Another Which Bookshelf Speaker Should I Get?


Hey folks,

I realize these threads are pretty populous, but I also realize that y'all never seem to have a lack of opinions, so I'll give it a shot ;)

I'm building up a very simple, pure system for listening in my small Brooklyn apartment. It currently consists of:

• Marantz 2235B (35wpc)
• Technics SL-D3 (my Dad's, bought new the year I was born) running a Grado Black cartridge (new last year)

...aaand that's it. I may put an iPod dock into the mix, but for the time being I'm only going to be listening to vinyl and Red Sox games on the radio.

My speaker shortlist is:

• Rega R1
• KEF iQ3
• Paradigm Atom
• EPOS ELS-3
• Cambridge Soundworks Model 6 ($50 used...)

I'm interested to hear what you think, and also where I should look to buy (NYC local, or online)

My musical tastes trend towards the lo-fi (Pavement, Radiohead, Band of Horses), old country, and the occasional John Adams record.

Budget gets painful anywhere north of $400, and I'm not shy about used.

And...GO! (thanks)
ryantomorrow
Get a used pair of Triangle Titus 202s for a few hundred and call it a day.
PSB Image B25. Very sensitive for its size with extraordinary dispersion and linearity.

You may think I'm nuts here, but maybe you should look into a pair of Cerwin-Vega CLS-10 floorstanders. Although they're kind of a frat house speaker, some new designers at CV who have come out of audiophile companies (I think Boston Acoustics) have put better, more linear Scandinavian-sourced midrange and HF drivers in there for a fast and transparent midrange. They also will give you more oomph for your 35 wpc with 90dB sensitivity. The flagship model from this series, the CLS-215, has gotten favorable reviews in Absolute Sound and Soundstage. You can probably see them at Guitar Center.
"You can probably see them at Guitar Center."

I think you had me until there... ;)

I will investigate! Someone else recommended the Energy Rc-10 - any thoughts?