Bookshelf/Monitor suggestions.


I'm looking for monitor suggestions where placement is to be 3 feet or closer to the wall. I recently heard Herbeths's P3's on a bookshelf in a used record store and was impressed. Looking to put together a small bedroom system. Have everything covered but the speakers. Any suggestions?
trebleclef
Proac 1SCs are good sounding and well regarded. It has a smooth midrange and, as with most small monitors, it images well but lacks deep bass.

I also have a pair of Red Rose Music R3s. The highs are quite delicate and the lows go surprisingly deep for a speaker of this modest size. The midrange can be a little lean until the speaker is broken in.
Depends on the price range. Krix, Alon and others make some amazing sound for small box speakers. For less money the Kef Q15.2 do a super job....worth the listen if you are thinking around $300.00 or so.
All are good suggestions so far but I must admit to being surprised of no mention of the Spendor 3/5's. Since the Harbeth I heard is essentially the same, I wonder if anyone who has made a suggestion so far (to which I am grateful) has compared their suggestion to either one. Anyone heard the Spendors or Harbeth's?
I had two pairs of Harbeth P3's. They were wonderful. I bought the second pair after I bought the first sound unheard and used them in different rooms. I have since replaced both with larger Harbeth speakers. But, believe me, you will not find much agreement with your assertion that the Harbeth speaker is "essentially the same" as the Spendor. It isnt even the same as the new Harbeth HL-P3ES. They are, however, the same size.

You could order HL-P3ES's from Wintertree Audio, or find the Spendors in a store near you maybe. The Spendors even come up used here once in a while. New or used they are less expensive than the Harbeths. The Spendors have been well reviewed and a lot of people like them. They should be fine little speakers. I remember seeing someone posting on AA, however, that he had sold his and gone back to LS3/5a's. I cannot imagine anyone who has ever had Harbeth P3's doing that.

The Spendors are easier to drive. The Harbeths require more and better power. Not a good idea to use them with a bright source or amp. The P3's are near field monitors, but unlike most such monitors do not have a dip in the presence region. They are flat through 20khz. They also have really wide dispersion. To use them, you need to keep them away from reflective surfaces like sidewalls and mirrors or glass cabinets. Ceiling reflections can also be a problem if you sit too far away from the speakers.