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Smooth/Musical Bookshelves upto $1500 - $2000

Hi members,

Greetings, I'm so glad to have found this forum. This is my first post and i'm taking my first step into real/proper Hi-Fi. Some details.

Room Size = 12ft x 10ft
Music Source = Desktop PC
Music Type = Pop, Rock, Hip-Hop, Dance, House, Techno.
Budget for speakers = $1500 - $2000 ( Bookshelves )

I like a Smooth and Musical sound which is easy on the ears, a kind of sound which is comfortable to listen for long hours. Basically fatigue free listening.

Unfortunately i have very sensitive ears. A Bright/Analytical/Forward sound gives me a headache within minutes and High Treble pierces my ears and they start hurting rather quickly.

At the same time i'd like the sound to be involving & exciting with a melodious character with a bit of detail. Taught bass with excellent vocals is preferred. I'm willing to add a Subwoofer. ( separate budget )

I'd like to invite suggestions for Bookshelves which fit the above description. I hope such a Speaker exists which is involving & exciting but at the same time smooth and musical.

Regards,

Rana.
rana_kirti
toddnkaya
493 posts
 
I thought ATC's were more precise and analytical, not warm.
Just asking?...
zkzpb8
212 posts
 
I listen to a lot of rock and hip hop, and I think the P3's bass is very good - especially near field. I find ATC's only sound good at louder volumes - plus Harbeths are easier to drive...
rumadian
152 posts
 
Bongo,

Please don't take this the wrong way, but what you suggested is pretty much the opposite of what the Rana_Kirti is looking for.

Don't get me wrong. ATC makes fine transducers. But their well documented tendency towards being rather unforgiving of poor recordings is at odds with Rana's goals. And the B&W 685's you mentioned are simply outgunned in this company. A more suitable B&W entry would be the CM5 - which too falls short of Rana's criteria as it is a bit tilted up along the treble.

As for the bass on the P3ESR's.. I have zero problem's with how they portray hip hop, electronica, rock, metal, or any other kind of music when set up in the near field. What they lack of laser-like speed they more than make up for in terms of tone and, (within their physical limitations), density..
rana_kirti OP
7 posts
 
i've been getting some pretty solid advice on my query and i appreciate each member who is trying their best to help me. I'd like to answer some of the questions asked to me by members above...

- no the speakers won't be on bookshelves.
- they will be in a near-field scenario on my work desktop placed on either side of my PC Screen.
- i prefer a smooth/musical sound with the treble rolled off/recessed as i have very sensitive ears and a bright/forward/clinical/analytical kind of sound gives me an instant headaches within 2-3 minutes and my ears start hurting quickly. it's almost like they start ringing. it's a very unpleasant feeling.
- so i'm looking for something which is easy on the ears for long fatigue free hours of listening.
- i'm open to a 2.1 setup.
- budget is $ 1500 - $ 2000.
- music genre is Pop/Rock/Hip-Hop/Techno. So an all-rounder kind of speaker will be preferred.

Please do feel free to ask me any other questions which can help you help me.

Regards and Happy Holidays,

Rana.
bongofury
1,160 posts
 
Rumadian

ATC handles almost all genres well. They would not be used in over 1000 studios otherwise. They reproduce the source in an accurate fashion, warts and all. The sound amazing loud, especially with rock, hip hop and electronica, with excellent seperation of the layers that go with these genres. I use them professional to mix live tracks and have been a big fan of the brand for over 20 years. B & W made great strides since 2006 with their new studio line. The 685 is the Chinese version of their noted 805, and offers top to bottom range rarely offered at this price point. The are roughly 35% the price of the Harbeths. As stated above, I also highly recommend the Audioengine 5s (excellent value) and Paradigm (a steal: what I gave to my own daughter.
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