Are there any attractive HT main speakers???

[RushM3]

Ok, so it's a bit of a pointed question and I have come across a handful that are gorgeous, but I currently have the Magnepan 1.6's and am looking to replace them because they are too intrusive for my apartment. Please help guide me in my search.

The three key criteria are that they must be bookshelf speakers, sound great and be extremely attractive for a modern NY apartment.

I've started my hunt already and have listened to and am quite pleased with the following:
1) Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor
2) JMLabs Micro Utopias
3) B&W Nautilus 805

My current system that these will be paired with is:
Conrad-Johnson MF-5600 5-ch amp
Anthem AVM20 preamp
Rotel RDV-1092 DVD player
Magnepan surround & center channel speakers
REL Britannia B3

Suggestions? Thanks in advance.

[superpanavision70mm]

What about these....


http://www.psbspeakers.com/product.php?pId=6&sId=1

They sound phenominal!!!

[drseid]

"Attractive" is a subjective term, so I guess what I find attractive may not be what you do...

That said, a couple others you may want to also audition that *I* would call attractive are the Merlin TSM-MXs and the Tyler Acoustics Linbrook Signature Monitors. Both look and sound great for music IMO (and they can also do HT nicely). I like the SFs already on your list too, BTW.

The question I would have is can any of the speakers on your list (or mine) truly integrate properly with the Maggies you are going to use for the other speakers... Only you can be the judge of that.

---Dave

[GMichael]

Mine are very attractive. How about an even swap? No? Sorry I couldn't resist. You just happen to be trying to get rid of the system I'm hoping to end up with. It's a shame that you have to part with it. Good luck with your search.

[Pat D]

Ok, so it's a bit of a pointed question and I have come across a handful that are gorgeous, but I currently have the Magnepan 1.6's and am looking to replace them because they are too intrusive for my apartment. Please help guide me in my search.

The three key criteria are that they must be bookshelf speakers, sound great and be extremely attractive for a modern NY apartment.

I've started my hunt already and have listened to and am quite pleased with the following:
1) Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor
2) JMLabs Micro Utopias
3) B&W Nautilus 805

My current system that these will be paired with is:
Conrad-Johnson MF-5600 5-ch amp
Anthem AVM20 preamp
Rotel RDV-1092 DVD player
Magnepan surround & center channel speakers
REL Britannia B3

Suggestions? Thanks in advance.

The SF Cremona Auditor is a very nice little speaker, I must say. When I auditioned them in Denver, I really liked them a lot and I'm sure I could live happily with them.

On the other hand, I didn't think they sounded any better than the much less expensive and somewhat larger Paradigm Signature S2, which is also very transparent, smooth and neutral. The S2 is a strikingly beautiful speaker, very attractive. I have ordered a pair of S2's for my main system after a home audition. I have a subwoofer, but the bass is quite good for a monitor. The S4 has deeper bass extension but sounds otherwise very similar.

I can see why people like the B & W 805 but I personally don't think it is in the same class. But I don't think you'd go wrong with it.

I haven't heard the JM Labs speakers.

You might give the PSB Platinum M2 an audition if you can find them. Since I curently use the very fine PSB Stratus Minis, I made a special effort to find them--and it wasn't easy! I was able to hear them in a couple of places in Chicago but only in very, very well damped rooms (full of padding!) and they did sound very smooth and neutral But what they would sound like in a more normal room, I can't say, and I would have liked to have been able to hear them at home.

[JoeE SP9]

What is more important to you RushM3, good sound or good looks. If its good looks why don't you just get some of those little cubes from the "mountain". You surely won't need any of that other industrial looking gear. You could give it away to some deserving soul like me. Maggy's and any other panel speaker sound like no box in existence. I would gladly take them off your hands also. It would be difficult but I would make the sacrifice. I know these guys who have some really nice boxes in the back of their white van. You could try them.:cool:

[kexodusc]

I think almost all speakers look great...I suppose if I had to pick one company though, Totem Acoustic comes to mind...in fact, for the money, I'm not aware of any speakers that are built to both look and sound this good. They're designed for apartments/condos too where room sizes are likely to be smaller.

http://www.totemacoustic.com/english/products/bookShelf_model01.htm

[Kam]

not sure what your budget is, but i'd nominate Revel as some of the best looking speakers around (the ultima series), and they sound pretty kickass too.

http://www.revelspeakers.com/

[GMichael]

How about the KEF Q1's, Q3"s, XQ1's or 3's. Or the M201 if you have the budget for them. All fine lookers. http://www.accessories4less.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?&category=SpkBookshelf&start=30

[Pat D]

What about these....


http://www.psbspeakers.com/product.php?pId=6&sId=1

They sound phenominal!!!

Yeah, the PSB Platinum M2. Tell me more. I've heard them but in way overdamped environments, so I really don't know what they sound like in a normally reverberant room. We've no local PSB dealer, indeed, none within any reasonable distance, and I only heard them on a trip we took over Christmas. I've seen the excellent NRC measurements on the Soundstage site. Could you expand on your impressions?

We have no local dealer, but we do have a dealer who has the Paradigm Signature S2, which sounded great in a home trial, so I'm ordering them. The S2 also measures extremely well, though somewhat differently. Doug Schneider of Soundstage has heard them both at home, and while they sound a bit different, he seems about equally impressed with both of them.

[RushM3]

Wow, so many more recommendations than I had anticipated. Aesthetics are such individual preference but I like most of these suggestions - particularly the Paradigm S2 and Kef M201 (I have a thing for lacquered woods). I've heard the Paradigms before and was impressed.

After all of these great suggestions, I've decided to go with the speakers that originally appealed most to me both acoustically and visually: the SF Cremona Auditors. I just hope they sound good with the Magnepan center channel and surrounds. If not, there's always 2-channel.

And for those that were concerned that I might scrap the Maggie 1.6's, not to worry, they will be in good company in my friend's apartment with a front projector home theater. Thanks for everyone's input!

[superpanavision70mm]

Pat D,

You can go to a few authorized PSB dealers online....dmc-electronics is great.

I can't say enough great things about them both for performance and also appearance. I know that some people on here think that you can't always get both, but with PSB you are definitely getting a quality product that blows away the competition in it's price range and also has the classy look of other high-end speakers. I think they will fit your needs well and also ...you will fall in love with them each time you listen!!!

I bought my speakers from dmc so I can speak from experience that they are reputable.

[GMichael]

Wow, so many more recommendations than I had anticipated. Aesthetics are such individual preference but I like most of these suggestions - particularly the Paradigm S2 and Kef M201 (I have a thing for lacquered woods). I've heard the Paradigms before and was impressed.

After all of these great suggestions, I've decided to go with the speakers that originally appealed most to me both acoustically and visually: the SF Cremona Auditors. I just hope they sound good with the Magnepan center channel and surrounds. If not, there's always 2-channel.

And for those that were concerned that I might scrap the Maggie 1.6's, not to worry, they will be in good company in my friend's apartment with a front projector home theater. Thanks for everyone's input!

It's nice to know that they'll have a good home. And that you'll have visiting rights.

Good luck, & good sound.