2. speakers
  3. 1230155821

$600 +/- Bookshelfs w/ Holographic Soundstage

Hello all,

Thank you all for your time & dedication to Audio :-)
This site has been a wonderful find for me (and a constant source of amusement for my wife watching me! LOL!)

I have been reading a bunch of the articles - trying not to clog up the forum with yet another speaker advice column - but have learned that it is the specifics of each individual situation that makes this such an exciting topic. So ...

I am looking to upgrade my bookshelf speakers - and would love input on my situation:

Right now I have a pair of B&W DM.601 s1 - that I am enjoying, but I feel their holographic soundstage is a bit limited.

This is my #1 priority - I love 'seeing' the music. My pinnacle moment came when listening to Rimsky-Korsakov, Sherezade on Primare driven ProAc Response D28s - when, with my eyes closed, I could tell you exactly where each member of the orchestra was sitting! That was when all of this began!!

Budget is self set at $600 +/-
Used / New all-ok
I'm partial to bookshelfs due to the size of my room (12'x10') in an NYC Apartment.

My current system:
Rotel RX-1052 Receiver (my upgrade dream right now is the Primare I30)
Rotel RCD-1072 CD
Technics SL-1200MK2 (w/ Shure M97xE)
B&W DM.601 S1 on Stands
Decent Wiring (Monster M850 Interconnects, Kimber Kwik 12 Speaker, I'm working on power cabling next)

What I've listened to in the last 48 Hours:
Art Farmer - Modern Art - CD
David Byrne - Grown Backwards - CD
Pink Floyd (bootlegs circa 1968-1974) - FLAC burned to CD
Thin Lizzy - In Sunshine or Shadow - LP
Radiohead - OK Computer - Audiophile LP
Miucha & Antonio Carlos Jobim - LP
Jorge Ben - BEN - LP Digitized to CD
Amadou & Mariam - Dimache & Bamako - CD
Pepe & Cheich - CD
Franz Liszt - A Faust Symphony - CD
Schuman - Frauenliebe und Leben - CD
Bach - Sonatas & Partitas - CD

Ok - I think this is probably more then enough info!

Thank you all so much & Happy Holidays
Ethan
128x128septemous
klipschfan
176 posts
 
Suggest that you keep your current speakers and purchase a DAC instead. A used PS Audio or Benchmark should be close to your price range and will do more to enhance your soundstage.
buconero117
2,311 posts
 
proac's, don't accept others.
jfacker
85 posts
 
Hey Ethan, I share your enthusiasm for the textural qualities of a fine two-channel image :) My suggestions as far as speakers go would include Alons, Meadowlarks, Green Mountain Audio, and of course Spicas. If you get a chance to listen to any of the Alon open-baffle designs, don't pass it up, they are amazing. The other suggestions I have to preserve that dimensionality are 1) a good passive preamp, like the Luminous Audio Axiom, and 2) a good tube amp. Happy listening!
slikric3000
638 posts
 
I don't care what speakers are out there, a bottle of your favorite spirits will make any speaker many many times more halographic. This is one of my secret tweaks that I don't share often.
pdn
438 posts
 
Ethan:

The new B&W 685's could be just the right move for you. They list at approx $650.00/pair and are a far cry from your DM601 S1's. Even the 601 S3's (of which I have a pair) are a vast improvement over the S1's. I think you would love the 685's. Have you auditioned them yet?

BTW, I too have a Rotel RCD-1072 CDP.
More to discover