Recommended Bookshelf Speakers? $1500 Budget

I'm looking for some nice bookshelf speakers to pair with my computer. I currently have M-Audio DX4s hooked up to a Creative X-Fi Surround 5.1 and they are decidedly not filling the bill.

I do like my ATH-A900 headphones and wouldn't mind speakers that reproduce like them. I doubt, however, that my ears can distinguish among different companies' signatures provided they're decently clear and neutral.

My budget is $1500 pretax MAX for the speakers and $600 pretax MAX for a receiver/amp if necessary. If one is suggested I would appreciate suggestions with optical ins so I can run my mobo straight to it. I already have a HSU-STF1 subwoofer I will be pairing with and don't plan to replace for this upgrade (though perhaps at a future date). If this setup does ever go beyond 2.1, it won't be soon.

In case it helps, I did try to get out and audition some speakers this weekend. My opinions on things I heard:
Paradigm: Studio 20 - at a used shop, least favorite of the bunch, seemed muffled in reproduction

B&W: CM1 - Favorite of the bunch. Seemed to have good punchy bass and clear/clean accurate reproduction else where.

Vienna Acoustics: Haydn - most powerful fairly clean bass, but maybe too much, and the rest seemed lacking against the B&W CM1

Monitor Audio: RX1 - had neither the bass of the Haydn or the seeming increased accuracy of the CM1, nothing to incentivise further thought

So I guess what I'm looking for is anything in my budget that could potentially outperform the CM1s in my mind. I also listened to a number of tower speakers as I'm considering a future TV room upgrade and found my favorites to be some Energy C-8s at the used shop (winning out over Dahlquist M-905, Kef 103-4, and Mirage OM-10) and MartinLogan Purity at the new shop (winning out over just the B&W CM8/9 which oddly seemed to lack the bass power of their bookshelf CM1 version, at least in my opinion). I'm open to things that may sound a little different but could convince me to like them due to their overall performance.

Also,
I've received suggestions on the following internet only models:
Salk SongSurround I
SVS MBS-01
Ascend Sierra 1

And was wondering if anyone could tell me how those stacked up to the CM1s. I'd say of the speakers I heard and liked more it was generally due to a sense that they were quickly and cleanly keeping up with my music and not just producing the general beat. Also that they didn't seem to struggle when the music transitioned (like when vocals started they would just start, it wasn't noticably jarring). I'm curious if anyone knows how these internet only brands stack up in that department. I'd also appreciate suggestions for speakers I might be able to audition in stores.

Thanks for reading and I appreciate any suggestions.

I'm not quite sure how I feel about used. Instinctively the idea of putting down real money for a product that I haven't seen the cosmetic condition of with my own eyes, or putting down money for something this pricey without the full warranty, rubs me the wrong way. Heck, even buying internet direct leaves me nervous now that I've done a round in stores and actually know with certainty speakers do indeed sound different. In all liklihood I think I will go new from an in store brand. I figure what I'll end up doing is going out for another audition round this weekend, then coming back with what I learn and seeing if it can do a better job of narrowing to just one of the internet three.
I'll certainly try my best to hunt down a dynaudio audition.


Two out right pass my budget even used and the last is pushing it pretty hard. I appreciate the suggestions still, but I will excuse these from my search. The moment I start thinking about spending more, the more of a possibility it becomes, and I don't like that.

RBH has no in city dealers (Seattle) which unfortunately takes them off my list (I am carless, my own choice, so long as I reside in city I can't justify the investment, not like my priorities are in the wrong order getting speakers first).

Focal does however have an in city dealer, so I will be sure to trial those if available.

Also, that same shop deals Dali, so I'll be sure to listen and make an offer for the used ones if I like them (though woah those things are big, I'm gonna need to measure my area/consider what I can accomplish with wall mounting, probably just shelves? any tips on that? Not like I've installed shelves either...).

So far I've just made a visit to Hawthorne Stereo and Magnolia AV. My ill planned trip made those run me out of time. Though I did also lose a whole bunch of time trying to pinpoint if I had any issue with the MartinLogan Puritys. I still don't know the answer to that.

I'm not sure I understand you though. Are you saying Definitive deals ERA? I don't see them in their website's brand list. And why would it cost me money to compare? I'm genuinely confused. Please explain.

Resolution Audio appears to have a number of brands the stores in hifi row don't have. I'm unsure why I couldn't get their name to come up with my googling. Its separate location is going to mean a separate day though, and an even greater need for me to keep in mind the things my liked speakers are doing so there as close to an objective comparison as possible.

Ah, I see. Thanks for pointing that out. In regards to dynaudio, are there specific sets I should try to hear?

Okee doke, all done, speakers are ordered. Now for the anticipation riddled process of waiting for delivery.

In the meantime, RonaldoCombs said he was interested in what I ended up with, so I think I'll do a recap of the day. It goes without saying, but these opinions are of course all my own and don't necessarily guarantee you the purchase you would be most satisfied with if followed. I'll accompany each with a msrp price for quick reference, though you should know you can knock a little off some of these by negotiation at a local shop.

The winners of the day:
Linn Majik 109 - $1590:
The one I'm currently waiting on a delivery of. Great soundstage. Also noticeably pulled some things that used to be in the background forward and, while it seemed different from what I was used to, it just did it so cleanly and without sacrificing any sound that used to be there that I just liked it all the more for it. It just seemed like more was playing at once, and that the detail on all that more was still excellent. What really sold me on them was hearing them reproduce trumpets, which they just brought to life as though I was there.

Era D5 - $900:
These are actually being rebranded as peachtrees that retail for $1000. I heard the non rebranded ones though and they truly were the runner up in my mind. This is even with counting the ones inbetween these two prices. I handed the edge to the Linn Majik, but even were money to be no object, I wouldn't think less of anyone who sided with the Era D5 of the two. These were also very open (not quite as much, basically it came down to closing ones eyes and seeing which was easier to pinpoint as the source of the music in the room, and it seemed to be the D5s, though it was close) and very good at hanging on to the beat, though ever so slightly less sharp than the Linn.


Runner ups:
B&W CM5 - $1500:
Probably my favorite of the runner ups, I could see them doing quite well in a home theater setup. It just felt like their sound was less controlled as compared to the nice clean way the linns came across.

PSB Imagine B - $1000:
A lot like the CM5, just not as well defined, and lacking in any real sort of impact. Didn't compare them too closely as neither were my favorite.

Dynaudio Excite X12 - $1200:
Same deal. A perfectly strong performer, but just not as good as the two I placed at the top. Maybe beat out the PSB in my mind, but didn't knock out the CM5. Lacked the clarity of my two favorites.

Non Contenders (for me at least):
Quad 11L2 - $800:
Perhaps unsurprising at the price difference, but a truly poor performer in comparison. Sounded muffled and undetailed. I was quickly done listening to it.

Focal 807v - $1000:
Boomy less than controlled bass. Didn't care to keep analyzing, was never going to like hearing my music that way. Was done listening within one track.

Paradigm Studio 20 - $1000:
I know this is a favorite of people here, so I may just bring on the flak when I say this, but it took me all of 40 seconds to throw it out of consideration. That's how long they played before they did something no other speaker I listened to did: flat out warped a note. You know how it is, when you watch a movie through an old TV or the like, and they hit that particular high note, or that man's deep voice, and it comes through with a buzz because the speakers just can't do it? It was kind of like that. A blaring sudden "oh god, what was that sound, there is nothing wrong with the cd, I have been using it all day." Maybe they had already blown them out, I don't know, but there's no way the acoustics of the room could have done that without help from the speakers and it's not like I had anyway left to consider them if it was the case they were no longer any good.


I ended up not making the trip out to Resolution Audio as I was told several times through the day they were unpleasant to work with and because unlike last weekend, I actually got a sense I'd be happy just walking home with the Linns. So that's what I did. Oh, also, for fellow Seattlites, I may expand this section in the future, but of the six shops I went to:
Hawthorne Stereo
Magnolia AV
Speakerlab
Definitive
Audio Connection
Experience Audio

Definitive and Audio Connection just stood out as providing great shopping experiences. I strongly recommend both, though I'm pretty sure Audio Connection is more of a vinyl place (as in turn table sales and maintenance, and some tube stuff (but seemingly affordable tube stuff, I just wasn't interested), not a record seller).