Small bookshelf speakers that impressed you...

Mystery

For me there are few pairs (not in that particular order):


1. Monitor Audio MA301: Very good sound, smooth and clean. Little bit relaxed but they have amazing stereo image. It was like a wall of sound.
Very impressive.



2. JBL L20t: Man these are really awesome paired with a small 8" Velodyne sub.
All the high details are there, voice is amazingly clear and balanced.
I like their mid tone is even more than JBL L166's. Some of the bigger JBL's have kinda metallic tone that's distracting and while L20t has similar characteristics but not a whole lot to distract.
However, without a sub, they sound dry and increasing bass makes them worse but paired with a sub and they are fun to listen to.
These are supposedly home version of L1??
Here is a pic on top of JBL L166's:


3. Polk M4's with peerless: These also should be mentioned even though the previous two were preferred over these. I found them little dry without proper sub setup.




What's on your list?

oleon621

B&W CM1s have amazing detail and soundstage for their size.
Sonus Faber Venere 1.5 are really laid back with great detail and imaging too.

[Deleted User]

Element Millenium

txcoastal1

My baby's

heiney9

Epos ELS-3

Polka Audio RT25i

H9

Mystery

halenhoang wrote: »

Element Millenium

txcoastal1 wrote: »

My baby's

Man those look nice but wayyyy outta my pocket.

Rick88 wrote: »

Energy RC-10
Monitor Audio RX-1

I'm keeping my eyes open for RX line.
I heard RX-6 is the sweet spot.

heiney9 wrote: »

Epos ELS-3
Polka Audio RT25i
H9

RT25i?
Hmmm... I should have grabbed for $25. :rolleyes:

heiney9

Mystery wrote: »

RT25i?
Hmmm... I should have grabbed for $25. :rolleyes:

Ummm....yeah! No brainer.

I was and continue to be surprised how good they sound. Upper midrange is to die for, very natural and uncolored. Excellent soundstage presentation, very transparent highs. They play much higher up the chain as well as much higher up the size chart too. I also owned a pair of RT38i's thinking bigger was better, they weren't. They didn't have the balance or as natural a presentation as the RT25i's. A little to "chunky" in the lower midrange and upper bass compared to the RT25i's.

For me a real eye opener as they weren't the most expensive speaker out there, so I figured they would be good, but they turned out to be excellent!

H9

heiney9

Debating if I want to rebuild x-overs with new caps and resistors or if, in this case, might upset the balance of the speaker. It just sounds so "right", not sure I should mess with it (concerning the RT25i's).

H9

mhardy6647

BBC "LS3/5A" nearfield monitor specification speakers (made by Rogers, Chartwell, etc.) -- outta my league, though :-)

Some more realistic examples (in terms of cost) that come to mind:

IMF SuperCompact II (very small three way - absolutely superb)
KEF C20
ads L-470
ads L-300 (a minispeaker, but one of the very best)
EPI 60 (M60)


Oh, and I, too, (still) like the original Polk Audio Monitor 4 quite well (wish I had a pair for my Polk collection...).

heiney9

I heard my first pair of LS3's at Lou's during a Polkfest and I have to say, they aren't much to look at, but damn they sounded good. Intoxicatingly good.

H9

gudnoyez

These have been impressing me for 30 some years throw a 120wpc integrated at them at loud levels they love power.

Mystery

DSkip wrote: »

As much buying/selling as you do, I really think you could afford gear you think you can't. Flip that stuff and get you one nice piece. I'm not trying to bash your style at all - I could simply see you greatly appreciating the move to current technology. I was where you are a few years ago, and once I stepped up to the plate, I haven't missed the revolving door at all.

You may be correct.
I'm starting to clear things up but for mid level gears, I have to wait until I get a job and bring in some $$$.
Colorado has very bad unemployment benefits. They have a maximum cap of $529 minus taxes so it's $454. :sad:

heiney9 wrote: »

Debating if I want to rebuild x-overs with new caps and resistors or if, in this case, might upset the balance of the speaker. It just sounds so "right", not sure I should mess with it (concerning the RT25i's).

H9

You can always save the old components carefully and downgrade if new components don't sound the way you like.

tonyb

Revel M22's....The micro Utopia's are pretty good too.

mhardy6647

Good call.

...oy, how could I have forgotten the AR-18!?! :-(
The original, unsuffixed AR-18 was - in its day - the best speaker buy extant (at 65 smackers a pop) as far as I am concerned... still a nice sounding little loudspeaker.

gudnoyez

mhardy6647 wrote: »

Good call.

...oy, how could I have forgotten the AR-18!?! :-(
The original, unsuffixed AR-18 was - in its day - the best speaker buy extant (at 65 smackers a pop) as far as I am concerned... still a nice sounding little loudspeaker.

You said that right Teledyne knew how to make good speakers I was a young Soldier when I bought these at Wharton Barracks along with AR 58's love me the vintage AR sound.

cnh

mhardy has covered the vintage pieces so I won't go there. I've been trying to get my hands on that AR18 for ages but they're ALWAYS overpriced or ratty.

Of what I've owned, I have to agree with Rick88, Energy RC-10 (especially when discounted at half-price--which they were for quite a while).

Andrew Jones, tip of the hat to the man for the newer/improved SP-BS22LRs--I just don't understand how you can do THAT at THAT price point! Polk, take NOTE!!!!

Honorable mention to Henry Kloss for the Cambridge Soundworks Model Six (not exactly small, but drivers similar to what are in the AR18, no?).

A speaker I have NOT heard but sells for a ridiculous price of less than 130 a pair MSRP, the Fluance SX-6. Anyone have any thoughts on that? It does get good reviews?

I like to keep my choices under the $299 price point. Because when you get over $500 there's a lot more wiggle room and before you know it you're over $1000 and off to the rabbit hole races.

Now as to some of what's been mentioned above that I've heard. Monitor Audio, +1. No sub needed for normal tracks, IMO.

JBL L20T, a very very nice speaker. Does NOT need a sub unless you're a real Bass Head. Sounds good on most pieces. Have to disagree with Mystery about this a little.

Polk Monitor 4s...have not heard those so I'm going to have to guess they must sound like a small size version of Monitor 5s which, also do not need a sub for most things. When does a Peerless Polk EVER sound "dry"? lol Think you need a hearing exam, and I'm the guy taking the steroids at the moment?





cnh

Mystery

cnh wrote: »

mhardy has covered the vintage pieces so I won't go there. I've been trying to get my hands on that AR18 for ages but they're ALWAYS overpriced or ratty.

Andrew Jones, tip of the hat to the man for the newer/improved SP-BS22LRs--I just don't understand how you can do THAT at THAT price point! Polk, take NOTE!!!!

Hmm... I have AR48S (not small bookshelf) waiting for refoam. I should do that sometimes. I even have the foams for both mids and woofers since 6 months. Hopefully, they don't rot on their own. :rolleyes:

SP-BS22LR's are tempting since they are everywhere in AK, here and other forums. Hmmm...

lanchile

I love these B&W 686 speakers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFx1vbXtwXU

dkg999

Epos ELS-3
Wharfdale Diamond 10.1
Polk LSi7

The Epos ELS-3 will just amaze you, especially for their size. The Diamond 10.1's are very smooth, well integrated, and an absolute steal when you can find them on sale for $249/pair. I still think Polk's LSi7 is the best of that line for music, they got the x-over and driver integration right on that one.

cnh

+1, Doug. Epos, WD, and Lsi-7s, all very nice but pushing above that $299 MSRP. Not that that's an issue for anyone but me. And I do own the Polks.

cnh

mhardy6647

FWIW, I think that the CSW Six, mentioned by cnh a bit earlier. is a fine low-cost bookshelf speaker. They might still even be available new(?).
A crossover redo, published in audioXpress in 2001, takes them to an even better place. I did a pair for my daughter when she went to college (2002) and she still has, uses, and enjoys them.

If anyone's interested in the XO information, shoot me a PM.

AsSiMiLaTeD

I've always ben partial to the Totem Rainmaker. That Element Millennium is the best bookshelf I've ever heard, but the fact that it doesn't actually exist is kind of a deal breaker for me...

Loud & Clear

Wharfedale Diamond 10.1. Intoxicating midrange. LSi7 also very enjoyable.

Erik Tracy

RTi4s.

Still think these are an amazing speaker and can be had for a ridiculous good price if you look for a deal.

Like good espresso - rich flavor in a small cup.

polk500

I've a pair of older Jamo 100 bookies nice little speaker. Surprising amount off bass as well for such a small speaker.

Cheers
Roger

txcoastal1

PSB Imagine mini are quite cool. At RMAF last year paired uo with a little NAD 7050 Integrated which includes DAC was a nice little mini rig.

drummer86

Totem Mites. Love mine.

http://www.totemacoustic.com/en/hi-fi/compact/mite/

On3s&Z3r0s

I like the ERA D4's a lot... went with them for desktop / nearfield speakers, but they do an incredible job from a distance too. The bass from those tiny little mids puts my fully upgraded Montior 5JR+ to shame. They're not an efficient speaker but not crazy expensive either. I consider them the best money I've spent on new/retail audio gear.

11tsteve

i like my 5JRs right now.... an impressive little speaker.

Mystery

11tsteve wrote: »

i like my 5JRs right now.... an impressive little speaker.

Those are 5jr+.

TNHNDYMAN

Very nice work Steve. They turned out great.