These are actually quite amazing - they put out a lot more sound than something this small should. So I know what you mean about the RC-10s.
I've found that a sub has helped the sound of my system immensely, and it's in a very small room (12x12 is about right). My speakers (Energy Connoisseur C-1) sounded too boomy without it. The bass wasn't well defined at all. My impression is that it's asking a lot for a bookshelf that size to produce deep and accurate bass, even if it can get down to 53Hz like the C-1 can. My sub only goes down to 38Hz but the quality of sound coming out of my speakers improved immensely when I added it to my set up.
Then again, I've only just learned that I probably shouldn't place my speakers so close to the wall. The C-1 is front ported and as such I thought placement wasn't an issue. However, I've since read that even front ported speakers need adequate clearance or bass can get boomy. I'll have to play around with the positioning a bit in the coming weeks.