What is a good pair of bookshelf speakers?
Jason,
It really all depends on how much money you want to spend and what are you looking to get out of the speakers. Most bookshelf speakers aren't able to hit the low frequencies of real "bassy" songs such as rap and top 40. This is due to their driver size with most maxing out around 8". If you want the best and are willing to pay for it check out bwspeakers.com. I would recommend the B&W 805S, but you might need a dedicated amp to run them properly. If $2k is out of the range they have their 700 series, 600 series and CM series which should suit your needs. If you're looking for dollar value, check out paradigm.com. Years back the Canadian government sponsered grants in improving audio/accoustics. That means that Canadian speaker manufacturers don't have to do "as much" research because the government has done it for them. In turn, their prices are lower. I own a pair of B&W 802 floor standing as well as Paradigm Reference 100s and they are both outstanding speakers. B&W $8k, Paradigm $2k. The B&W sounds clearer, but the Paradigm can hold its own. Either company makes a fantastic speaker, check them out. Good luck!
7 Answers
Shane has it right.... I love the 805's, I had some Canton bookshelves that were punchy enough to really do well with the lower bass, I had them paired with a velodyne SPL sub xover'd at 70hz and the pair sounded awesome... This was off of a Marantz stereo reciever.
Jason,
The biggest question is really what you will be hooking up to them. Power is everything when it comes to high end, audiophile type speakers. With entry level speakers the amp tends not to matter as much, and a good one vs. a bad one will not change the sound. With great speakers, going from an entry level amp, to a high end you will hear differences. More extension in the low freq, clearer mid range, and highs that bring instruments, like pianos, to life are all possible with a good combination of speaker and amp. So that being said if you have a receiver that is good, priced at $$500-$1500, and it is something like a Marantz, Integra, Pioneer etc. then something like a pair of Totem Mite's (about $700 a pair) would be outstanding. They are easy to drive, and are made to sound great on everyday sources like TV, PlayStation etc. If you have the next step up receiver, $2000, then the Totem Rainmakers (about $1000 a pair) I have always been a Totem fan With all of their product hand made in Canada, using the best cabinets and crossovers money can buy, they have a great value and amazing performance. So let us all know what you are looking at for an amp, if you can, and you will get a lot of recommendations!
If you're looking to spend a little less money, you can't go wrong with a pair of PSBs. A pair of Alphas can be purchased for around $200.
Gallo Acoustics. The Micros or Diva's are both outstanding choices. Without question. True High Fidelity at a fair price, and they look cool too
Some decent answers, but the prediliction on this site for B&W is mystifying to me. I'm with Adam and would recommend Totem any day over the B&Ws--I like Proacs myself, but PSBs are good bang for the buck and anything based on the old BBC LS4a speakers would work. My problem with the B&Ws is that they are tuned for fat old white guys listening to classical music. If that is you, have at it. You want to convey the slam of rock and roll, find another speaker.
You can't buy speakers without listening to them--it really comes down to personal taste and what you listen too. I listen for speed/transparency and accuracy; I want a crispness to the bass and I don't want sibilence when I hear women vocalists hitting an "s." I also don't want a little speaker, which will not produce solid bass, to try to fake me out by pumping up the midbass. I want the speaker to deliver a linear response--reproduce well what is there and not try to compensate for what is not. Face it, the only way you get huge bass is with a huge speaker--that is physics. So narrow the list, take some of your CDs to the store with you, and park yourself in a chair until you really get a feel for the speakers. If the store won't let you do that, you don't wanna shop there.
To add another speaker, check out the Thiel SCS4 Bookshelf's (starting at $2000 a pair). I spent many hours with them today and I must say they are incredibly amazing! Thiel makes a truly linear speaker across all frequencies creating a very dynamic, non fatiguing listening experience. I would argue there is not a better pair of speakers in this price point. However that statement comes with a large caveat, Thiel is a accurate speaker first, so what you put in is what you get out. Secondly you need good power.
Jason,
It really all depends on how much money you want to spend and what are you looking to get out of the speakers. Most bookshelf speakers aren't able to hit the low frequencies of real "bassy" songs such as rap and top 40. This is due to their driver size with most maxing out around 8". If you want the best and are willing to pay for it check out bwspeakers.com. I would recommend the B&W 805S, but you might need a dedicated amp to run them properly. If $2k is out of the range they have their 700 series, 600 series and CM series which should suit your needs. If you're looking for dollar value, check out paradigm.com. Years back the Canadian government sponsered grants in improving audio/accoustics. That means that Canadian speaker manufacturers don't have to do "as much" research because the government has done it for them. In turn, their prices are lower. I own a pair of B&W 802 floor standing as well as Paradigm Reference 100s and they are both outstanding speakers. B&W $8k, Paradigm $2k. The B&W sounds clearer, but the Paradigm can hold its own. Either company makes a fantastic speaker, check them out. Good luck!