Best bookshelf speakers

I've had a pair of Focal Aria 906 I picked up used for a couple weeks now. Really surprised me how good they are. 

Used Pradigm Prestige, used Legacy Studio HD. Best to go used for the budget. 2k is like an inflection point for good used speakers, you are looking at 1k bargain so will take some time. 

Keep in mind to get efficient speakers else you will have to spend big $s just to make the tiny speakers sing. This eliminates speakers like Dynaudio and Elac. 

Used Tekton is another option if are ok with WAF issues.

If you're still looking consider trying to find a pair of Peachtree D5 speakers. I think there was a pair on the bay for $400. Designed by the Aerial Acoustics speaker designer for Peachtree. Also might be called Era D5, but the same speaker. These retailed for about $1k and have great bass and a warm sound.

Not sure you can save an all lot DIY these days because of the many speaker companies opening or using factories in low cost Asia. But this is how I treated my ears to good sound in the 90s 2000s... Seas, Dynaudio, focal kits that were just unbeatable from a cost perspective, but requiring work with MDF, glue, screws and veneer.

are you handy and can you assemble something fairly easy? then maybe a kit speakers is for you. i was thinking about entry level speakers and one thought is to build your own out of a kit. I'm talking a kit with precut cabinets so a little glue and a screwdriver and your covered. then its up to you on how you finish them. there are quite a few quality kits available in your price range and you could get much more bang for your buck that way if your mildly handy. partsconextion is a good place to start then I'd search these forms as there has been a few good threads on the topic here. for $500-700 you should be able to get an equivalent sounding $1500-3000 speaker. just will be unfinished so painted is the easiest and you can get good results for less money then a veneer.

Check out the mini Philharmoniter at Philharmonic Audio. Dennis makes some outstanding speakers that are hard to beat in their price range.

There is a pair of LSA 1 monitors in Black Ash for sale here that are a SCREAMING deal...

Dali Zensor 3 all the wayyyy!
 They need a LOT of running in for the bass to come alive..

+1 lak. The Focal Chorus 706 are now sold new for $550. I have a pair in a secondary system. They fit your room size well. Have a very articulate midrange and treble, doesn't go as low as you are looking for ( at your budget this is expecting too much), however very satisfactory bass for a small room. Image and soundstage well. 

I think there is a lot of good quality parts that go into the Focal line of speakers and they sound very good. Good prices are available on new and referbished units.

Wharfedale Denton, to some it's even more listenable than the famous KEF LS50, with your budget the Denton could be the last best speakers you will ever need, prepare a better clean power amp for it.

Your criteria is pretty exacting for a $500-$700 pair of speakers, but the speakers that come closest in my experience are either of the stand-mounted speakers from the GoldenEar Aon series, either the Aon 2 or Aon 3. 

Features include:

• Bass extension to 38 or 42 Hz, depending on model. Each speaker has a pair of passive radiators, which extend the bass and raise the output. When I was listening to a demo at a "Music Matters" event, people were looking for or asking where the subwoofer was. There was none. That's how linear the bass extension is.

• Sensitivity of 88 or 90 dB with 1 watt input

• Best of all, these have a sensitive, organic, articulate treble without a trace of harshness. They use a Heil-type folded ribbon tweeter, which has a much larger radiating surface than a typical dome, and is not subject to harsh-sounding overshoot, "oil-canning", or metallic-sounding resonances of metal dome tweeters. These are some of the most natural-sounding tweeters I've heard. And they do cymbals just fine.
  

Retail price is about $800/pr for the Aon 2 and $1K/pr for the Aone 3, which means you could probably hit your budget if you find a used pair. If not, $800 for an Aon 2 pair is just $100 over your budget.

Here's a Stereophile review of the Aon 2.

Tekton Mini-Lore Monitors are coming out right AT your price cap.

used S300 mkii might be found used in your range.never heard them but it seems they are enjoyed by a lot of people.the 400's seem to be hitting well with reviewers but are higher up the price ladder.

I believe an ex-engineer from Dynaudio was one the people who designed the Buchardts.and an ex- Scanspeak Engineer came up with the drivers

Not sure why you would not consider a pair of used B&W 686S1? Great dynamics, warm mind and better than most bars with articulate highs from tweeter. Used pair can be had for $500 easily. I have used KEF LS50, great detail but to much timbre sounding, almost edgy, likewise for ELAC doesn't have have any depth or speciality ...IMO. 

What's a Dynaudio 1 C? Are you referring to C1? Those are great but also a whole lot more than $700.

Dynaudio 1 C, end of story . I had those speakers hooked up tp the DK intergrated amp . a Ayre cd  sounded like bullets going by me

Don`t forget Whaferdale Dentons, I believe Music Direct still sells them for 399.00 with free shipping. They were originaly 1000. They have a warm midrage, never bright, pretty good bass for there size, you can listen to these for hours with no listening fitigue. Just a great speaker for its price range.
Good Luck

I have the final version of the Paradigm Titan Monitors. They sound similar to the current Mini Monitor v.7. Very wide soundstage and good imaging for a smaller standmount. They can sound too forward with certain electronics.

@Mrdon, I’m very interested in your opinion of the Burhardt’s.  Please report back after breakin.  Thinking about the S-300’s myself.

I have both Elac B6 and Wharfedale Denton 80th Anniversary and like them both for small room systems. If I had to choose only one of the two, it would be the Wharfedales. The imaging and overall balance from top to bottom is smoother in my opinion. Powered by NAD electronics in both cases. I have also wanted to try the SVS Prime Bookshelf speakers; they look good on paper and offer a money back trial.

Good luck. I am sure you’ll find a pair that suits your needs and musical tastes.

I can vouch for the Elac Uni-Fi-Ub5. I tried them out last year and found them very pleasing in every sense, especially the price. I've moved on and will be lising them attractively. Highly recommended.

I think the Wharfdales have a wonderful sound, better to me than Elac Uní 5 in a side by side comparison. But really, If you have any way of auditioning any of your options in person, do it, even if it means spending a day driving and listening. Or go with An online dealer with a 30-day return period. Speakers are so personal that your preference is what matters. 

You might want to take a look at the Martin Logan Motion 35XT Bookshelf Speaker.

A MTM design is likely your best chance at getting big sound from a bookshelf on a modest budget. 

I would recommend the KEFs. You'll be hard-pressed to find bookshelf speakers in that price range that image better and they provide fantastic detail. However, as decent as the KEFs are with regard to bass output and extension, there are better options in that regard. You can find RBH 41-SE or better yet 61-SE speakers on the used market in your price range. They are just about as detailed as KEFs with slightly less "edge" vs. the KEFs. And their aluminum woofers output way more bass than drivers that size should. But if your primary focus is bass output and extension, I've never heard speakers that can best Hsu Research CCB-8s unless you opt for something much larger (be it a monitor or a tower.) Those also have a coaxial driver, so like the KEFs, you should get superior imaging if you set them up properly. (The Hsu's are at or beyond your declared budget new, but you have 30 days to try and return them if you end up not liking them.)

Dynaudio Emits

I agree with @Bache, you are asking for the "sky is the limit" in terms of features but "low ceiling budget." Something has to give.. However, since i am popping off about your situation no one yet has mentioned Elac Debut 6.2 (which i am listening to as i type) or the Elac Uni-Fi-Ub5. I can tell you the Debut are worth every bit of the $250.00 asking price.. I recently connected PS Stellar M700’s amps and the speakers are responding pretty damn well. However, I have a pair of Burchart S400’s coming though so these will be stored or sold in the next few weeks, (maybe). 

I have been down this road more than once. Opinions from others are all over the place. Their recommendations may be well founded but there is a very important factor to consider..............Some speakers sound fantastic connected to some electronics and horrible when connected to others. If there is any chance for you to audition speakers connected to your, or similar, electronics then do it.I have had speakers that sounded great connected to one system and another...not good.My 2cents.

Bryston Mini-T An absolute amazing sounding speaker 

@rado001
Sorry , but i am telling the true, The good drivers cost money.
$500-700 is nothing

You might try to scoop up a pair of Devore Gibbon 3's.

The LSA 1 is a beautifully sounded, warm speaker with many accolades. Look it up on the forums here for corroboration.

+1 on the Ascend.
There’s also a pair of Silverlines here that will match your needs, though they may be too small for your room:
https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis954ab-silverline-audio-minuet-supreme-plus-superb-piano-black-m...
And the Elac Debut B6 2.0 is worthy of just about every good word written about it. If only it came in other finishes.

@bache Don't give up man, she's out there ;-)
@rocray I have a Denon AVR730H
@loomisjohnson thanks for the confirmations on Cantons. I've read only good things about them. My heart's been set on them and thanks for the accessories4less recco. 
@jl35 You are right. I can only hope to come as close as possible ... 
@jeffersondavis Thanks for the reminder about Sierra 1's. I forgot about them!
@glennewdick Good point about Proacs. I will research them tonight.

So many good responses, thanks all :-)

Elac's entry level stuff has been getting great reviews may want to look there. or an older set of Proac's would also be high on my list for your listening requirements. I also liked the entry level monitor audio bronze or silver speakers.

Quad 12L2, Dynaudio x-12 X-14.  Though I don't think anything out there meets all your criteria. I liked the Zensor 1 a lot, haven't heard the 3

What do you plan on driving your speakers with?

You have too  much  criteria for small budget. 
same as i am looking  for nice girl with master degree , looks like model
get good bank account  and etc    to be my wife. 

The Ascend Ascoustics Sierra 1 should fit your bill. A warm sounding soft dome speaker with very extended bass response. Audioholics reviewed it favorably in a speaker shootout some years ago.

Used pair should go for around $500 or so.

FYI, cymbals are metallic by nature of their molecular form 😜. Probably don’t want speakers that can’t reproduce cymbals.  Anyway, Totem or you could go retro with JBL heritage issues from Music Direct...30 day trial!!

from your list, with your criteria i like the canton, which have a giant bass for a small speaker--a buddy of mine got a pair on accessories4less for $499 and is very happy. I wasn't awed by the wharfedale and haven't heard the dali. in approximately the same range, fr a bassy speaker you might look at the svs ultra.