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My current system is
-Paradigm Ref 100 V2(floor standing)
-Arcam CD23T
-Arcam Integrated A85
I built this 6 years ago when I had more space for the floor standing. Right now I want to get a pair of Book Shelves that would be compatible with amp/cd and in the near future move to a more powerful amp with more oomph (maybe an integrated tube like VTL 85).
Budget for the bookshelves around 2K.
Thanks in advance.
Follow Ups:
In the latest March issue of 'Stereophile'. The reviewer considers the new Dynaudio the bookshelf speaker of choice for under 2K.
Read the review before making any selections.
The B&W DM300s (330s?) were the best value in audio. $300 a pair and they sound great. No deep bass, of course. Used they should be even cheaper.
They are playing in my Bedroom now. Hard to beat, but I would consider some ProAcs given this is his primary system and the intended move to powerful tubes as long as he is not looking to rock. Little proAcs and tubes are usually a great match.
and you might find the Harbeth P3ESR
"E pur si muove...And yet it moves"
I have always had floorstanding speakers over the years, but recently
I decided that I wanted to get a decent set of bookshelf speakers to see
for myself if imaging and sounstage are really any better with a
bookshelf speaker. I listened to all of the brands that local
shops carried and decided upon the LSA 1s. I listen to alot of
Hard Rock music and I like impact and bass. I auditioned the
Paradigm Studio 20s and was not impressed. It could have been
a setup issue in the shop, but they really did not deliver the
bass I thought they would have given the reviews I had read.
The only other brand I came close to buying was Monitor Audio.
The had really good bass, but the tweeter was a bit too bright
for me. The LSA 1s deliver very impressive bass with unbelievable
impact for a small speaker. The imaging and soundstaging is better
than any of the floorstanders I have owned as well. I consider them
a keeper. :-) If you can find a local dealer, go and have a listen.
I checked the LSA in the Stereophile Directory.( Page 113)There is an LSA 1 and LSA 1 Signature.There is no difference in the specs except for an additional pound in the weight of the latter.That signature speaker costs a solid $750 more.Wonder why.
There are LSA 2 and LSA 2 Signature.This signature is not even heavier but costs $2000 more than the LSA 2.
I dont know if it is a mistake in the directory but somebody please explain what the difference is , to cost that much more.
can be found on the LSA website at the link posted at the bottom of bboroski's message.
Found it.Thanks.
With the designer's personal upgrading,the signature must be sounding extremely good.
Bill
I have the Signature version of the LSA 1 and I am very happy with
them.
Dear bboroski
There are so many reputed speaker makes in the price range of 1.5 to 2k range, like Vandersteen, B&W, GMA, Totem,Harbeth,Dali with ribbon tweeters,Focus,Revel,Snell,Legacy,Thiel,Sonus Faber Toy,Quad,Merlin et al to name a few classy brands. Is the LSA more 'musical', to use a term for want of a better term.The speaker designers have such a tough time.
Regards
Bill
IMHO whether you like a speaker(or even amplifier) can be a matter
of taste like in music. Everyone's brains and ears are different
and people usually end up with something that is pleasing to
their ears. Or you can go down the path of seeking the ultimate
in speaker neutrality. After much experimentation I know what I
like and what I don't like. I don't seek out the most neutral sounding
speakers to be found. As I said, I like speakers that can deliver
bass, impact/slam, and soundstage. That is a tall order for a
bookshelf speaker. I have auditioned bookshelf models from Totem,
B&W, Monitor Audio, Paradigm, Dali, etc. None of the models I
auditioned delivered the combination of bass, impact, and soundstage
that the LSA 1s delivered. Are they musical? To me they are very
musical, but that does not mean they will be musical to you. The
only way to find out is to audition them for yourself.
bb,
Thanks for that feedback.
I am in the hunt for a light and airy sounding bookshelf speaker for quite some time now.Have to listen more.Tending to MMG (not a bookshelf!) but dont have the right amp.An Outlaw would be great.Ah,so many things I would like to own.
Best Regards
Bill
You beat me to it... :-)
..
NetGear ReadyNas->Linn Sneaky DS->AudioNote DAC 3.1x/II Balanced->SimAudio Moon P-5->Beard P35mk2 Tube Amp EL-84->Tannoy GRF Memory's..Cables by Audience Au24 & PowerChord -> Shunyata Hydra 6 PLC feeding everything <----
ATC SCM11 and Harbeth P3ESR, two bookshelf speakers highly regarded by inmates.I am not sure of the latest prices.Around 2k I guess.
Happy listening
Bill
Well you could check out Paradigm's new Signature bookshelf speakers if you like how Paradigm's speakers sound. I feel bad for you, though, as I have a set of Studio 100 V2's and I would miss the bass if I had to go the bookshelf route. Keep in mind that most of the Paradigm speakers that I have heard do not shine with valves, so if you are going to make an upgrade in your amp, maybe you should listen to other speakers as well...
Tuneman:
Can i ask what kind of a amplifier you have that drives your V2?
You may ask, and I shall answer.
I use a Pioneer Elite VSX-36tx as my preamp and the amp to drive the midrange/ tweeters, and I use an Adcom GFA-5400 to drive the woofers. The Pioneer is rated @ 100 watts @ 8 ohms and the Adcom is rated @ 125 watts @ 8 ohms, 165 watts @ 4 ohms.
I stared out with Paradigm Monitor 70P. They had a 175 amp per tower driving 2 6.5" subs. This sounded pretty good, but I knew that I could do better. I upgraded to Studio 100 V2 and I did not have enough power with the Pioneer so I bought the GFA-5400 to drive the woofers and it made a huge difference. The Studio 100 V1 & V2 are hard to drive, as the have big impedance swings, and are not as efficient as they would have you believe.
I have heard the Studio 100’s driven with huge 350 watt McIntosh amps (MC352) and they used quite a bit of power to get them singing. I was thinking of buying an Anthem Statement P2 (325 watts@ 8 ohms) to drive the Studio 100’s, if I do not upgrade the speakers in the future. I have my eye on the Signature S8’s, but at 7 grand a pair it is looking like I will keep the Studio 100s
I have also heard Studio 100’s driven by Arcam gear, back when it was cheap looking plastic, and I have to say that I was not all that impressed for the price, I think it was a 100 watt amp, I can not remember the model. Thankfully Arcam makes stuff that looks more like hi-fi should these days.
I have also heard The Studio 100’s driven with an MC275, which I think is a bad match, as the bass was a bit flabby.
I do not think that the Studio 100s are that large, and when you think about it, a bookshelf speaker on a stand would take up just as much room, and not give you the bass you want. Go out and try new amps before you even listen to new bookshelf speakers and you might change your mind about buying new speakers. Beware that tube amps and Paradigm speakers have never sounded right to me, so your mileage might vary..
rather inefficient at 84db/watt/1 meter but the 85 tube watts of the VTL will compensate for THAT. i use a sub and 200wpc on the spendors and there is no paucity of SPL.
they are the natural descendants of rogers LS3/5As but have no midbass hump which made the rogers hard to mate with the sub.
...regards...tr
I found the Spendor S3/5 series quite unremarkable.I have owned pretty much ALL of the 'LS3/5a' descendants including two pair of S3/5a's (the first had a bad cabinet and the dealer replaced them for me) and a pair of S3/5se's. The S3/5se's were bought 'sight unheard' (no local dealer) and were quite a disappointment. I only had them two months and replaced them with Stirling LS3/5a V2's. Two years later they were replaced with PMC DB1i's (an outstanding speaker).
I currently have the Harbeth P3ESR3. It is without a doubt the finest LS3/5a descendant I have ever heard.
"Lock up when you're done and don't touch the piano."
-Greg House
Edits: 02/25/10
of course they dont sound like LS3/5As, they are flatter. oh, i wish i hadnt sold my LS3/5As but i still would have wanted the s3/5s because they WILL mate with a sub satisfactorily unlike the LS3/5As.
entirely different speaker of course. i too would like to experience the harbeths but they are pricey. asl long as i can make good sound, i will be happy. i swap in my MMGs as well. and some primus 150s and fried procucts RIIs.
different strokes.
...regards...tr
MMG's are a favorite of mine as well. And the cheap Infinity Primus series is stupid good for the money.
The Spendors are nice, I just don't think they do any one thing particularly well. And the 'little box' speaker is supposed to do two things well, 'disappearing act amazing soundstage' and 'amazing midrange'. The Spendors, IMHO, were more 'good' than amazing.
"Lock up when you're done and don't touch the piano."
-Greg House
Grant Fidelity has an LS3/5a going for $800 and sounded very good. So it is a cheaper option than a Spender - have not directly compared them.
i was unaware of them and wouldnt mind hearing them. i havent heard the ginis either nor the sterlings. its not likely that i will be acquiring new speakers in quite a while as i am rather well stocked for now. BUT i am always looking just in case.
the pfo review didnt state whether the tonality was similar to the original rogers or flat.
...regards...tr
You can get Stirling Broadcast's BBC-licensed speakers and the new small Harbeth P-3 for your budget. These two, and the Spendor, are in the same quality class. Rogers in Hong Kong also makes an LS3/5A that has received rave reviews and is on a par with those above.
Budget LS3/5As by Grant, Gini and others do not sound nearly as good.
In general all of these speakers are "easy to drive" because they have a very high average impedance and there impedance curves are quite flat. I use the Stirling Broadcast LS3/5A speakers with an 8W SET amp and a 25W PP amp, with no troubles.
"What did the Romans ever do for us?"
Despite the term "bookshelf speaker", most are intended to be used on stands in locations similar to floorstanders. A stand isn't going to save you significant space over your Paradigms and it's likely to end up in about the same spot. That means you gain little from the change.
If you put most standmount speakers into a bookshelf they aren't going to sound brilliant because they're going to be too close to the wall and not have the necessary free space around them. The bookcase may also cause problems if it vibrates as a result of vibration transmission from the speaker.
So, all in all, if you're going to make the change go cautiously. I can't recommend a particular speaker but I would avoid rear ported designs because of proximity of the wall to the port opening so that means considering sealed boxes or front ported designs, or something like one of the smaller Magneplanar models intended for wall mounting or an in wall speaker if you can use free wall space rather than a bookcase for mounting the speakers and are prepared to consider a HT speaker option.
David Aiken
Monitor Audio RX2, less than a grand a pair, but then you'll need to drop $300 on a pair of Skylan 2-post stands.
"Lock up when you're done and don't touch the piano."
-Greg House
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