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Best Bookshelf under 3k?

106K views 361 replies 62 participants last post by  Soulburner 
#1 · (Edited)
I am shortlisting dynaudio special 40, b&w 705s2, buchardt s400, kef ls50/r3. Welcome thoughts on those or any others that I need to know about? I live in an apartment so big bass response is not a priority. Listen to bossa nova, blues, vocal, acoustic rock, some jazz..I have Elac ub5s right now which for $500 are incredible - I would guess they are definitely on the warm side as highs seem fairly recessed, definitely non fatiguing. I would prefer to avoid models that you need to really turn up to enjoy (i like moderate most of the time but turn it up for a song or two). Could go for more detail/forward presentation than the UB5s but don't want to jump all the way to the ultra forward/clinical end of the spectrum, just turn it up a nice notch from the elacs. Also dont NEED to spend 3k, if a 2k speaker is a big improvement over the elacs then that might be the way to go, but willing to go up to 3, hear only great things about the dynaudios haha...Appreciate any suggestions!


UPDATE
I ordered Buchardt s400- BUT... while im waiting for my S400s , i signed up for tidal masters ( i had been streaming via apple music, so basically MP3/ALAC?). Well holy crap, its a pretty big jump in clarity. My Elacs no longer sound veiled at all. If i had done this before i probably wouldnt have been so eager to upgrade! These sound amazing now, especially for $500...pretty incredible value I can only imagine how the buchhardts will sound. So most of the songs im listening to are noted as "hifi" rather than masters, I think hifh is cd quality? Anyway Tidal premium like going from HD to 4k tv.
 
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#2 ·
#26 ·
#3 · (Edited)
I own the Ascend Sierra 2EX and the Buchardt S400. They are both excellent choices and I don’t think you’ll go wrong with either.

I also owned the KEF LS50 for a short time, but I found them too bright in my room for my taste, so I ended up selling them.

Most companies offer some type of trial period, so I’d probably audition a few and keep the one you like best.


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#7 · (Edited)
The Paradigm prestige 15B's sound bigger and clearer than the LS50's and Special 40's, and are slightly brighter in the high end, but not in the fatiguing 2-3khz range like the LS50's. The 15B's also have deeper, better bass than the LS50's.
I have 15B's for home theater and for that use they are excellent, and very good for music. Since you listed vocal and acoustic rock in your variety, you might love them.
An amazing soundstage is also one of their strong points.
Since I'm sensitive to highs, I'd prefer the Special 40's for music, even though they don't sound quite as clear or big. There's just something smooth and musical about them, but just not enough to spend that much money to me.
I don't think you'd find them enough of an upgrade over the UB5's, as you're looking for something a little more forward anyway.
For $4k, the Bryston Mini T's are the best speakers I've heard under around $8k, but they are also slightly laid back to neutral.
Sounds to me like the 15B's are exactly what you're looking for, or maybe the 705S2's, which I haven't heard yet.
 
#8 ·
I am shortlisting dynaudio special 40, b&w 705s2, buchardt s400, kef ls50/r. Welcome thoughts on those or any others that I need to know about? I live in an apartment so big bass response is not a priority. Listen to bossa nova, blues, vocal, acoustic rock, some jazz..I have Elac ub5s right now which for $500 are incredible - I would guess they are definitely on the warm side as highs seem fairly recessed, definitely non fatiguing. I would prefer to avoid models that you need to really turn up to enjoy (i like moderate most of the time but turn it up for a song or two). Could go for more detail/forward presentation than the UB5s but don't want to jump all the way to the ultra forward/clinical end of the spectrum, just turn it up a nice notch from the elacs. Also dont NEED to spend 3k, if a 2k speaker is a big improvement over the elacs then that might be the way to go, but willing to go up to 3, hear only great things about the dynaudios haha...Appreciate any suggestions!
As an all in one package, LS50W are one of the best. I just bought mine last month. Do check them out.

For a larger room and if you already have an Amp, KEF R3s would be a better option.

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#9 · (Edited)
I’d highly recommend listening to the Dynaudio Evoke 20 @2k, or the Special 40 @3k. If you’re already thinking Dynaudio then certainly give those two a listen. They’ll do great with that type of music, personally I use Contour 20s, and I listen to nearly everything except country.

Other very good ones would be the Dali Rubicon 2, or Totem Sky.
 
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#11 ·
I live in an apartment so big bass response is not a priority. Listen to bossa nova, blues, vocal, acoustic rock, some jazz..I have Elac ub5s right now which for $500 are incredible - I would guess they are definitely on the warm side as highs seem fairly recessed, definitely non fatiguing. I would prefer to avoid models that you need to really turn up to enjoy (i like moderate most of the time but turn it up for a song or two).
Another vote for a RAAL tweeter based speaker such as the Ascend Sierra 2 or 2EX, in that case.

If you want a similar tweeter with $10 flat rate return shipping just in case, the Martin Logan LX16 from crutchfield.com for $240 each would be a steal. Maybe I'd start with that first, and then move up to the Ascends only if you aren't completely happy with the LX16.
 
#12 ·
I am shortlisting dynaudio special 40, b&w 705s2, buchardt s400, kef ls50/r. Welcome thoughts on those or any others that I need to know about? I live in an apartment so big bass response is not a priority. Listen to bossa nova, blues, vocal, acoustic rock, some jazz..I have Elac ub5s right now which for $500 are incredible - I would guess they are definitely on the warm side as highs seem fairly recessed, definitely non fatiguing. I would prefer to avoid models that you need to really turn up to enjoy (i like moderate most of the time but turn it up for a song or two). Could go for more detail/forward presentation than the UB5s but don't want to jump all the way to the ultra forward/clinical end of the spectrum, just turn it up a nice notch from the elacs. Also dont NEED to spend 3k, if a 2k speaker is a big improvement over the elacs then that might be the way to go, but willing to go up to 3, hear only great things about the dynaudios haha...Appreciate any suggestions!
Look at the measurements for some of the speakers on your list here to give some idea of the differences.

They tested the "slim" version of the Ub5 which should have similar measurements to what you currently have.

https://www.soundstagenetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16&Itemid=140

Compare those measurements to the NHT C3 which is available for $1000/pair direct and slightly less on Amazon to see if the more expensive speakers measure any better.
 
#15 ·
#13 · (Edited)
I'm going for JBL 708i in that pricerange (soon). Not sure if they are "the best" but looks like they are good. I've selected them entirely "on paper", never heard them, but I don't think I'd be dissapointed.

You would need an EQ and possibly a limiter/cross to subwoofer if your music is bass-heavy with them though. There is also a powered version 708p that has everything inside and all you need is aes3 source (or just a common digital source), but they are more expensive ($500 more each iirc).
 
#14 ·
I have both the LS50 and the UB5. The LS50's are definitely brighter and more forward than the UB5's. If that's what you are looking for, you will probably like them.

However, for $3k I'd aim a little higher and start auditioning everything you can. You could look at the Adante if you want to stay in the Elac family. The Kef R series, as mentioned above, are going to be a little mid-recessed and the opposite of what you want.

I'd recommend:

Elac Adante
Dynaudio Evoke 20/S40
Revel M106
Salk BMR
Ascend Sierra 2EX
Canton Reference
Wharfedale Linton (for something totally different)

All those can be easily ordered online. Beyond that, I'd get out there and make some dealer appointments.
 
#16 ·
Thanks for pointing out Salk has now added the BMR to his line.

Best of all is that the custom cabinets are available in a myriad of furniture grade finishes albeit at a price higher then the original BMR that essentially doomed Philharmonic Audio finanically as Dennis simply didn't charge enough for his speakers to keep the company going.
 
#22 · (Edited)
So many awesome suggestions! So an update, today I was able to demo the Special 40s , R3s, and 705s2 (latter two best buy). The demo room at BB sucked and the R3s had to be 12 feet apart and next to walls and other bookshelfs, 705s closer but also bookshelves on each side, BUT i really liked the the R3s. True to many comments on here, they were laid back and a bit recessed, but they were super holographic (they completely disappeared - is this the UNIQ driver and same vibe i would experience w ls50?), bass was great (punchy and accurate but not boomy), and sounded like a tower speaker. They were def not forward or detailed when it came to vocals and instruments, but they felt really well rounded and enjoyable. Like a much better version and bigger sounding of my current speaker. The 705s were much zingier, more detailed and forward, but i could see them irritating me with a song thats too brassy. Also the room was terrible and that may have made things worse for the 705s. I took the Kefs easily over the BWs.

Then I went to another store and tried the special 40s. Should also mention this room had some treatment and was much better set up than best buys room. Oh my they sounded so good, everything sounded "right" with them. More detailed and forward than the kefs and my elacs, but not in your face like the Bws. The separation of instruments was so good, and guitar plucks sounded amazing (stevie ray vaughn tin pan alley was just so good). Now I did not see the amazing bass experience that others are talking about (it was solid), but the amp was a 50wpc A/B if that makes a difference. But the speakers just sounded perfect in every way and the presentation was so delicate and precise without being clinical or sharp. Total cliche - but i FELT like I was at the concert and havent experienced that with other speakers i tried. I realize I am terrible at describing these terms but doing my best.


Conclusion - I really liked the Kefs and specials, wish I could listen to them in the same space! Kefs more like a favorite pair of jeans (thats analogy not giving them enough credit..) and the Dynaudios like an indulgent dessert that you wont get sick of. Do people really order multiple pairs from crutchfield and just keep the one they like best? Is that a common practice?
 
#24 ·
So many awesome suggestions! So an update, today I was able to demo the Special 40s , R3s, and 705s2 (latter two best buy). The demo room at BB sucked and the R3s had to be 12 feet apart and next to walls and other bookshelfs, 705s closer but also bookshelves on each side, BUT i really liked them the R3s. True to many comments on here, they were laid back and a bit recessed, but they were super holographic (they completely disappeared), bass was great (punchy and accurate but not boomy), and sounded like a tower speaker. They were def not forward or detailed when it came to vocals and instruments, but they felt really well rounded and enjoyable. Like a much better version and bigger of my current speaker. The 705s were much zingier, more detailed and fowrard, but i could see them irritating me with a song thats too brassy. Also the room was terrible and that may have made things worse for the 705s. I took the Kefs easily over the BWs.


Then I went to another store and tried the special 40s. Should also mention this room had some treatment and was much better set up than best buys room. Oh my they sounded so good, everything sounded "right" with them. More detailed and forward than the kefs and my elacs, but not in your face like the Bws. The separation of instruments was so good, and guitar plucks sounded amazing (stevie ray vaughn tin pan alley was just so good). Now I did not see the amazing bass experience that others are talking about (it was solid), but the amp was a 50wpc A/B if that makes a difference. But the speakers just sounded perfect in every way and the presentation was so delicate and precise without being clinical or sharp. Total cliche - but i FELT like I was at the concert and havent experienced that with other speakers i tried. I realize I am terrible at describing these terms but doing my best.


Conclusion - I really liked the Kefs and specials, wish I could listen to them in the same space! Do people really order multiple pairs from crutchfield and just keep the one they like best? Is that a common practice?
yes , people do order 2 pair and do a comparison.. happens pretty often , it's a good idea...those are 2 well respected speakers , sounds like a fun weekend (or longer...)
 
#36 · (Edited)
I am shortlisting dynaudio special 40, b&w 705s2, buchardt s400, kef ls50/r. Welcome thoughts on those or any others that I need to know about? I live in an apartment so big bass response is not a priority. Listen to bossa nova, blues, vocal, acoustic rock, some jazz..I have Elac ub5s right now which for $500 are incredible - I would guess they are definitely on the warm side as highs seem fairly recessed, definitely non fatiguing. I would prefer to avoid models that you need to really turn up to enjoy (i like moderate most of the time but turn it up for a song or two). Could go for more detail/forward presentation than the UB5s but don't want to jump all the way to the ultra forward/clinical end of the spectrum, just turn it up a nice notch from the elacs. Also dont NEED to spend 3k, if a 2k speaker is a big improvement over the elacs then that might be the way to go, but willing to go up to 3, hear only great things about the dynaudios haha...Appreciate any suggestions!
Dynaudio Special Forty gets good reviews, but I don't think it's worth $3000. I believe that Totem uses Dynaudio drivers in their speakers (Totem is an assembler).

With my own money, I would look at Ascend Acoustics Sierra (various models to choose from), Revel M106, or Martin Logan 35 XT. I was listening to Revel tower speakers and not bookshelf speakers locally, but I found them to have a flat frequency response, and low distortion. Midrange was noticeably cleaner than in the Monitor Audio Silver (which I'm through with, for personal reasons, I find it too warm and smoothed over with my choice of amp). The ML has the air motion tweeter, which is known to best dome tweeters on more expensive speakers, but costs nowhere near what the RAAL does. Look at Madisound or Zaph Audio to find out what the drivers themselves cost.
 
#37 ·
Dynaudio Special Forty gets good reviews, but I don't think it's worth $3000. I believe that Totem uses Dynaudio drivers in their speakers.

With my own money, I would look at Ascend Acoustics Sierra (various models to choose from ), Revel, or Martin Logan 35 XT. The latter has the air motion tweeter, which is known to best dome tweeters on more expensive speakers, but costs nowhere near what the RAAL does. Look at Madisound or Zaph Audio to find out what the drivers themselves cost.

I'm through with Monitor Audio, for personal reasons. I had found the midrange in their Silver series to be better than in the Totem Rainmakers I had before, but what I have now sounds too warm and smoothed over (with my warm power amp).
I heard the Sierra 2s a couple years ago and thought they were good but wasnt blown away, i understand there is a new model now with a new woofer, but cant seem to find any reviews or comparisons to the old one just yet.
 
#43 ·
I auditioned the Evoke 20 and special 40’s, and preferred the Evoke 20’s. Although the S40 has more bass, I suspect with a subwoofer that would be nullified. The top end on the Evike 20’s was remarkably good.

I suspect the Salk Silk’s would blow a lot of these speakers away. Especially if you can get them cheaper on EBay.

I agree with your thoughts on the 705’s - great detail, but the slightly forward nature might get fatiguing after a while.

Also consider Focal Aria speakers. These can be had at a good discount if you know where to look (A4L). I heard the tower version, and they were quite good.


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#124 ·
How does a4l have aria 926 40% off crutxhfields price? At 2k wouldn’t these be much better than any bookshelf in that ballpark? Could one pull the 926 off in an apartment living room, 15x15? On another note why did you like evoke more than Special40?

I auditioned the Evoke 20 and special 40’️s, and preferred the Evoke 20’️s. Although the S40 has more bass, I suspect with a subwoofer that would be nullified. The top end on the Evike 20’️s was remarkably good.

I suspect the Salk Silk’️s would blow a lot of these speakers away. Especially if you can get them cheaper on EBay.

I agree with your thoughts on the 705’️s - great detail, but the slightly forward nature might get fatiguing after a while.

Also consider Focal Aria speakers. These can be had at a good discount if you know where to look (A4L). I heard the tower version, and they were quite good.


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#45 ·
Many great options listed here.

I would be most interested in the Buchardt S400, Ascend Sierra-2EX, Dynaudio Special 40, Revel M106, and PMC twenty5.22.

Keep in mind that these are average-sensitivity designs and thus not made for huge spaces, but will play plenty loud in most of our homes.

If you need high SPL with pinpoint imaging, try:

JTR NOESIS 228HT
 
#50 ·
Totem used Dynaudio drivers (Signature One/ Mani-2/Signature Center channel) or basically all the 5.5” woofers used Dynaudio drivers from what was similar to the Dynaudio Audience 40 speakers drivers. Totem uses drivers for their 6.5” speaker products from Audio Technology (same as Salk’s BeAT speakers) and Hi-Vi.

To my knowledge only Eggleston is still able to buy Dynaudio drivers as they haven’t stopped producing the speakers that use this drivers. Should they, Dynaudio will not provide drivers for a new speaker launch (from what I’ve heard).
 
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#54 ·
Dynaudio will warranty speakers for 8 years, and it’s transferable, but I’d suggest you ask the seller for a copy of their purchase receipt, just to prove should something happen. However that said, Dynaudio is very good about taking care of someone with their products. I had a speaker get damaged and it was pretty bad and took very good care of me.
 
#56 ·
I'd wager that Salk, Dynaudio, and Revel are no worse.
Come on, that's some random person measuring them with REW, I have no idea if they're outdoor measurements or time-gated, but they are nowhere near a proper measurement in an anechoic chamber. Look at the NRC measurements of the Revel F206 and the KEF R11, both are very good overall but you can see even off-axis, the KEF is a constant slope even out to 75 degrees, where the F206 doesn't quite match in the tweeter range. Matching directivity at all off-axis angles is really what separates the men from the boys.
 
#57 ·
I just got the Evoke 20. I upgraded from the Emit 10. Whether or not the Dynaudio Emit 10 is better than the Elac UB5 i am not sure, but the Evoke 20’s are a huge improvement over the emits... I mean huge in build quality and even bigger of a difference in sound quality.

I also had a pair of Emit 20’s and id say the difference is just as substantial (the Emit 10s are godly for their price point and their physical size).

My vote for your next set of speakers is for the Evoke 10’s or Evoke 20’s.

If it means anything, I too felt something very similar to how you’re feeling. I felt the same way about the special 40’s. The $3000 price point was just too much for me to swing for that speaker. If I say yes to the special 40 then I’d actually skip that speaker and go with the confidence 20’s. I’m a do it all or don’t do it at all type of guy, and the Evoke 10/20’s (the 20’s are pushing it, but I couldn’t resist a 7” woofer) are right at my limit of when I will just do it all and yolo it.
So instead I satisfied my upgrade bug, personally feel like I gained a huge boost in sound quality, refinement, and most importantly the improvements in quality of the listening experience.
Do I think that there are still huge gains to be had, with equally huge price tags attached to those gains? Yes, most definitely. But do I in any way feel like I am settling and essentially lying to myself because I am too poor to afford what I truly wanted? Not at all. This is what I truly wanted for this occasion and period of time in my life. Assuming I am still alive in a decade or two, that’s when I’ll be content with buying items with huge price tags; likewise I will be even more genuinely content with the improvements on multiple levels that will come with.
Thank you for letting me express this relating factor of my own personal self with your current situation. Whatever speakers you do end up purchasing and settling with, please PM me your result, as I will be curious as will I be forgetful, so please remind me 🙂 cheers.

-jj
 
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