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Recommendations for bookshelf speakers

I hope some of you knowledgeable folks can help point me in the right direction here. I've just sold off a pair of venerable old Celestion SL600s to a friend who's setting up her own system. I've been using these for casual listening, mostly as computer monitors (YouTube mainly, and some streaming broadcast services, with very occasional forays into higher-res formats) and as musical as they are, I think it's time for something more modern and more efficient.

Well, this is where I get lost. I'd like something that approximates the Celestions' musicality, but scouring the internet for information on speakers of appropriate size and price (I can go up to about $1000 for these) just seems to muddy the waters. I'm happy to go with either used or new. A few that I've looked into but been put off by various aspects of their reviews: Monitor Audio Silver 50 and RX1, Polk Audio LSiM703 (there's a really good deal on these on Polk's website, but they're quite a bit bigger than I'd like), various models of Elac's bookshelf speakers, PSB Imagine Bs, and even a few used B&Ws, a brand I've never really liked all that much.

I'd be grateful for any suggestions you might have. There's an endless variety of speakers out there and I feel I've barely scratched the surface. Your suggestions would be gratefully received. Thanks!
cooper52
erik_squires
15,657 posts
 
Hey OP,
Focals, like Wharferdales, benefit greatly from cap upgrades. With Focals, I find replacing the tweeter caps with Mundorf MKP to be a really smooth sounding upgrade, and really inexpensive.


Best of luck,

Erik
tlinkie
107 posts
 
Congrats on the Focals, Cooper. Definitely let us know how you like them.
Unlike tower speakers, bookshelf-size speakers are so easily transported that there’s really no reason not to buy and try. Since it’s easy enough to sell the ones that don’t work for you.
cooper52 OP
156 posts
 
Focals arrived today and they're playing happily away in my system. Right out of the box I'm impressed with their remarkable imaging and facility with vocal tracks. I thought a good touchstone would be a CD of Bach's St. Matthew Passion, where the opening chorale features a double-choir. Wow. The sense of space comes through in blazing technicolor.
Because the speakers are still brand-spanking new, they sound kind of closed up and overly polite but I'm sure this will all open up with sufficient playing. It's really unfair to try to assess them right now, because they obviously need quite a few more hours of break-in before I can get a true sense of what they're capable of, but I'm looking forward to hearing what happens as they open up in the coming days. Well weeks, more like...
b_limo's avatar
b_limo
2,271 posts
 
Good choice!  Those are nice speakers.  You will enjoy them :-)
cooper52 OP
156 posts
 
Update: the Focals have had their requisite 100 hrs. of break-in now and I do think they've opened up rather nicely.  This difference isn't anywhere near as dramatic as what I experienced with the new pair of ProAc Response 1SCs I bought a good few years ago. Now, THAT was a learning experience!

The Focals' stereo imaging is truly excellent and their presentation is musical and involving. No, they don't dig very deeply into the bass but the sound is nicely balanced all the way up the spectrum and my typical listening levels don't extend to floor-shaking low frequencies anyway. Just for fun I tried these out in my main system (Modwright KWI 200 amp, Cambridge Audio CXU, AMR DPP 777 DAC, Rel S-2 sub) and though they were no match for my Ryan R610s, the things these Focals did well they did very well indeed. Don't drive them too hard though, they'll get kind of harsh. But for the way I'm using them, they give me exactly what I want to hear, so I'm sure they'll be sticking around for a good few years.

Once again, thanks to all for your opinions and recommendations.  
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