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Smooth/Musical Bookshelves upto $1500 - $2000

Hi members,

Greetings, I'm so glad to have found this forum. This is my first post and i'm taking my first step into real/proper Hi-Fi. Some details.

Room Size = 12ft x 10ft
Music Source = Desktop PC
Music Type = Pop, Rock, Hip-Hop, Dance, House, Techno.
Budget for speakers = $1500 - $2000 ( Bookshelves )

I like a Smooth and Musical sound which is easy on the ears, a kind of sound which is comfortable to listen for long hours. Basically fatigue free listening.

Unfortunately i have very sensitive ears. A Bright/Analytical/Forward sound gives me a headache within minutes and High Treble pierces my ears and they start hurting rather quickly.

At the same time i'd like the sound to be involving & exciting with a melodious character with a bit of detail. Taught bass with excellent vocals is preferred. I'm willing to add a Subwoofer. ( separate budget )

I'd like to invite suggestions for Bookshelves which fit the above description. I hope such a Speaker exists which is involving & exciting but at the same time smooth and musical.

Regards,

Rana.
rana_kirti
bongofury
1,160 posts
 
I think the Harbeths won't have the bass response to accurately portray Hip Hop or Electronica. They are geared to vocals and piano and guitar. Bass and drums hardly ever shines with them. If you want a true English sound with bass, I again recommend ATC 7 and 11s or B & W 685s. Both are near field and offer excellent value to performance. One caveat, make sure you have 50 to 100 watts of amp power behind them.
toddnkaya
493 posts
 
I thought ATC's were more precise and analytical, not warm.
Just asking?...
zkzpb8
212 posts
 
I listen to a lot of rock and hip hop, and I think the P3's bass is very good - especially near field. I find ATC's only sound good at louder volumes - plus Harbeths are easier to drive...
rumadian
152 posts
 
Bongo,

Please don't take this the wrong way, but what you suggested is pretty much the opposite of what the Rana_Kirti is looking for.

Don't get me wrong. ATC makes fine transducers. But their well documented tendency towards being rather unforgiving of poor recordings is at odds with Rana's goals. And the B&W 685's you mentioned are simply outgunned in this company. A more suitable B&W entry would be the CM5 - which too falls short of Rana's criteria as it is a bit tilted up along the treble.

As for the bass on the P3ESR's.. I have zero problem's with how they portray hip hop, electronica, rock, metal, or any other kind of music when set up in the near field. What they lack of laser-like speed they more than make up for in terms of tone and, (within their physical limitations), density..
rana_kirti OP
7 posts
 
i've been getting some pretty solid advice on my query and i appreciate each member who is trying their best to help me. I'd like to answer some of the questions asked to me by members above...

- no the speakers won't be on bookshelves.
- they will be in a near-field scenario on my work desktop placed on either side of my PC Screen.
- i prefer a smooth/musical sound with the treble rolled off/recessed as i have very sensitive ears and a bright/forward/clinical/analytical kind of sound gives me an instant headaches within 2-3 minutes and my ears start hurting quickly. it's almost like they start ringing. it's a very unpleasant feeling.
- so i'm looking for something which is easy on the ears for long fatigue free hours of listening.
- i'm open to a 2.1 setup.
- budget is $ 1500 - $ 2000.
- music genre is Pop/Rock/Hip-Hop/Techno. So an all-rounder kind of speaker will be preferred.

Please do feel free to ask me any other questions which can help you help me.

Regards and Happy Holidays,

Rana.
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