Can anyone reccomend any good Bookshelf Speakers?

[BassmanTweed]

I am looking for a GOOD set of speakers for my new office/studio. I have always loved B&W speakers but since you cant order them online I hate the pricing structure. Either pay what your local dealer is asking or buy them off ebay.

So that being said I have $250 to spend. I have a Yamaha amplifier I will use to power them. Any suggestions would be welcomed.

[bradw]

One Word ... Klipsch

[Dr Fene]

heres another....Bose

[TonsofBlues]

JBL

[Guitar_Mc]

I just got the Bose Companion 2 speakers from Samsclub. $70. They sound great and don't take up much space at all.

[bradw]

I have a Yamaha amplifier I will use to power them.

How many watts?

[dubya]

Bose

[Guitar_Mc]

I have a Yamaha amplifier I will use to power them.

I missed that. The Bose Companion 2 are a great option if you just want self powered out of your computer or headphone jack of some device.

[lure555]

Bose again

[gweimer]

Wharfedale

[JAM]

I wonder how these sound?

https://taweber.powweb.com/store/hom..._homeaudio.htm

[jrgtr42]

Bose are great soundsing speakers but unless you find them used, even the most inexpensive are beyond your budget.
My dad recently got a pair at Best Buy, I don't recall the brand, but for $80 for the pair, they sound pretty durn good, especially after the speakers got broken in a bot (they were way bright to begin with, them mellowed out)

[Kap'n]

I wonder how these sound?

https://taweber.powweb.com/store/hom..._homeaudio.htm

I don't have any idea. They do look pretty groovy, though. Get a set of four levant covered ones, and set up mini-stacks.

[Wilko]

Well, like most questions answered around here, you need to provide more detail.

What kind of sound do you want?

Do you want really flat speakers to use for reference type home recording?

Do you like the artificial bass heavy curve of a Bose? Do you like a three-way type of mid heavy sound?

I may take some shit from "audiophiles" but one of my personal faves in a bookshelf are the original style Bose 301s. I've got a pair on my desk right now. Late 70s woodgrain laminate/particle board cabinets. Watt for watt, they crank out some very rich tones. The sit on top of a pair of Klipsch KSB 2.1s. The Klipsch are very flat response and seem to lack real punch.

I don't like the sound or look of the current Bose 301s. I also have a set of the Bose Acoustimass I and, while they are convenient by taking up less apparent space, I don't like the isolated sound of the upper mids.

[Wilko]

[BassmanTweed]

any thoughts on polk?

[Wilko]

Polk makes some damn fine products.

[Jonnda]

Bose BLOWS.

As my dad always says, "No highs, No Lows, you know it's Bose"

He is the chair of the Audio Arts and Acoustics department at Columbia College Chicago. He also designs recording studios and sound systems.

I don't mean to be abrasive, I just tend to trust his judgment on this topic and I don't want to get disowned for not putting down Bose when that name is mentioned.

As for me, I have a lovely pair of AR-4xa's like in this ebay auction that ended a few months ago. They are the best sounding speakers i have heard in the current $60 price range.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/Acoustic-Research...QQcmdZViewItem

These are my favorite though: BBC LS5/8:

A pair of them sit in pop's office. but it's baby brother, the BBC LS3/5a is more affordable on ebay.

[Wilko]

Bose BLOWS.

As my dad always says, "No highs, No Lows, you know it's Bose"

That's odd. I understand that Bose have "issues" but lack of highs and lows is certainly not one of them.
Bose are known throughout the audio world as being heavy in both areas. they are built with the "smiley face" EQ that most people find satisying to their musical experience.

Like it or not, Bose rates very high in blind A/B testing that audiophiles hate so much because it's all about name and not sound.
Not only that, they are a huge success in the market.

[Jonnda]

Oh sorry, maybe that's ALL highs and No lows... I think... It's been a while since I've heard him say it.

I think his main beef with them is the mess their salesmen make. From what I understand, he has been asked on numerous occasions to make things sound better in spaces such as a church, where a bose system has been haphazardly installed, and done so with equipment the customer does not know how to use. They tend to be more interested in selling a product then helping the customer. But it does give my dad something to do when extra cash is needed... so I'm not sure why he complains. I guess he'd rather do something more challenging then clean up after Bose.

No matter what the reason is, the family boycot remains.

I wouldn't necessarily describe him as an audiophile, he just has an audiophile sound system sitting in his office. Why? I'm not sure, I think a large part of it was given to him in some deal.

[Wilko]

That makes a lot of sense. Bose is a real crappy company, specially being in the direct mail and TV response ad business. It's all about maximum profit.

They do/did have some real groundbreaking technology applied at the consumer level fairly early and have done cool tyhings with wave guides applied to audible waves.

[Jonnda]

I just want to make sure that my main point did not get lost in my rant.

Find and buy a pair of vintage Acoustic Research speakers such as the AR-4's (AR-4x/AR-4xa). They really do sound lovely and they don't usually cost much. About $60-$150 a pair.

Here is a pair of AR-2x's on craigslist for $75
http://raleigh.craigslist.org/ele/257575013.html

If they are anything like the AR-4xas I have, they should sound very nice.

[Wilko]

There plently of good brands out there and many are in places where you can compare them.

AR has a good rep. Jonnda makes good sense.

My dad still uses the same pair of EVs he bought back in the early 70s. The old cloth suspension just hangs on and keeps going. Many of the foam surrounds rot out and you can get kits to re-foam them for kool vintage style and sound. Orange COunty Speaker sells the kits with instructions online.

I recommend vintage because after about 1985 most speakers are just plain junk. Plastic cabinets, inferior imported components slapped together and branded. All the real big names were spewing out total crap then until now. I'm talking Sony, Kenwood, Pioneer, Bose, etc.

Smaller companies like Boston Acoustics, Polk, Acoustic Research, Klispch and the industry brands like JBL, Altec Lansing, Electro Voice were still making goos stuff and really getting their stride.

rant rant... there's just no quality control anymore...

You kids get off my lawn!!!!

[Tim C.]

I have factory installed Bose systems in both my Maxima and my Silverado. I think they are horrible sounding systems in vehicles.

I do have a set of small Bose book shelf speakers that are okay but nothing to write home about. Bose is living off their name.

[Kap'n]

Bose makes homeopathic loudspeakers.

[BassmanTweed]

What kind of sound do you want? Do you want really flat speakers to use for reference type home recording?

I guess I would have to plead ignorance here. But my first reaction would be that I would want flat speakers. I want the music to sound as the artist thought it should not the speaker manufacturer.

That being said, for $200 (after a $25 Amazon credit I have) I am very intrigued by these :

http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/products/rti4/

[Jonnda]

Have you considered just buying a pair of really good headphones like the Grado SR60 instead?

They are really flat and cost $60

Sure headphones aren't for everyone, but i know of two people who used SR60's to mix with if that is what you need to do.

[Gravity Jim]

I would buy my mid-80s AR-8s back in a split second. Those old AR's ruled. I don't think the company is the same thing anymore, though....

[Wilko]

So, I was shopping around online curious about the specs of a few speakers out there and when I went to Bose.com the specs listed for the 301s were the dimensions and the weight. that's it. Even in t he downloadable PDF manual.


Sad...


NOTE: I understand the difference between a good flat response and good sound quality, but I still like my old Bose for having music on, like when just hanging around or having a party 'cause they just have a good warm sound overall. Great at low volumes because of the curve. Also, it was the old 901, 501, 301 series that made their reputation. That came about for a reason.

[Gravity Jim]

I mixed my first jingles and spots on those Tannoys. Awesome home studio boxes.

[Jonnda]

It's true, AR and Altec Lansing are not the companies they used to be. AR is now owned by some company called Audovox, and Altec Lansing is doing allot more consumer grade stuff. They both appear to have shyed away from the audiophile scene.

What AR had always been famous for was the neutrality of sound they strived for - their thesis was that any speaker "good" for rock and "bad" for classical music, or vice versa, was in fact a bad speaker. A good speaker was good with everything and anything, period. Now they seem to be in the shadow of their former glory.

Yeah Tannoys are good too, i think there was a pair being used for our TV at one point.

[mmcquain]

Call me crazy but I'm happy with a pair of Boston Acoustics that I got for $199 a few years ago. Granted, I use them just for home listening and they certainly aren't "studio grade" monitors or anything but they get the job done.

[hi-watt357]

I have a pair of Polk R10's I bought some years ago, relatively reasonably ($70 or so for the pair), that sound really good.

[franchelB]

1. I have a pair of JBL bookshelf speakers; and I love'em!
2. I also have a pair of Bose bookshelf speakers...it SUX!
3. I also bought a pair of Paradigm bookshelf speakers...awesome, and highly underrated speakers. I don't know why more people haven't heard of this brand.
4. I heard a pair of Infinity bookshelf speakers. Great sound, but a bit too expensive for my taste.

[Chito]

I would go for a set of powered near-field studio monitor speakers like the KRK Rokit 5 or the Yorkville YSM2P. You could get rid of your amplifier and use these as speakers for your computer/DAW or even for just an mp3 player. If you are thinking of setting up a studio, these are the speakers to go for. Both speakers go for $150.00 each (x2 for a pair).

Hope that helps.

[Chito]

Bose BLOWS.

A pair of them sit in pop's office. but it's baby brother, the BBC LS3/5a is more affordable on ebay.

I used to own a pair of those LS3/5a's, the Rogers version to be more accurate. Love those speakers. For speakers their size with it's limitations, it produces a big sound stage. With vocals, they are outstanding. Thing is you need a really good sound system for it to sound good as it will expose a lot of the sound system's limitations.

Sorry about the OT just couldn't keep myself from commenting on these great speakers. BTW, not a big fan of Bose speakers either.

[Jonnda]

Sorry about the OT just couldn't keep myself from commenting on these great speakers. BTW, not a big fan of Bose speakers either.

It's good to know I'm the only one. The first time I heard my dad's Rogers, he put on the album "Harder". Which is an album that he recorded of Andi And I (http://www.outboundmusic.com/andiandi/).

The husband/wife band are good friends of ours and I've known her voice for a long time. I don't think I would have been able to tell the difference between a recording though that system and a live performance.

[jerryjg]

I used to own a pair of those LS3/5a's, the Rogers version to be more accurate. Love those speakers. For speakers their size with it's limitations, it produces a big sound stage. With vocals, they are outstanding. Thing is you need a really good sound system for it to sound good as it will expose a lot of the sound system's limitations.

Sorry about the OT just couldn't keep myself from commenting on these great speakers. BTW, not a big fan of Bose speakers either.

Haha, Those Rogers original Ls3-5a's are now one of the most sought after mini-monitors in all the world. A good pair is in the price range of a blackface Super Reverb. Logic defies why these speakers are so well regarded. They are despised by purists because the were designed to be used in cramped British BBC recording studio control rooms (size of a closet). Contrariwise, audio enthusiats with high dollar vintage tube equipment claim the '3-5a gives a dark sweet midrange bloom unparalled at any price point. Just from my limited experience , I tend to agree. If you want a pair, there are several excellent reissues by Heybrook, Spendor and others.