looking for bookshelves - Another usual boring speaker discussion


i am looking for bookshelf speakers to pair with hegel H400 in my condo. i have Wilson watt puppies in my house and absolutely love the sound of the WPs 50th anniversary.. WPs are paired with d'agostino momentum C2 and progression s350.

i will be placing them on a granite shelf near a wall. sort of a klitchen counter.

i listened to SF Amators and BW 805d4, both somewhat laid back, SF Amators i did not like at all. too warm, bass lower mids were overpowering the treble. Also listened to wilson tune tot- lows are an issue. with the 5.75in woofer.

i am now seriously considering the focal sopra 1. i have not auditioned them yet but will do in next week or 2. i know one can't get a full picture from youtube but i have been listening with headphones to several youtube pistes where they do A-B or even A-B-C.

i find the focals and wilsons sound similar. Wilson's have a bit more clarity in the upper mids but overall similar, so i think i will like them. 

Would appreciate suggestions and any more recommendations form the experienced audiophiles herewith vast knowledge base.

thank you

Amar

dhali777

Sorry I’m late.  Consider the following that are my preferences, in order of SQ and price.  Each are highly musical.  Each sound different so you need to audition.  The Vivid  recommendation is rear ported so an open shelf, not a closed cabinet is required. All will not have much below 40Hz but what bass the have above is so good you will not much miss that deficiency.   I find the list below much more musical than offerings from Wilson, B&W, KEF, etc. I have not auditioned the other recommendations from others above.  Good luck.  


Sonus Farber Guarneri G5

Vimberg Amea

Sonus Farber  Electra Amator

Vivid Kaya S12

I have a Hegel h160 and had Focal 807Ws, both a step down from your interests but I thought they went well together.  Since then, I have been downsizing and have been using a V/A CA-1 which is as great sounding as the hegel and sufficient as I don't need the power. 

Wanting smaller speakers I looked at Revival Atalante 3, Fritz Carbon 7se II, Audio Craftsman Laval an Victoria, Dali Rubicon 2 on discount with the intention of having the CA-1 drive them. Along came another option in an Audel Magika II on closeout/demo which I ultimately bought.

If it weren't for the Audel, I would have bought the Fritz.  The Audel was a bit smaller, less money and the birch plywood box intrigued me.  No regrets but I would still like to obtain a pair of Fritz Carbons someday.  They will be different and definitely different from Focal but seems to give alot of what I want today.  This would be your least expensive option that would be easy to sell down the road.  The others are not so easy a sell or hold their value from retail. 

Although the Audio Craftsman are being highly spoken of.  For a Condo, any of these could do.  If you can get the Focals on discount, sure.  The Cabasse Murano someone mentioned, if at discount though some say well worth the retail.  Someone mentioned Dali Menuet SE which nearfield in warm and a bit too dark for me but puts a solid 3D image of the performer in front of you.  More than 5 feet away you start to lose that as I had those but didn't work for me.

Even if I had the funds, I don't know if I would want to spend alot on standmount speakers but TAD at a sizable discount is interesting, and you have the Hegel. 

 

 

I think the OP is making a mistake by not considering the Harbeth M30.2 XD or the M40.3 XD. IIRC they have a more musical sound than the other Harbeth models and is Harbeth+Hegel commonly known as an ideal synergistic combo.