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Best bookshelves under 1000
So as many of you already know I am rebuilding my stereo system. This time aiming for a warmer sound. So far, I have auditioned the b and w 685 and cm1. 650$ and 1000$ respectively. Before I make any decisions on which speaker I will purchase for my dorm room I would like to know what other bookshelf speakers you think beat out or compete with the b&w's under a grand new or used. That way hopefully I can find a dealer nearby to let me demo them. Some that have gotten good press in this price range are the ascend acoustics, nht classic three, dynaudio 52, wharfedale diamond 9.1 350 bucks!, and epos m5. On a few forums I have heard some say that dynaudio is the best speaker manufacturer period, therefore I have great interest in hearing the 52's. I currently have dm 602's s3 from b&w but they are huge and I am looking to down size for my dorm plus I find them a little on the bright sight.
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My pick would be the CM1... but you really should also listen to the Paradigm Studio 20s (though they are supposed to bright according to reviews)..... Also consider the Monitor Audio RS1 for $600.
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If Music Direct has any left I would consider the Mobile Fidelity OML 1's. I have a pair and I am very impressed. I would also check to see what Usher has in your price range. I have heard great things about their speakers.
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Another speaker, though it would be hard to audition unless you live in Ohio, you might want to consider are the new mbs bookshelf speakers from SVS.
http://www.svsound.com/products-spks-mts01.cfm
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/speak...-speakers.html
(The towers use the same drivers and sound very similar to the bookshelf model)
We carry a 45 day return policy if you're not impressed. I use them and love them, but honestly I haven't had a ton of comparison to other products at this price range (the review in Secrets may be of interest) Our main advantage is being able to cut cost by selling direct. And the tweeters we use in these speakers are only found in one other bookshelf speaker to my knowledge, Salagar S210 ($7500/pair).
A downside though, is that we're currently out and you may have to wait a month till we get another shipment in.
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I'd put my vote in for the Revel Concerta M12. My second would be the B&W Cm1. Good Luck.
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From what I gather, noone will dispute that b and w makes a great speaker but it seems a though that you pay a little extra for the name? And that there are better speakers at each price point......
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I really hate promoting and recommending gears I own, but I feel like I should pop this one in a mix:
Tyler Acoustics - Reference Monitor
You can find one used for $1200 direct from Ty with free shipping.
They are defintely worth saving up for, and you are only $200 away. You can always spend $1k on a pair of speakers with $50 drivers. What you get is $500/pr tweets and $400/pr drivers.
I think their rock solid cabinets and HQ cross-over is worth $300.
Scanspeak Revelator tweeters sound really smooth and have ability to sparke some of the highest notes.
At your price range, it is almost impossilbe to get a pair that will play "musical" bass. Of course they will all be toneful to their own, but fo all the sub $4000 bookshelf speakers I've heard, they are very well rounded. I can listen to them for hours and hours without any fatigue.
Maybe you can find a person near you who has a pair.
http://www.tyleracoustics.com/home_demo.html
just somem to think about...
JRA
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For a warm sound I would take the NHT Classic 3's over the B&W's any day of the week.
They have excellent mid bass and very good bass for a bookshelf. I auditoned them and compared them to the B&W 685's, a few paradigm studio monitors and dynaudio's and there was no comparison in warmth, bass and a sense of fullness to the music with the NHT's. The B&W's did have better high frequency sound, but paired with the right amp and CDP the NHT's are great. You should give them an audition and see if you can take them home for a trial.
In comparing the dynaudio's to the 685's head to head on Rotel equipment, the 685's had much better sound.
I think that when people audition speakers they tend to lean towards slightly brighter sounding speakers when they audition them in the store, but when they get them home and listen to them for hours they tend to be disappointed.
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Do you think pairing rotel equipment with the nhts would be nice and possibly help out the lack of high frequency in the nht.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bigmoney
From what I gather, noone will dispute that b and w makes a great speaker but it seems a though that you pay a little extra for the name? And that there are better speakers at each price point......
Ummm... I don't think that B&W charge a premium for the name (not compared to most other reputable speakers manufacturers anyway)... I think whether you find better speakers at each price point is more a matter of personal preference.
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I think the NHT's are a very good match with the Rotel. And the NHT's dont really lack high frequency, its just that they are not as bright as the B&W's. I found the treble in the NHT's very smooth and maybe just a little rolled off compared to the 685's. The store that I listened to the NHT's sold Paradigm speakers, and Rotel, jolida, Integra, Parasound, and Anthem amps. They had the NHT's paired with the Rotels, Integra and jolida amps.
Give the NHT's a listen, you can pick up the Classic 3's for $650.
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wow, so many good suggestions, some i am not familiar, well for warm sound...
dont go to rotel for warm sound , go for tubes, i bought a dared vp 845, its warm but not in the bass, the bass is perfect for disco :) my best match is the eposm5 and a tube amp, maybe the dared vp 845, its costy so rega brio is a better match ( ss but still .. i approve:)
i only listened the epos m5 with audio research source and creek destiny (8 k in total lol), its warm but ! it lacks 3d and realism... thats the best you can get out of the m5,
So, the perfect match is :
-rega brio
-epos m5 or els3, go listen to this combination : it could go just perfect
the b&w are very good ones, their small towers around 1000 $ are real bargains and you could prefer them to the epos m5 for their more flat sound but matching amp can be more tricky i listened with cambridge audio and cambridge is not warm sounding,so look for other people advices if you buy b&w.
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Let me ask you this. I too, like the b and w sound, but find them a little bright. I am inclined to buy from my dealer, so that I can get a new speaker and hear it first. He is really the only hifi dealer around and has helped me out a lot. Hence my loyalty to him. He only sells b and w though. If I was to buy either the 685 or the cm1, will pairing the speakers I choose with warmer equipment ( marantz 8001) make the speakers sound warmer, or is the only real way to get warm sound by starting with a warm speaker to begin with.
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The 8001 will give you a warmer sound. Starting with a warmer speaker is best, but the 8001 has a very warm sound and just may give you what you are looking for. It cetainly warmed up the sound of my system when I auditioned one in home for 3 weeks. If you can audition the 8001 in home then give it a try. It really is a great CDP and has an analog sound compared to other CDP's. That HDAM tech really gives it its unique sound.
The only thing I dont know is if it will tone down the treble of your 602's. You can always do that with the tone control of your preamp (I can hear the gasps now from all the audio purists).
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Tone controls only adjust the level of the treble - they can;t change the inherent sound of the signature of the tweeter - if it sounds etchy it always will be and no tone control can fix it.
BigMoney
You asked which speakers would be better - that depends on you. Frankly though your hesitation on buying should tell you something. If the speaker truly impressed you then you would not be here asking.
The old 600 series was good for the money but it's not for everyone.
Speakers from Gershman Acoustics, PMC, Audio Note, Dynaudio, Tannoy, Sonus Faber, ProAc off the top of my head I would take over comparable and more expensive B&Ws. One example would be The Audio Note AX Two at $700 and IMO it's a better speaker than the N805 at more than 3 times the price. But the N805 looks better.
Make sure you get an in home trial for a weekend - then you'll know if you can live with the B&Ws.
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200.00 more and you get a great 2 way. Epos12.2 I run a creek classic and tara cables. it brings out the warmth you would swear you have a bigger woofer in there and they look great.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bigmoney
Let me ask you this. I too, like the b and w sound, but find them a little bright. I am inclined to buy from my dealer, so that I can get a new speaker and hear it first. He is really the only hifi dealer around and has helped me out a lot. Hence my loyalty to him. He only sells b and w though. If I was to buy either the 685 or the cm1, will pairing the speakers I choose with warmer equipment ( marantz 8001) make the speakers sound warmer, or is the only real way to get warm sound by starting with a warm speaker to begin with.
Option 1: Audition the Marantz/B&W combo at your dealer
Option 2: Do a 30 day in-home audition of another brand of speakers using one of the numerous websites that support it: Eg. Musicdirect, audio advisor etc...
Also, why would you want to buy the 685? I doubt that it will be much of an upgrade from your existing 600 series speakers... Save your cash and buy something better later on...
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Well, I like the 685s because they are smaller and supposed to be much better I heard than the previous 600 series, plus they look great. I really liked the clarity the cm1's had to offer but I am a little worried about there bass extension from such a small speaker. Anyone compared these two speakers.
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Well permit me to toss a monkey wrench squarely into this discussion with two words:
Linn Katans.
Thank you and good night.
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Yeah the Linn Katans are quite nice - off the top of my head means some get missed.
If bass is important - and it is then I would take the 600 series floorstander over a CM series standmount.
Indeed, after the 600 series from B&W I would not be buying a B&W.
But this is all the help I can provide so I hope you enjoy the speaker you end up deciding upon.
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BM, why dont you look at the B$W 684's. I auditioned them along with the 683's, 685's, 686's and dynaudio. The floor standers really had the edge in bass and sound stage and presence. I know you are concerned about size, but with bookshelf speaks you need speaker stands which will take up just as much space. When I was in college my dorm room was small but I had big Altec Lansing 3 way speakers with a 10" woofer. We didnt care that it took up alot of space, we just cared about the sound and parties!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bigmoney
Well, I like the 685s because they are smaller and supposed to be much better I heard than the previous 600 series, plus they look great. I really liked the clarity the cm1's had to offer but I am a little worried about there bass extension from such a small speaker. Anyone compared these two speakers.
Keep in mind the 685 are not much smaller than yours, on top of that they are deeper (which I like personally). I'm not sure how much 'better' they are.
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Didnt anyone find the 685 to be too bright ? I personally didnt like them at all.. CM1 is so much nicer IMO..
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