$1000 bookshelf speakers with "recessed", "laid back" or "flat" mid-range?

Testrun, yes, I am keeping my eyes open.

I've been looking at a new pair of Ascend Acoustic Sierra-1 (~$700).... 

Spendor SP-1.

leemaze,

"Rega RS1 are nice, detailed and mellow. I have them with the A-S801 currently."


I'll second that.

No deep bass and flimsy grilles but the rest of it is as good as I've heard in a small speaker. I know it sounds like a fault but they have a way of singing as if the sound coming from inside the cabinet is joining in with sound coming from the drivers.

They, then no longer sound like small speakers. I don't currently use mine but I don't want to part with them.

I've not heard any of the Ascend speakers but from all the mentions they're getting here and what little I know about them they too seem worth checking out.

I will take a look at those Rega speakers. Good reviews overall. Thanks for the suggestions guys!

Vienna acoustics Haydn 

Ref 3A de Capos  92db  no crossover

If you think ELACs are bright don't try to fix them.  Vandersteen VLR does this for $1500 a pair but worth a listen even if it is a stretch. 

I don't think they are bright, in fact, the top is not "lively" at all. I think the UB5's have a very forward midrange (e.g., voices, guitars, etc, sound way in front of other instruments and at a relatively higher volume than the rest of the music), which becomes very prevalent at moderate to high volumes. Thanks for the suggestion on the Vandersteen speakers!

I own the Canton 9.2’s. Very musical and just a bit on the warm side with crazy bass for their size. Image very well and sound very natural.

you can still get them NOS for $1400, but they were original $4000 10 years ago. 

Hey guys, 
Found a crazy good deal on a pair of Definitive Technology D11. I read great reviews and none mentioned these speakers being forward. In fact, I saw they have a great almost flat response. I think they'll pair well with the Yamaha integrated. We'll see. Cheers!

Too bad you don't have an extra $1500 or so to spend.  Harbeth makes a line of speakers that are quite easy to live with.

Goldenear Aon 3. 

I love my Wharfedale 225. I can listen for hours with no fatigue.  I'm buying a second set...... Everything else gives me a headache. 

Quad S2.  Smooth natural sound and no harshness with the ribbon tweeter.

I found that a lot of comments here give wrong impression how a speakers sound, no you don't recommend the speakers because you know how it sound directly, rather you know it sound like that because you have your own matching, yes generally a speakers brand sounding tend to bright/neutral/warm side, but we do not take that for granted. With my current setup audio chain Fostex HP-A3 DAC/preamp > Class D Audio SDS-470C power amp, over the years I've concluded an excellent tonal balance can be achieved through the speakers Wharfedale Denton 80th, not the 85th take note, and I don't judge whether it sound neutral/bright/warm on the speakers model alone, I can only tell from my current setup, it's very engaging and powerful sound, neutral or warm seem not the right word to describe the sound, I can feel the atomic sound particle that melt my heart when listening to the Denton, yet the sound is also very resolving when come to details, yet the sound can rocking good in terms of bass presentation. Other gears I've experienced include NAD M22 v2, Elac Debut B6, Klipsch RP-600M, Wharfedale Diamond 220, Wharfedale Evo 4.2, Yamaha A-S801, NAD 3020i, Monitor Audio Bronze 2, Marantz PM6005, Kanto YU6, Audinst HUD-MX1, JDS Labs ODAC, JDS Labs Objective2, JDS Element, Sonus Faber Sonetto I, Q Acoustics 3050i, Wharfedale Diamond 9.1, PSB Alpha B1.

Revels

Great information here! Looking at those Warfedale 80’s and wondering what a good integrated amp or regular 2-ch amp would be. Currently using powered speakers connected to DAC running of my laptop. Addicted to streaming... I believe with the DAC, cable upgrades, I’ve squeezed all I can out of the Audioengine A5’s, so of course, here I now go down the rabbit hole even though these sound amazing. This is set up in an open back den. About 12 x15 with 8ft ceilings.

So, using a laptop and a DAC, is an integrated amp the way to go if connecting the Warfedales? Or just a regular 2-channel amp with an option for a sub?   Bi-wiring? If so, any suggestions for a good one under 1K? Music Direct has a little Rega for $595 that looks good for the desktop. Not sure I need the "integration" part.  No cd/turntable being connected and no fancy streaming devices other than my laptop. If it helps, I'm using the Chord Qutest DAC.
Thanks in advance!  

What you are looking for is a line level integrated amplifier. Don't need internal DAC or phonostage.  Would't worry about bi-wiring.