True Bookshelf speakers--which best?!


Due to constraints (financial, physical, possibly mental), my situation mandates bookshelf speakers. Which are best for pop, serious (classical), and jazz. I am thinking of the Merlin TSM. The lowest octaves are not important, however, a big & deep soundstage with excellent imaging is. I have a ss amp now, and I want speakers to mate with a Pass Aleph 3 or a SET amp in the future. Also, the speakers must be good in HT as mains. The bookshelf will allow the speakers to be 2 feet from the back wall and be at an appropriate height and distance apart. I will put the speakers on osiris (or equivalent) stands in front of the bookshelf for the truly serious sessions. What speakers would you suggest?
douglikesaudio
Soliloquy 5.0. Hands down a great speaker. Price considered or not. They have a huge soundstage for their size and their build quality is exceptional. I have owned B&W dm 602 and cdm1 both of which I was very fond of. The Soliloquy's in my opinion out perform both of them. The factory stands are a little expensive. I bought a pair of Atacama 24 SE to put them on, an outstanding speakerstand. Soliloquy is located in N.C and was founded by Dennis Had of Cary Audio. The speakers are very efficent and so far have sounded terrific. Good luck.
The best bookshelf I have heard (and owned) are the Speaker Art Super Clefs. They are in a word breathtakingly real. www.speakerart.com. Regards, Mike
Well, if you are really interested in hearing what may be (at least among) the best, I would recomend trying out the new Talon Peregrine. Expensive, but, if I were in the market for a bookshelf speaker, this is the one I would covet. Indeed, I do. (Also, it's a real bookshelf speaker, though substantial in its own right, that goes all the way down to 20hz). My worthless 2 cents worth, but I was introduced to Tallon this weekend and it was simply the best I have ever heard. Does it all right. Came home to my Thiels with a severe case of speaker envy.
I would include the Dynaudio Contour 1.1, Totem Model 1 and Proac Response 1sc as your shortlist.
Try the Totem Model One (Signatures if possible) and the B&W Nautilous 805. Both are great.
All I am going to say is Proac Response 1SC. Go and hear, as you will be amazed! A hard bookshelf to beat.
norwex B-2 Nisse were specifically designed for placement on a bookshelf or in a wall unit, being 9 inches high (same as a typical novel), while being a High-End speaker! We supply them also in white (black lacquer standard) for mounting on walls with available 4-way adjustable brackets. Read review in the current issue of SoundStage! Their web site is: www.soundstage.com. Click on Audio. You may also want to go to the norwex site: http://norwex.homepage.com. If interested after that, contact Harald Aasland on the e-mail address listed.
We also supply custom made floor stands for them, but with these you should place the speakers closer to the wall, approximately 6 inches. They are excellent for home theater front (and rear), and we have a super center channel with matching tonal quality, and subwoofers. It is all on the norwex web site: http://norwex.homepage.com. Harald Aasland
I have owned and auditioned many bookshelf speakers but have found the B&W Nautilus 805s to be the most musically satisfying. Becuase of your placement restrictions, you may also wish to consider the Revel M20s- they sound great and are adjustible.