Attractive Bookshelf - Under $3k

ZZ Top may be "the little ole band from Texas", but Watkins Stereo and Loudspeakers is the little but GIANT speaker manufacturer from my hometown of Kingsport, Tennessee that has been blowing audiophiles away since the 1970’s. Bill Watkins, Sr., is the engineering wizard behind the famous Watkins Dual-Drive Woofer which he licensed to Infinity Systems, the amazing WE-1 speaker (a Holy Grail find now in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina), and the current Watkins Generation 4 Bookshelf Speaker.

I believe this review summary should give you thought about checking out the $2,500 Watkins Generation 4 in your search:

"Had I auditioned the Gen Four blind behind a curtain and had to judge its value in the hierarchy of high-end audio I would have been happy to recommend it even at a price tag of $7k. Its asking price at a fraction of that is partly due to the direct sales model—there is no dealer markup. It simply sounds like a much more expensive speaker. And I should add that the Gen Four felt comfortable in the company of far more expensive components in the price range of $15k and upward."

@allenf1963  - Thanks for you post. I'm a very happy owner of vintage Infinity RS1.5 speakers that utilize the dual voice-coil Watkins Woofer. Still love them. However, I'm always interested in hearing new stuff, especially if it is reasonably affordable.

Next time I'm planning a trip to/through the area of East Tennessee, I'm going to try to set up a visit to Watkins Audio for a listen to the Watkins Generation 4 speaker. Would love to have a smallish bookshelf to try in my main rig, and my office system.

@reubent -- I will give you a fair warning....if you stop by Watkins Stereo and Bill, Jr., demos a set of Gen 4, you will walk out with a lighter wallet!  😆

They are amazing.  Especially at $2,500 a pair.  They punch WAY ABOVE their weight.  I was at Watkins Stereo in February and they are emerging from the COVID supply chain issues.  Let me know if you go by!

I think there may be a beautiful pair of the original LSA 1s listed on Audiogon right now. Beautiful to look at and listen to. The price is right too. I own a pair and love them. They are worth a look.

@allenf1963  - Do you have the Watkins Gen 4 speakers in your system? Curious about the bass extension. My Infinitys go just a little bit lower and have a solid bottom-end without the need for a sub. They are also a sealed enclosure, so they don't seem to be as affected by room boundaries. I have an odd shaped room and my speakers sit way out into the room, like 8 feet from the walls immediately behind them. Wondering how the Watkis speakers would work in that situation.

I can add a sub, if needed. I just prefer to not have a sub in that room.