Speaker help!!!

[jakebot]

Hello i'm new to the forum and in need of bookshelf speaker advice. I'm looking at spending $100. I will spend more if i have to. I want something that sounds good (obviously) and will fill the room with ease. As i will not be using a subwoofer i am looking for something that produces a good amount of bass. The speakers will be connected to an older reciever such as a pioneer or kenwood or maybe even a marantz. Size may also be an issue as they need to fit next to my computer monitor so the maximum width of the speaker can only be about 8 - 9". I have seen Polk speakers and heard about their excellent quality but their lack of bass ( again this is important because i will not be using a subwoofer ) currently i am using a Philips FW-C577 mini stereo system (honestly not as bad as it looks)
http://www.amazon.com/Philips-FWC577.../dp/B00008Y1AF

Any advice is greatly appreciated. nudges in the right direction are GREATLY appreciated. brands too look at and all. Hit me with everything you got! thanks!

[markw]

With those size and price requirements and your refusal to incorporate a subwoofer, you better learn to love a lean sound.

[manlystanley]

Hello i'm new to the forum and in need of bookshelf speaker advice. I'm looking at spending $100. I will spend more if i have to. I want something that sounds good (obviously) and will fill the room with ease. As i will not be using a subwoofer i am looking for something that produces a good amount of bass.

I've gotten four sets of bookshelves off of Criagslist that meet your needs and price range. These were:

Klipsch RB-5 II
Klipsch B3
B&W 601 S1's
and a pair of Cerwin-Vega's (for $50).

All are very good speakers. Do some research and go used...

Best Regards,
Stan

[jakebot]

I've gotten four sets of bookshelves off of Criagslist that meet your needs and price range. These were:

Klipsch RB-5 II
Klipsch B3
B&W 601 S1's
and a pair of Cerwin-Vega's (for $50).

All are very good speakers. Do some research and go used...

Best Regards,
Stan

Thanks for your advice stanley. infact i'm reading a review you left about the Klipsch Reference RB5 right now. the only problem is the closest city of any size i live near is chicago and it's 3 hours away. but right now i am looking on ebay... the klipsch RB5's sound like they get the good bass respose for a decent price... and actually they look nice. do you know of any stores where you can listen to nice speakers such as these?

[blackraven]

Jakebot, if you can increase your budget to $200 then look at these-

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=ATLS300 -these will give you the bass your looking for but I prefer the Energy's below.

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=ENC300

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=PBIMB15

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...specifications

the above infinity Primus 162's are a good budget bookshelf speaker for $200pr but I would rather have the floor standers above..

[TheHills44060]

I like the PSB's raven referenced much better that the Klipsch's or the B&W 601's.

[jakebot]

Jakebot, if you can increase your budget to $200 then look at these-

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=ATLS300 -these will give you the bass your looking for but I prefer the Energy's below.

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=ENC300

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=PBIMB15

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...specifications

the above infinity Primus 162's are a good budget bookshelf speaker for $200pr but I would rather have the floor standers above..

thanks man i appreciate it... but i'm looking for bookshelf speakers... those infinity's look good and my mother has infinity speakers in her Dodge Caravan and they sound pretty darn good. and get fantastic bass. so i will have to take a look into them. thank you kind sir...

what do you guys think about the Klipsch B-2 Synergy's? They cost a little less than the B-3's and still (aparantly) sound pretty good

[blackraven]

Jakebot, you won't get fantastic bass from inexpensive bookshelf speakers! And car speakers are a different animal. If your planning on using speaker stands for the bookshelf's then you really ought to consider floor standers because they will take up a similar foot print. Then you can get the bass that you want.

If you must stay with a bookshelf, then consider used speakers. Look for a pair of NHT Classic 2's. They have nice bass and a warmer sound. Also a pair of Energy 200's which is a larger bookshelf.

These Boston Acoustic's have a nice sound and decent bass for a bookshelf
http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/it...coustics-cs26c

[blackraven]

Here's a pair of the Energy C-200's. These would be my first choice for a pair of budget bookshelfs if your wanting to use then with out a sub.

http://www.superiorhifi.com/index.ph...acturers_id=94

[02audionoob]

...I'm looking at spending $100...

...bass ( again this is important because i will not be using a subwoofer...

...Size may also be an issue as they need to fit next to my computer monitor so the maximum width of the speaker can only be about 8 - 9". ...

Cerwin-Vega VE-5M for the win...

http://www.a1components.com/itemdisp...spx?item=10983

[blackraven]

Cerwin-Vega VE-5M for the win...

http://www.a1components.com/itemdisp...spx?item=10983

The CW's are only rated as low as 60Hz with a 51/4" woofer, I think that he will get better bass from the Energy C-200's rated at 48Hz or the infinity's at 50Hz but of course they cost more.

[02audionoob]

The CW's are only rated as low as 60Hz with a 51/4" woofer, I think that he will get better bass from the Energy C-200's rated at 48Hz or the infinity's at 50Hz but of course they cost more.

The Cerwin-Vega speakers fit the budget far better and the space limitations better than the C200. You also should consider what the speaker sounds like, without regard to specs. Cerwin-Vega speakers generally sound like they have more bass than comparable speakers by other manufacturers, regardless of the specified range.

Also...there are always better speakers out there if you're willing to double or triple your budget.

[bfalls]

thanks man i appreciate it... but i'm looking for bookshelf speakers... those infinity's look good and my mother has infinity speakers in her Dodge Caravan and they sound pretty darn good. and get fantastic bass. so i will have to take a look into them. thank you kind sir...

what do you guys think about the Klipsch B-2 Synergy's? They cost a little less than the B-3's and still (aparantly) sound pretty good

The B2s will be similar to the KSB-2.1 in size and response. I had a pair of the KSB-2.1s and enjoyed them very much. I liked them better than the larger KSB-3.1 with 8" woofer. They're very efficient and well-balanced.

[MikeyBC]

I'd be looking for something better used.

[02audionoob]

These come direct from the manufacturer and could be good. They're refurbs for far below retail. They come with wall brackets, which would free up space on the computer desk.

JBL Control Monitor

[blackraven]

These BIC's are what the Dr. ordered-right price and supposedly can go as low as 43Hz. They look like they will give you the most bass for a $100 speaker.

I would still try and swing the money for the C-200's though.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...XNQ8KB5P72K7BR

[02audionoob]

The BIC seems like a great idea on the surface, but I wouldn't put too much stock in those specs without hearing the speakers. Between the specified efficiency, the bass extension and the small enclosure, something has to give. You can't have everything, contrary to what BOSE would have you believe.

If I were on the market with the OP's criteria, though, I'd definitely give those a look.

[blackraven]

The BIC seems like a great idea on the surface, but I wouldn't put too much stock in those specs without hearing the speakers. Between the specified efficiency, the bass extension and the small enclosure, something has to give. You can't have everything, contrary to what BOSE would have you believe.

If I were on the market with the OP's criteria, though, I'd definitely give those a look.

I agree with you about not getting caught up in the specs especially because we don't know at what dB they are rating them, but what else do you have to go on with speakers in this price range except for specs and reputation. While i have no doubt that the BIC's can't really get down that low, I would rather give them a look vs a speaker that is rated at 60hz. Plus, I would prefer a speaker with a 6.5" woofer vs a 5 1/4" in the same price range.

[Florian]

Are you looking for good quality midbass or muddy rubbish midbass? Because no bookshelf will do "bass".....

[blackraven]

What he said!

[jakebot]

I have an ikea jerker desk. and these speakers will be placed on either side of my monitor so i suppose i should have said that before i cannot use floor standing speakers as they simply won't fit on my desk... i've tried to look at the frequency range of my current speakers (Philips FW-C577) the head unit pushes about 300 watts peak and the speakers have 6.5" woofers and they have great bass response tight and EXTREMELY accurate... not muddy at all. the main problem with them is that they are 15" wide... and they don't fit very well... and again they get great bass... i can rattle the dishes downstairs if i really try ( for all practical reasons this is irrelevant ) but i want something that has decent bass... i really don't need to rattle dishes but i just figured there was something out there that was comperable to these philips speakers... but if such a thing doesn't exist for less than what i paid for this whole system 5 years ago then i might just stick with them.

i do appreciate this guys have i have made dozens of bookmarks so far... the winner so far seems to be these Klipsch B-2's

[jakebot]

i'm having trouble keeping up with you guys.... inst4ead of just the Klipsch B-2's i'm also likin the Energy C-100's and the BIC DV62si's. i suppose i'm looking for good quality mid bass.... because that's true with a bookshelf you can't get SUPER low i'm just looking for something that can go decently low for a bookshelf speaker if i wanted bass i would hook up my pioneer amp and polk car sub with a computer power supply and REALLY rattle the dishes downstairs. but it's too much bass especially for the parents... i'm 21 and going to a community college that's also why my budget is so limited. and again guys i appreciate this i have a bunch of speakers bookmarked so i can research them later.

oh and BTW my step dad has 10 year old BOSE 301's and in ever way these philips blow them out of the water. look up you tube videos of this philips stereo... it's better than you would think... but again the size is ILL and that's why i can't handle it... i need a reciever to put underneath the tier of the desk that my speakers and monitor sit on