Hi Nichomoff,
Something like this?
PMC DB1i on PMC wall brackets, driven by a Naim DAC-V1 and NAP140.
It’s been an utterly reliable and joyous system since I set it up in 2011.
The DB1i is a pint pot of a speaker but with a transmission line that provides a deceptively credible amount of musical bass. Top end is sweet too. In fact the set up is just a delight.
Best regards, BF
I used pmc 20.21’s in a similar way for close listening…they were superb… so you must really be enjoying this setup…
that looks awesome
@jusphish. Another possibility not yet mentioned is the Finnish Speaker manufacturer ‘Amphion’ whose smaller standmounts are designed with the possibility of near-field desk top use in mind.
They are very stylish and well made and the likeliest of their current models seems to be the ‘Argon 0’. The list price seems to be £850 for a pair. I’ve used a previous model in this situation for some years. They create a particularly fine soundstage and are good when playing quietly as well as when the amp is turned up.
Looks great! What plinths are they on?
Thank you! Might try them under my P3ESRs
Thanks, these look very interesting, rear ported so maybe not too close to a wall?
and I also use isoacoustics isolation-stands
the two combined, because I have too much bass with only granite stand
ans now it’s perfect
Another enthusiastic owner: P3ESR.
Yeah I’m starting to want to pick up a pre-owned set of these… am not sure my space will allow it though… despite them being pretty small. A larger desk would open a lot of possibilities.
A little space perhaps but it really doesn’t seem to make a lot of difference.
I have p3ESR and they are excellent speakers
They are very inefficient speakers (83 and 6 ohms) , to get the best out of them you need a quite powerful amp .
I auditioned a SN3 at 70 watts against a Rega Aethos at a 100 watts , they respond to lots of current . For a desk I would concentrate on speakers made for a desk top not speakers made for the home (P3ESR) or commercial (20.1)
The little Ampions or Gallos are made for a desk
Interesting, the (marketing) blurbs on their site suggests the opposite:
I have them, and I wouldn’t believe all you read. I have read on the Harbeth forum that these are the most difficult to drive. They do produce a lovely sound, but I think they are inappropriate for a desk top situation and that goes for both current and size
I can speak from personal experience when I say they respond best to plenty of current , I would not have bought them if I had known what I know now .
For a desk top situation you need high efficiency small speakers and these ain’t them
I have them, too, and disagree. You can use tube amplification and lower-wattage amps and they sound lovely. It’s not like one would be using them in this regard (desktop) like one would in a critical listening/main system. I drive them with a Naim XS and/or Cayin A-70T and they’re incredible sounding. Absolutely they would be better off with more power, but I wouldn’t discourage the purchase as has been illustrated here. This is just my two-cents.
You’re tempting me to blow the budget! 
I know, I know…my fault 
, as it was specified to be within a certain budget. However, if you stretched it just a bit, you could find a pair second-hand for a few hundred pounds more. Size, I really believe, would not be a factor; no more than many of the other suggestions in the bigger picture. They’re pretty small, comparatively, but built like a tank (heavy…well crafted). You’d never need more in a ‘desktop’ speaker. Actually, it was the first Harbeth I ever purchased and I used it in a main system with REL subs long ago. IMO, they are that good. I’ve since used the Compact 7ES3 in the main rig.
Anyway, I’m off-topic. If you do go the P3ESR route, you simply would not be disappointed; they do a lot of things exceptionally well.
