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Best bookshelf speakers

I’m building my first high fi system after being more of a portable audio person. I want to start with the speakers. Space is limited so bookshelf speakers are a must.

Preferences:
Balanced and revealing with a hint of warmth.
Midrange most important to get right over highs and lows
Timbre is super important - I listen mostly to acoustic music especially jazz
But I do need some bass as I also listen to some electronic music
Smaller is better but SQ is most important
A speaker that sounds good with different amps but also scalable with high quality sources
Wide sweet spot - I wont have money for a great amp at first but want them to be scalable for later

These speakers have caught my eyes - any thoughts on them?

Ascend Sierra 2s - Ribbon = dispersion limitations?
BMR Philharmonitor - See above. Also massive.
Buchardt S400/S300 - Wary of the sudden hype train and limited info
Silverline Minuet Grande - Limited info
Reference 3A De Capo - This caught my eye as a potential endgame speaker if I could blow up my budget a little. But concerns about BE tweeter as well as some potential snake oil stuff (cryogenic treatment (!?)), exaggerated sensitivity claims and wonky measurements put me off.

What else should I be looking at?

Edit: I could have sworn I had <$2,000 in the title... Anyway, my budget is 2k.

stuff_jones
mindlessminion
57 posts
 
I have green mountain audio monitors on Skyland stands (EOSHX), driven by a oppo 105 and LFD integrated amp.  Anyone in the SF/Sacramento area can come by for listen.

If they can be found I recommend the Callisto speakers.  I have seen them used for around 1k.  6moons gave them a review in 2005.  


Post removed 
seanheis1
359 posts
 
These are luxury products and I think most of us are expecting a luxury buying experience. Ordering something on the internet with a generous return policy is NOT a luxury buying experience. Buying my Focals was, without a doubt, a luxury buying experience.
One risk with the big boys is that they will decimate your investment as soon as they liquidate. Upscale Audio for example has the Stella Utopia marked down to 50k from the original 119k....and many more Focal's on clearance. 

You will never see Harbeth, Devore, or other boutique shops with a 50% off blowout sale. Boutique shops by their very definition do not do fleet sales to Underwood Hifi or Upscale Audio. Having said that, if you can get something you like on clearance, go for it! Those are both good dealers with great specials. 


cavscout19d's avatar
cavscout19d
22 posts
 
Here’s something worth considering- 
look for a used pair of stand mounted Sonus Faber Cremona Auditors- after reading what you are after, Jazz, midrange m, 2 grand to spend, I think you would be over the moon with a pair of em’ - 
just my .02
seasdiamond
44 posts
 
The internet direct companies use higher quality drivers than retail brands, which means their speakers will typically have better axial response, dynamics, and distortion measurements (especially spectral decay). Also sometimes the cabinets have better bracing and thicker baffles. This is usually a matter of economies, ID companies simply don't have as much corporate overhead as a retail brand and can spend more $ on parts.

I would say the main downside for internet direct vs retail (other than looks, i.e. cabinet build quality and finishes) is dispersion. Because these are off the shelf drivers, they don’t have custom baffles or waveguides for proper directivity control, and may have some pretty ugly polar response measurements.

That said plenty of retail brands simply use off the shelf drivers as well, so we’re talking about a few good retail brands.
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