Smooth/Musical Bookshelves upto $1500 - $2000

guys, thanks for suggestions. i'll be making a shortlist from the same which i shall then demo.

Some information requested by members...

- i travel between usa and europe so will have a chance to demo most of the speakers that will be recommended to me.

- the speakers won't be on a bookshelf but actually on my desktop besides my PC Screen. It'll be somewhat a near-field listening experience but i'm not keen on Active monitors as i've already demoed most of them and i prefer the more traditional Speaker+Amp+Dac+Source combo. Also i won't always be sitting at the desk to listen to music and it'll play on regardless of where i am in my room.

- I'll decide the amplification after the Speaker is decided. My assumption is that i'll have to spend upto 75% to almost equal amount spent on speakers on Amplification to get the best out of the speakers. I'm also assuming that most dealers of the speakers will have a matching amplifier for demo which will match/synergise well with the speaker they sell.

- Yes i have a few DACs in mind too. I'm keen on...

1. Arcam rDAC - as it seems to have a smooth sound signature which i'm after.

2. Musical Fidelity M1 - as it seems to be detailed yet not bright and may be ideal if the Speakers/Amp combo ends up being too dull.

3. Rega DAC - This one seems to have a very musical sound.

I hope above information is sufficient to get more speaker recommendations. If there is any more specific info i can provide to make this easier then kindly do ask.

Regards,

Rana.

P.S : Budget for Amp/Dac/Cables is separate.

Well mostly i listen to pop/rock with a bit of all other genres of music. I'm looking for an all-rounder kind of speaker which is easy on the ears.

I'm not saying I want dull/bland/boring speakers. Just something which has the treble recessed/rolled off a bit as I'm very sensitive to higher frequencies.

guys thanks for the amazing support and suggestions provided to me. I've shortlisted the speakers and now will be spending the next couple of weeks auditioning.

I'll come back and update my findings.

Happy Holidays to all :)

i've been getting some pretty solid advice on my query and i appreciate each member who is trying their best to help me. I'd like to answer some of the questions asked to me by members above...

- no the speakers won't be on bookshelves.
- they will be in a near-field scenario on my work desktop placed on either side of my PC Screen.
- i prefer a smooth/musical sound with the treble rolled off/recessed as i have very sensitive ears and a bright/forward/clinical/analytical kind of sound gives me an instant headaches within 2-3 minutes and my ears start hurting quickly. it's almost like they start ringing. it's a very unpleasant feeling.
- so i'm looking for something which is easy on the ears for long fatigue free hours of listening.
- i'm open to a 2.1 setup.
- budget is $ 1500 - $ 2000.
- music genre is Pop/Rock/Hip-Hop/Techno. So an all-rounder kind of speaker will be preferred.

Please do feel free to ask me any other questions which can help you help me.

Regards and Happy Holidays,

Rana.

so friends,

i spent the last few months auditioning many speakers. Although were great in their own ways, the 3 combinations that really struck a chord in my heart are....

1. PSB Synchrony 2B + Nad 375BEE

for it's effortless smooth sound. a very musical combination which i found to be so very easy on the ears with a pleasant approach to music while still delivering lots of detail. beautiful

2. Nola Boxers + McIntosh MA6300

for it's wonderful sound full of detail/texture yet having a wonderful three dimensional sound stage. It had a breathtaking sound which captivated me.

3. PSB Image B6 + Nad 326BEE

for being less than half the price of the above combinations and still sounding absolutely brilliant. A part of my heart says to save a lot of money by buying this combo but another part says buy one of the above combinations.

I'm looking for the long haul. I will keep this purchase for many years to come and although i get to hear music only for an hour or 2 a day i want to hear the best sound that i can afford.

What say guys...?

yes i liked both the PSB Synchrony 2B and Nola Boxers very much. I tried the Nola Boxers with the Moon 250i and it also sounded excellent.

I would say the advantages of Nola Boxer to be a bit livelier sound and also more expression. But it might be a bit to large for my needs as this will be a desktop setup.

The advantages for the PSB Synchrony 2B is that i felt it was more smoother of the two and i feel it will be easier on the ears for long listening hours. Also the PSB dealer is located in my city whereas the Nola i'll have to get shipped. Which is cool too because ultimately i care about the sound quality and i don;t think speakers need to be sent in for repairs too often unlike other electronic components.

I also feel that the PSB Synchrony 2B will be a safer choice for me since i already own a PSB Image based 5.1 setup which consists of B6,C5,S5 + SVS PC12NSD.

There is no doubt though that the Nola Boxers are absolutely magical and sound breath taking. They are just simply awesome. And i feel the Syncrhrony 2B are smoother and just relax me and let me be lost in the music. They are both special in their own way and i would pick either one of them on different days.

PSB is a sound i know i love and i'd picked up the Image HT setup after similarly listening to may HT speaker setups last year. Hence i just feel a bit more confident towards the PSB Synchrony 2B because i know i love that PSB sound.