Joseph Audio Pulsars, not sure if they under 10K I know they're around that. I have the Perspective I believe they tick off your requirements, flat response, good detail. You could get the Perspectives as they are a small floor stand speaker and wouldn't take up anymore floor space than the Pulsars with stands.
Best bookshelf loudspeakers under 10,000 for the pair
I had the elac Navis I thought they were very good until I heard the Elac vela Which was much better In almost every aspect I’ve also listened to the Revel 126Be which were absolutely destroyed by the Elac’s.I am downsize my system from Martin Logan electrostats and quad 2905 And would like a bookshelf that would have some of the same attributes of the quads. I listen primarily to jazz and would like to stay under $10,000. (Fast transient response, resolution/detail, musicality)
I’m driving the system with a PS audio direct stream dac directly connected to a primaLuna evo 300 Power amp. I’m thinking of switching that out possibly for a pass labs 25/30.8, or possibly a benchmark power amp.
I’m driving the system with a PS audio direct stream dac directly connected to a primaLuna evo 300 Power amp. I’m thinking of switching that out possibly for a pass labs 25/30.8, or possibly a benchmark power amp.
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Living Sound Audio speakers,sold exclusively by Underwood HiFi Their LSA Statement 10 Statement is said to push well above it's price https://www.underwoodhifi.com/products/lsa-group hth |
You just brought back some interesting memories. I was an audio Research Dealer in the 90s and one of my favorite combinations was a D79 tube amp driving a pair of Rogers LS3/5A With Janus subwoofers.I worked with Paul Heath to import the JR 3/5A Loudspeakers from Britain. I am downsizing And just sold my quad And Martin Logan electrostatic loudspeakers and looking for a very good book shelf. Playing with a pair of Elac Vela’s I am considering Keff reference 1 or BMW 805 D3 |
I would encourage you to check out my company Verdant Audio. We do a couple speakers in this price range that might be interesting to you. We use composite cabinets with a nomex honeycomb core in our Nightshade and Blackthorn products which helps with damping. We use Eton drivers which are very highly regarded and our products are made in the USA. Ours are extremely light if that matters to you. 10-12lbs depending on the model due to the extremely lightweight cabinets. These two products sound pretty special but our frequency response is flat down to about 60hz. Great imaging and amazing detail but they really need a subwoofer to pair with them though. If Detail is your concern, Blackthorns are the speaker. If Imaging is your concern then the Nightshades are your speaker. I offer a free in-home trial where you can buy them and return if you don't like OR you can borrow a pair via Fat Llama. Test them in-home and if you like them, you pay and we build them for you. No out of pocket till you decide you like them. Other brands you really need to hear beyond what has already been mentioned: Raidho - the X-1s are amazing. Unbelievable tweeter and wonderful imaging. They need a sub for pairing but are brilliant speakers and wonderful for Jazz. Marten - the Oscar Duo is a cool speaker worth a listen. They use exceptional drivers and have good frequency response. Vivid - Kaya S12 - Not sure if it is out yet but a cool looking speaker and Vivid has incredibly good technology. I haven't heard this unit yet but it is made by Vivid so I have faith it is worth your time. Definitely will need a sub. Magico A1 - Aluminum cabinet. Good bass response. Extremely heavy cabinets if that makes a difference. |
Have you given any consideration on what stands to mount your >= $10K loudspeakers on? Are you considering seismic isolation for them? Is your room size commensurate for bookshelf speakers? By the way, I believe you have invested in some well regarded electronics representing good (pardon the pun) bang for buck. Discerning what to buy out of the myriad of offers flowing in off this forum is an interesting proposition, even if it's to inform you of what to select to go and audition. I have stand mount loudspeakers, retailing close to your budget, at about 93lbs each they're hardly bookshelf speakers. I love my stand mounts, I sure hope you love yours too, whatever you choose. I am interested in what you do go with, please inform us when you take delivery :-) ? |
Acoustic Zen, Adagio Junior
Loudspeakers
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In my humble opinion, a little old speaker manufacturer in my hometown of Kingsport, Tennessee, has a very nice speaker out now. The Watkins Stereo Generation 4 is quite amazing. William "Bill" Watkins, Sr., and Bill, Jr. have built a solid reputation over the last 46 years. Bill, Sr. developed and patented a Dual Voice Coil Woofer that was used by Infinity. Below is a description I found from a review: "The 8 ohm coil is the primary VC, but at resonance (woofer+cabinet) the very complex crossover shifts the signal to the second voice coil. In effect the 2nd coil operates in a narrow band The effect is to level the speaker impedance (at resonance, impedance and efficiency are at max, and cancel out) but more significantly, the phase of voltage and current remain stable (at resonance they are at 90 degrees, a tough amp load). Watkins woofers also maintain a deeper bass, because the second VC band pass was at the low end of the speaker's response. A typical 12" in a big box might resonate at 42Hz. A Watkins could move this down to 28Hz." Last I saw, the price was $2,500 a pair straight from Watkins Stereo shop which has been at the same location on Center Street in Kingsport since opening 46 years ago. I used to stop in there all the time as a teenager in the mid and late '70's. They currently sell their speakers, VPI and Oracle Turntables, Ortofon 2M and Cadenza cartridges, and Yamaha Amps. I hope this helps, and the specs are on the web page. https://www.watkinsstereo.com/ |
My suggestion is the Buchardt 400s bookshelf. I demoed at a friend's home and I was impressed. Save 8k or buy 5 pairs with enough left over or cables.. good luck on your quest Stay Healthy! https://hifitrends.com/2019/10/03/buchardt-audio-s400-bookshelf-speaker-review%E2%80%8C-%E2%80%8Cmy-... |
You should take a look at the Wilson Benesch line. Below is a link to a used pair of Discovery speakers. New they would be out of your stated price range. A great speaker. https://www.canuckaudiomart.com/details/649612675-wilson-benesch-discovery-1/ |
I would recommend you take a look at the Corvus Reference Monitors at Raven Audio - https://www.ravenaudio.com/product/corvus-reference-monitor-speakers/ Maybe a little over your budget, but definitely worth checking out. I've heard the proto-types of these speakers and they are spectacular |
@jcwaudio, Coming from MLs and Quads (OB speakers) you might be interested in: https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisa0fgd-arion-audio-iris-active-monitors-monitors Possibly the smallest OB speakers available. Included with the speakers is a power amp for the woofers and the Trinnov processor, all under your budget. In-home trials will be available soon. For something more conventional check out the monitors by Sound-Smith. I realize they are best known for cartridges but Peter has much history in speaker design. |
canton vento reference 9.2 dc on sale now $1299 gloss black/white and $200 more for gloss cherry with free shipping. retail $4000 https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/cantventoref92dcblka/canton-vento-reference-9.2-d... http://www.hifi-review.com/152696-canton-reference-9-2-dc.html |
Do not know if you will appreciate the tone of one over the other but the KEF Ref 1 has a big advantage of the being a three-way over the 805s. My opinion is Ref 1s actually do a good job of handling the bass while adding to the clarity of the midrange in contrast to the LS50. Plus they include an adjustable port length. There are prettier sounding small speakers as well as ones with higher resolution, imo, but they are a good jack of all trades. I can't help but mention a used YG Carmel. As a small footprint floor stander, to my ears they walk the line of resolution and beauty almost uniquely well. Good luck! |
FWIW having haunted many an audio show and dealer looking for the best sounding best value products that suit me over the years, there may be better in some ways, but Fritz Carrera is all I would ever need in a “bookshelf” speaker. I would put them on very good stands. I heard the Gershmanns mentioned above as well once and was similarly smitten. Then again I always say it’s hard to go wrong with Dynaudio or Totem and KEF is up there on my list these days as well. Fritz are clearly more versatile than most of those though in terms of providing an easy load that most any amp can drive. That’s the most unique thing about them aside from the overall musical performance. |
The best speaker on the planet as stated by this article: TAD ME-1 https://www.cnet.com/news/the-tad-me-1-ups-the-ante-for-small-high-end-audio-speakers/ https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/equipment-menu/770-tad-micro-evolution-one-loudspeakers SoundStageUltra conclusion: The TAD ME-1 is one of the finest loudspeakers I’ve had in my room. From 40Hz up, it rivals anything else at any price. This jewel of a speaker -- the build quality is of the highest order -- will give you expertly voiced sound that belies the size of its cabinet, and will play at output levels that will do justice to your most raucous musical selections. The pair of them imaged like lasers, and could cast a soundstage as wide and as deep as my room allowed. Nor is this merely a great small-room speaker -- that description would be a huge disservice. It filled my Music Vault with full, rich, detailed sound that never fatigued me and never bored me. As most of you know, I’m on the hunt for a new pair of speakers. I’ve got some other models lined up to listen to, but I can tell you that the only hesitation I have in buying the ME-1s right now is knowing that TAD’s CE-1 -- the next model up from the ME-1 -- might be a touch better still. Regardless, the bar has been set high. These speakers just blew me away. |
1:21amIn my humble opinion, a little old speaker manufacturer in my hometown of Kingsport, Tennessee, has a very nice speaker out now. The Watkins Stereo Generation 4 is quite amazing. William "Bill" Watkins, Sr., and Bill, Jr. have built a solid reputation over the last 46 years. Bill, Sr. developed and patented a Dual Voice Coil Woofer that was used by Infinity. Below is a description I found from a review: I also bought the Generation Fours. My friends turned me on to Watkins speakers back when I was in college...it was our goal from high school until we worked and saved enough money to purchase our first pair of Watkins speakers. Bill Watkins designed and built not only his own popular line but he also designed for Infinity Speakers. I still have that first pair of WSCs --and did I ever play them a lot for over 40 years! They were also transported to many a party but that is another story! A couple of years ago, I was able to ship them to Watkins, who serviced and returned them to me. They play as good as new! Last year for Christmas I treated myself to the Watkins Generation Four. I displayed them in my den where I am working now and pretty much listen to them all day long. It is as if I am there in person listening to a live performance. They received some really good reviews which you can link to here https://www.watkinsstereo.com/in-the-news Watkins speakers are known for their quality and durability plus the business has an outstanding reputation standing behind their products. I have two friends who own the Generation Fours and they are happy as well. Great sound that I will be enjoying for a long time at a great value in my opinion. |
