2.0 Mostly Music

For a dedicated 2.0 setup you're going to greatly benefit from speakers with strong bass capabilities. I would jump all over these LSi 15's for $850 shipped while they're still on closeout.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PAIR-LSi15-Ebony-Tower-Loudspeakers-Polk-Audio-DEAL-/390320723097?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item5ae0ed9499

AJ's Soundfield monitors are just a bit above your budget, but would work extremely well for your stated needs. (Caveat, I haven't heard them yet, but plan to soon. They've been raved about by those who have heard them, including some picky ears I've come to trust.)

Also, take a look at the Wharfedale Evo-40
http://www.musicdirect.com/p-15535-wharfedale-evo2-40-tower-speakers-pr.aspx

And, there is a used pair of Focal 806V speakers here
http://www.spearitsound.com/special.html#Speakers
http://www.focal.com/en/home-audio-loudspeakers/hifi-speakers/bookshelf-speakers/chorus-806-v.php

Also - Monitor Audio Silver RX2, are good with music
http://home-audio.audioadvisor.com/search?w=monitor+audio+silver+rx2
Edited by zieglj01 - 6/25/12 at 7:20pm

The Soundfield's would no doubt be outstanding, but I would call $1300pr more then just a bit over budget.

Swan (HiVi) makes some fabulous speakers, like the D2.1se+ and the M1B.

KEF's iQ30 or Focal's Chorus 706 V might do the trick.

Source Loudspeakers has the 6.1 Monitor and the 1.5 WCA, either of which may work.

If you're interested in more of a monitor-class speaker there's the Behringer 2031P, as well as the Yamaha HS80M.

If you'd like to spend less money -- but still get a very solid speaker -- the Cambridge Audio S30 might warrant a look.

O.K. I know this is out of left field, but here goes!

World Designs WD25A - can be bought fully built; a British 2-way equipped with a 10" woofer operating in an aperiodic enclosure (a sort of acoustic-suspension/bass-reflex hybrid)

This speaker is based on the classic Dynaco A25, an American bookshelf speaker using SEAS drivers sold back in the early/mid 70s that was also one of the most successful numbers-wise American speakers ever sold (collectors and vintage audio enthusiasts like yours truly still look for it in thrift stores). The philosophy behind it was basically the same as the Andrew Jones Pioneers discussed so much here: inexpensive but included lots of clever design features that enabled it to still sound good, much better than its low price would indicate.* Also like the Pioneers, the A25 is also known as a warm sounding speaker, which many feel makes it very suitable for music, particularly useful for the many modern tracks mastered with stupidly hyped upper frequencies and nutty levels of overcompression.

They also sell a floorstanding version with improved bass output.

BTW 10" 2-ways were a common design until around the mid 90s, and sold by many mid-fi manufacturers e.g. Pioneer, Infinity, JBL, Boston Acoustics and (of course!) Advent.


* particularly the crossover, one of the most expensive parts of any speaker: the original A25's consisted of one capacitor, in series with the 1.5" soft-dome tweeter - that's it. This was because the two drivers were made for each other and the woofer's response could be tailored during the design process to naturally roll-off at the correct frequency, and the tweeter used a 1 and a half inch dome so it could handle more power without the need for a more complicated xover. There are sonic tradeoffs to do this, but for the A25's price most owners didn't mind.

As the 640i's designer, and as the Swan importer into North America for the last nearly ten years, I'd tend to confirm the Dana over the Swan. If you want a musical presentation (baffle step compensation and genuinely low distortion magnetics driving wider-band components, plus a full measure of bass from a nearly 20 liter cabinet) in my view the 640i qualifies of those two contenders.

fwiw,if your going with bookshelves outlaw bls speakers b- stock $699 great speakers