Best bookshelf speakers

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 :)

Tinear,
Do you listen to rock at all on the LS50W and how do they hold up?

I have the original De Capo and like them quite a lot.  I have listened to the II and BE models and the newer xover and tweeter are not my cup of tea.  God help me for the flaming to come but you should really listen to the KEF-LS50.  I purchased for a 2nd system (actually the LS50W) and I am blown away.  The mid-range is better than my Wilson's and John Atkinson of Stereophile magazine fame announced at RAF that he had replaced his B&W Silver Signatures with the LS50W.

I don't have experience with any of the speakers mentioned save for the KEF LS50. I was very pleased with them in a small listening area but needed more low-end. I had considered the KEF R300 but caught the LS50 on sale (back then) for $300 off making them $500 cheaper than the R300, which you can now get for around $1300.00. 
I also think the R300 (in walnut) look very nice. 

On another note, I have an ancient pair of Jensen bookshelf speakers with 8" woofers that sound incredible, so you just never know....

@cd318

I have three pairs of speakers. Rogers LS3/5a in one bedroom (15ohm versions). Celestion SL700 in my master bedroom. And Zu Def4 in my living room. All three are great. I understand your concern that the drivers in the LS3/5a have never been updated; but sometimes a classic is a classic, and there were several versions manufactured by Rogers. The Celestion and Zu speakers best the LS3/5a in many ways. But given the OPs preferences, criteria, and limitations, I would put the LS3/5a on any shortlist.

Look at this new make/model, playing at the recent CAF.

Recognize the mid-bass driver??

http://qln.se/prestige-three/

FTR: Wilson used not only Focal, but also a lot of Scanspeak. Some of the most expensive commercial speakers I know of use Scanspeak including B&O, Wilson, and Gryphon. Magico uses Scanspeak tweeter motors with custom diaphragms.

Fritz uses a whole lot of Scanspeak. :)

Best,
E

Kosst..."Direct to consumer models depend entirely on aggressive advertising schemes..." Far from it. The vast majority of ID speaker companies spend practically nothing on advertising, let alone ’aggressive’ advertising. Most rely solely on their set ups at CES’s, and word of mouth from very satisfied customers. Lots of these guy such as Salk, Fritz, Ascend Acoustics, Philharmonic Audio to name a few have been around for years because they offer great sounding, quality products at reasonable prices, offer personalized service, and have a rabid following of happy customers who upgrade within the brand.

Kosst, your killin’ me. Pick up the latest Stereophile. Don’t even open it. Just flip it over and look at the lovely Focal ad on the back cover.

So let me get this straight... John DeVore is an amateur. As are Sean Casey, Keith Aschenbrenner, Andreas Friedl, and all the other amateur designers who have speakers on the Stereophile Recommended Components list just because they use sourced drivers and then design their own motor assemblies, doping, phase plugs, etc. Got it.

Perhaps we should petition John Atkinson to change the name of Stereophile to "DIY Audio Monthly"?

My goodness, reading through this thread I don't think some of you are able to sleep at night without the security of knowing your speakers were designed by a bunch of dudes in white lab coats using a combination of Kevlar, berillyum, adamantium, Clark W. Griswold's experimental cooking spray polymers, and some kind of fish paralyzer.  

To the OP, I'd say buy used.  And if you can hear a pair of Trenner & Friedl bookshelf speakers (either Sun or Art), it would behoove you to do so.  An incredibly big and articulate sound in a small footprint.  

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.

A couple of years ago I went through the same exercise looking for bookshelf speakers up to $2000.00 (Canadian). I took my son with me as I didn't want to trust my ears alone. For several weekends we tested everything we could get our hands on in our living area taking the same music with us to each session. When I started out I was sure I was going to end up with British brand speakers that had impressed me a few years before. I ended up buying "Paradigm Prestige 15 B" speakers. To this day anyone listening to these speakers in my home are blown away by the amazing quality and depth of sound that comes out of them. They cannot believe the music/sound is coming from just those 2 little speakers. Both my son and I kept going back to the paradigms, nothing else we listened to at the price range could touch them in our estimation. They are my forever speakers for music at this stage of my life.

+1 on the Ascend Acoustics Sierra 2's. I tried several pairs of pretty serious bookshelf speakers (Monitor Audio GR10's, and GX100's - Dynaudio X12's, and Focus 160's) and the Sierra's came out on top. And they are on sale right now.

Used loses you the warranty though, right? Is speaker failure a thing, outside long term degradation of the woofer/supports?

Is there much of a "lemon" risk buying used?

Fortunately we live in a time where there are many brands of amazing bookshelf speakers for under $2,000.  And if you don't mind buying used, there are many more options.  My MO with most purchases is to buy slightly used and get something high end for a great value.  i think you are wise to get some nice speakers and they will only sound better as you improve your other gear.

I just upgraded to B&W 805's and they sound amazing!  I have been listening to master recordings on Tidal this week and it has blown me away.  I kept waiting for a deal and I got them for $1175 shipped on eBay.  They look like new and sound great as well.   

harbeth p3esr  

a recent review 

http://www.the-ear.net/review-hardware/harbeth-p3esr-40th-anniversary-standmount-loudspeaker

But this is a tangent. I'm perfectly happy to buy from a large manufacturer if it seems like the best speaker for my preferences and dollar and I have  a way to try it.

Buchardt apparently took 5402 acoustic measurement points with a robotic nearfield scanner in making the waveguide for their new speakers, fwiw. 

I'm leery of marketing based on fancy sounding processes though. Isn't the ear the ultimate arbitrator of a speakers worth, not the cool technology that went into it? Since SQ is so subjective, it's easy for our impression to be moved by claims of fancy technology ie snake oil. That's not to say R&D doesn't matter (I'm no luddite), but the ends justify the means, not the other way around IMO. 

And at least judging by my research so far, a very good share of the most recommend SQ for buck speakers are smaller companies. Again admittedly second hand information, but these are other peoples ears and I don't see what bias they would have to favor these smaller brands a lot of the time.

As far as a luxury buying experience, that's not important to me. I want a low risk buying experience which to me means trying at home with the option of returning. Also a manufacturer who stands behind their product and I think small companies may tend to do that better in general (they have to to keep their heads above water).

In all things, buy what you personally like. Pay money to make your family and yourself happy, not reviewers and not me.

I will say that hearing things for yourself is critical.

My goal in life is not to buy $3,000 bottle of wine. It is to spend $30 for one I like more, and I can't do that if I see price tags and market acceptance as the overriding marks of quality and performance.

Having said all this, there are store brands I like and direct brands I like. Fritz is one of the latter. If you talk the former, Monitor Audio, Magico and Focal are some of the brands I tend to like.

Above all, buy what you will love.

Best,
E

BTW I think it's good to go to stores and listen to a lot of offerings from a lot of mainstream manufacturers but I do not subscribe to the notion that big corporations = big R&D budgets = better speakers - quite the opposite in my experience. The vast majority of my favorite speakers of all time have been made by smaller outfits. While the big boys do have the manufacturing capability to design and produce their own drivers, most of them are doing the vast majority of it in China, IMO with the aim of making things that look and sound cool on paper (magnesium alloy! diamond coatings! unobtanium coils!) while keeping costs low. The truth is some of the best sounding drivers in the world are still made out of very traditional materials using decades-old technology. I mean, look at what Wilson is using in their latest models - that's right, treated paper. (I'm not even a Wilson fan but I think their newer stuff is sounding better for it.) The margins on mass market products are also much fatter in order to share enough of the pie with all the people involved - distributors, dealers, marketing and advertising agencies, etc. etc...

Just my $.02 but I'll take a finely crafted 2-way using off-the-shelf Dynaudio or Scanspeak drivers and a very simple but carefully-tuned crossover over some of the needlessly complicated mass-market designs any day. 

Caveat that I can't say what is "best" and I haven't heard many of the suggestions given here, but I can heartily recommend the Silverline Minuet Grand. It is fantastic, particularly for acoustic music (I'm a primarily classical listener, some jazz and a smattering of pop.)
https://taww.co/post/170777975517/review-silverline-minuet-grand-loudspeakers

I think it fits your "Balanced and revealing with a hint of warmth" description quite well. They are exceedingly natural and musical. I wouldn't worry about the specified crossover point, it's likely just a nominal electrical rating. Alan Yun tunes his crossover carefully for the end result and he is a real master of the art. I have done some light measurements of the SR 17 Supreme in my room and both the individual driver and combined responses are stunningly accurate. 

Another option to consider is anything by Fritz Speakers, a lot of models around the $2k price point. I've only listened to them briefly but ears I trust say they are superb for the money. 

The discussion of direct sales vs manufactuers selling via dealers has two sides.

Yes the direct sales model does sometimes mean that you may be paying less for  a pair of speakers and sometimes it does not mean you are getting a better engineered product. Most of the small direct sellers are not building their drivers, crossover and box is what they are offering.

Their are huge advantages of looking at products sold by the larger speaker manufacturers: Dynaudio, Focal, Kef, B&W etc. 

Take for example the new Kef R series and the new B&W 700 series, both of these loudspeakers use trickle down technology from their higher up models and use all propretry drivers that are designed from the ground up  

Kef has spent $4 million dollars developing first the Kef Blades then the Reference series, then the original R and then the Q and then a bunch more money refreshing these lines. 

We are not B&W dealers so we can't quote numbers their, but we can guarantee that they have also spent millions on the refereshing their speakers. 

The point is that small companies do not have the financial resources to develop, really radical new drivers nor the ability to test and hire some of the best acoustical designers in the industry.

We sell the Quad Z2 and again like the KEF and B&W these are fantastic speakers that use all proprietary drivers a fantastic damped ribbon tweeter and an advanced carbon fiber midrange/woofer they sound amazing and are starting to find their way into more dealers accross the country, they are very impressive so if you like the sound of the Raal ribbons in some ways  the damped Quad tweeters you may like even more. 

The other thing you have with some of the larger speaker manufacturers is the ability to hear them and compare their products in a store without having to order from each one of these small companies with then having to compare each one your are interested in without having to purchase them first and then having to ship them back and forth.

Then you also have the stability of a large manufacturer, and the servicablity of service stations throught the country as well as the ability to more easily sell the product because people at large have heard and know about the brand.

Last point the large companies have economies of scale which may mean that you are actually getting a more sophisticated loudspeaker for the price even if it costs a bit more.

So in your quest for great $2k loudspeakers you should also look at what mainstream offerings are in your area and go visit some stores and see what you may find.

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ

Full confession: a lot of my research is based on youtube listening samples.

The Legacy’s sound a little bright to me.

I love the transparency the mids with the BBC style monitors. The Spendor A1 sounds especially nice, and the small size and closed design is convenient for apartment dwelling. But I can’t live with only 55hz bass.

Do any of the smaller BBC variants go closer to 40?

+1 for Legacy Studio Hd.  I use a Heed Elixir amp with them in my second syatem, and it is a great combo.  Good luck.

I haven’t heard many of these speakers but I bought a pair of Revel M106 for 5.1 surround duty and played them in 2 channel with a very small mini tube amp using Tidal as a source. 

They sound very good with what I’ve thrown at them. $2k MSRP but can probably get them a little cheaper or used for about half that. 

I know the BMRs are big but what you are describing is exactly what they give you at a price well below the 2k mark. Take the savings and put it towards the amp without sacrificing anything. I have owned the BMRs for a few months now. I cannot peel myself out of the chair. So smooth, so detailed and oh so natural. Absolutely love my speakers!! 

I wouldn't even briefly consider buying from a company that can't be bothered to stock and distribute their products through retail outlets.

Because that's just so damn easy, it's a real wonder everyone can't do it.

There's no reason to believe you're buying a better speaker that way. You're buying a speaker from a box company. None of those companies make their drivers. They just build the box and design a crossover, then buy everything else off the shelf.

Buying direct or not is not really an indicator of anything, but I will say this:

To get to retail (which is oh so very easy) you have to charge 10x more than your drivers cost. So if you are buying $30k speakers, at BEST the drivers might have cost $3k. The markup is often higher. If they make their own drivers it's easily 20-30  to 1.

Fritz is a really good example of some one using nicely designed crossovers and cabinets with top of the line parts and charging you a lot less than 10x. Also, they sound really really good. 
By all means, please go spend as much money as you can on speakers. On the other hand if you have your own ears and prefer to spend the least you can for the same sound quality like I do, then Fritz and Tekton make a lot more sense.

Not that I like everything either maker puts out.

^ Cutting out a significant margin must mean more speaker for your dollar, all else equal right? If you shave off the retailers 40 percent or whatever, the consumer is getting those savings.

As far as criticizing direct sellers for not making their own drivers - That seems like criticizing Lenovo for not making their own CPUs. It's the final product that matters, right? 

You've got some great recommendations here.  I'll add the Joseph Audio RM7si, Silverline SR-17.5, and Amphion Argon 3s, all available used now.  Sorry to make your job harder, but these are all worth a look given what you're looking for. 

https://tmraudio.com/speakers/bookshelf-monitors/joseph-audio-rm7si-signature-bookshelf-speakers-che...

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis97fd1-silverline-audio-sr-17-5-monitors?refsource=hifishark

http://www.audioasylumtrader.com/ca/listing/Speakers-Stand-Mounted/Amphion/Argon-3S-Monitors/-home-v...

I think one good way to narrow down the field is just looking at those manufacturers using the direct sales model and offering a generous return program. 

For one, you're getting more speaker for your buck cutting out the middleman and I assume there's some correlation between speaker manufacture cost and sound quality, even if it's not 1. 

Also the return policy of course reduces your risk. Maybe buy a few and demo them at the same time and return the ones that lose out?

Who are the direct sellers? Ascend, Buchardt,  Philharmonic Audio... any of the other contenders using the direct sales model? 

If you consider how many 2-way bookshelf speakers there are out there available, between $100 and $2000 a pair, frankly it's remarkable you haven't had more diverse suggestions.  The number of overwhelming, and no one can heard more than a small fraction of them.

Thanks everybody for the suggestions. The diversity of options and lack of consensus is a bit overwhelming!

Sierra 2's are now 15% off.

Another vote for the Nola Boxers. I have the Boxer 2's,and absolutely love them. They throw a huge soundstage,and dig deep for a speaker of this size.
     Good luck with your search!
             Ray

+1 for Fritz. Great value and well balanced. Top of the line parts for a fraction of other brand costs.

Last audio show I went to, I talked with a couple of recording professionals, both women, and Fritz was one of the few brands they would listen to. I agreed.

Best,
E

Fritz is an interesting option. Their only speaker under 2k with regular pricing is the Morel 6, which appears to be super warm and not too transparent. 

The used route is obviously better value but are warranties usually transferable? 

@gsm18439  yes but it's kind of worrying that copies are still being produced today, not updates but exact copies as near as dammit.

Was that famous 1970s midrange that good that it can't be improved upon even now?

At least JBL claim to have updated the drive units on the relaunched L100 Classic.

https://www.jblsynthesis.com/productdetail/l100-classic.html

Yep those Fritz may well be the best (I heard them at CAF, absolute top notch) if they would fit  I’d go for those if budget allows. Most any amp should produce beautiful music with those. An 8 watt tube headphone amp was used at CAF and the results were simply stunning! Note they are rear ported, if that matters.
If you check the fritz speaker site you will find other models that do fit in a $2000 budget that might also be worth some consideration.

As the happy owner of Sierra 2's, I'm not aware of any vertical dispersion issues.  

People are still talking about and recommending LS3/5a speakers 40+ years later. Says a lot.

For < $2k you can try Legacy Studio HD, https://legacyaudio.com/products/view/studio-hd/ . They have good reviews and legacy makes good speakers.