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Need Small Bookshelf Speakers With a Big Sound

Good morning.  I have been out of any kind of audiophile circles for a long time.  We moved into a house with built-in speakers about 5 years ago, which I really enjoy, but of course it's better for casual listening at a party than for quality listening.  Our family room is in a pretty open space that borders our living room and kitchen, so my wife is very focused on speakers being unobtrusive in appearance.  I was therefor looking for small speakers and got turned onto KEF LS50s, which sounded really nice for the price, and more than good enough for my desires.  And they are small.  But I didn't really focus on their "untraditional" looks.  It turns out that was a deal-breaker when I brought them home to demo.

So, I am back to square one.  What I would really like is a speaker that is about the size of the LS50s, or maybe a little bigger, and has a nice looking, traditional wood finish.  Bright colors and artificial surfaces, no matter how good they sound, need not apply...

I would say my self-imposed budget is around $2,000 at the top.  Unless new speakers leads me down the audiophile slippery slope, the speakers would be powered by my old Adcom 545 II amp and GTP 500 II tuner, with either an Adcom CD changer or Apple TV streaming the music.  Not exactly Audiogon Best In Class, but I think it will bring a smile to my face.  And you never know if this will lead to upgrading the whole shebang.

Any thoughts appreciated.  Not that it matters, but I am in the Chicagoland area.
chiguy

Showing 3 responses by 213runnin

213runnin
914 posts
 
As soon as I saw this thread, I predicted a lot of brands being suggested, and there surely are!

I'll 2nd the Acend Sierra 2 though.  These are some serious big sounding speakers that can take 250 watts at higher volumes and make your jaw drop, I am not kidding.  The Raal ribbon tweeter has a higher level of accuracy than domes but is never harsh.  

It sounds like the OP is doing this old school, shopping from store to store, and expecting to pay retail.  The internet direct prices offer much better bang for buck if one is willing to try a 30 day trial.  

213runnin
914 posts
 
That's the benefit of shopping internet direct.  In the Ascend Sierra 2, you get a speaker that would retail for $2500 if sold in the retail model.  
213runnin
914 posts
 
I just read through the thread, and realized that the OP, Chiguy, never gave some of the basic facts one needs when making speaker decisions, unless I missed the info.

When shopping for speakers, the size of the room they are going in is paramount.  We also need to know the power amp being used, or considered.  Chiguy did mention the amp is a 20 year old one that he might be replacing, but that doesn't help much.

Also what he'll be using the speakers for, music or movies, and what volume levels he's hoping to attain.

We can throw out ideas all day, but without some basic information such as above, it's not really much help.  One thing I would suggest, if the OP is allowing his wife some say in this speaker decision, he better be bringing her along on the shopping trip rather than bringing yet another pair home to only have her veto them.


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