OT: Help a guy out - Audio Speakers

[William]

Time for new speakers. I built a set of floor speakers back in the day when you could get quality components from Realistic to build nice speakers. These things had great sound range from easy listening to ground pounding volume. in the last few years we had them paired with some Infinity bookshelf speakers. A while back one of the Infinity speakers blew out so they were taken out of service but had not purchased replacements yet. Noticed some buzzing coming out of one speaker this past weekend so I removed the screen to find the surround has started disintegrating on the woofer. Time to replace.

If I had my way I would just find a replacement woofer and install...but Mrs William has seen a way to finally get them out of the house...well, she wants smaller speakers anyway. I was looking into wireless but I think I'm leaning toward sticking with the old school set up. So, she wants bookshelf type speakers in the living room and of course I would rather have floor speakers. Is there a happy medium recommendation out there or does she win? If she wins, then what are some quality bookshelf speakers on the market today?

For me - what sounds good. For her - Bang for your buck.




William

[cadence90]

The Pioneer speakers designed by Andrew Jones (including the SP-BS22-LR bookshelf pair) have received consistent super-positive reviews for great sound, design, and price/quality over the past several years, often being very favorably compared to much more expensive offerings. Definitely worth a serious look.


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[Likes2ridefar]

Budget? As you probably know, even for bookshelves, you can go below $100 to thousands...

[Likes2ridefar]

Elac unifi b5 are well received and about as cheap as I've heard that satisfy my snobby hearing. They aren't very pretty though.

My favorite are kef ls50. Very small and sound amazing. I had them on stools with blue tac. Unless you are a bass head, they are one of the best 2.0 setups out there.

Or go custom like I did and get Salk speakers. One of the best bang for the buck out there. I love my song towers. They are small for a tower and sound amazing. Jim is a pleasure to work with, too.

[ceolwulf]

I have a set of Axiom bookshelf speakers that I'm very happy with but honestly I would never get bookshelf speakers again. You have to put them on a stand anyway so they end up taking the exact same floor space as floor standing speakers and you lose the full range response. I'm looking at getting a sub now, thinking B&W ASW600, but if I'd gotten tower speakers in the first place I wouldn't need one.

[Likes2ridefar]

Towers need subs in many rooms, imo!

Two way bookshelves can sound a lot better in some instances due to variables like listening distance, room size, etc...

[Likes2ridefar]

And skip the b&w woofer and get an svs or similar. Way better for the $

[sitzmark]

Paradigm has always done nice work with bookshelf speakers at "value" pricing. As the years go by there's been substantial price creep - especially in their top end series. Performance is high end, but pricing is at lower end of the competition they are usually in the running with. The new Persona B bookshelf is terrific for a speaker it's size (but expensive). The Signature series (previous top series) had a couple of well reviewed bookshelfs - S1 and S2. Both are discontinued but there are probably some NOS S2s around I f you hunt. The Studio 20's were also strong bookshelf speakers or relatively discrete on stands.

Good luck finding "the compromise".

[echelon_john]

Another vote for the Pioneer Andrew Jones speakers. Bookshelf + sub will provide a lot of flexibility, from good soundstage for classical to plenty of muscle for metal, etc.

Amazon usually has good deals; you should be able to get a pair of bookshelf speakers + sub for <$275

[19wisconsin64]

Long time audiophile here...... can second the nod to Elac speakers. Today I referred a friend with just the same question as yours to buy a pair of the Elac UB5 speakers, but for your money you can get close for $250 a pair with the Elac Debut B6.

If you have some space, and want the best bang for your buck in terms of amazing audio experience-Magnepan MMG.

Whatever you do get, keep in mind speaker placement is crucial to great sound.

[joosttx]

Devore 3XL http://www.devorefidelity.com/

These are serious audiophile bookshelf speakers and they look as beautiful as they sound.

[Peter P.]

If you must buy bookshelf speakers, then get a subwoofer to satisfy your needs, without taking up all that space.

For a bookshelf speaker, especially if you don't run a subwoofer, don't go smaller than a 6.5" woofer.

I won't suggest a brand, but I'm partial to acoustic suspension/sealed cabinet designs for a cleaner, tighter bass.

For a subwoofer, even an 8" model can meet your needs yet fit under an end table or be tucked away discreetly in a corner. Some even pack 12" drivers in a tiny 13" cabinet.

I just "gave away" a pair of bookshelf speakers this weekend.

I had a pair of Mission 700 Leading Edge speakers (6.5" woofer, acoustic suspension, 28 years old. I paid $300 for them back then.) listed on craigslist. A potential buyer contacted me and made arrangements to listen to them. In the interim I hooked them up and discovered the spider suspension on one woofer had come unglued from the cone and caused a buzz at higher volumes. It's a simple fix with some adhesive but I just wanted them out of my hair. I called the guy and explained the situation and told him to come and listen to them-if he wanted them he could take them home for free.

He was clearly an audiophile and had the means to repair them. He loved the speakers and went home a happy man. Too bad he wasn't a forumite.

[cadence90]

Originally Posted by Likes2ridefar

And skip the b&w woofer and get an svs or similar. Way better for the $

Agree. SVS subs are excellent, especially if one finds a deal at the SVS online outlet. Hsu subs also have a great reputation.

Originally Posted by echelon_john

Another vote for the Pioneer Andrew Jones speakers. Bookshelf + sub will provide a lot of flexibility, from good soundstage for classical to plenty of muscle for metal, etc.

Amazon usually has good deals; you should be able to get a pair of bookshelf speakers + sub for <$275

I think they are remarkable. At first I was a bit suspicious of all the positive reviews, and then decided to actually hear them. I listened to them in 4 different stores/environments and quickly became very convinced. Fantastic quality for the money; performance way above price point.
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[thwart]

Originally Posted by 19wisconsin64

If you have some space, and want the best bang for your buck in terms of amazing audio experience-Magnepan MMG.

This. In off-white cloth, they have a pretty high 'wife acceptance factor'... helped by the fact that they weigh so little you can easily move them against the wall when not focused on listening.

[sjbraun]

Pioneer speakers designed by Andrew Jones, the SP-BS22-LR bookshelf pair- I bought a pair of these for my son. Connected to a small digital amp, the sound is very nice.