Recommendation for bookshelf speakers

drabina

I have small Mission bookshelf speakers and larger vintage EPI bookshelf speakers. I need something in between size-wise. High WAF is a must. I am currently looking for Monitors 40 Series II or Monitors 45B but I am curious if there is better alternative from Polk. The speakers would be connected to vintage Luxman L-85V amplifier and setup as 2-channel mains. No HT. I listen mostly to rock and classical music at low to moderate volume levels.

Any recommendations?

tonyb

Budget ??
Is there a subwoofer involved ?

drabina

Budget up to $350 though less is always better. No subwoofer.

rooftop59

Skip the monitors, you'll be disappointed, They are entry level speakers, great for the money if you have to have new, but you can do much better used. Polk LSi7 would be nice for that price. I also really like the Energy RC10 which come up on ebay pretty regularly and you should be able to get them for well below that price. If you want cheaper, the older Polk RTi35 with the tri-lam dome tweets are nice and would save you quite a bit of money.

cnh

Welcome to Club Polk!

Could you give us some idea of what size the Missions and EPI bass drivers are because it sounds like you're trying to get a two way that has a bass driver between 5" and 8". Am I right?

If so, that's a weird size to be looking for? Most "good" bookies in your price range are 5-5.5". The RC-10s mentioned above are a very good example and a good speaker.

So are the Wharfedale Diamond 10.1s.

And the KEF Q100s

dorokusai currently has a set of Polk LSi-7s (which would also be good) for sale on the F-Market. But you don't have the "posts" for those, yet?

All are 5" or a little more.

cnh

drabina

The missions have 1" fabric tweeter and 4" woofer (5.7" x 8.6" x 7.5" WxHxD), EPIs have 1" air spring dome tweeter and 8" woofer (21" x 11" x 9" HxDxW).

The Energy RC10 look good but the speakers will be positioned near the wall so I can't have rear firing port.

cnh

DSkip wrote: »

LSi9 sounds like a great fit for that Luxman, given that the Luxman can handle a tougher load. Given the tonal characteristics I read about that unit (its a looker for sure!), I'd expect the LSi sound to mesh very well, give you great sound, and look great doing it. The 7 is a nice fit too, but I bet it'd be a little shy on the low end.

For non-Polk products, the new Pioneer bookie (detachable grill) is an excellent choice for $120 or less. I keep forgetting the model number.

If you're looking to go "cheap". The new Pioneer SP-BS22-LR is pretty incredible at its price point and can often be had on sale for 90 or less. But, you will probably need a small sub for the bottom end!

cnh

dorokusai

What Mission loudspeaker do you have?

drabina

dorokusai wrote: »

What Mission loudspeaker do you have?

I have m30i. Pretty small bookshelf. Good for bedroom system with the low powered Marantz I have but not with the Luxman in living room.

cnh

drabina wrote: »

The missions have 1" fabric tweeter and 4" woofer (5.7" x 8.6" x 7.5" WxHxD), EPIs have 1" air spring dome tweeter and 8" woofer (21" x 11" x 9" HxDxW).

The Energy RC10 look good but the speakers will be positioned near the wall so I can't have rear firing port.

The Energys come with FOAM plugs which will silence the rear port but cause you a LOSS of some low end. This allows for the kind of placement you're talking about.

The Polks have a tapered ARC port & power-port which are not as problematic when mounted flush as well.

KEFs sound like your best bet. Front ported, good with the music you list.

cnh

nwohlford

cnh wrote: »

The Energys come with FOAM plugs which will silence the rear port but cause you a LOSS of some low end. This allows for the kind of placement you're talking about.

The Polks have a tapered ARC port & power-port which are not as problematic when mounted flush as well.

KEFs sound like your best bet. Front ported, good with the music you list.

cnh

The KEF Q100s are surprisingly picky on placement for front ported speakers. They do get a little boomy if they don't have some room around them.

I would look at the Boston Acoustics RS260. They have factory refurbs on accessories4less.com in your price range. They got good reviews when they came out (http://www.soundandvision.com/content/boston-acoustics-reflection-rs-260-speaker-system) and one of few options to get a recent speaker with a 6.5" woofer in that price range. I have the VS260 (a step up in the Boston models at the time) which I really like.

dorokusai

I have a pair of KEF C15 which I have loved since the 1980's....one of the only Aluminum dome loudspeakers worth listening to.

drabina

Any opinion on Energy CB-20 (Connoisseur Series) bookshelf speakers? Just saw them at the local store with a deep discount. Based on the specs they have decent sensitivity. Rear firing port but they do provide foam plugs. With depth of 9", I could have them sit about 2" from the wall.

tonyb

Those would work....look at Epos too....and the Pioneers mentioned previously.

drabina

I guess I will give the CB-20 a try. They are from a local store so I can always return then if they do not play nice with my amp. I have seen the Pioneers at BestBuy and yes, they are cheap, have good reviews but the WAF is not there with the rounded grille and cheap looking cabinet.

tonyb

drabina wrote: »

I guess I will give the CB-20 a try. They are from a local store so I can always return then if they do not play nice with my amp. I have seen the Pioneers at BestBuy and yes, they are cheap, have good reviews but the WAF is not there with the rounded grille and cheap looking cabinet.

LOL....Maybe remind the wife as she gets older her cabinet may look cheap and her grilles somewhat rounded too.

cnh

I'm with Tony. Find out what her "favorite" color nail polish is and spray those Andrew Jones speakers the SAME color. lol

cnh