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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
yogiboy's avatar
yogiboy
5,656 posts
 

I’ve owned every Harbeth minus the M40. I am now using the Super HL5 Plus and would have to say it's my favorite in the Harbeth line !

jl1ny's avatar
jl1ny
418 posts
 

Reference 3A’s with beryllium tweeter or ProAc Response D2. For a truly blissful experience add a REL Carbon Special. 

markmuse
283 posts
 

I'll throw these in since they haven't been mentioned:

Fyne F1-8

Qln Prestige 1

Both are superb and throw a huge soundstage while being well mannered. 

mickeyb
572 posts
 

Diapason adamantes or music culture rl-21. 
both very difficult to find on the used market. 
some of the best 2 way monitors for the price you can buy. 

arhgef OP
55 posts
 

Thanks much for all this great advice. Just want to answer a few of the questions:

1) the room is 15 x 20, but the speakers are about 6 feet from the back wall. On one side wall behind one of the speakers there is a 6 foot opening to the rest of the house.

2) I misused the word accurate I guess. I meant that they were able to reproduce the timbres of instruments. I can really hear the difference between oboes, clarinets etc. Massed strings are not just one mess. (I like rock and roll and jazz, but really hearing the nuances of classical music is the ultimate for me.) 

3) Re the subs, I have heard that it is best to use a crossover on the sub itself and let full spectrum go to the satellites. Others have said you can help your satelittes by shunting all the low frequency to the sub. I use a second preamp out to go to the sub amp, and there set a low pass at about 50 Hz. The speakers have good output until about 50. 

4) I go for about 80 or 85 as loud

Thanks again! Enjoy the music.

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