Best bookshelf speakers under $2000

[mpw]

vikas,

as bhagwanji says.. do a few auditions. I had half typed a post saying that you need to split your budget for the BS and a good amp and audition them both at the same place to check for synergy and live with it. Else increase your budget to incl the amp as well.

This way you will audition only once. Auditioning twice ( once for speaker and once for amp ) is painful.

Go to Lakozy Delhi or to Bass & treble ( i think these are 2 good dealers in del ) besides others and start the road show.. thats the best way..

forget about whats not avbl here.. work on whats avbl here and what YOU hear.

all the best and look forward to your reviews..

mpw

 

[varma_vikas]

Hi Dr. Bass,
Today I auditioned Dali ikon 6 dali zensor
Zensor was paired with Yamaha and ikon6 was matched with Denon amplifier.
Dali ikon 6- 90,000
Zensor--40,000
Both the combinations were average and nothing was special. Denon with Ikon 6 was little more open sounding.
I found my woodstock is far better in detail, clarity, bass, low volume sound, specially if I compare the price. Dali ikon6 with denon would cost approx 1.30 k.
I cant understand either I am looking for some extraordinary product OR manufacturers have started providing highly AVERAGE, ORDINARY products in extraordinary prices.
Yamaha with Dali Zensor was atleast acceptable( however below average in my terms).
If this is the way for quality products it means a good audio system will cost approx 10 lakhs to somebody.
Dr. Bass, when I asked about DYNAUDIO with dealer he showed that he has listened to a new name in audio world and gave the expression like he is not aware with name.
Then he told me that the kind of product I want for me, could only be auditioned in Mumbai, not in delhi. He told me to go to mumbai for good quality products.

 

[mpw]

vikas,

i thought you wanted BS.. why FS ??

mpw

 

[varma_vikas]

vikas,

i thought you wanted BS.. why FS ??

mpw

Dealer had only fs

 

[Dr.Bass]

Neo,
I listen to Michael jackson, Celione dion, kenny G,bollywood, remixes hindi,
Enigma.
Movies- Independence day, jurassic park, titanic,rocky series, rambo,terminator,troy batman,harry potter, etc etc etc

Till yet I liked paradigm signature s2 on the basis of specs and construction material as they use berrilium speakers(one of the best material). I have not heard them, however expensive & will wait for them.

For this my first recommendation will be a Klipsch RF3 paired with a Lyrita Audio SET amplifier or something like a Sugden A21. Klipsch RF3 is no more in production so you may need to find out what model they have replaced it with but I can see you will like them with a nice tube SET amp, even in your 150 sqft room.

If you want to sacrifice a little impact and gain refinement then Proac Studio 100 will make for a good speaker.

 

[varma_vikas]

For this my first recommendation will be a Klipsch RF3 paired with a Lyrita Audio SET amplifier or something like a Sugden A21. Klipsch RF3 is no more in production so you may need to find out what model they have replaced it with but I can see you will like them with a nice tube SET amp, even in your 150 sqft room.

If you want to sacrifice a little impact and gain refinement then Proac Studio 100 will make for a good speaker.

Hello Dr. Bass,

I have always been thankful to you for your nice suggestions.

Sir, Studio 100 is out of my range ( above 2 lakh) however I may be able to audition studio 60 and make my mind for that.

SLIGHT CHANGE HERE. I am leaning towards floorstanders.

I have news for you today.

Today I auditioned PSB speakers,Revel, B&W speakers, Paradigm speakers, and whole of my day went in auditioning .

I went to Lakozy Lajpat nagar. Both the partners, Mr. Sumit and Mr.Aashish are highly helping and have great understanding regarding people as customer and as human being too. Both these people are not proffessional type of SALES GUYS and are not there to rip off the people. Even when I told them that I have not slept and did not have meals for past 18 hrs Mr AAshish offered me food , drink , everything, however I refused.

First I heard all psb Image with NAD combo.

They sounded just ok to me. I will not say anything negative, it is only the matter of taste I think. I felt the speakers were sounding like mixture of bass treble and vocals. In my words sounds were not seperate. May be I am not able to describe here that how they sounded to my ears.


I listened from 30,000 rs / pair to 3 lakh rs./pair however they all just sounded ok to me.

They were paired with NAD 375(if I remember correctly)150w/ channel.

At the end we paired synchrony 1(3 lakh rs/pair) with NAD (4 lakh rs amplifier). I think that was 250w/channel.

That was felt good to me. Even then If I consider the total cost( 3 lakh for speakers and 4akh for amp). It was nothing for me.

Then we paired Revel bookshelf ( 50k/pair) with NAD. It was total VFM( value for money). No need for any subwoofer I felt, atleast for those who do not have budget or do not have space to keep

In all psb + nad combo, centre imaging was missing.
Centre imaging was , I must say, dependable on the CD. which was not in the case of Belles Soloist 1 amplifier + Ascendo speakers. Whatever cd we had given to this combo, center imaging was all the time present there. I do not know much about that( I am not so knowledgeable and technical like you).



After this I went to other dealer , GEMINI TRADERS, CONNAUGHT PLACE, for B&W and Paradigm . (They had Sonus Faber too however above 2 lakhs)

AND HERE I FOUND WHAT I WANTED. I AM SO HAPPY DR. BASS. ATLEAST OPTIONS NARROWED DOWN FOR ME.

I started auditioning Paradigm Monitor 9(70k, no negotiation done from my side still) because dealer had only 9 , not monitor 11. First I listened without sub and It ws sooooooooooooo clean and transparent.



Whatever the bass was, was tight , clear and clean and was sounding seperately with detail. Sound was very open( paired with rotel 1500).vocals were little airy.
Then we paired a paradigm subwoofer(25k) AND IT REALLY CAME WHAT I WANTED FROM A SYSTEM,WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

Low end detail and power in bass in extremly low volumes.

MARVELOUS BASS WITH PLENTY OF DETAIL AND HEFT, FROM TOP TO BOTTOM.
I raised the volume till approx max. and sounded like heaven , room shaking, no distortation. I raised the volume so high to check the clarity on those volume levels and the system worked well. EXCELLENT.

THEN I HEARD SE(PARADIGM SPECIAL EDITION SERIES) (90K ) AND SOUNDED GOOD ONLY WITH SUB WOOFER ,BUT WITHOUT SUB WOOFER, IT DISAPPOINTED.

THEN finally I listened to B&W (CM9), THE MOST HOT FAVORITE SPEAKERS BRAND. AND REALLY SOUNDED GREAT.

THE PUNCH AND TIGHTNESS OF BASS WAS APPLAUDABLE AND FOR THIS I CAN SAY THAT IT CAN WORK WITHOUT SUBWOOFER( HOWEVER OUT OF MY BUDGET).

HIGHS AND LOWS WERE CRYSTAL CLEAR, what more to say, i am not a reviewer.

As B&W 683 was not there, so I missed that.

In next few days dealer will get that for audition. I would like to compare B&W683( 1.19 + tax) with Paradigm monitor 11(90k).

The above (B&W683( 1.19 + tax) with Paradigm monitor 11 (90k)mentioned I have short listed for me .

I need to ask one thing Dr. Bass, B&W 683 and CM9 have allmost same specifications and same weight, same drivers, .

What could be the reason of huge price difference? B&W 683(1.19k + tax) CM9( 2.70k).

I have shortlisted monitor 11( only one driver more than monitor9) and B&w 683 till yet( I know 683 yet to be auditioned, just taking an idea after listening to CM 9, and seeing the specifications as SAME in 683). TILL THE TIME I DO NOT LISTEN STUDIO 60.

Waiting for your valuable reply.

Regards

Vikas Varma

 

[Hari Iyer]

Found this link about the CM9 discussion & some FR curves
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1404670/b-w-cm8s-or-paradigm-studio-60s-or-paradigm-se-series/30

 

[corElement]

After this I went to other dealer , GEMINI TRADERS, CONNAUGHT PLACE, for B&W and Paradigm . (They had Sonus Faber too however above 2 lakhs)

AND HERE I FOUND WHAT I WANTED. I AM SO HAPPY DR. BASS. ATLEAST OPTIONS NARROWED DOWN FOR ME.

I started auditioning Paradigm Monitor 9(70k, no negotiation done from my side still) because dealer had only 9 , not monitor 11. First I listened without sub and It ws sooooooooooooo clean and transparent.


Whatever the bass was, was tight , clear and clean and was sounding seperately with detail. Sound was very open( paired with rotel 1500).vocals were little airy.
Then we paired a paradigm subwoofer(25k) AND IT REALLY CAME WHAT I WANTED FROM A SYSTEM,WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

Low end detail and power in bass in extremly low volumes.

MARVELOUS BASS WITH PLENTY OF DETAIL AND HEFT, FROM TOP TO BOTTOM.
I raised the volume till approx max. and sounded like heaven , room shaking, no distortation. I raised the volume so high to check the clarity on those volume levels and the system worked well. EXCELLENT.

THEN I HEARD SE(PARADIGM SPECIAL EDITION SERIES) (90K ) AND SOUNDED GOOD ONLY WITH SUB WOOFER ,BUT WITHOUT SUB WOOFER, IT DISAPPOINTED.

THEN finally I listened to B&W (CM9), THE MOST HOT FAVORITE SPEAKERS BRAND. AND REALLY SOUNDED GREAT.

THE PUNCH AND TIGHTNESS OF BASS WAS APPLAUDABLE AND FOR THIS I CAN SAY THAT IT CAN WORK WITHOUT SUBWOOFER( HOWEVER OUT OF MY BUDGET).

HIGHS AND LOWS WERE CRYSTAL CLEAR, what more to say, i am not a reviewer.

As B&W 683 was not there, so I missed that.

In next few days dealer will get that for audition. I would like to compare B&W683( 1.19 + tax) with Paradigm monitor 11(90k).

The above (B&W683( 1.19 + tax) with Paradigm monitor 11 (90k)mentioned I have short listed for me .

I need to ask one thing Dr. Bass, B&W 683 and CM9 have allmost same specifications and same weight, same drivers, .

What could be the reason of huge price difference? B&W 683(1.19k + tax) CM9( 2.70k).

I have shortlisted monitor 11( only one driver more than monitor9) and B&w 683 till yet( I know 683 yet to be auditioned, just taking an idea after listening to CM 9, and seeing the specifications as SAME in 683). TILL THE TIME I DO NOT LISTEN STUDIO 60.

Waiting for your valuable reply.

Regards

Vikas Varma

I had a feeling you'd like the b&w signature.

I was at Gemini in April and I know the dealer and one of his friends and auditioned the same speakers (paradigm and b&w models you mentioned) however did not like either as both lacked the level of detail and clarity I'm used to from my Jamo e875's. Both were muddy in comparison to what I was used to. However my e875's and my new d830's are both bright speakers which will rip your ears off if you connect to a bright amplifier. Especially the Jamo d830 bookshelves which has an extremely fast decay, details are revealed like a razor slicing through butter.

Which brings me to my question: you have not mentioned what amplifier the speakers were connected to.

I auditioned the same paradigm and b&w models you mentioned on a Cambridge audio 840a class xt and an Advance Acoustics class ab amplifier back to back. The sound changed 100% between the two amps.

Both the paradigm and b&w performed horribly on the 80k INR ca840a which has a warm signature (class a in low volume, class b at high) while it performed better with a 55k advance acoustics class ab amplifier which had a bright signature (class ab). Both the paradigm and b&w signature is warm, combining it with a warm amp made both of them sound muddy and muffled.

Which is why you need to find out what amp they were connected to.

 

[varma_vikas]

I had a feeling you'd like the b&w signature.

I was at Gemini in April and I know the dealer and one of his friends and auditioned the same speakers (paradigm and b&w models you mentioned) however did not like either as both lacked the level of detail and clarity I'm used to from my Jamo e875's. Both were muddy in comparison to what I was used to. However my e875's and my new d830's are both bright speakers which will rip your ears off if you connect to a bright amplifier. Especially the Jamo d830 bookshelves which has an extremely fast decay, details are revealed like a razor slicing through butter.

Which brings me to my question: you have not mentioned what amplifier the speakers were connected to.

I auditioned the same paradigm and b&w models you mentioned on a Cambridge audio 840a class xt and an Advance Acoustics class ab amplifier back to back. The sound changed 100% between the two amps.

Both the paradigm and b&w performed horribly on the 80k INR ca840a which has a warm signature (class a in low volume, class b at high) while it performed better with a 55k advance acoustics class ab amplifier which had a bright signature (class ab). Both the paradigm and b&w signature is warm, combining it with a warm amp made both of them sound muddy and muffled.

Which is why you need to find out what amp they were connected to.

Hi Coreelement ,


How are you?

They both were connected to Rotel 1500 amp 1.40k).

No No, they were not at all horrible. Sounded marvelous. and yes, advance acoustic amps were there but not connected.

I will go one day with my own amp also. I wish to see that how they can sound with my 8 years old woodstock( 75w/channel) amp.

Will keep you updating.

 

[corElement]

Hi Coreelement ,
How are you?

They both were connected to Rotel 1500 amp 1.40k).

No No, they were not at all horrible. Sounded marvelous. and yes, advance acoustic amps were there but not connected.

I will go one day with my own amp also. I wish to see that how they can sound with my 8 years old woodstock( 75w/channel) amp.

Will keep you updating.

Ah a high end class D amp (class D is somewhat mainstream but an emerging technology compared to linear amps).

That probably explains why you found the bass to be dynamic in both para and b&w. Class D amp's, well designed ones have very dynamic bass. Class D amps are more efficient, but have more distortion. At the low frequencies, this isn't much of an issue and actually defines bass more to a certain degree. However mids and highs depend entirely on the treatment/design of the amp/model, since the rotels a high model you're probably hearing the best class d has to offer.

Tread carefully, I suggest testing your amp on them first.

 

[varma_vikas]

Ah a high end class D amp (class D is somewhat mainstream but an emerging technology compared to linear amps).

That probably explains why you found the bass to be dynamic in both para and b&w. Class D amp's, well designed ones have very dynamic bass. Class D amps are more efficient, but have more distortion. At the low frequencies, this isn't much of an issue and actually defines bass more to a certain degree. However mids and highs depend entirely on the treatment/design of the amp/model, since the rotels a high model you're probably hearing the best class d has to offer.

Tread carefully, I suggest testing your amp on them first.

Sure,

I will keep in mind.

 

[bhagwan]

For sale Jamo Concert 8 Speakers - The Art of Sound Forum
Are you open to buying used ?
This is an excellent speaker & will play very well.
I had almost purchased this 1 decade back & still think they are lovely & sound excellent - to my ears at least;;

 

[venk61176]

Corelement,

I know many audiophiles prefer A and AB amplification. Doesnt mean that all class D amplification disort at higher volumes. Mine is built solid and infact it sounds nice at higher volume levels



Thanks
Venkat

 

[corElement]

For sale Jamo Concert 8 Speakers - The Art of Sound Forum
Are you open to buying used ?
This is an excellent speaker & will play very well.
I had almost purchased this 1 decade back & still think they are lovely & sound excellent - to my ears at least;;

Hmm, is that the correct link? Because that one's from 2011 =S

Corelement,

I know many audiophiles prefer A and AB amplification. Doesnt mean that all class D amplification disort at higher volumes. Mine is built solid and infact it sounds nice at higher volume levels

That's why I said it depends on the execution/design of the amplifier

 

[varma_vikas]

For sale Jamo Concert 8 Speakers - The Art of Sound Forum
Are you open to buying used ?
This is an excellent speaker & will play very well.
I had almost purchased this 1 decade back & still think they are lovely & sound excellent - to my ears at least;;

Thank you Bhagwan Ji,

I have already heard and selected B&W CM9.

Trying to get this.

 

[ashishkesarwani]

Vikas, I am glad that you liked B&W CM9s, I was always under the impression that you were looking for Bookshelf Speakers as you told me the space problem at your place, so now since you have decided to go for a FS pair then I would ask you to also audition the pair with your Amp before deciding and also listen to PSB Image T6 which is VFM FS speaker from PSB with your own amplifier. As far as my understanding NAD is not the amplifier which suits your taste so you might be in for a surprise when you pair the speakers with your existing amp or anything from the likes of Marantz.

 

[varma_vikas]

Vikas, I am glad that you liked B&W CM9s, I was always under the impression that you were looking for Bookshelf Speakers as you told me the space problem at your place, so now since you have decided to go for a FS pair then I would ask you to also audition the pair with your Amp before deciding and also listen to PSB Image T6 which is VFM FS speaker from PSB with your own amplifier. As far as my understanding NAD is not the amplifier which suits your taste so you might be in for a surprise when you pair the speakers with your existing amp or anything from the likes of Marantz.

Ohhhhhhh,

You found me here. Thats great. It means I have good people with me.

Aashish space problem is still with me. I have to clear my stuff first. I have to sell my woodstock FS. One more pair is lying in my store already.

and yes, NAD is not my taste. May be this is the reason I did not like any amp from start price till end price (4 L), because features and power could change due to change in money but character of the sound never gets change( according to my experience).

If I talk about b&w cm9, in this price I know it is highly over prced in India ( approx 60 k overpriced). Hre they told me 2.70k( however out of my budget and even if I insist and make my mind, I would have to wait to get that marvelous pair). Actual price is $3000 OR 1800 pounds for a new pair in uk.

After applying all the charges of custom and transportation, it can not cost more than 2.10 lakhs

I have confirmed the price

Thank you for your concern
Happy to meet you here

 

[sarge_in]

I would look at Focal as well in this range.