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Small bookshelfs that reach 42 hz

I just about worked out what speakers to buy for the living room when the wife changed her mind from floor standers to stand mount speakers. She saw a set of B&W 805's on their dedicated stands and that was it.

Not wanting to cave in for pure aesthetics, I need to know what else to consider for a small (16" or less tall) bookshelf speaker that will allow me to reach the bottom range of a bass guitar with solidity. Please no speakers that do 50 or 60 hz and then crap out; that won't fit the bill. Price is anything up to $3000 new with stands. Nice looking matching stands are a major plus as this is the living room.

Since I haven't bought the amp yet don't worry about synergy but if you have suitable integrated recommendations that won't be above $1500 or so used I'm all ears. Many thanks.
wdrazek
mjw55
82 posts
 
The Dynaudio Special 25's go to 30hz according to the manufacturer and 25hz according to Stereophile magazines' testing. The SE 1.3 Specials are a bargain at less than $2k used. Check it out. I'm not selling any but, I do own the Special 25's and have been very happy with them for over 2 years.
Good luck
jamesfoucheschack692f
5 posts
 
I have a pair of Monitor Audio Bronze 2 speakers. They're rated to go down to 42Hz and, when placed in certain spots, seem to actually do so, according to Stereophile's Editor's Choice CD.

I generally like them, although I've found it hard to optimize soundstaging, bass extension, and tonal balance. It seems like a trade-off among those three.

They retail for $400/pair - seem like a bargain.
seandtaylor99
1,262 posts
 
Personally I think may floorstanders look better than monitors on stands, unless the stands are exceptionally well integrated with the speakers.

Would she go for narrow baffle floorstanders like AP Virgos ?

One other question is how far from rear and side walls will the speakers have to be placed ? If very close to rear walls then rear ported monitors with low frequency response could sound quite boomy.
jalapenos
81 posts
 
I run Revel M22's full range with no sub and personally have no desire to add one. They reproduce the full range of bass guitar in my setup very accurately and clean. If aesthetics are a concern, the Revels are very elegant looking with the two-tone cabinet finish.
wdrazek OP
100 posts
 
Thanks for all of the great suggestions. The goal is a solid 42 hz output so bass guitars can be properly rendered but flat to 42 is not necessary. I could add a sub and may end up going that route but would prefer a properly matched and aesthetically pleasing speaker/stand combination like the 805 or some of the Sonus Fabers.

In general I prefer the look of floor standers but a 36x10x12 inch speaker is now considered too bulky for our 15x28 room. Yeah, it does sound a little crazy but since my den is exactly what I wanted I'm not going to argue in her living room.
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