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Need Small Bookshelf Speakers With a Big Sound

Good morning.  I have been out of any kind of audiophile circles for a long time.  We moved into a house with built-in speakers about 5 years ago, which I really enjoy, but of course it's better for casual listening at a party than for quality listening.  Our family room is in a pretty open space that borders our living room and kitchen, so my wife is very focused on speakers being unobtrusive in appearance.  I was therefor looking for small speakers and got turned onto KEF LS50s, which sounded really nice for the price, and more than good enough for my desires.  And they are small.  But I didn't really focus on their "untraditional" looks.  It turns out that was a deal-breaker when I brought them home to demo.

So, I am back to square one.  What I would really like is a speaker that is about the size of the LS50s, or maybe a little bigger, and has a nice looking, traditional wood finish.  Bright colors and artificial surfaces, no matter how good they sound, need not apply...

I would say my self-imposed budget is around $2,000 at the top.  Unless new speakers leads me down the audiophile slippery slope, the speakers would be powered by my old Adcom 545 II amp and GTP 500 II tuner, with either an Adcom CD changer or Apple TV streaming the music.  Not exactly Audiogon Best In Class, but I think it will bring a smile to my face.  And you never know if this will lead to upgrading the whole shebang.

Any thoughts appreciated.  Not that it matters, but I am in the Chicagoland area.
chiguy
smrex13
645 posts
 
I really like the LS50 - too bad that it didn't fit with the decor.  You might check out the new Technics SB-C700 speakers, as they are somewhat similar to the KEFs and have received excellent reviews (with the exception of WhatHiFi).  They are under 2K new.  Apparently they go a little deeper in the bass, which should give you the big sound that you want.  They come in black or white, so hopefully that's acceptable.  

Good luck!
Scott
willland's avatar
willland
846 posts
 
Would you consider used speakers, and more specifically horn loaded tweeters.  Not sure the max height you are considering but look for a pair of Klipsch RB-75's(20.2"x10.0"x11.8", 32lbs) if you want "big sounding" bookshelf speakers.  If they are a bit too large, look for the smaller brother RB-5's(17.0"x9.0"x12.5", 23.15lbs)).  Both have real wood veneer, 8" woofers, and horn loaded tweeters.  The 75 has a 1.75" titanium compression driver while the 5 has a 1" titanium tweeter. 

What about the KEF R300?  Larger(15.2"x8.3"x13.6") but pretty big sounding, traditional wood finish, and fall within your budget.

Bill
chiguy OP
17 posts
 
Thanks everyone!  I have heard the R300s and like them too.  Will try to check out the Harbeths (never heard of that brand!) and Technics and others mentioned.  I do think 20" is too big.

FWIW, my original title really meant "looking for small speakers that don't sound like small speakers."  I'm not sure what "big" implies on audiogon -- it's been quite a while since I hung out here -- but I just would like a good sounding speaker.  I listen to a lot of Grateful Dead and related, as well as other classic rock (Neil Young, Steely Dan, Rolling Stones, Doors, Bob Marley, etc.....), if that matters.
yogiboy's avatar
yogiboy
5,653 posts
 
Forget the speakers that I recommended, not for the type of music you listen to!!
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,154 posts
 
Save a lot of money and get great refurbished and upgraded speakers right from the factory for less.

Take a look at the pro or cam 16 models.

http://ohmspeaker.com/outlet-store/


If if you can go bigger consider the L or c2 models. You will get more high quality sound this way than with anything new of comparable cost plus the benefits of buying direct from a reputable maker that has been around for decades.
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