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BOOKSHELF SPEAKER RECOMMENDATION

I’ve set up an additional music system in a spare bedroom, small with wall to wall carpeting.  My current system, all purchased used  on Audiogon or AudioMart, consists of a Hegel 590 integrated amp, an Ayre C-5 Universal CD player, Synergistic interconnects ,Nordost Heimdall speaker cables and Synergistic Research and Shunyata power products.  Currently I’m feeding the cables into a Tannoy D-100 monitor I purchased 30 years ago and which sat in the garage for the last 20 years. It sounds pretty darn good but of course, the bass could be better, the limitation of small speakers.  But as technology for small monitor speakers has advanced over 30 years, I’m looking for recommendations for monitors that sound great but give a little more bass.   I’ve been looking at the Totem Signature One and the Dynaudio 40 Anniversary models, based on reviews.  But I’d very much like to hear the recommendations of this experienced group.  Thanks, appreciate it.

styleman
rnaderi108's avatar
rnaderi108
5 posts
 

Devore 3XL, LSA 50, KEFQ350, PSB Synchrony, Fritz

luxmancl38
580 posts
 

Aerial 5T's are excellent speakers. I have had mine for over five years. Hard to beat.

musicaddict
370 posts
 

Used or new:   Joseph Audio Pulsar, Raidho D1, Sonus Faber.

? Golden Ear BRX, Legacy

I think it's probably best to understand the type of sound you enjoy (and for how long at a time if the speakers are on the analytical or forward side).

I root for Heil/AMT and ribbon type tweeters, clarity without fatigue (or soft domes otherwise).

mofojo
2,294 posts
 

I don't see a budget? 

tunefuldude's avatar
tunefuldude
197 posts
 

I have a pair of Usher BE-718 bookshelf speakers ... and of course, I think this particular speaker would potentially do what you're wanting them to do.

The two things that've both surprised me and pleased me the most, and it's really kind of a toss up, which one's more valuable to me the bass extension and how it gets the high frequencies so right.

I challenge you to come up with another bookshelf that'll do both so well, for the money. Period.

The caveat is that they're power hungry ... what a good problem to have, right?

I read a lot of reviews before I bought them ... and a couple of the reviews said that, so it wasn't a surprise to me. What the review said is, when you feed them well they sing like nobody's business. I concur.

The thing I also read, which is real cool is how low they go w/o being the least bit boomy. It's a trip ... for a bookshelf. I have an interesting observation for the reason, potentially. I set them up in my main room right next to my Martin Logan Summits and I noticed that the cabinet is damn near the same shape as the, I guess you call it the bass module, of my Summits. And that serves pretty much as a subwoofer, that's tied in to the electrostatic panel. All I can say is you've gotta hear it to believe it.

The other thing about the speaker is the Beryllium tweeter. All I have to say there is that it's very special. I'm not sure I could even do it justice, like a lot of folks on this site but I know that not very many speakers have Be in their tweeter, and the ones that do are pretty remarkable. Focal comes to mind.

So the other thing the reviews gave it high marks for consistently is imaging and soundstage. I think getting both ends right has a lot to do with that in this particular speaker.

Another interesting fact ... I guess Usher makes some of their own speakers (?) and apparently they use their nicest 7" for this particular model.

Oh btw, one of the reviews actually called it "one of the best speakers you can buy, for the money". Something real close to that. I was like, Hmmm ... but I agree after owning them for a while now.

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