# Bookshelf Speakers



## D-EJ915

Hey guys, I've sort've compiled a list of bookshelf speaker manufacturers...if you pick one, please recommend a model


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## Wilson M.

I have the Revel M20s. At $2000, they are actually much better than my previous bookshelf speakers, the B&W John Bower Silver Signatures ($8000 way back when). I chose the Revels over the B&W 805s and the Dynaudio Contour 1.3 mk.II and 1.3 SE.

 I know that Revel voiced them based on Levinson gear (they're all part of Madrigal) but I frankly find them better with tube gear. They tend to be too analytical with solid state.

 The mistake that people make with the Revels, B&Ws and Dynaudios is to mate them with inferior source and amplification. They all overachieve for their price point.

 I've got mine mated with $15,000 worth of electronics (turntable, CD, pre-amp and power amp) and I would not call them a weak link.

 I found the Vienna Acoustics and Sonus Fabers a little too polite and more suited to classical and small group acoustic music.


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## peter braun

I love my PSB Alpha A/Vs. They provide a very smooth match with my Sansui reciever and Rotel cdp. Plus, they can be had for between $100-150 on Audiogon. I bought mine new in the box for $100 shipped !!!!!
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I have also heard the PSB Image 2B and found it to be a very musical monitor.


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## peter braun

As far as higher end monitors, I recommend those from the Totem Acoustics line. Though they are relatively hard to drive, they are very well built, with superb dynamics and imaging.


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## Wilson M.

PSBs are very good speakers for the money. They sacrifice a bit of bass for higher efficiency so it will really depend on your music. I liked the sound of the 2B better than the Alphas but I think the Alphas are a better value. A subwoofer is recommended.

 I like the Totem Model 1 Signature as well but I feel that the Revel and Dynaudio are just a bit better. The Totem is better than the B&W. They are all in the $2,000-2,500 price range.


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## peter braun

The Totems do represent a considerable value when found on the used market however.


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## kenchi1983

I think I am the only person amongst this forum that is using a pair of Athena speakers, currently. I have the Athena ASB1, high build quality and i personally think these are the best consumer budget speakers out there.


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## millerdog

I just heard the Totems. If you got the right set up, they freaking rock. I mean, they do everything right. Not right for my SET amp, but they did a good job with a BAT 75w amp.
 Now I must live with my LothX BS1s. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 You get what you pay for!
 md


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## tom hankins

I agree the Revel M20's are very good. I like them more than the 805's also. But not as good as the new signature series B&W 805's.


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## Sugano-san

Guarneri Homage.


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## 00940

for 200$, i can't really see how to make better than my small wharfedale diamond 8.1


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## squirt

i currently use NHT M5 speakers with a Rel Strata III sub...i really like the M5's. M5s are a little tall compared to typical bookshelfs but they have a pretty small foot print...NHT doesn't have the status of the big name companies but they produce some really fine speakers for the price range and more...i've also heard Totems and they are really nice too...
NHT M5


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## stymie miasma

I auditioned the PSB Image 2Bs against the Image 1Bs, and a pair of the new Alphas (can't recall the model sorry), as well as a couple of compartively-priced Boston Acoustics bookshelf speakers. All comparisons were made using an NAD C541i and an NAD integrated amp. 

 It was a tough call between the 1B and 2Bs, but to my ears, both clearly outperformed the Boston Acoustics and the PSB Alphas. From memory, the Boston Acoustics lacked overall coherence and sounded 'constrained'. The PSB alphas sounded good for their size, but the larger Image series really did make an easily discernable difference, with major improvements in bass and soundstage. Overall, I found the PSBs more lively with a forward presentation that made my Grado-ed ears happy 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I also auditioned the B&W 302 and 601 (I think they were the models). They were powered with some Rotel gear. From what I can recall, they were very smooth, moreso in the treble than the PSBs possibly due to tweeter differences. That said, there was something weird in the midrange which I couldn't put my finger on - these speakers made many of my CDs sound quite unusual. It wasn't unpleasant, just strange. 

 In the end, a killer deal from Yawa saw me going with the PSB Image 2Bs. Overall, I am pretty happy, they are a little dry and lean in the mids, but keep in mind my source is below-par. Put them on stands, and they make an excellent budget loudspeaker. I would like to revisit the B&Ws some day, side-by-side with the PSBs...


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## chicken

I have B&W 601s and they sound great! However, if the empty walletitis ever leaves me, I wouldn't mind auditioning a pair of Spendor speakers. I've read good things. Oh well. Til then, I'm happy.


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## JMedeiros

I'm sure there are many better but I voted Infinity because I have Infinitys all around in my HT setup including RS-2s as my surrounds.

 Until I got my Overture 2 towers, they did quite nicely as my fronts.

 John


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## jms007bnd007

You gotta check out the Axiom M3Ti's. They sound awesome. They are 275 shipped new from the manufacturer.


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## soundboy

Mission M71....shockingly good at $250.00/pair. 

 I am currently using Energy C-1. Perhaps the best combination of low cost and sound quality. Extremely high build and sound quality. Very efficient at 92 db. Got mine for $275.00/pair.


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## MoLtoSoLo

Triangle got some nice speakers too, I love mine.
 Also I like the Dynaudio Acoustics BM15A active speakers.


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## drewski

I really enjoy my sonus faber concertos... may be a bit soft for some people. There are so many great bookshelf speakers out there- Proac, Revel, Joesph Audio, Spendor, and Merlin just to name a few that I like. So many speakers, so little time (and money). Just don't skimp and buy a good heavy pair of stands!


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## Ctn

Need more choices


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## D-EJ915

Do you know any of the price of these??


 A-E Aegis Evo1, AE300
 Revel Gem, M20
 Monitor Bronze B1, B2; Silver S1, S2
 Mission M30/1/2, M70/M71(i)/2(i)
 Paradigm Titan, Focus, Mini Monitor, Monitor 5, Studio 20, Studio 40
 Infinity Primus 140/160
 PSB Image 1B, 2B, Stratus Mini
 ...thanks...what are some good totems/prices...

 I also like B&W DM303 and DM600/1, but I Know their prices...heh...

 just checked a review of the Gem, is £4795 - £6295 reasonable??


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## vrao81

I guess you are in England then? Go for one of the English brands, Acoustic Energy, Monitor Audio, Wharfedale, B&W, Mission, etc. What budget are you looking at? I know the Monitor Audio Silver S1 ( excellent speaker, heard many times) sells for £300 for a pair, if that is in your price range, definitely give them a listen.


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## D-EJ915

nah, just selected a bunch of brands I liked, most of 'em are readily avaliable where I live (I have 3 great audio dealers at most 35 minutes from my house)...ok, I actually have a Sound&Vision magazine that really likes the Bronze 1's, I'm assuming that the Silver 1's would be even better!, wow, thanks...I was really looking for less than or around 600 USD (mainly less than 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




), since I'm going to buy the Sharp NX10 (which comes with o-k speakers...)

 heh, I'm in Va Beach, Va. if anybody was wondering...well, heh, and now...to get an NX10, I am going to make a sound system and I'm going to get the speakers now...err, soon (instead of a year from now) so that I could properly break them in, and have something better than Z-560 satellites, and no bass (4.1 pc speakers)...the amp's in the sub...well, I already know that I looove Velodyne HGS subs, but WAIT, they don't make those anymore..."Digital Drive" or something like that now, I'd say the same thing with a new look (remember FS-1800R's...or I think that's the model...heh)


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## vrao81

The MA Silver S1 retails in the US for $600/pair. Some other options in this price range include the NHT SB3, Paradigm Studio 20, and Energy C-3.


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## D-EJ915

are the Paradigm Monitor 5's any good??...and I really like the way Missions look, are they good speakers for the price ...if they can play to 100Hz, I'm set (+-30Hz)


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## soundboy

For under US$600.00/pair, I think both the Energy C-3 and the NHT SB3 are hard to beat. I've heard both and both of them sounded great. However, the NHT will require a more powerful amp since it's less efficient; I believe they're rated at 87 db whereas the Energy C-3 is around 92 db. This have to do more with the design of the speaker since the NHT is one of those rare acoustics suspension designs. Anyways, both will show off the goods and the bads of upstream electronics and the recording itself. Both highly recommended.

 B&W?? I've heard the 302, 303, and various series of the 601 and 602....just doesn't do it for me. In my opinion, you can get same, if not better, quality of sound at lower prices.

 I would check out the Monitor Audio bookshelfs....

 I want to ask about the room in which these speakers will go into, because I feel that the room itself should be considered as a "component" of an audio system.


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## HD-5000

Quote:


 for 200$, i can't really see how to make better than my small wharfedale diamond 8.1 
 

Yes! Finally, I find another Wharfedale Diamond 8.1 "experiencer". Hope you enjoy them as I enjoy mine.


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## Sol_Zhen

Since you said you live close to some good shops, go audition. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Chat up the sales reps at the stores and see if you'll be permitted to take some demo models home over a weekend (after leaving a security deposit) to see how they work in your room.


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## D-EJ915

will do, and does anybody know where I can read reviews of those wharfedales...they don't sell them near me.


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## Sol_Zhen

I'd rather buy from a local shop. The ones in my neck of the woods offer a trade in program. Anytime within a year of purchase you can return them to the store for *full credit* towards an upgrade. The only catch is that it has to be an upgrade in the same category, i.e. an amp for an amp, speakers for speakers, cd player for cd player, et al. 

 Good deal there. Say you buy a $300/pair set now and next June or July you return them for a full $300 credit towards a $600/pair. And, you can continue the cycle infinitely. Ask your stores if they allow for a similar deal.


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## HD-5000

reviews 

 Sorry, these are the only professional reviews I could find. You could try audioreview.com. 

 Yup Sol_Zhen, buying from a local dealer is the right way to go. FIY, I bought my pair of Wharfedale's at SoundFX KC.


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## yidimsum

I've really been enjoying the Proac Response 2 speakers I picked up about a year ago. They are an older model, but sound fantastic, especially with tube gear. They are quite a bit larger than the popular Response 1SC and give better bass response, but can be found for a cheaper price. I'm really digging how musical and naturally they convey voices/instruments. In the early 1990s, they retailed for $3000-3500 (depending on the wood finish) and the Target stands specifically designed for them used to retail for $700. Nowadays, you can pick them up from $1000-1500. If you would like a Stereophile review in PDF format, just PM me.

 Here's a picture of the Response 2: 






 Picture of the R2 Speaker Stands:


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## Orpheus

NHTPro (or Vegence) A-20.

 goddam awesome.

 read a review comparing them to the B&W 805's:

http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/nht_a20.htm

 one of the best nearfields you will ever hear at any price. if you can find the matching B-20 stereo sub system...... you'll have sound that rivals any of the best floor-standers.

 my bro's Onix Reference monitors also sound very full... and extremely strong bass. the finishes are REALLY beautiful:

http://www.av123.com/products_produc...ers&product=23


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## TimSchirmer

For music, I'd go for a pair of LS3/5A's made by rogers, harbeth.etc. They were made for the BBC a while back and sound quite nice (especially with analog) Spicas are quite nice as well.


 Edit: those NHT's orpheus mentioned are pretty awesome as well.


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## TimSchirmer

Speaking of which, i might be getting a pair of powered monitors soon because they will inevitably save me money over something with a seperate amp.

 Orpheus, have you ever tried the Yamaha NS-10's? Some friends have been recommending those to me, and they cost quite a bit less than the NHT's.


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## Orpheus

ns-10's are not powered. you'll need a small power amp for them. also, they sound like ****. no one with any ear would buy them for their sound quality. pros use them for mixing (most popular monitors in the whole wide world)... but there is no one in the world who likes their sound!

 anyway, don't buy them. they sell for 2x their worth now anyway. (i was originally gonna buy out GC's ENTIRE stock before they were discontinued... but chickened out. boy do i regret it.)

 if you want good and moderately-price near-field powered monitors... check out the Event 20/20 BAS. VERY VERY VERY good. and if later you want even more bass, add their powered sub. anyway... you should be able to find the 20/20 BAS for about $400-500 on ebay. i wouldn't pay more than $500. and you're looking for the "BAS" version... the normal 20/20 is not powered. these things are awesome...... and many pros love them. you can even audition them at GC before you buy.

 (and tell your friends that they are NUTS to recommend the Yamahas to you.)


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## D-EJ915

I don't want powered speakers, it severely limits upgradeability (not to mention increases total cost)...I see them as a waste of money, and for people that want good sound but aren't hardcore upgraders.


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## Dusty Chalk

I own a pair of Spendor S3/5's (not the recently introduced SE). And am keeping them. They won a "golden ear" award several years ago, deservedly so, IMHO.

 I suspect the Moth Cicada's (?name/sp) are good, too.


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## sacd lover

The Proac response 2's mentioned above are excellent. JM Lab makes several very good bookshelf models and they are what I own. The JM Labs are usually high sensitivity and easy loads and you can use a lower power amp with them. Their top models are pricey though.


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## D-EJ915

they actually sell totems at 1 of the local dealers, so I'll check 'em out sometime.


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## Calanctus

Quote:


 _Originally posted by Wilson M. _
*I have the Revel M20s. At $2000, they are actually much better than my previous bookshelf speakers, the B&W John Bower Silver Signatures ($8000 way back when). I chose the Revels over the B&W 805s and the Dynaudio Contour 1.3 mk.II and 1.3 SE. * 
 

Seconded. I've still got mine, and to my ears they beat the B&W 805 signatures, the Kef Reference 201s, the Dynaudio 1.3 SE, and a few others. (Auditioning under different conditions might have produced better results for the 805 Sigs...a fine speaker as are all the others...but I liked what I heard through the Revels!)

 However, I've finally found a speaker that I think does better in most ways than the M20 (and that I can afford, albeit barely): the VMPS 626R with upgraded tweeter, capacitors and soundcoat. This baby has an incredibly transparent midrange with airy and extended treble. Bass...good for a standmount. It's not as good as the M20 at soundstaging, unfortunately, but in most other ways I like it better.


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## NEO

I like EPOS ES 12

review


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## DarkAngel

Quote:


 _Originally posted by stymie miasma _
*
 In the end, a killer deal from Yawa saw me going with the PSB Image 2Bs. Overall, I am pretty happy, they are a little dry and lean in the mids, but keep in mind my source is below-par. Put them on stands, and they make an excellent budget loudspeaker. I would like to revisit the B&Ws some day, side-by-side with the PSBs... 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


* 
 

I own some PSB Image 2B's which you can find online various places for $250 new.........really hard to beat in value/sound ratio.
 Almost any of the Canadian monitors PSB, Energy, Paradigm etc are very good performance for the money.

 I recently got PSB Stratus Minis used at Audiogon for $500 which has better everything over Image 2B and has very long track record of great reviews from many sources.

 If money were no object I would definitely be looking at Revels or BW 805. Aesthetically the most beautiful 2 way monitor has to be the BW 805, look at that tweeter element........a work of art!





 In my early vinyl days of the 1980's like Dusty I owned Spendor 3/5 and later Spendor SP1........probably should have kept around the SP1's


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## Orpheus

i still think that b&w 805 is not worth the money. although i personally have never heard it, those who have and compared it to other high-end monitors always picked its opponent. b&w has a good name and all, but the models i heard (801, 804) did not impress me that much. they look nice... and i think they sell a lot because of that. for that much money, there are many really nice speakers.... like the ones i own, or my bro's Onix references. both sound much bigger than their size would lead you to believe.


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## Wilson M.

B&Ws have a definite "family sound" in a similar way that all modern Grados have a family sound. You either love it or you hate it.


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## Dusty Chalk

Quote:


 _Originally posted by DarkAngel _
 In my early vinyl days of the 1980's like Dusty I owned Spendor 3/5 and later Spendor SP1........probably should have kept around the SP1's 
 

If that's the one I'm thinking of, it's not exactly a bookshelf speaker...or am I thinking of something else?


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## Eagle_Driver

Too bad I have to commute from the suburbs to the big city (Chicago) just to find the nearest high-end audio dealer that seemingly carries any well-regarded brand besides PSB. The stores near where I work at (e.g. Best Buy) carry little but crappy speakers from companies like Bose, KLH and Sony - with some JBL and Klipsch and a little Athena thrown into the mix.

 On the other hand, I live reasonably close - only a short bus ride (sorry, I don't drive at all, nor am I acquainted with any neighbors that may be driving) with one transfer point - to an "authorized" PSB dealer (they may also carry some other brands). I will check their selection out sometime this week.

 Oh, I really need new speakers now. My DIY jobbie using RatShack speakers is really getting rickety (RatShack is no longer selling raw speaker drivers at their stores, and is selling Pioneer-branded raw drivers only through their Web site), and since it lacks magnetic shielding, they made my new MMF-5 turntable produce howling at high enough volume levels, even with sufficient isolation. And my listening room is so small that there would be no way whatsoever to relocate my speakers or turntable from their current positions (which, by the way, are currently a bit too close to one another).


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## zeplin

i have the Kef Q5 towers. they are totally the best bang for the buck i've ever bought. the thing they do the best is image. there is no one sweet spot...the sweet spot is everywhere. the highs are extremely delicate and accurate...and while the bass isn't overpowering and "fake," is still has that powerful, controlled feel that can reach really deep levels. of course i only let my kefs handle the lower to upper mids and beyond, while my Kilpsch RSW-12 sub handles the extreme lows...another awesome product (push pull design in a closed enclosure). i think with any of these speakers everyone has been mentioning, (in the 400-800 +-100 range) you can't really go wrong with. when fed with the right amount and type of power, they all sound wonderful. just audition and choose. good luck!


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## MD1032

If I had the money, a pair of RB-75's would be great coupled with a good amp. Also, get yourself an SVS!!!


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## Eagle_Driver

Okay, so yesterday I went to that "authorized" PSB dealer, and they had a pair of Image 2B's in stock. Trouble is, they want the full $400 MSRP for that pair, plus sales tax. No way am I'm gonna pay full list price on those speakers if I have to take two or more buses just to get them from the store to my house. And they may charge extra just to have them ship them to my house.

 With that dealer out of the running, I listened to the Boston Acoustics bookshelf speakers at Tweeter. I was quite impressed with the CR-85's that they have - but they cost $400 per pair. I haven't heard the $300 CR-75's, but did listen to the $200 CR-65's. They had less low bass response but more upper bass bloat than the CR-85's.

 And earlier today I listened to the selection of bookshelf speakers that Best Buy carries. Too bad the environment was less than ideal, with all that noise going on there. And on the amp that the Sony and Athena speakers are connected to, the bass and treble controls were turned all the way to maximum - I had to tell the Best Buy personnel to turn those controls to their center positions. With those corrections, I eliminated the Bose (incoherent due to their tweeters pointing in a different direction from their woofers) and JBL (just plain harsh) bookshelf speakers - they just plain sucked for the price that Best Buy is charging for them. The Yamahas were mediocre, as well, as were the Sonys (but then again, the Sony bookshelf speakers cost $100 or less per pair). Which leaves me with three choices from them: the Athena AS-B1 ($180), the Klipsch SB-1 ($250) and SB-2 ($350). All three of those bookshelves sonded better to my ears than the special-order Klipsch SB-3 ($450) that Best Buy had on display. But then again, the idea of pairing a large woofer in a 2-way bookshelf design is counterproductive - they sacrifice the mids for more low-bass and mid-bass response.

 So, which of my choices do you recommend, for my 8.5x11-foot room and a 65-watt-per-channel mass-market Pioneer receiver?

 Athena AS-B1 ($180 at Best Buy)
 Boston Acoustics CR-65 ($200 at Tweeter)
 Boston Acoustics CR-75 ($300 at Tweeter)
 Boston Acoustics CR-85 ($400 at Tweeter)
 Klipsch SB-1 ($250 at Best Buy)
 Klipsch SB-2 ($350 at Best Buy)
 PSB Image 2B ($400 at Sound Design in Berwyn)

 I would like to keep my price at $400 or less, plus any sales tax and shipping or delivery charges. And keep in mind that I will pay less $$$ by ordering the speakers from an online reseller.

 Happy listening,
 Eagle_Driver


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## vrao81

I would say the Klipsch would be the most forgiving of your equipment, as they are very efficient and need little power to really sing. I'm not sure if you like the Klipsch sound, they sound very different from the Boston Acoustics you mentioned. I would say get the Klipsch SB1 and Athena AS-B1 and try them both at home, and see which one you like best. Best Buy does have a 30 day guarantee, so you can return the one you don't like.


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## MD1032

That's the only thing I don't like about Best Buy...they don't carry Klipsch reference series, only the synergy! Anyway, my vote goes to either a pair of RB-35's or a pair of RF-75's (if you can afford them). They're Klipsch's best and sound so.


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## Sol_Zhen

Listen to Klipsch before you buy. People either love or hate them because of the horn driven tweeter sound. There is no middle ground, either love or hate. 

 PSB Image 2Bs for $299/pair 

 Yawaonline is a very reliable online store. They carry both "A" stock and "B" stock PSB, Atlantic Tech, NHT, MB Quart, and Warfdale speakers. 

 Good deals there. And you can trust them with the order. 

 As for your PSB dealer charging list price, I dunno... Most hi-fi stores here charge 15% below list at the most and if you're a regular customer (if they recognize you) you get another 7 or 8% off in addition. This is for all purchases (cables, speakers, amps, etc.).


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## stymie miasma

Quote:


 _Originally posted by Sol_Zhen _
* 
 PSB Image 2Bs for $299/pair 

 Yawaonline is a very reliable online store. They carry both "A" stock and "B" stock PSB, Atlantic Tech, NHT, MB Quart, and Warfdale speakers. 

 Good deals there. And you can trust them with the order. 

* 
 

Agreed - if you like the sound of the PSBs, Yawa is a no-brainer. They are extremely effecient and friendly, and with the great prices you just can't go wrong. I purchased my Image 2Bs from them and couldn't be happier.


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## Eagle_Driver

Just an update on my bookshelf-speaker search:

 I've finally decided on a pair of the Paradigm Titans (v.3) for $199 plus tax. I based this decision simply by reading up on both professional and user reviews, throwing out the crappy user reviews that compared them to nothing else but overpriced, underperformance speakers and those useless user reviews that only compared a particular speaker with cheap boombox or stock minisystem speakers. In that $200 price range, other well-regarded brands put in only 5.25" woofers in their speaker systems - but the Titans have a larger 6.5" woofer. The Klipsch speakers are a bit overpriced for their performance, especially since their lower-end line of bookshelf speakers is made in China - and the tweeters on their lower-line models tend to sound harsh. But then again, so are most of Athena's and Boston Acoustics's bookshelf speakers these days.

 As for PSB speakers, the stores that I've been to have very few units in stock - and they tend to charge the full MSRP list price on them. Moreover, I couldn't even demo them, for various reasons (or should I say excuses from the employees?).

 I will set them up later tonight, after work.

 Thanks for the replies,
 Eagle_Driver


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## Sol_Zhen

I have 2 pairs of Paradigm Titans. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 I use one pair as the rear surrounds in my Home Theater and the other pair as my computer speakers.


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## Eagle_Driver

Quote:


 _Originally posted by Sol_Zhen _
*I have 2 pairs of Paradigm Titans. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I use one pair as the rear surrounds in my Home Theater and the other pair as my computer speakers. * 
 

Yup!, they probably sound better as computer speakers than any of those so-called "multimedia" computer speaker systems. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 By the way, I paid $199 for the pair. The smaller Paradigm Atoms cost $189 - but despite the smaller cabinets and the smaller 5.25" woofer (versus the 6.5" woofer on the Titans), they share the same tweeter as the Titans.

 Oh, by the way:

 ^
 ^
 ^






 [size=medium]*BOSE BLOWS!*[/size] 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 The most expensive Bose speakers should NEVER be compared to even the Atoms, let alone the Titans. Bose has no low-end or top-end extension, because they use cheap, high-Qts paper-cone woofers in undersized cabinets and paper-cone tweeters that beam in the mid-treble and whose moving mass is too great to accurately reproduce the highest frequencies. Need I say more? 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Happy listening,
 Eagle_Driver


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## davidcotton

Mission 780 owner here and quite happy with them. Perfectly suited for my smallish room.


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## Sol_Zhen

Quote:


 _Originally posted by Eagle_Driver _
*Yup!, they probably sound better as computer speakers than any of those so-called "multimedia" computer speaker systems. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



* 
 

Yes. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Much better than any multimedia speakers with music. I need to upgrade the amplification to a nice integrated amp. I'm currently running them off a cheap Sony receiver.


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## hempcamp

I recently purchased a pair of Acoustic Energy Aegis One speakers for a great price ($135 USD). The sound is incredible, the speaker cabinets are extremely well constructed. I can't imagine finding a better pair of bookshelf speakers for the price.

 --Chris


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## chillysalsa

I have to say that my PSB 2B's have been sounding great for the past year. They're very balanced and neutral so they work well if you have very wide musical tastes. They also benefit nicely from improvements in source and good positioning. 

 The one thing that might bother you a little, is that the tone of them can sound a little... tubby (as in, tupper ware?) or squaky. If you tap the woofer with your fingernail, you hear the tone. I find paper cone woofers sound a little warmer and visceral (when actually playing music, not tapping them with your finger!). But then, you have to spend way bigger $ to get *good* quality speakers that use paper treated cone drivers.

 In summary, I still am not considering upgrading them unless I spend at least 2-3 times as much. (a pair of VMPS 626R are making me drool right now).


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## stymie miasma

Quote:


 _Originally posted by DarkAngel _
*I recently got PSB Stratus Minis used at Audiogon for $500 which has better everything over Image 2B and has very long track record of great reviews from many sources.* 
 

Wow, that's a great price. I have not seen them for much less than $600. That price didn't include the stands as well??


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## lini

I've got a pair of JMlab Opal 607s, and I'm fairly happy with it. But I also wouldn't mind the Electra 906 (-> pic here: http://www.in-akustik.de/jmlab/02/images/e906s.jpg) - nor the Micro Utopia Beryllium (http://www.in-akustik.de/jmlab/02/images/microubes.jpg). Another one, that I'd like to have, is the active/powered Backes & Müller BM4 (-> some more info in German and pics here: http://johannes-krings.com/bm_4).

 Greetings from Munich!

 Manfred / lini

 P.S.: Oh, and has somebody already heard Tannoy's new Sensys 1/1DC, yet?


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## rsaavedra

Quote:


 _Originally posted by Eagle_Driver _
 I've finally decided on a pair of the Paradigm Titans (v.3) for $199 plus tax. 
 

I've just recently discovered this thread and wanted to say congratulations on your choice!! I bought Paradigm Titan's v2 a couple of years ago and am extremely happy with them. Made my purchase decision back then after having listened to higher priced speakers including B&W's, Infinity (IL10's), NHT's and even other Paradigm's like the Mini monitor. For the sound the Titans are capable of, and for their price, there was simply no doubt to me they were my best option. If you read reviews of the Titan in audioreview.com, then you might have come across my review (mine was the one that, among other things, mentioned a side by side comparison with some NHT towers).

 Wanted to mention, I also own the Atoms (rears in my HT setup), have done careful frequency response measurements and comparisons between the Titans and Atoms using Stereophile Test CD2. I found they are almost identical except for the lowest end, the Titan having a bit more bass extension as anyone would expect.

 Here I wanted to share a pic of my Titans in my setup (the stands I made specially for them by the way)

 Cheers,
 Raul


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## eyeteeth

In the under-1K catagory do not overlook the QUAD 11L.
 May be the best under-1K speaker available! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




http://www.quad-hifi.co.uk/


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## rsaavedra

Quote:


 _Originally posted by eyeteeth _
*In the under-1K catagory do not overlook the QUAD 11L.
 May be the best under-1K speaker available! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




http://www.quad-hifi.co.uk/ * 
 


 I wanted to send another picture, today I realized depending on the monitor settings the previous one might look extremely dark.

 Cheers,

 Raul

 PS. Now that you mention the Quads eyeteeth, yes I wonder why it wasn't among the options in this poll. Besides the 11L, the 12L was recently reviewed in WhatHiFi, and won the supper test among many other great speakers including the Dynaudio Audience 52.


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## GirgleMirt

Totems are awesome, Quads, Monitor Audio also very good.

 Axiom haven't been mentionned yet? Never heard'em, but the m22i's (or something) is getting a lot of praise. Just sucks that you can't hear them at any shop since they're online only...


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## sacd lover

I like JMLab's and the older PSB's the best of what I have heard. I would recommend the JMLab tantal 509/ chorus 706/ chorus 707 for the less expensive models. I also really like the older/ more expensive Electra 905 bookshelf, despite its lack of low end extension. All the JMLab's have good sensitivity and work very well with low powered amps. I use a 25 watt monarchy amp with my tantal 509's; and its more than adequate.


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## Lisa

I have the KEF Q1 speakers.




 in this color however 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



 Lack a bit in bass. In a small room that's just what I need. Because the walls boost the bass a lot. Midrange is great.

 Chario Constellation Lynx are bookshelfs worth auditioning!
 The bass was too much for my needs but I was VERY impressed.
http://www.chario.it/main.htm


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## bundee1

HI Lisa, what amp are you running them with? How do you like the sound? Any complaints of brightness? Thanks.


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## GirgleMirt

Well I've heard the Q1's and thought they were very, very warm! I'd say absolutely no brigthess problems, these are anything BUT bright!


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## AdamP88

Axiom definitely deserves to be on the list. My brother has a pair of M22ti's in the house, and they are simply outstanding speakers. VERY neutral, very fast, very detailed, and they mate extremely well with a good sub. I doubt you could find its equal at it's price level($400), and maybe even double its price.

 My brother previously had Paradigm Monitor 9's, and the Axioms absolutely *stomp* on the Paradigms in every category except bass extension (not an issue with a sub). Far more open and transparent with *much* better imaging and just a much more convincing presentation overall. And they're significantly cheaper, too.


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## Lisa

Quote:


 _Originally posted by bundee1 _
*HI Lisa, what amp are you running them with? How do you like the sound? Any complaints of brightness? Thanks. * 
 

http://www.audioreview.com/pscSpeake...1_1594crx.aspx

 The review written by Lisa (what a surprise 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




) is mine.
 Since then I 've been using other interconnects that made the bass go a bit deeper.
 The midrange of this speaker is very upfront. The better interconnects made it go a bit more to the background but it is still very upfront.


 No expensive new IC's though, just $15. OFC copper and shielded.


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## tom hankins

Spendor or Proac.


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## bundee1

Nice review Lisa thanks for the info!


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## pbirkett

Mission M51 owner here, and happy with them too, well suited to my bedroom, plenty of bass power, very lively speakers if not the most natural or realistic, but certainly lots of fun.

 The Quad 11L's I auditioned alongside the Missions, and they are the most overrated speakers of all time IMO. So bland and boring. If you want that type of sound, save a few quid and go for the cheaper Wharfedale Diamonds.

 The KEF Q1's and B&W DM602S3's were among others I'd heard alongside the Missions, and I could probably have been pretty happy with either of those. The Missions were a bit more upfront than the KEF's and I like upfront. The B&W's possibly a bit more upfront than the Missions in the treble, and did deeper bass, but not as fast or punchy, and too big for my room.

 Would like to have demoed the Monitor Audio Silver S1 and Dynaudio Audience 42. I also have liked Rega loudspeakers when I heard them

 The B&W Nautilus 805 I heard once and it seemed a bit overpriced for what it was, a bit cold sounding to be honest, might have been synergy problem there.

 The best bookshelf speakers I've ever heard were the Sonus Faber Cremona Auditors. They seemed to do very little wrong to my ears. The speakers, and the rest of the kind of system you'd need to accompany them is, sadly, way way out of my league.


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## D-EJ915

Quote:


 The B&W Nautilus 805 I heard once and it seemed a bit overpriced for what it was, a bit cold sounding to be honest, might have been synergy problem there. 
 

B&Ws are notorious for needing powerful amps before they open up.


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## vrao81

I'm a big fan of Monitor Audio, I currently have the Bronze B2 and have listened to the awesome Silver S1 several times. I also like Energy, having owned the C-1. NHT and PSB are two other brands I like. Vandersteen and Bohlender-Grabaebener (spelling?) are also good. Most of the other speakers I have listened to have been pretty much forgettable.


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## tbutterf

Mission m71!!!

 Incredible bass...stylin' too.


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## rsaavedra

Quote:


 _Originally posted by pbirkett _
*
 The Quad 11L's I auditioned alongside the Missions, and they are the most overrated speakers of all time IMO.* 
 

The best speakers (bookshelves) I've heard so far are Revel Performa M20's in a store in Seattle. To be fair, they were connected to awesome equipment (Krell electronics) and the room was also large and well treated for auditioning speakers.

 I wonder if you heard the Quads in even conditions with respect to the Missions. Even assuming exactly same electronics when comparing them (e.g. using A/B switching), different bookshelf speaker brands might have different optimal freq. responses depending on their towed-in angle. Also, if the room has poor acoustics, then just one feet off possibly already results in a very unfair position for one speaker vs. the other. That goes besides equipment matching, and the fact that the Quads are allegedly extremely revealing, so I guess poor recordings, or low quality electronics might make them sound worse than less revealing speakers. Well I'm sure you know all that, but just playing devil's advocate (possibly the missions do sound better despite all of the above).

 The Quad electrostatic speaker, however, is universally regarded as one of the best sounding speakers of all time. My hunch is that Quad's L series just can't be dissapointing. I hope to audition some Quad 12L's this coming weekend by the way, will write my impressions afterwards.

 Cheers,
 Raul


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## pbirkett

rsaavedr, the Quads were indeed demoed with the same electronics, and in the same hifi demo room as the Missions (as well as the B&W and KEF speakers) and they sounded a LOT worse than any of them to me. They were all more detailed than the Quads, which seemed to have severely rolled off bass and attack (not surprising given its tiny 5-inch driver), what seemed to be a lack of treble too (a relatively cheap silk dome tweeter). When I looked at it, I felt that most of the money went into the cabinet, which looked good and was well built, but unfortunately, it just sounded so lifeless compared to any of the other.

 The system used to demo was the Rotel RA-01 amp and RCD-02 CD player. All of the speakers apart from the Quads sounded really good. I dont buy that the Quads are harder to power than the B&W because they are known to be pretty demanding speakers, and much larger.

 Ironically, I have also heard the Quad 21L's, and they were MUCH better in my opinion.


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## Lisa

On the defence of pbirkett.

 I've auditioned a pair of Quad speakers too. But I don't know the model. were €400 a pice or something. (I paid in the same store €200 for a KEF Q1 speaker, just so you have a reference.) They sounded not very good to say the least.
 Maybe it was the room acoustics but I couldn't believe that these were this expensive. 

 I did audition them all at home with a NAD C 350 amp, C 451i CDP. And the Dynaudio 52s sounded good although totally not my taste, so did the Chario's(really if you get a chance go listen!!!) and the KEF's of course.

 But again, don't remember the model (they impressed me that much 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




) and it could have been room acoustics.


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## rsaavedra

Thanks for the feedback Pbirkett and Lisa, now I think I'll audition the Quads with some healthy prejudice  I had maybe too positive an opinion about them without having heard them just because of Quad's reputation with their electrostas, maybe your feedback helps balance things out in that sense for me.

 I only think there are too many variables when auditioning speakers, too many things that are too easy to miss or overlook, quite easy to blame the speakers for anything not sounding right that might not be their true signature. I have that caution now out of personal experience, just with my own Paradigm Titans. Let me share that example.

 Initially I had them in my room very much towed in, so that their axes crossed right in front of my face when I was sitting at the sweet spot, following many audiophiles recommendations for general speaker positioning, optimal imaging bla bla etc. I had them like that actually for a few months, even though I was feeling they sounded quite open and bright in general. Well brighter than what I heard in the store at least, and brighter than my true taste. And despite the fact that my living room is not really "bright sounding". That "signature" remained in my setup even long after the break-in week, all the way while I was making several painstaking measurements calibrating and flattenning the bass response of two subwoofers in my system, and watching movies, listening to music, and calibrating again etc.

 When I went through the painful treble warble tones in Stereophile CD 2 (earplugs highly recommended) using a Radio shack SPL meter -and using the correction factors it needs according to Rives Audio, I realized that at the sweetspot in my sofa the treble around 5KHz - 7KHz range was about 6 dB's louder than anything else in the rest of the whole response. For a moment, I was almost cursing Paradigm for reporting flatness in the Titans +/-2dBs on axis all the way from 60Hz up to to 20KHz. Or was that an artifact of my electronics/cables? And for a moment, I almost wished I had an equalizer to flatten that irreverent bump. But most fortunately, right then by just turning the speakers so that they faced almost due front instead of being towed-in, this issue dissapeared completely. The rest of the spectrum remained as flat as it was before, and the imaging remained as before, now they sounded their best. Paradigm reports that the Titans are flat +/-2 up to 16KHz when at 30 degress off axis. In my setup though, they roll off quite a bit from around (correcting after checking my data plots again) 10KHz already, but I don't mind that last octave too much, and I don't complain at all given their amazingly flat and natural midrange, and their price.

 But my point is, you see that happened to me only after a few months of having had my speakers, and having been tuning many things up painstakingly, in my own apartment with my own system. I gather, in audio stores the circumstances speakers are set to are seldom adequate enough to get their best out of each one of them. Even at home, after break in, and after having tweaked things up, and after knowing your system quite a bit, still you might get some surprises as I did.

 I compare speaker auditioning (and setting up an audio system in general) to writting computer software, which is what I do. The first try is very seldom correct, it almost always needs painstaking debugging. And even then....

 Anyway thanks again for your feedback, it invited me to pour these thoughts out, sorry for the length. 

 Cheers,
 Raul


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## GirgleMirt

argh shows you how personnal preference plays a huge role in speaker selection..

 I've listened to the Kef Q1 and the Quad 11L (in different shops though). 

 BUT, the reaction I had after hearing the Quad was "nice!" and the reaction after the Q1 was "omg What is that... NEXT!!!" 

 the KEF Q1 was unbelievably warm, all the sound was aimed the toward lower end it seems and to me the rest left much to be desired. The Quad 11L in comparison was a very well balanced speaker, with much better *everything*. 

 The gear used with the Q1 probably wasn't the problem, because the Q5 sounded much better afterwards on the same Yamaha gear. 

  Quote:


 This isn't a neutral speaker. As I said the bass is somewhat lacking and some might say that the treble could be better too. I like the treble the way it is. Nice and soft, not biting. 
 If midrange is what you like you should defenitely consider the KEF Q1s. 
 

Gah, yeah that pretty sums it up 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Its always a matter of preference... If someone prefers a warm sound, he/she might not like the Quad. But I'd just like to point out that if you're not looking for something colored, Quad 11/12L are awesome speakers. To me the KEF Q1's were unpleasant to listen too because of their sound coloration.

 It would be much more useful to say that you didn't like the Quad because you prefer a warm and colored sound than saying that the Quad 11L is a disappointing speaker, that they're boring, that they're overrated, etc... 

 One man's trash is another one's treasure.


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## pbirkett

Quote:


 _Originally posted by GirgleMirt _
*One man's trash is another one's treasure. * 
 

True, but I have not heard of many speakers listened to by UK listeners that polarize opinion as dramatically as the Quads. As you say, some love them, some hate them, and there seems to be little in the way of a middle ground in my experience.

 FWIW, the KEF's werent really my cup of tea (a little too slow and laid back for me), but they were positively vibrant compared to the Quads I felt. With most speakers, I could see redeeming features with them, but not really with the Quads to be honest - as I say, I felt most of your money went into posh cabinets, and they sounded barely any better than Wharfedale Diamond 8.1's to my ears, which are 25% of the price!! Now if the Quads had been (a lot) cheaper, then it might have been a little different, but to my ears, they were being comprehensively outperformed by speakers which were just over half the price in some cases, just that these speakers were not finished as well.

 Now, the Quads for sure are very living room friendly - certainly I feel the B&Ws and KEF's were a lot more debatable in that area, and frankly, my #1 choice of all, the Missions, most people regard as BUTT UGLY. However I chose the speakers I felt performed the best in the end, and the Missions were $150 cheaper than the Quads and sounded FAR better to my ears.

 The fact is, the tweeter in the Quad is reported to be a bit on the cheap side, and the 5-inch mid bass driver is simply too small to give decent welly. I found the sound overly smooth, to the point of them being a bit unrealistic. The 21L floorstander made a much better job, with greater attack and depth, but still overly smooth to my ears.

 Still, as you say, different strokes for different folks. My only point here was to indicate that one should not just assume because Quad make them, that the 11L's are the be all and end all - I definitely not accusing you of that BTW, but many people *can* be accused of that, believe me.


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## rsaavedra

> _Originally posted by pbirkett _
> *The fact is, the tweeter in the Quad is reported to be a bit on the cheap side*
> 
> First time I hear that, where did you get that impression?
> ...


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## Orpheus

well... i think many expensive audiophile speakers use relatively cheap materials. i try not to think about it, and attribute the high prices to non-material costs. for instance, there's many $3000-20,000 speakers that use a $50 Vifa tweeter. it's very distinct... has 2 concentric rings with this missile looking thing sticking out in the center. only $50... and i'm sure they purchased it much cheaper in bulk. so, $20,000 speakers with $50 tweeters?--well, whatever... as long as they look and sound good right?


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## D-EJ915

Haha, Polk put a new faceplate on it, lol. Scan-Speak has a REALLY nice version of it that has a spike instead of the bullet-shaped one, and it's silver. It costs like 6 times as much, but it's nice.


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## Jam_Master_J

Quote:


 I've just recently discovered this thread and wanted to say congratulations on your choice!! I bought Paradigm Titan's v2 a couple of years ago and am extremely happy with them. Made my purchase decision back then after having listened to higher priced speakers including B&W's, Infinity (IL10's), NHT's and even other Paradigm's like the Mini monitor. For the sound the Titans are capable of, and for their price, there was simply no doubt to me they were my best option. If you read reviews of the Titan in audioreview.com, then you might have come across my review (mine was the one that, among other things, mentioned a side by side comparison with some NHT towers). Wanted to mention, I also own the Atoms (rears in my HT setup), have done careful frequency response measurements and comparisons between the Titans and Atoms using Stereophile Test CD2. I found they are almost identical except for the lowest end, the Titan having a bit more bass extension as anyone would expect. Here I wanted to share a pic of my Titans in my setup (the stands I made specially for them by the way) 
 

This is exactly what I would have said. I too, have v2 Titans as mains in my (bedroom) home theater. Atoms in the back and a CC-170. I also have a Tempest subwoofer. The Titans are awesome for their price( I got mine for $230 Canadian new). In a smallish room, placed on stands and mated with a sub they can sound quite excellent. Even without a sub, they have very respectable bass.

 Oh, BTW my web site has some pics of the stands that I built for the Titans and Atoms.


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## hottyson

My favorite model of all time is the Paradigm Mini Mk III. A bit boomy in the bass but I really enjoy the sound. It might be found on the used market for around $200 or so for the pair.






 For a current model of bookshelf I would suggest anything from Monitor Audio. These tend to be pretty midrange heavy, but you will be amazed at some of the music you hear through these.






 If you are on a tight budget and want vintage you could keep your eyes open for really old Yamaha bookshelf speakers. I picked up a pair of NS-6 from a thrift shop for around $20. The tweeter is similar to the $400 monitors that Yamaha still produces. They sound very good to my ears.


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## hottyson

Quote:


 _Originally posted by hottyson _
*





 My favorite model of all time is the Paradigm Mini Mk III.* 
 

BTW, Don't mistake these for the Mini Monitors. I can't stand the treble in the Mini Monitors.


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## rsaavedra

Quote:


 _Originally posted by Jam_Master_J _
*The Titans are awesome for their price( I got mine for $230 Canadian new)* 
 


 Got my pair of Titans in 2001 for just US $160 (before taxes) brand new at a local dealer. The Atoms $138 in 2002. Ridiculously great value indeed.

 Cheers,
 Raul


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## soundboy

Quote:


 Don't mistake these for the Mini Monitors. I can't stand the treble in the Mini Monitors. 
 

I agree. I auditioned both the Mini Mk III and their replacement, the Mini-Monitor, in my home, and to my ears, the Mini Mk III was a lot smoother. Probably due to its soft-dome tweeter.


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## hottyson

Quote:


 _Originally posted by soundboy _
*Probably due to its soft-dome tweeter. * 
 

You got it! I remember when they came out with that horrible new tweeter. They even wanted more money for the newer "improved models." I don't know what paradigm was thinking. One of these days I am going to get a pair of the old Mini Mk III and perhaps some matching soft-dome paradigm counterparts to complete a small home theater setup.


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## rsaavedra

I agree the Minimonitors are kind of bright, I would say they are a bit "exaggerators" in general, they were also too bassy for me, the overall sound was too powerful and charged. The sound of the Titans was much more balanced and natural for me.

 PS. I should point out, with respect to my indication that the Titans in my setup roll off after 10 KHz, that's to be taken with some grains of salt. The performance of the Radio Shack meter in the treble region is very quesitonable despite the correction factors that circulate online. That's one of the reasons I actually don't worry about how my amateur measurements roll off in that last octave.

 Raul


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## pbirkett

Quote:


 _Originally posted by rsaavedr _
 [BFirst time I hear that, where did you get that impression?[/B] 
 

The tweeter unit is a derivative of the one used in the Wharfedale Diamond speakers, a friend of mine who works in a hifi store told me this. Its a silk dome. At the end of the day, I wouldnt worry too much about this, I'm sure my Missions contain cheap drivers as well, but I think the expensive box of the Quad severely ramps its price up, relative to its performance.


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## stuartr

Quote:


 _Originally posted by pbirkett _
*The B&W Nautilus 805 I heard once and it seemed a bit overpriced for what it was, a bit cold sounding to be honest, might have been synergy problem there.
* 
 

I suspect this might be a synergy issue. As others have said, the 805s need a lot of power. Also, I think they really work better with tubes than with solid state -- the warmth from the tubes really works well with the detail and bass extension that the 805s can extract. I think they are fantastic in my system -- they have a wonderfully soundstage with great instrument separation and very natural, musical sound. The fact that they are good looking does not hurt of course...Here's one taken in available light one evening.


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## Jam_Master_J

Quote:


 I agree the Minimonitors are kind of bright, I would say they are a bit "exaggerators" in general, they were also too bassy for me, the overall sound was too powerful and charged. The sound of the Titans was much more balanced and natural for me. 
 



  Quote:


 BTW, Don't mistake these for the Mini Monitors. I can't stand the treble in the Mini Monitors. 
 

I'm gonna break from the crowd and say that I really liked the mini-monitors. I've gotta say that the Titans do sound great but I liked the minis better. In my opinion that bass of the minis was practically identical to the Titans but the midrange was more realistic. The imaging seemed better too, actually having some depth. They also seemed a bit less directional than the Titans. I liked the highs too. Perhaps a bit bright but I liked it. I also like Grados so that could explain it. But the price difference between the minis and titans seemed a little excessive for the relatively small differences.


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## rsaavedra

Quote:


 _Originally posted by Jam_Master_J _
*In my opinion that bass of the minis was practically identical to the Titans but the midrange was more realistic. The imaging seemed better too, actually having some depth. They also seemed a bit less directional than the Titans. I liked the highs too. Perhaps a bit bright but I liked it.* 
 


 Well Jam we do disagree on that. The bass of the minimonitors for me was clearly more powerful than the Titan's. But then again, room acoustics might have played a trick on me when I heard them side by side. For both models, they weren't on speakers stands in free space but on a long shelf that had a row of bookshelf speakers on top, maybe 10 speakers in total, and somewhat too close to one another, around 4 inches gap between speakers. It was an A/B switching comparison with good HT electronics, but the speaker placement could have been way better.

 Both Titans and Minis are rear ported, and now that I think about it, all of those speakers were with their backs almost touching the back wall. If the mini's were closer to that wall not sure if that might have emphasized the bass that much? This was a couple of years ago, would need to compare them again, but the bass in the minis was clearly stronger for me in that audition.

 About directionality I do think the Titans are very directional after I've played with them a lot at home, the minis I really couldn't say.

 This Sunday I'm going to the Florida head-fi meeting in Clearwater. Saturday I'm stopping by Orlando and Tampa to listen to as many speakers and integrated amps as I can. (This is becoming a hobby in itself for me , to enlarge and refine my mental database of speaker sounds and signatures). Will try to compare Titans and Mini's again if I have a chance. But now they are at their 3rd version right? Probably there are slight differences compared to 2 years ago.

 Cheers,
 Raul


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## Tom M

What about some of the polkaudio book shelves? I heard the rt25 is really nice.


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## Tom M

I forgot to mention that the sanus faber concertinos are great little speakers with a great sound. They would be one of my top choices.


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## rsaavedra

Hello All,

 I attended the South Florida head-fi meet this past weekend, by the way I highly recommend checking out the pre and post forums, there are some nice pictures:

http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showt...0&goto=newpost

http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showt...6&goto=newpost


 In Orlando and Tampa-St.Petersburg I managed to go to 3 Audio stores. Heard the Paradigm Studio 20's in Absolute Sound, and a bit of the mini monitors; Focal JMlab Chorus and Mini Utopias in Sounds Terrific; and Sonus Faber Concertino and Concerto in one Sound Advice store.

 The Studio 20's (Absolute Sound) were amazingly comfortable to listen to, overall they are always a little warm, but very refined for me, very smooth highs. I heard to the mini monitors again and briefly, but not side by side with the Titans, the Titans were in another room and not connected. However, the minis were in a very large room, and about 2 feet from the rear wall, they filled that large space with very nice bass. They sounded great, and from my own experience with my Titans I think the Titans wouldn't have filled that room with bass that well. But again I couldn't compare them side by side this time, however this other exposure make me preserve my belief that the Minis have stronger bass than the Titans.

 Sounds terrific unfortunately didn't have any Quad speakers to audition, which were my main interest (12L's) beside listening to some integrated amps. Anyway, they had Focal JMLab bookshelf speakers. I believe I listened to one of Chorus bookshelves, but don't remember exactly the model #. They sounded great connected to a Cambridge Audio A500 amp and a Classe CD player, even though the room was way less than ideal (a small cube). 

 They also had some much more expensive JMLab Micro Utopias connected to Musical Fidelity source and amp, and using Nordost speaker cables, quite some gorgeous gear all together, but oddly enough the room was also just a small cube, and on top of everything, there was a Rel subwoofer in the corner connected to that system. I didn't like the bass at all, too much, putting that aside the speakers sounded nice but there was a high freq. echo that I know doesn't exist in the tracks I played through them (heard those same tracks also in the top headphone setups of the Florida Headfi meet, so I can tell). So the room was not at all up to demoing such speakers I think.

 The small Concertinos (Sound Advice) sounded nice but collapsed quickly in the bass at high volumes. The store assistant was driving the volume knob, I was listening to them with track 1 of "Thirteenth Step" (A perfect circle). When the bass kicked in there was an ugly loud pop as if the speakers had blown. They hadn't, as soon as he turned down the volume everything sounded normal again, but a tiny sound for the room. I think they understandably can't handle bass at too high volumes. This was a very large room, my listening position was probably 12+ feet away from the speakers, and there were several feet between me and the rear wall. Also the room was very wide, probably 30 feet, and it was basically empty except shelves on the walls with gear, and the two framed listening chairs at the sweet spot. we probably were asking too much volume out of the Concertinos for such room size. The Concertos sounded great in a similar room, so I would say if someone likes the sound of the Sonus Fabers better than any other speakers, then I would suggest choose between the Concertinos or Concertos depending on your room size.

 Well that goes for my exposure to speakers this weekend.

 Cheers,
 Raul


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