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Need Small Bookshelf Speakers With a Big Sound

Good morning.  I have been out of any kind of audiophile circles for a long time.  We moved into a house with built-in speakers about 5 years ago, which I really enjoy, but of course it's better for casual listening at a party than for quality listening.  Our family room is in a pretty open space that borders our living room and kitchen, so my wife is very focused on speakers being unobtrusive in appearance.  I was therefor looking for small speakers and got turned onto KEF LS50s, which sounded really nice for the price, and more than good enough for my desires.  And they are small.  But I didn't really focus on their "untraditional" looks.  It turns out that was a deal-breaker when I brought them home to demo.

So, I am back to square one.  What I would really like is a speaker that is about the size of the LS50s, or maybe a little bigger, and has a nice looking, traditional wood finish.  Bright colors and artificial surfaces, no matter how good they sound, need not apply...

I would say my self-imposed budget is around $2,000 at the top.  Unless new speakers leads me down the audiophile slippery slope, the speakers would be powered by my old Adcom 545 II amp and GTP 500 II tuner, with either an Adcom CD changer or Apple TV streaming the music.  Not exactly Audiogon Best In Class, but I think it will bring a smile to my face.  And you never know if this will lead to upgrading the whole shebang.

Any thoughts appreciated.  Not that it matters, but I am in the Chicagoland area.
chiguy
sunrayjack12's avatar
sunrayjack12
33 posts
 
You can find some great vintage speakers out there with a sound that just can't find today.
There are lot's of people who would say thank the lord, modern speakers are better by far.
I will not argue with with what someone likes, but I am so glad I got to hear great vintage speakers at the very beginning of my audio journey, I feel very lucky to have a house full of vintage stereo's.
Enjoy those AR4x's

el_cato
4 posts
 
How about a Totem Dreamcatcher, very dynamic for rock,  or for a nicer finish a used pair of Model-1 Sugnature? lots of sound for the money
93rubyz
18 posts
 
This is going to sound crazy at first (maybe longer than that), but if you have two good corners in your room, you might want to consider some Klipschorns.  Yes, those giant speakers are what I'm suggesting.  Now hear me out.  If you do have two good corners, Klipschorns tuck away in those corners and for the most part, really don't take up much space at all.  In fact, how many people actually utilize the space in the corners.  The other thing about Klipschorns is that they can come in some beautiful real wood finishes and most people would not even know they are speakers.  They can look like fine furniture if you get a nice set.  You should be able to find some used ones in your budget and they will exceed every requirement you have stated except for not being "small bookshelves."  And, as I mentioned, they may just meet your real requirement of not being visually obtrusive or taking up a lot of space.
jnovak's avatar
jnovak
181 posts
 
I had this same issue years ago. I upgraded the wife! Joe
leahy's avatar
leahy
49 posts
 
I have heard a good number of the speakers suggested, and many are excellent.  However, I have found some of the most musically engaging moments while listening to several speakers in the Rega RS line.  They all sound big with very nice bass, have an excellent finish, and they do an excellent job of capturing the palpable presence of instruments and voices.  Placement is not critical - they sound pretty good no matter where you set up.  We have too many great choices, but the Regas have quieted the voices in my head looking for something "better".  Good luck!

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