Bookshelf Recommendations
on my short list in a true bookshelf but stand mounted would be ( not in order ) Used Ref 3a Sonus Faber NEAT Vandersteen VLR the KEF LS-50 for sure any of the venerable LS 3/5a , one of my faves would be the KEF101, IF you read the white paper for the LS-50, you will see the trades they made.... ...... have fun, do more listening than reading IF ya can.. great preamp you have IMO |
Remarkable. Was just this moment reading the Stereophile write-up from 2012, and it ref'd aforementioned white paper on the LS-50's... Thanks for your recommendations, and also for props on my CJ. Love those tubes! Only wish I could afford a tube power amp as well, but that Sideshow Bob, Carver 1.5t has all the power I'll ever need 👍 |
I appreciate everyone taking some of their time to share their expertise and knowledge. Much food for thought, the majority of which I was not even familiar, having focused primarily on “the usual suspects,” with respect to manufacturers. Even if it comes down to throwing a dart, I’ll have some better targets on the board... |
NHT C3 simply can’t be beat for $1000. Downside is bass is only rated down to 55Hz. More neutral than the SVS as well as better imaging. The Philharmonc BMR at <$1500 was a steal (sale price was only slightly higher than BOM), but Dennis had health issues and currently is retiring. EDIT: NHT C3 is only ~$700 on Amazon right now, this is a legit steal; add a subwoofer to fill in the low end. |
Wouldn’t you know it: choice set of Vandersteen 1Ci’s currently on eBay, just waiting to be snapped up. Hmmm. Would those, however, be too much speaker for my space? As mentioned at the outset, the room is only about 12’ x 12.’ While I realize that with “bookshelf” sized speakers there will be low end sacrifices—inclusion of a sub notwithstanding—a high quality speaker of that size, on stands: wouldn’t that make for a good setup? |
Just found a pair of KEF R100s. Suprising low end. Very warm, almost too warm so don't put them with warm electronics in my mind. But for the $500 that I paid they were worth the price. Can really move the molecules. I also liked the NOLAs mentioned above, but a completely different sound. Much brighter which for certain music is a good thing. |
https://www.stereophile.com/content/wharfedale-diamond-225-loudspeaker Carrera4s, read the stereophile review of the wharfedale 225’s.....three different reviewers agreed that they were something special. One reviewer went back to test the bass frequency and said that he was astounded to find usable output at 31.5 hz! Footnote 2. That is crazy for a speaker of this size and cost. I own two pairs of these, one walnut and one rosewood (bought as an extra pair or back up) and I can attest to the build quality and to the sound. I can listen to these speakers all day long....they are addictive and non fatiguing. The bass port is on the bottom plinth, so you can place them close to wall. I have mine out 1 foot from rear wall to good effect. These speakers like toe in as well. I have them positioned so that I can just barely see the inside of each speaker. They are on 24 inch stands with tweeter at ear height when seated. Lastly these 225s love to be bi wired. Doing so really makes them shine. For $500 bucks I don’t think they can be beat. As stated in my previous reply....they imo can easily compare to $1000-$1500 stand mounters all day.....hurry, you can grab these for just $349 at music direct or crutchfield, a steal! Forget the Diamond's modest price. This humble wooden box is actually a connoisseur-level audio component. It could satisfy any sane music collector for decades. Herb Reichert |
I use a set of pre-owned KEF LS-50s on stands in a 15 foot squared room with 9 foot ceiling and while they won't ever convince you that they are full range; they do what they do really well; highly detailed and enjoyable music that is fun to listen to without physically dominated the room (spouse acceptance factor). Don't be too quick to dump your solid state amplifier, I am a devotee of tubed pre-amps with a CJ Act 2 and solid state amplifier power with a CJ 2500 A. I've had tubed amps in the system and it is too "tubey", meaning soft, a little slow and somewhat muffled compared to the tubed pre-amp, solid state amp combination. |
I’m amazed and at the number of responses and truly appreciate the detail and wealth of information this topic has generated. Since I’m leaning towards pre-owned gear, it’ll likely come down to my short list, compiled from those suggested in this thread. Wish $$ were no object, but I’m sure I’m not alone in that regard At the expense of betraying my ignorance on the subject, NONE of the speakers that I’m now focusing on were even on my radar prior to this posting. If only in a virtual way, thanks for opening my ears... |
Wharfedale Denton 80th, it has LS3/5A kind of sound with powerful and elactic bass, some even prefer it over KEF LS50, which can sound fatigue if listen for long, search for forum discussions if you are interested, but remember to have a better powerful amp to drive it, the Denton I would say is medium sensitivity in terms of power requirement. Another option worth to try is PSB P5, it has balanced sound from a lot reviewers. |
Proac. Anything in the tablette family, which sold for less than 2k new, so should be able to find used in the 1k range. Great imaging. They are one of the smaller of the bookshelves, which makes them easy for stand mounting. I have owned numerous bookshelves and found some of them on the larger size to seem out of place on the stands. be Sure to take time to set them up right. Several inches can affect soundstage and bass. |
Did the whole small speaker/high quality thing as well. Results? Small everything...you can’t circumvent physics. Get a well made speaker with drivers capable of delivering the emotional and physical content of your music. Think 12” woofer etc.. I’m still dumbfounded that my experiment with the JBL 4429’s has changed my perspective on the “High End” enormously. Short of the $20k Speakers I’ve owned (which of course required oodles of cash for ancillary equipment) the JBL’s deliver an extremely uncolored, dynamic and extended presentation. They can put you in the club with the musicians, if you understand what I mean. They energize a room like few audiophile speakers can and do so without one having to break the bank on the rest of the setup. |
At your price point, you might consider Axiom Audio M5HP 3-way bookshelves. (under $1000). They're more than adequate for your space, although could be considered "overkill". They're reasonably sensitive (91dB/1w), but can handle lots of power if loudness matters, or if room size changes. So may not have to upgrade for a long time...;-)I own 7 of them in HT and Stereo systems and have been very pleased with their performance. |
I've been wishing I had a good friend that was looking for a pair of bookshelf speakers so that I could turn them on to these! There is a listing in the other "audio mart in the US" (hint) for a pair of Thiel PCS bookshelf speakers. These speakers are unbeatable for all of $900. If I didn't already own a pair they'd be gone, but I do, and they're not. These speakers are "world class" speakers, especially if you drive them with tubes! I couldn't recommend these highly enough. I've been trying to concoct a reason why I need another pair, but I can't come up with any valid reason. So, go get them before someone else comes to their senses. |
A lot of great options mentioned. I suggest you audition before purchase if able. There are great deals to be had on the used market but I’d avoid going that route unless it’s quite obvious the speakers can be easily flipped. In theory, your square room is an acoustic nightmare, which means an in-home audition is your best bet for long-term enjoyment. The factory-direct brands (Ascend Acoustics, Zu, Omega, Buchardt, etc.) tend to offer generous, no-hassle, money-back guarantees and trial periods. Their product value also benefits from cutting out the middle-men. I think that’s especially true concerning the $1K price range. Another speaker you should consider is the Seas A26 Kit from Madisound. Total price per pair with pre-assembled cabinets (for the U.S. market) comes to $1224. All that’s required of the buyer is some very simple assembly that any caveman could handle. If their drivers were sold individually, they’d account for about $841 of the cost per pair. These same drivers are used in some speakers that retail for over $10K. The speaker has a front slot port which will allow for greater flexibility in placement - a must in a 12x12’ room. https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/2-way-speaker-kits/seas-a26-10-2-way-kit-pair-based-on-the-classic-a25/ |
