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Smooth/Musical Bookshelves upto $1500 - $2000

Hi members,

Greetings, I'm so glad to have found this forum. This is my first post and i'm taking my first step into real/proper Hi-Fi. Some details.

Room Size = 12ft x 10ft
Music Source = Desktop PC
Music Type = Pop, Rock, Hip-Hop, Dance, House, Techno.
Budget for speakers = $1500 - $2000 ( Bookshelves )

I like a Smooth and Musical sound which is easy on the ears, a kind of sound which is comfortable to listen for long hours. Basically fatigue free listening.

Unfortunately i have very sensitive ears. A Bright/Analytical/Forward sound gives me a headache within minutes and High Treble pierces my ears and they start hurting rather quickly.

At the same time i'd like the sound to be involving & exciting with a melodious character with a bit of detail. Taught bass with excellent vocals is preferred. I'm willing to add a Subwoofer. ( separate budget )

I'd like to invite suggestions for Bookshelves which fit the above description. I hope such a Speaker exists which is involving & exciting but at the same time smooth and musical.

Regards,

Rana.
rana_kirti
zkzpb8
208 posts
 
The perfect speaker in this type of set up is the Harbeth P3ESR. Their bass response is excellent - near field listening cannot be beat. They're broadcast monitors, so they're designed for detailed, musical, fatigue free listening, all day long.
bongofury
1,160 posts
 
I think the Harbeths won't have the bass response to accurately portray Hip Hop or Electronica. They are geared to vocals and piano and guitar. Bass and drums hardly ever shines with them. If you want a true English sound with bass, I again recommend ATC 7 and 11s or B & W 685s. Both are near field and offer excellent value to performance. One caveat, make sure you have 50 to 100 watts of amp power behind them.
toddnkaya
457 posts
 
I thought ATC's were more precise and analytical, not warm.
Just asking?...
zkzpb8
208 posts
 
I listen to a lot of rock and hip hop, and I think the P3's bass is very good - especially near field. I find ATC's only sound good at louder volumes - plus Harbeths are easier to drive...
rumadian
152 posts
 
Bongo,

Please don't take this the wrong way, but what you suggested is pretty much the opposite of what the Rana_Kirti is looking for.

Don't get me wrong. ATC makes fine transducers. But their well documented tendency towards being rather unforgiving of poor recordings is at odds with Rana's goals. And the B&W 685's you mentioned are simply outgunned in this company. A more suitable B&W entry would be the CM5 - which too falls short of Rana's criteria as it is a bit tilted up along the treble.

As for the bass on the P3ESR's.. I have zero problem's with how they portray hip hop, electronica, rock, metal, or any other kind of music when set up in the near field. What they lack of laser-like speed they more than make up for in terms of tone and, (within their physical limitations), density..
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