Smooth/Musical Bookshelves upto $1500 - $2000

guys, thanks for suggestions. i'll be making a shortlist from the same which i shall then demo.

Some information requested by members...

- i travel between usa and europe so will have a chance to demo most of the speakers that will be recommended to me.

- the speakers won't be on a bookshelf but actually on my desktop besides my PC Screen. It'll be somewhat a near-field listening experience but i'm not keen on Active monitors as i've already demoed most of them and i prefer the more traditional Speaker+Amp+Dac+Source combo. Also i won't always be sitting at the desk to listen to music and it'll play on regardless of where i am in my room.

- I'll decide the amplification after the Speaker is decided. My assumption is that i'll have to spend upto 75% to almost equal amount spent on speakers on Amplification to get the best out of the speakers. I'm also assuming that most dealers of the speakers will have a matching amplifier for demo which will match/synergise well with the speaker they sell.

- Yes i have a few DACs in mind too. I'm keen on...

1. Arcam rDAC - as it seems to have a smooth sound signature which i'm after.

2. Musical Fidelity M1 - as it seems to be detailed yet not bright and may be ideal if the Speakers/Amp combo ends up being too dull.

3. Rega DAC - This one seems to have a very musical sound.

I hope above information is sufficient to get more speaker recommendations. If there is any more specific info i can provide to make this easier then kindly do ask.

Regards,

Rana.

P.S : Budget for Amp/Dac/Cables is separate.

i use audioengine2 speakers on my desktop and can't imagine using anything much bigger than them or john blue jb3's, but my desk may not be as large as yours. still, i would think listening at that nearfield a position will necessitate some compromise in terms of cabinet size. i recall a system sold on headroom that used the smallest harbeth speakers. and gallo reference stradas may work. i'm sorry to say i have not heard either speaker in that nearfield a position to say whether they would work for you and your listening requirements, but they might be worth looking into.

12-12-11: Metman
Shelby+Kroll Nano monitors - new. Great sounding, great looking and easy to drive

+1 on the Shelby-Kroll Monitors.
Detail, huge soundstage, no fatigue, and sound way cool in the near field.
They will perform well with your choice of electronics as well.
Good Luck

I have a pair of Air Tight MSM-1 Bonsais that would fit well on a desk. ( No I'm not selling them! ) They are single-driver so they work well nearfield, but they can also fill a room. To get much sound below 100Hz you'd need a sub, but that's true of any small box unless the designer has skewed the natural response curve.

The Bonsais have amazing resolution and 'live' quality. For my 2 cents, look into single-driver designs generally for your application.

The Vapor Audio Breeze is amazing at $1249/pair. I've owned a pair of Vapor Audio Cirrus for about 6 months, and they're easily the best speakers I've ever owned (and I've owned many at 2-3x the cost). So I decided to order a pair of Breeze for a situation very much like yours, a 2nd system in my computer office.

I use my computer as the source in that room into an Arcam rDac, amplification is Cairn K02. For a simple and inexpensive system it sounds simply awesome! I've heard $50K systems that don't sound this good. The Breeze is very much like the Cirrus in being a blend of detail AND musicality. Put a sub with the Breeze and I can see being happy with it in your primary room for a long time.

BTW, there's close to $1000 in parts cost alone in the Breeze, which sells for $1249. Crazy I know, but true.