Bookshelf Recommendations

Heard the RP600M today. You know what, I was pleasantly surprised. They cast a huge sound stage and are way more musical than I ever remember Klipsch being. However, even with the toned down trebled  (Klipsch has stated they've modified the top end sound) I still found them to be harsh. Not sure I could live with them due to this issue even though overall I think they are a great speaker. I would get too fatigued at higher volumes.

Thanks for your interest in my quest. I've had some respectable upstream gear for years; just lacked a decent, dedicated listening room.

Now that's FINALLY coming to fruition, and I'm making an exhaustive effort to find speakers to do it justice.

You folks have been enormously helpful, and needles to say will be the first to know when I push the plunger...

yep, totally understand that!  great thing is the excitement of anticipation  finding the bookshelves that will have good synergy with your system. Good luck and let us know.

Have to be honest: my query generated a plethora of great suggestions, and I'm probably more confused than when I started.

On the upside, I've been enlightened, with more than a few makes/models that I was not even aware existed. 

Just going to extend the Safari a bit, keeping in mind the outstanding choices--new & pre-owned--that are available.

howdy carerra4s!
I've been following your thread and am curious if you made a decision for your bookshelves yet?  take care!

Im currently using MG Rev 6 signature speaker been running them for well over for 6 weeks, if you love sound stage reproduction and amazing imaging these speakers will do a fantastic job especially for your 12' × 12' room size. Midrange and highs are also superb but the bass needs to be augmented with a sub but that is for my room which is 12' × 21' × 9'. 

For full details on them you can check out a thread i started under review section :

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/michael-green-rev-6-signature-speaker-review

Trenner & Friedl ARTs are supposedly absolutely amazing, I have not yet heard.
Stenheim 2's and Focal Sopra 1s are excellent.

There is a pair so LSA Statements  on eBay for $900 or best offer, I've seen them go for $700. Has Aurum Cantus tweeter auricaps, mills, goes to 40, Exemplar Audio did the mod for LSA, I have some of his gear, he's good. I had the tower version, the monitor version imaged better.

Using B&W FPM-5's (with a sub) sitting on an entertainment center (with B&W short stands) in our 600sq.ft. music listening/bedroom, running on repurposed Denon AVR-X3000. And I've been searching for better sound. Purchased Elac Debut2 6.2, as a budget option -  they are not great. Both wife and 13-yr old visiting nephew immediately noticed the lack of clarity (highs and mids) during blind (not veiled) A/B session. Elac has much better bass, but there is so much missing information above midbass frequencies. I think they would be ok if that's all you knew, and could probably get used to it eventually (or with tone controls) - but that's not my goal.

Vandersteen VLR is outside my budget, and none on used market.
SVS Ultra Bookshelf $900-pr. (new) is a budget stretch, but worth a trial?
NHT C3 $730-pr. (new) for better value?

Anyone have an opinion or experience comparing SVS Ultra vs. NHT C3?

LS50 is recommended by many, but be a little cautious. I have owned them and the wireless ones as well, one thing they don't do is timbre. Speakers like Harbeth, Proac, Reynaud etc do timbre, the LS50 is a all-around good speaker, but not for aficionados of classical or acoustic music.

Have substantial power with the Carver m1.5t. My concern with the 225’s is low end, which from what I read is somewhat lacking, at least when compared to other offerings in that class & price-point.

I’m aware, of course, that most ALL speakers in that size range will necessarily present that shortcoming, to one degree or another.

+ on Wharfdale 225. I found them much more open and dynamic and less amplifier dependent than the Totem Rainmakers. The Totem Arros were significantly better than the Rainmakers while occupying similar footprint. 

You may laugh but if you can find a pair of av123 XLS Encore monitors for $150 to $200 have GR Research build you a point to point wiring crossover for around $300. Or order parts and put it together yourself for cheaper. Crossover is made up of alpha core foil inductors, mills resistors, sonic caps or mundorf supreme caps with a bypass cap you may be shocked all for around $500 total. It's one hell of a speaker for the money. I preferred it to the Usher tiny dancer in a lot of ways but only goes down to 50 vs ushers 40 but just very musical and smooth. If you can find one in rosewood it's a very nice looking solid box, I bought one as described pre modded on whim off eBay. If you can find a XLS Sking ninja modded everything is already done, killer cheap speaker. 

@mesch: Quite true, though I must say again, what a positive experience posting this query has been. Whatever direction I go, I've no doubt that I'll select a set-up that will provide a significant improvement over my W-dale, Diamond III's. 

Moreover, the suggestions about utilizing stands--now that a dedicated listening space is available--might give them a new lease on life. For now 👂

Well, given that your have a system and are not without music, you can afford to take your time. 

The Music Room has a pair of B&W 685 S2’s [with stands] @$564 + shipping. Liking what I read about the Dynaudio Focus 140’s, too. Pair of the latter currently on eBay, though they’ll likely climb beyond $700 before the dust settles. Still have the Totem Rainmakers, though I’d need to pretty much block out an entire day for pickup. Maybe I’ll just renew my membership to local NPR station so they’ll end the Spring pledge drive, and wait for a "can’t refuse" deal to come along...

Haven’t any experience with Carver gear, but have had some CJ preamps. Having said that, you could spend a lot more money, but I’m not sure you’ll get better bang-for-the buck than with Dali. I have Zensor 7’s and Zensor 1’s, and I still find myself chuckling at how much “music” I get out of these “budget” speakers. Others may scoff, but I frankly don’t give a firm brown stool what they have to say. My ears know what they know. (Your ears may vary)

Best of luck

Well, just pulled the trigger on a set of blem UB5's, so now I'll be able to compare them with my Jamos and some KEF IQ1's I have.

I’ve been looking at the LS50’s, Wharfdale Denton 80th, ATC SCM7’s and ELAC UB5’s, but I’d really need to AB them against my Jamo Coronet IV’s, that I bought used for $40. I’m running these 2.1 with a 10" sub and get all the SPL I can want in this 8x12 room, though a Denon 3802 AVR.

Totems are gréât...owned a lot of them!!  Ultimately, they are limited dynamically except for the Wind.  You really should consider JBL from Music Direct.  60 day trial...in your own room and system.  Did I mention 12”’s?

Just come upon a pair of Totem Rainmakers, within 300 miles. Could possibly audition

Anybody have any listening experience with that set up?

Bigger is better...try a 12” woofer and you’ll never be satisfied again with a smaller one 😄

yes, i listened to a well seasoned set of 600ms and wondered what they were smoking.  FYI stereophile class C.  
completely disappointed.  there are much better sounding speakers at and below this price point.   made me lose respect for all the people hyping it.  

Has anyone heard the Klipsch rp 600m? A couple of good reviews have popped up on youtube recently.

ADS?  The old L300’s from back when?  Those little stand speakers?  Are you kidding?

The Pangea 3 column speaker stands sell for $100 on Audio Advisor. There is a '300' in the model number. 

Paulcreed, If I were looking for another pair of speakers I would be interested in those Usher Be 718s.   

In my opinion ADS Book Shelfs will give speakers worth 10X their price a run for their money.
Starting with their L300s
II use a pair of 300s with a powered 8"powered sub.

I’ve owned a ton of gear and you can’t go wrong with ML or Krell.  Go JBL....most satisfying choice plus they can be adjusted for frequency balance in your room with built in EQ buttons !  

Grea debate!  I owned the LS50's - lovely to look at but, in my 12x12 room - the rear port-itis made me want to tear out my hair!   I just could not take the puffy low-end.  I'm a retired drummer and dislike that kind of bass playing sound.

I recalled the sound of my previous polk LS9's as working better.  Finally found a used pair in excellent condition.  After trying way to many speakers in there, the polks ended up the keepers.  For now!  drumbe

If interested there is a pair of Usher be 718 tiny dancer on us Audio mart for $900, pretty good deal. Owned some years ago,they go down to 40 and are very musical, very transparent, maybe a tad tipped up but very nice speaker, they do like current.

@mesch: Thanks for your follow-up. Those are suggestions I’ll def pursue, and as I’ve enjoyed success with pre-owned over the decades [sole exception, a Linn Lk-140], it’s especially important now at my age, income, and rather modest level of discretionary income to $tretch my purchasing power.

@audioguyguy85: The praises you’ve sang of the W-225’s have not fallen on deaf ears. Because I’ve been inundated by suggestions—and I truly appreciate them all—I let a pair of preowned, but still NIB, slip by for < $300 bones (including shipping) last week.

You guys and everyone else on here are great. I feared my question might illicit some pedantic, derisive responses, but to a person they’ve been positive, courteous, and extremely helpful🔈👍

But I gotta do this thing soon, and get offa here. For some reason I’ve taken a liking to ML & Krell power amps since poking around these parts. I have neither the need nor dough for an amp of that caliber, but rationalizing non-essential purchases is an insidious weakness that I’ve battled since upgrading from a perfectly serviceable Technics SA-5060 receiver to a Kenwood KA-3500 way back in ‘78...

If you appreciate midrange transparency and detail with richness and emotion check out the Salk Bagby Continuum-
comes very close to the legendary Harbeth P3ESR at less than half the cost.
Much more natural sounding than the LS50s IMHO.  
http://www.salksound.com/model.php?model=Bagby%20Continuum

Another vote for kef ls50 I just got a pair off eBay for $725 I'm running them with an oppo bdp 205 and svs prime amp, I think it sounds amazing.

Maybe, seeing that you are familiar with the wharfedales, you should have a listen to the 225’s? They are far better than the diamond 111’s. I would not dismiss a speaker based solely on what it costs, these 225’s are a real bargain imo, and a steal at the current sale price of 349.99. Not much can touch these at the price. I love them so much I bought a second pair in the event they are no longer available. Mind you, I own other speakers, harbeth p3esr as well as the spendor s3/5r2...but right now I’m enjoying the 225’s immensely. I am driving them with a marantz pm14s1 reference amp. Sometimes I switch it out and drive them with the rogue sphinx. With the sphinx, the bass is incredible, thanks to the sphinx class D and high damping factor. The 225's sit atop atacama Moseco 6 stands (24") and loaded with atacama atabites....biwired with qed silver anniversary xt biwire cables. 

Seems it would be best for you to stick to a stand mount speaker.
Stands need not need to cost that much. Audioadvisor sells a steel 3-column pair for $110. Available are 20 and 24 inch heights. Columns can be filled (one has holes for speaker wire if desired). Speakers can be bluetacked to stands to be more solid.

With your room size some room treatment would benefit. ATS Acoustics sells absorptive material for DIY panels or prebuilt ones. They also can superimpose a picture onto fabric for covering panels which might be more tolerable to wife.

You have been given quite a list of speakers. So subjective a choice I find it hard to recommend. Given your room size I believe you certainly can find a pair that will be more extended and refined than the Wharfedales. I would search out reviews used speakers that sold new for $1500-$2500. Should not need to pay more than 50% retail. Watch those offered on AG and Ebay then research for reviews and specs. Vet seller prior to making offer.

Good luck in your search.  

The JBL L100's are listed as a bookshelf speaker...... so for one hell of a bookshelf... that's what I'd go with!!

@mesch....Replacing a well worn pair of Wharfedale Diamond III’s.

Backstory is that my wife retired from teaching last fall, and her former, home office room can now be utilized as a dedicated listening space. The Carver & CJ will be coming out of hibernation to drive speakers more deserving than the aforementioned Wharfedales, which will continue to see service in a modest AV set-up. Far superior to the TV’s built in speakers.

A pair of Sonus Faber Venere 1.5’s just got past me on eBay, so the hunt continues. Still liking the Vandy 1Ci’s, but the Keymaster’s not quite onboard, even though it’s quite modest in size.

Standmounts [of some variation] are the compromise that’ll have the best chance of passing muster.

And yes, I have almost no say-so re the heated sq. ft. areas of my home. Concession to dedicated garage and driveway space for collector car...

What's the sensitivity on that Madisound kit?

Pretty low IIRC. I believe it's something like 84db, though that shouldn't be a problem in the OP's small room.

What's the sensitivity on that Madisound kit?

Guttenberg just did a post on size a couple of days ago...it matters more than you realize!  12” baby 👶🏻 

A lot of great options mentioned. I suggest you audition before purchase if able. There are great deals to be had on the used market but I’d avoid going that route unless it’s quite obvious the speakers can be easily flipped.

 In theory, your square room is an acoustic nightmare, which means an in-home audition is your best bet for long-term enjoyment.

 The factory-direct brands (Ascend Acoustics, Zu, Omega, Buchardt, etc.) tend to offer generous, no-hassle, money-back guarantees and trial periods. Their product value also benefits from cutting out the middle-men. I think that’s especially true concerning the $1K price range.

Another speaker you should consider is the Seas A26 Kit from Madisound. Total price per pair with pre-assembled cabinets (for the U.S. market) comes to $1224. All that’s required of the buyer is some very simple assembly that any caveman could handle. If their drivers were sold individually, they’d account for about $841 of the cost per pair. These same drivers are used in some speakers that retail for over $10K. The speaker has a front slot port which will allow for greater flexibility in placement - a must in a 12x12’ room.

https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/2-way-speaker-kits/seas-a26-10-2-way-kit-pair-based-on-the-classic-a25/

I've been wishing I had a good friend that was looking for a pair of bookshelf speakers so that I could turn them on to these!  There is a listing in the other "audio mart in the US" (hint) for a pair of Thiel PCS bookshelf speakers.  These speakers are unbeatable for all of $900.  If I didn't already own a pair they'd be gone, but I do, and they're not.
These speakers are "world class" speakers, especially if you drive them with tubes!  I couldn't recommend these highly enough.  I've been trying to concoct a reason why I need another pair, but I can't come up with any valid reason.  So, go get them before someone else comes to their senses.

My son bought a pair of Axioms, back in the early 2k's [don't recall the model]. They have certainly served him well.

Forgot about those...

At your price point, you might consider Axiom Audio M5HP 3-way bookshelves.  (under $1000).  They're more than adequate for your space, although could be considered "overkill".  They're reasonably sensitive (91dB/1w), but can handle lots of power if loudness matters, or if room size changes.  So may not have to upgrade for a long time...;-)I own 7 of them in HT and Stereo systems and have been very pleased with their performance.

B&W Matrix 805's.  oldies but goodies.

Did the whole small speaker/high quality thing as well.  Results?  Small everything...you can’t circumvent physics.  Get a well made speaker with drivers capable of delivering the emotional and physical content of your music.  Think 12” woofer etc..  I’m still dumbfounded that my experiment with the JBL 4429’s has changed my perspective on the “High End” enormously.  Short of the $20k Speakers I’ve owned (which of course required oodles of cash for ancillary equipment) the JBL’s deliver an extremely uncolored, dynamic and extended presentation.  They can put you in the club with the musicians, if you understand what I mean.  They energize a room like few audiophile speakers can and do so without one having to break the bank on the rest of the setup.  

Proac.  Anything in the tablette family, which sold for less than 2k new, so should be able to find used in the 1k range.   Great imaging.

They are one of the smaller of the bookshelves, which makes them easy for stand mounting.  I have owned numerous bookshelves and found some of them on the larger size to seem out of place on the stands.

be Sure to take time to set them up right.  Several inches can affect soundstage and bass.

New Paradigm Premier 200B $1000/pr retail...

https://www.paradigm.com/en/passive/premier-200b