Downsizing from tower to bookshelf


Moving to smaller home and need thoughts on bookshelf speakers. The new dedicated audio room is 12x14 and I plan to use the same wall/floor treatments I currently have in my 14x20 room.
I don’t live near a big city to go and demo, so I’d like to narrow down at least 3 speakers I can purchase and demo in the new room. I’ll send the others back once I find a winner.

Current equipment is;

VPI Scout with Hana SL

Parasound A21

Vincent SA32 Preamp

Elac PPA2 

Dyneaudio Emit 30

My preference is neutral to slightly warm sound with heavy emphasis on holographic soundstage. Price point is maxed at $3,500.
 

I was never really in love with the Dynaudio Emit 30’s but they did provide the neutral holographic soundstage I like. The only negative with the Dynaudio is they didn’t seem very dynamic or musical.i always felt they were missing something in terms of enjoyment. Maybe stepping up a model would help but I’m open to other brand suggestions.

My initial picks are;

Harbeth P3ESR XD

Revel M126Be

Wharfedale Aura 2

Any other recommendations would be appreciated.

 

vette5451

Showing 4 responses by immatthewj

My preference is neutral to slightly warm sound with heavy emphasis on holographic soundstage. Price point is maxed at $3,500.

You listed the Revel M126be and I recently replaced a pair of B&W 805 (Matrix) with the Revels.  With my equipment (Sa10 and Cary tube preamp and amp) I would NOT call the presentation warm.  Perhaps neutral.  As far as holographic?  I get a decent sound stage in my room (which is smaller than yours) and detail stands out, which may not be your thing.

I got mine from MD (they were listing them as "B stock" and selling them for 3k and I think some change) but I see that Uncle Kevin also sells them, and for a while he had them listed  for 3k (and not "B stock").  I don't know his policy, but it is probably similar to MD's--60 days to try them for yourself and make up your mind.

I want to recommend a speaker I haven’t heard myself, but I use the company’s products, and like them. Plus they get great reviews. The speaker is the PS Audio Aspen FR 5. Apparently they are warm, rich and have surprisingly powerful bass. 

Early last summer, I think it might of been @bdp24 , posted a thread about the pre-release of those speakers.  They certainly sounded interesting.  I wasn't sure about the specs, low sensitivity and 6 ohm load, but the impedance apparently doesn't dip too low, so I guess that mitigates the sensitivity.  As I typed, I thought they sounded like what I was looking for, but I was auditioning the Revels at the time.

Since you were looking at the revel bookshelf speaker, spend a few more $$$ and get the f226be speakers.

MD has a couple of pairs; both are theoretically marked down. One pair is marked down to 4k, and the pair they are calling "B stock" is marked down to about 5800 (which I don’t understand the "b-stocks" being more than the other pair).

ON EDIT:  I just looked and saw that Uncle Kevin AND Crutchfield are selling them for 4k a pair.  They are not huge floor standing speakers--41" H is all.

But anyway, OP, if it makes any difference to you, Revel did farm out the manufacture of the M126be to Indonesia. I am NOT saying that it should or should not make a difference, I am just putting that out there because I was under the impression when I ordered mine that they were USA made and the salesman I spoke to on the phone "kind of" gave me that impression as he said I would be impressed with the "American sound" as opposed to the "British sound" of my B&Ws. I am still not sure what the difference is that I was supposed to hear.

@bdp24 , yup, that was it.  My bad.  Anyway, for anyone interested:

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/the-criteria-for-loudspeaker-choices?highlight=Eminent%20Technology%20LFT-8%20loudspeaker

 

@immathewj: You must be thinking of my thread about the Eminent Technology LFT-8 loudspeaker, which like the PS Audio Aspen speakers utilizes planar-magnetic drivers, a major point of discussion in that thread. I haven’t heard any of the PS Audio FR models, but p-m drivers are renown for their neutral sound quality, being neither warm nor cold. Another p-m attribute is their high transparency, which Paul McGowan always mentions in his videos about the Aspen speakers.