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Warm and accurate bookshelves that can handle volume

Hi and thanks for your help. I have been collecting and trying vintage speakers and ended up with B &.W 803 matrix series II, and also Celestion ls700 Se. The latter  are bookshelves and I use them with an NHT SW2 subwoofer. I like them both but prefer the 700s because they more accurately bring out the timbre of orchestral instruments and can be less fatiguing. Troubke is I have a pretty big room and I can’t play full orchestra at realistic volumes on the Celestions without distorting the sound. Are there bookshelves that will be warm, musical and accurate like the Celestions, but can handle volume?  Rest of the system is Qutest DAC, RA LS25 II pre, Adcom GSA555 II speakers. Thanks for feedback on which speakers to try. My reading etc suggests Harbeth Spendor Sonus Faber. Locally have tried kef and paradigm, but can’t get to much else. Will travel to try your recommendations. Seems that satellite and sub will be more flexible and cost effective than tower. 

arhgef
rsf507
2,236 posts
 

@akg_ca Harbeths really? Yes they are fine sounding BUT turn up the vol and they fall apart, at least in my experience. Local dealer sell them so have heard them many times. 

grinnell
1,077 posts
 

Ref 3A de Capo?

 

akg_ca's avatar
akg_ca
2,178 posts
 

@rsf507 

i have the HARBETH 30.2 XDs driven by a$ 5 figure mutha high end integrate amp ( REGA OSIRIS ) that have everything I ever wanted at any volume and any genre of music . 

the notion that they somehow  “ fall apart” is nonsense and a hard and fast NFW (. Unless maybe they are driven by crap ?)

mazian's avatar
mazian
362 posts
 

I have very affordable Elac BS 244 speakers with ribbon tweeters in my second system and they play plenty loud in a large open area (lounge, dining and kitchen). They are also warm, dynamic and detailed.

henry53's avatar
henry53
280 posts
 

Can you really get warm and accurate? Accurate surely implies neutral, warm is not neutral. Do you mean you want speakers you like the sound of? I have 2 pairs of Audio Physic speakers, they are very detailed but certainly not cold. To me they sound perfect to friends who have Monitor Audio, Harbeth and Lintons they sound bright, friends who have Klipsch say they sound dull.  That truely makes me think they are just right!

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