Bookshelf speaker suggestion...

kawizx9r

Ok, I've been on this road before and the end result of that was a pair of LSi7's. Absolutely loved them, but now I'm steering away from power/current hungry speakers since my amp will be gone soon.

They'll be connected to my integrated, which pushes out a high-current 50watts per channel into 8ohm (68wpc@6ohm).

I'm looking for suggestions that won't break the bank of let's say...700 or so (preferably less). I of course wouldn't mind spending less

I would prefer that they employ a 6 1/2" woofer or even 5 1/4" since I don't plan on running a subwoofer. They'll obviously need to be a bit sensitive since I'm not running an external amplifier to these and they can NOT be bright. The only thing I can go off of is my old pair of SDA 1C's that had SL2000 tweeters on them. I'd say that's about pushing it, nothing brighter than that.

I've looked at Totem Rainmakers, Paradigm Studio 20's (I think V.3 since the 4's are well over a couple hundred more), Quad 12L2 (non-active) just to name a few.

Any ideas?

-Freddy

decal

If you can stretch your budget a bit,I highly recommend these.I have no affiliation with the seller,I own Tyler Acoustics speakers and they sound absolutely wonderful.:)
http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrmoni&1279224864&/Tyler-Acoustics-Taylo-dark-che

dane_peterson

Epos ELS3s? A little less expensive, but nice and efficient.

cnh

How about some vintage Polk Monitors....Monitor 5s or 7s. Very highly regarded and I think you could push them with what you have. They also have a lot more low end than a lot of fancy 1000 a pair big name Speakers like Dali, Dynaudio, Totem, etc.

If you just want to go cheap! You can get some Energy RC10s...highly reviewed in the under 600 dollar a pair class. Can be had for 350 and free shipping from Vanns. Not sure if you would like those though...they claim to reach to 50hz with a 5 1/4" woofer and aluminum dome! Also in that range would be your Def Tech Studio 350s--their real strength is BASS as they have a two way design in a small cabinet with an 8" passive radiator in the side wall. Only if you're a Bass head though!

Personally, I've heard the Dali Concept II which is by no means an expensive speaker but sounds a bit like a Dynaudio...nice fast mid-bass, airy highs, clean midrange....not a lot of LOW end.

And here's something WORTH thinking about on sale for 788 a pair....the Sierra-1s

http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages/products/speakers/SRM1/srm1.html

And of course there are the B&W 685s....highly reviewed but not EVERYONE cares for them?

Good luck!

cnh

dkg999

I can highly recommend the EPOS ELS-3's. Combine them with a good little sub such as a Polk DSW MicroPro 2000 or the EPOS sub and you won't miss your LSi7's. I also have the Paradigm 20v3's and my NAD C720BEE receiver drives them just fine. My Marsh A200S drives them better, but they sound good with the receiver.

kawizx9r

decal wrote: »

If you can stretch your budget a bit,I highly recommend these.I have no affiliation with the seller,I own Tyler Acoustics speakers and they sound absolutely wonderful.:)
http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrmoni&1279224864&/Tyler-Acoustics-Taylo-dark-che

Hmm, I've always seen Taylor Acoustics ranging in the 1k+. We'll see if something else comes up when I'm ready to purchase a pair.

dane_peterson wrote: »

Epos ELS3s? A little less expensive, but nice and efficient.

I've read great things about them online, but will they be good stand-alone bookshelves? I guess I'm asking a little much but I want them to dig nice and deep in the lower end.

cnh wrote: »

How about some vintage Polk Monitors....Monitor 5s or 7s. Very highly regarded and I think you could push them with what you have. They also have a lot more low end than a lot of fancy 1000 a pair big name Speakers like Dali, Dynaudio, Totem, etc.

If you just want to go cheap! You can get some Energy RC10s...highly reviewed in the under 600 dollar a pair class. Can be had for 350 and free shipping from Vanns. Not sure if you would like those though...they claim to reach to 50hz with a 5 1/4" woofer and aluminum dome! Also in that range would be your Def Tech Studio 350s--their real strength is BASS as they have a two way design in a small cabinet with an 8" passive radiator in the side wall. Only if you're a Bass head though!

Personally, I've heard the Dali Concept II which is by no means an expensive speaker but sounds a bit like a Dynaudio...nice fast mid-bass, airy highs, clean midrange....not a lot of LOW end.

And here's something WORTH thinking about on sale for 788 a pair....the Sierra-1s

http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages/products/speakers/SRM1/srm1.html

And of course there are the B&W 685s....highly reviewed but not EVERYONE cares for them?

Good luck!

cnh

Oh trust me, I've always kept the Monitor series speakers in mind. In fact I've been looking but I can't seem to find a pair.

The Energys are another speaker I've read and heard good things about. 'Very musical' is what seems to come out of everyones mouth. Just hope the aluminum dome isn't too bright for my taste. I'll take a look at the Def Techs in that case, never even thought about them.

dkg999 wrote: »

I can highly recommend the EPOS ELS-3's. Combine them with a good little sub such as a Polk DSW MicroPro 2000 or the EPOS sub and you won't miss your LSi7's. I also have the Paradigm 20v3's and my NAD C720BEE receiver drives them just fine. My Marsh A200S drives them better, but they sound good with the receiver.

I had a MicroPro1k, so I know what it's capable of. Thing is I prefer to run bookshelves only, no subwoofer hence why I'm being a bit picky with these bookshelves. The LSi7's on the Moscode hit nice and deep, hell they even rattled the walls yet remained clear all the way through.

dane_peterson

If you can find them, I was very impressed with the Energy C-3s back in the day.

dkg999

The Paradigm 20v3's have much better bass than the LSi7's. I have LSi7's as the rears in my HT so I have had a chance to do a direct comparison.

cnh

dkg999 wrote: »

The Paradigm 20v3's have much better bass than the LSi7's. I have LSi7's as the rears in my HT so I have had a chance to do a direct comparison.

But what about their highs...IMO, the Lsi-7s real strength for those who like a truly musical high-end, warm and detailed. Just curious?

cnh

kawizx9r

I loved the LSi7's highs, they were very detailed and revealing. Never harsh, no matter what I listened to.

Other than the lower frequencies, how else did the Paradigms sound compared to the Polk's?

dkg999

For music I would take the Paradigm 20v3's over the LSi7's, highs, mids, bass, soundstage, etc. You have to give the Paradigm tweeters about 300 to 400 hrs to break in. I like the LSi7's also, but sometimes the tweeter is too laid back. There's a reason the Paradigm's are rated highly by reviewers. I think the 20's are the best music speaker of that series.

cnh

That's what I thought. I've heard some other Paradigms and B&Ws. A lot of subjectivity in this hobby. I really 'like' that 'laid' back sound...it's what makes most recordings listenable. I'm not a big super detail man. For me, and the concerts, mostly classical that I've attended the LSis sound exactly like what I heard in the hall. The others sound good but they don't sound like what I heard. But then again, I am a laid back guy. lol

cnh

kawizx9r

Same here cnh, I too like that laid back sound.

I don't want to experience fatigue within an hour of a listening session, that just wouldn't be cool

I know the best thing to do is try to get my ears on some of these speakers, but there aren't any high-end or hi-fi shops anywhere around me.

Anyone near the 93905?

leroyjr1

Not bookshelves but the location is close and they sound great and can be modded. SDA2b's
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/ele/1786688361.html

kawizx9r

leroyjr1 wrote: »

Not bookshelves but the location is close and they sound great and can be modded. SDA2b's
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/ele/1786688361.html

Dang, now that's just temping (though I'd offer a bit less). Santa Clara's only about an hour and a half away. I just can't do it though, I need small speakers

kawizx9r

I've also considered the era Speakers offered by Signal Path (parent company to the Peachtree).

I hear the synergy is just through the roof, wonder how they'll match up against a 'better' pair of bookshelves on this thing.

messiah

WTF, they don't have white vans in cali??

I had the studio 20's back when the 1st version came out, and liked them quite a bit. Then I moved them into a bigger room, and they sounded thin. In a smaller (12 x 16) room they sounded great, but I always had them paired with a sub because of HT use as well.

Now you know what I would recommend, as you have heard them without a sub, but they are difficult to find, so let's forget that for now.

How about these? http://chicago.craigslist.org/wcl/ele/1791453368.html

Save yourself 600 bucks, and have some nice vintage Polks!! Hell, shipping cant be THAT bad. That, and I live 2 towns over and can go check em out for you if you want.

kawizx9r

Wow that's cheap.

I was looking to get a pair in a week or so, not this second lol.

You do know I'm in Cali now right Christopher? It's been awhile since we last caught up.

messiah

Yeah I know you're out there Freddy. That's why I mentioned shipping. It seems that CL around here has more to offer, so if you see anything you want me to check out for you just let me know.

kawizx9r

messiah wrote: »

Yeah I know you're out there Freddy. That's why I mentioned shipping. It seems that CL around here has more to offer, so if you see anything you want me to check out for you just let me know.

Figured you knew, just wanted to make sure. Appreciate the offer btw!

cstmar01

after hearing the paradigm's I would say honestly those. I haven't heard the totem but Mantis did a review of them vs the paradigms and totem won. It was in the last few months I think.

Paradigms I think are great and for the bookshelf I don't think you could go wrong. I still like floorstanders but thats just me.

got the link
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=99444&highlight=totem+paradigm

oh and Ben and I heard a great pair of bookshelf's over at Ovation Ulimate in Indy I forgot who made them though....was it Rega???

concealer404

cstmar01 wrote: »

after hearing the paradigm's I would say honestly those. I haven't heard the totem but Mantis did a review of them vs the paradigms and totem won. It was in the last few months I think.

Paradigms I think are great and for the bookshelf I don't think you could go wrong. I still like floorstanders but thats just me.

got the link
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=99444&highlight=totem+paradigm

oh and Ben and I heard a great pair of bookshelf's over at Ovation Ulimate in Indy I forgot who made them though....was it Rega???

Yeah, it was Rega. I loved them, but i wouldn't personally run them in a main rig in a halfway decent-sized room.

Big sound, but that was a small area. I don't think they would have held up in a normal living room or anything.

Danny Tse

dane_peterson wrote: »

If you can find them, I was very impressed with the Energy C-3s back in the day.

Oh yes, I don't think you can be disappointed with the C-3s. If you can find a pair in good condition, it may even be a bigger bargain than the RC-10 @ Vanns since the C-3 has a 6.5" woofer, as opposed to the RC-10's 5.25" woofer.

Check out how the C-3's can be used in a 15 watt/channel tube amp-powered system @ audiogon.com

McLoki

As a novel concept - have you thought about just keeping the LSi7's? They are pretty close to a 6 ohm speaker in testing and are the easiest of the LSi line to drive. If you have the money to spend - upgrade the crossovers in them and you will be amazed.

Personally - I would hook up your LSi7's without the amp and see how they sound before you purchase anything else. (assuming you like the LSi7 sound of course)

Just a thought (or voice of reason)

Michael

Edit - Note, I am not saying the LSi7's won't sound better with an amp (as will most speakers) just that it may not be neccesary for audio enjoyment....

jawhog

I've had quite a year or two on just such a mission. In the last year I have tried Paradigm Studio 20, B&W DM602 S3 , B&W 685, Epos ELS-3, NHT Superzeros, Monitor Audio RS1, Energy RC-10, Polk RTi-A1, Cambridge Audio S30's, Polk RT25s, Boston Acoustics CR67s. It's been a hell of a lot of fun. I have a few notes on all of these so I wouldn't forget what I was thinking.

My favorites were the Studio 20's, RC-10, and the RT25s. I also liked the RTi-A1s and CR67s, but they weren't as good as the first group. I saw a lot to like about the the B&W's and the ELS3, but the sound wasn't for me. I didn't care for the RS-1, S30s. or superzeros.

I keep meaning to do a big post, but just haven't gotten around to it. If you're considering any of these in particular I can refer to my notes, but none of them have a shortage of reviews really.

sucks2beme

concealer404 wrote: »

Yeah, it was Rega. I loved them, but i wouldn't personally run them in a main rig in a halfway decent-sized room.

Big sound, but that was a small area. I don't think they would have held up in a normal living room or anything.

The Rega R3, or the new rs3, are a very narrow small floorstander.
They don't have much of a footprint, and have better bass and work ok in a medium sized room. It's the same two drivers as the bookshelf speaker, with a side firing woofer. They only real problem is the narrow base makes them not kid/pet friendly(my cat knocked one over).

kawizx9r

cstmar01 wrote: »

after hearing the paradigm's I would say honestly those. I haven't heard the totem but Mantis did a review of them vs the paradigms and totem won. It was in the last few months I think.

Paradigms I think are great and for the bookshelf I don't think you could go wrong. I still like floorstanders but thats just me.

got the link
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=99444&highlight=totem+paradigm

oh and Ben and I heard a great pair of bookshelf's over at Ovation Ulimate in Indy I forgot who made them though....was it Rega???

Ok, another pair to take a look at

I haven't heard any other Paradigm speakers other than Ben's so I was afraid of anything else by them. Though the Studio 20's do look promising...

Danny Tse wrote: »

Oh yes, I don't think you can be disappointed with the C-3s. If you can find a pair in good condition, it may even be a bigger bargain than the RC-10 @ Vanns since the C-3 has a 6.5" woofer, as opposed to the RC-10's 5.25" woofer.

Check out how the C-3's can be used in a 15 watt/channel tube amp-powered system @ audiogon.com

I think I saw a pair of those on the 'gon but decided to overlook it. So Energy is a good way to go huh? It's looking like Paradigm and Energy at this point, and how much I really want to spend.

McLoki wrote: »

As a novel concept - have you thought about just keeping the LSi7's? They are pretty close to a 6 ohm speaker in testing and are the easiest of the LSi line to drive. If you have the money to spend - upgrade the crossovers in them and you will be amazed.

Personally - I would hook up your LSi7's without the amp and see how they sound before you purchase anything else. (assuming you like the LSi7 sound of course)

Just a thought (or voice of reason)

Michael

Edit - Note, I am not saying the LSi7's won't sound better with an amp (as will most speakers) just that it may not be neccesary for audio enjoyment....

Hey Michael,
I sold the LSi7's over 3 weeks ago

Even if I still had them though, I don't think I could put myself listening through them running off my integrated. It's supposed to pump out nice clean power, but it won't come anywhere close to the fully modified Moscode 300 (300wpc@4ohms respectively) that I had it hooked up to.

kawizx9r

Better yet, after reading that review on the Totems I think it'll be between that and the Energy's.

Vanns has them for 350 :eek:
http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/details/542469405/energy-rc10
That's how much they are on audiogon right now (used).

tonyb

I know coin is tight, but these look interesting...

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrmoni&1281982228&/Wilson-Benesch-ARC/birds-eye-m

FTGV

The Rainmakers are very nice, Totem knows how to make a wonderful sounding speaker,and I love their veneer work.Another possiblity is the PSB Image B6.

kawizx9r

FTGV wrote: »

The Rainmakers are very nice, Totem knows how to make a wonderful sounding speaker,and I love their veneer work.Another possiblity is the PSB Image B6.

I've seen a few PSB's come up on the 'gon, how do they compare against the rainmakers? And are they as efficient?

The RC10's though are tempting since it's well below what I was looking to spend.