Searching for the ideal vintage bookshelf speakers.


Greetings Gentlemen. I am looking for the ideal pair of vintage bookshelf speakers. My "listening room" doubles as library and design studio. It is approximately 12 x 30 x 8 feet with wood floors, one small rug, several wooden cases lining the walls, and no drapes.

The speakers will sit horizontally atop two bookcases which are against one of the 12-foot wide walls. Maximum speaker dimensions: 31h x 16w x 12d inches. I will not be buying a subwoofer, so I want speakers that can deliver the broadest and clearest dynamic range possible.

My preference is for sealed box or front vented three-way speakers. I have selected the following prospects: Altec 874A Segovia, Acoustic Research 11, Harbeth Super HL5, KLH Model 5, Rogers Export Monitor, Allison Four and Spendor SP-1.

If you have direct experience with these speakers, I would highly value your thoughts regarding 1) quality of cabinet construction 2) clarity and naturalness of sound 3) warmth vs brightness of tones 4) open vs tight sonic image 5) listener fatigue value and 6) speaker preference for tube or solid state amplification.

I listen to a wide variety of music: medieval, renaissance, swing, beebop, blues, Scandinavian folk, Celtic, organ, opera and orchestral, and a good helping of classic rock.

Many thanks for your ideas. Best wishes.
unclechoppy

Showing 1 response by sbank

Honestly, this thread makes me laugh. It's like you're asking "Which old, rare, finicky sports car should I buy to drive only in bumper-to-bumper traffic at 20 mph?" Then all the discussion of the nuanced differences between the Lambo, the Ferrari & the Lotus.

If your criteria includes "speakers will sit horizontally atop two bookcases", your in room performance will be so compromised that the list of 6 issues seems really over the top. You need to setup most monitors on proper stands somewhat away from the wall behind them to get anywhere near their capabilities. 

OP's list of concerns indicates a fairly high bar of what he's hoping to achieve. Perhaps if lifestyle issues preclude proper setup, consider a nice set of headphones instead.  Sorry, not trying to be Debbie Downer, here. Cheers,
Spencer