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Best bookshelf speaker reccomendations?

I currently have the platinum solos (hence my screen name) and have been considering upgrading them in the near future. I love them, but am just curious to see if anyone out there has moved on or has some relevant comparisons. On my list are the following:

AAD 2001 (phil jones new replacements for platinum)
Wilson benesch ARC
B&W 805 signature version
Revel GEM or M20
JM Lab micro utopia
Piega P-?

Currently evolving system: CEC TL2X and monarchy DAC (to be replaced by audio logic 2400 or similar), Pass X150 and soon to be X2.5 preamp.
platsolos
lindisfarne
511 posts
 
Spendor 3/5 or 3/1 P. Beautiful music, not hi-fi. You'll have trouble listening to anything else, unless you need hyper detail in which case the Spendor is not for you.
vikkysingh
154 posts
 
Well it' s not that they wouldn't be a good match for your current set up it's just that they sound extremely different from the speakers you mentioned, almost all of which I am not a fan of. The pass will do fine with the 25 actually. The 25 has such an open tonally rich sound that makes the B&W for example sound like a screeching monitor... The Jm is far mor refined than the B&W but again far too forward for my liking.
tomryan
797 posts
 
I also vote for Spendor or Harbeth since you use SS electronics. Some of the above mentioned speakers are on the lean side if things (JM Lab, Revel, Dynaudio) and are tricky to make musical w/ transistor based amplification.
phasecorrect's avatar
phasecorrect
2,013 posts
 
Quad 11/12Ls...I auditioned every monitor under the sun for almost a year...case in point...a buddy who has Maggie 1.6s described the Quads as "very big and very open"...their soundstage is huge...and for their size...bass is clean,deep,and tight...and in the QUad tradition...they are very transparent and imaging has a scary 3-d realism...downside:they are unforgiving on poor recordings and equipment....hey, nothings perfect! Build quality is world class too...
aritomo's avatar
aritomo
8 posts
 
For value for $ - try the ELAC models - awfully good for 3 digit prices...given some of the limitations in placement and so on when people literally "bookshelf" a bookshelf speaker, these do a great low 4 digit job at a 3 digit price...
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