2. speakers
  3. 140026-121318

Best bookshelf speakers

I’m building my first high fi system after being more of a portable audio person. I want to start with the speakers. Space is limited so bookshelf speakers are a must.

Preferences:
Balanced and revealing with a hint of warmth.
Midrange most important to get right over highs and lows
Timbre is super important - I listen mostly to acoustic music especially jazz
But I do need some bass as I also listen to some electronic music
Smaller is better but SQ is most important
A speaker that sounds good with different amps but also scalable with high quality sources
Wide sweet spot - I wont have money for a great amp at first but want them to be scalable for later

These speakers have caught my eyes - any thoughts on them?

Ascend Sierra 2s - Ribbon = dispersion limitations?
BMR Philharmonitor - See above. Also massive.
Buchardt S400/S300 - Wary of the sudden hype train and limited info
Silverline Minuet Grande - Limited info
Reference 3A De Capo - This caught my eye as a potential endgame speaker if I could blow up my budget a little. But concerns about BE tweeter as well as some potential snake oil stuff (cryogenic treatment (!?)), exaggerated sensitivity claims and wonky measurements put me off.

What else should I be looking at?

Edit: I could have sworn I had <$2,000 in the title... Anyway, my budget is 2k.

stuff_jones
chrisr's avatar
chrisr
543 posts
 
Not sure what your listening space is, but mine has always allowed a 7ft equilateral triangle and sometimes 9ft in my living room.... 
Latest arrival in my 7ft triangle is an old pair of totem hawks,  and this is the best compromise i have ever had, between small size, deep bass, easy placement, relatively easy to drive, dynamics, sweet spot, and  fantastic stage and imaging.  They have been around for about 20 years and they are not cheap.  But i think that they do what an audiophile wants in a small package.
Maybe the totem sky measure up and  more at a lower price point.  There's always the used market.
stoney40
18 posts
 
I purchased the Devore Fidelity 3XL's and haven't look back. They are definitely worth a look. I couldn't be more pleased. 
motokokusanagi
189 posts
 
A small floorstander might do the trick too, but so far none have piqued my interest. Any suggestions?
-- Living Voice Auditorium sounds to me like your perfect speaker, but they’re way above your budget new http://www.borderpatrol.net/livingvoiceloudspeakers.htm

Another variable is synergy with a given amp and interaction with your room, hence the need to go visit some dealers and just get some initial pointers on viable systems.

Brands/Models I’d recommend to try to hear are the Nola Boxer, various Totems, Harbeth P3-ESR and the ATC SCM11s. All have their attendant compromises, but broadly fit your stated sonic preferences.

Two current listings that catch my eye both happen to be Italian! 
https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis99e4g-opera-mezza-bookshelf-speakers-cherry-pair-13119-monitors...
https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis99848-diapason-audio-neos-full-range
stuff_jones OP
65 posts
 
Trying to glean more wisdom from the audiogon vets:

What are your thoughts on using a disproportionate portion of a system budget on "endgame" speakers and skimping a little on electronics? You can slowly upgrade your electronics to get more out of your speakers if you’re not satisfied/curious.

I think it was Steve Gutenberg who recommended a 50:33:17 speaker:amp:dac cost ratio. What if you do something more like 70:20:10? Will you get better SQ out of a more balanced "Gutenberg distribution", given a fixed budget?
mindlessminion
99 posts
 
I think you should throw as much money at the speaker you feasibly can to prevent the immediate upgrade bug.  Selling speakers are a pain and I consider speakers furniture/art.  

Depending on your room it is one of the 1st items people see.  My main music room is off the foyer in what is traditionally a formal living room.   There have been many speakers I would consider, but am concerned about their looks.  

I use the virtual system portion of Audiogon to find speakers that I find appealing in a room with similar style. It is one of the reasons I am looking at the Devore o/96.  I think they are very nice looking speaker.   
More to discover