Which of these speakers (w/ sub) will make The Sundays and The Corrs sound amazing?

Have you considered the S30s? I had em for a stereo set up and loved them. Also RC-10s!

Wow, the Sundays eh? They were a great band. Loved the vocals and the melodic guitar work. Their final album came out about 15 years ago right?

From your "very" short list I would go with the Wharfdales or B&W 685. I think the 685 has a fairly good midrange but a rather smooth top end. Because of this many describe the 685 as sounding veiled. I like the S30 recommendation. Have you considered the KEF Q300?

Those wimpy subwoofers, can not keep up with the Cambridge S30 bass.

That's quite a price spread. Quick thoughts ...
I would look for used B&W CM5's before buying B&W 685's. I'd probably also take Monitor Audio BX2's ($500 - IMO best value in the MA lineup) over the 685's. It's not that I think the 685's are bad speakers, I just think they are overpriced.
In the 400 - 700 range there are also some very musical KEF and Focal bookshelf speakers worth considering.
If you can eek a little higher on the budget the Ascend Sierra 1's are extremely popular, and, seemingly tailor made to your situation. (They occasionally have B-stock.)

Re some of the other posts ...
+1 on the KEF Q300 (only $480 at accesories4less).

+1 if you decide to go with a lower budget then the Cambridge Audio S30, no question.

+1 It takes a better sub to pair up with the S30's. (Actually this applies to any of the speakers in the thread - you've got a good list going.)
Edited by sdg4vfx - 1/2/13 at 9:49pm

The Paradigm Mini Monitor will have a rising treble - starting as early a 5 khz
and up to 10 khz - then taper off a little, and then rise some more.

That may be a good idea.

Also there seems to be some hope, that you may make a decision before summer of 2013.

Too bad. The KEF Q300 are IMHO superior to the B&W 685s. By smooth top end, I mean the the speaker is laid back, the higher frequencies are recessed a bit.

Agreed. The CM5s have better much better off-axis response and just look and sound better despite using some of the same components (different crossovers obviously and a better cabinet for the CM5). The Ascend Sierra-1s are very nice speakers and can compete with the best of the non-ID brands in the price range.

Out of curiosity, where did you see Diamond 10.2's for $300? They are usually $450 and only slightly less when discounted.

Both the 10.2 and 10.1 curve like that. The 10.1 are normally $350 but I've seen them for $300 open box; the 10.2 are $450 but $360 open box. The 10.1 are the speakers that have been reviewed all over the place with people raving about them. When I get the dough I'll go for the 10.2 or the 10.1.....and probably a PSA sub.

Would you believe that until about 5-10yrs ago I didn't even know that "Wild Horses" wasn't an original Sundays song? Gimme a break, I'm not a Stones fan. I think the Sundays version is much better anyway.

see saturdayaudio.com and email them for a price on the rx1's

The RX1 is a nice speaker, esp. for music - you should be able to get a pair for just under $700. (I initially recommended the BX-2 because it is very close in sq and more in the $500 range.)

IMO the RX1 will have better imaging and better detail than the S30. The RX1 is actually 3.5 to 4 times the S30's price point. (At www.audioadvisor.com the RX-1 is $675 in most finishes, $800 in gloss white or gloss black.)

(I'm an S30 fan and easily recommend them as the best speaker I've heard anywhere near their price point of $200 a pair.)

Watch this for some insight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Mxs_TZ34_s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RImJORfYgIM
Edited by zieglj01 - 1/7/13 at 10:14am

In my (second rate) laymen's terms I would describe them ...
Imaging - The sense that the sound is all around you in the room, that different instruments are in different places in the room. Vs the sound coming at you directly from the speakers.
Detail - When playing very complex or full sounding music you can still distinctly hear each sound, instrument, voice, etc. Also, you can hear more subtle details on a given sound - the slide of a guitar note, a slight rasp in a voice, etc. Some speakers can start to get muddy or distorted as the sound becomes more complex or full, and/or subtleties of sounds are missing.

Other more experienced members can probably give you better, more precise explanations.

Well get ready, because the Monitor Audio Silver RX-1 is a real good one.

I can't speak for the Wharfedales because I have not heard them. But, I can tell you the RX1s are phenominal, and worth paying a little more for in my opinion. I purchased a pair (also in rosenut) last week, and they sound fabulous with music. I got a great deal on them as well ($579) from a local dealer. They scream quality, from the looks, to the build quality, and most importantly the sound. Give them the "knuckle test" and you won't believe how solid they are!! They really give you a taste of the high end, that's for sure.

I have no opinion about the RX1s; I've only heard the B&Ws. You mentioned that you would like the RX1s for a llower price and I knew Sat Audio carried them and
thye usually offered decent prices. I bought my receiver from them.
Edited by Phil Tomaskovic - 1/7/13 at 9:06pm

Hello, sorry it took so long for me to respond.

In my opinion, the rosenut finish is stunning in person. I am not a fan of black (or lighter finished) speakers, darker cherry and rosenut are my favorites. Also, I very much prefer real wood veneer over vinyl veneer finished speakers. These are among the most beautifully finished and well built speakers I've ever owned.

As far as the midrange is concerned, they are fabulous. Let me give you a bit of background info on me and my musical tastes. I am a 49 year old, lifelong music lover and audiophile. I listen to a wide variety of music, ranging from classic rock/blues/jazz/folk/americana/country (real country, not the newer crap). As you may be able to guess by my avatar, I am HUGE lover of female vocalists. To me there is no sweeter sound on this earth than a good female singing voice. Some of my favorites are Linda Ronstadt, Jewel, Sarah McLachlan, Natalie Merchant, Emmylou Harris, Holly Cole, Diana Krall, Norah Jones, Natalie Cole, etc (I could go on forever). And I'm also a big guitar lover, so while I like as balanced a speaker as possible, the midrange frequencies are the most important to me. The RX1's are perfect for me in that regard (at least as perfect as I've found in their price range). With the female singers I like, many speakers can/do exhibit sibiliance with them, which ruins the listening experience for me. I have not found this to be an issue whatsoever thus far with the RX1s.

I have also wanted to give those Focals a listen, but no local dealers carry them so I have not had the chance to. But, I can't imagine me being more happy with another pair of speakers in this price range, and I can see me being quite content to live with these for a long time to come.

Just curious, what amp and other gear would you be running with them, and what size room would they be placed in? I have listened to mine on a Rotel RA-05 SE and an Onkyo A-5VL integrated amps (both 40 wpc), and I prefer them with the Onkyo. The other gear in my setup consists of an Onkyo C-S5VL SACD player, Music Hall MMF-2.2LE turntable, all plugged in to an APC H15 power conditioner. My listening room is 12' x 18', and they fill it with beautiful music!!

Of course, audio is very subjective, and your mileage may vary. I strongly recommend you go to audition them and your other choices if at all possible. Or at least purchase them from a place that has a good return policy in the event they don't work for your needs.

Good luck and let us know which ones you end up with!!

Here's a photo I just took to give you a general idea of the color of the finish (it doesn't do them justice, they are much better looking in person):