Which of These Bookshelf Speakers?

I've heard all the speakers listed except the Behringer. I'd take the RC-10's...well I actually own the RC-10s.

you might want to look at the Cambridge S30 also for $220.
http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo...ariation=DKOAK

http://www.theaudioinsider.com/produ...products_id=65

Arx A1 bookshelfs are right around your budget. Non fatiguing sound, awesome bass from the XBL2 woofers.

i'll second the cambridge audio s-30.i have a pair of these in my second system and can't say enough about them. for the price i find them outstanding. the bass and midrange from these are great . compared to my outlaw bls speakers which cost almost 5 times as much they stood toe to toe .except at very high volumes the s-30's sound kind of broke up in the high end. i had apair of the rc-10s they where very good but personally i didn't care for metal tweeter sound just my 2 cents

x3

The Cambridge S30 is a very good speaker. I have listened to it and it is nice. A lot of people have been buying it recently and satisfaction reigns. Actually, the S20 is less, only $149/pair, and since you are going to have a sub, you can save by getting the S20 and then get more sub with the savings.

Another one that is comparable, and perhaps actually sounds even better is the Monitor Audio M1, for $248/pair at Audio Advisor.

They also sell the Cambridge speakers and give a 30-day free return privilege.

Happy new year.

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Here's what I've narrowed it down to.

• Infinity Primus P163 ~ $170/Pair
• Pioneer SP-BS41-LR ~ $150/Pair
• Behringer B2030P ~ $150/Pair
• Polk RTi4 ~ $150/Pair
• Energy RC10 ~ $280/Pair (I know they are a lot more expensive but if they are worth the cost I'd be willing to shell out more)

-- Oh yeah and I'll be adding a sub for 2.1 so if I spend more on the bookshelfs I won't have as much left over[/quote]

I have both the S30s and the RC-10s, and I have used both in my PC 2.1 setup. Both are an excellent value for their price. The S30s were a little fatiguing to me for nearfield music listening when sitting at the computer, which is why I decided to purchase the RC-10s and move the S30s to another setup in my house. Of the two, I definitely prefer the RC-10s for music listening, but it could easily be just a personal taste thing. For gaming, either seems to work just as well.

One thing about both of these speakers: they do very well with bass response because of the rear ports. You might find that you can hold off on buying the sub for a little while and be very happy.

Don't forget the PSB Alpha B1 which can be bought for $250/pair

We should just sticky this thread. OP, that's a good list of speakers for someone looking for great value in a medium-size speaker. All of them have gotten a lot of praise.

OK, I mis-read or mis-understood > as much as I am a fan of the
Cambridge S30, I do not reccomend them for nearfield listening.
For me they perform better and do better, set up for the normal
music and home theater listening.

This is a very useful thread. I am looking for the exact same thing. I look forward to further comments on the topic.

There's isn't a whole lot more to say. There are some good choices at great prices, considering how long they last and how much enjoyment they'll bring. Which one you choose depends on

- Listening habits - is it for a desktop setup or a room
- Space constraints - the larger speakers will have fuller tone and more bass, but if they won't work in your space, face reality
- Budget

You can't really go wrong with any of the ones mentioned here. The idea that's one is "best" is not the way to think about it. Find out that fits your constraints and is on the recommended list and makes you happy (based on size, looks, budget or whatever else).

IMO most of the people who complain that a well-regarded speaker is disappointing have got the placement of the speaker wrong, or have a room that would be hostile to any speaker (eg, all hard surfaces). I guess it's not surprising, given the way people are today - they want everything to be instant satisfaction - but you'd think the light would click on that maybe the thousands of satisfied customers were right, and they, the inexperienced buyer new to audio, might need to try something different to make them work as intended.

The Hsu HB-1s are excellent speakers in that price range as well.

http://hsuresearch.com/products/hb-1.html

Take a look at powered studio monitors. There are some very good ones from brands like Samson,Audioengine and M Audio. I use the Samson Resolve A5 for the front L&R channels of my HT.Very pleased with how they sound, especially with music.