Best bookshelf speakers <$2000


I’m building my first high fi system after being more of a portable audio person. I want to start with the speakers. Space is limited so bookshelf speakers are a must.

Preferences:
Balanced and revealing with a hint of warmth.
Midrange most important to get right over highs and lows
Timbre is super important - I listen mostly to acoustic music especially jazz
But I do need some bass as I also listen to some electronic music
Smaller is better but SQ is most important
A speaker that sounds good with different amps but also scalable with high quality sources
Wide sweet spot - I wont have money for a great amp at first but want them to be scalable for later

These speakers have caught my eyes - any thoughts on them?

Ascend Sierra 2s - Ribbon = dispersion limitations?
BMR Philharmonitor - See above. Also massive.
Buchardt S400/S300 - Wary of the sudden hype train and limited info
Silverline Minuet Grande - Limited info
Reference 3A De Capo - This caught my eye as a potential endgame speaker if I could blow up my budget a little. But concerns about BE tweeter as well as some potential snake oil stuff (cryogenic treatment (!?)), exaggerated sensitivity claims and wonky measurements put me off.

What else should I be looking at?

Edit: I could have sworn I had <$2,000 in the title... Anyway, my budget is 2k.

stuff_jones

Showing 3 responses by jburidan

KEF LS50 wired, i.e., without built-in plate amp and not the wireless version. But as with any bookshelf speakers, you'll need a subwoofer if you want low bass. You may be able to find a pair used for $850 - $1,000.

There are technical reasons why the LS50 sounds so good -- the dual-concentric driver acts as a single point source. This is the best possible design IMHO.
tinear123:

Why did you choose wireless?

I would imagine that the wireless electronics occupies volume that would filled with damping in the wired version. But I may be mistaken as usual :)