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Smaller bookshelf speakers > $300?

post #1 of 13
1/27/06 at 8:08pm
Thread Starter 
Edit: Oops that should be < not > (less than, not greater than)

I need a pair of smallish bookshelf speakers I can put on a desk that are under $300. I bought the Athena AS-B1's but they are a bit boomy. I listen to mainly jazz. What would be a good choice? Thanks.
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post #2 of 13
1/27/06 at 8:21pm
Originally $500.00/pair, now 50% off....Energy Connoisseur C-3 monitors
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post #3 of 13
1/27/06 at 9:43pm
This is what I have on my desk here at the office: http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages...00/htm200.html

They sound great to me (I have an Ascend based home theater at home). BTW: I see you're in LA - Ascend is just over in Gardena, CA.

Depending on your definition of small, I would also look at the SVS SBS-01 ($225/pr) - http://www.svsound.com/products-spks-sbs01.cfm

and the AV123 X-LS ($199/pr, not yet shipping) - http://www.av123.com/products_produc...s&product=82.1
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post #4 of 13
1/28/06 at 12:43am
Thread Starter 

Monitor Audio Bronze B1

I just picked up a pair of Monitor Audio Bronze B1's from Magnolia Audio/Video for around $300. They seem really good. Anyone know these speakers?
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post #5 of 13
1/28/06 at 12:50am
Epos ELS-3 are my usual recommendation. They have gotten incredibly good reviews, and I can personally vouch for them...I have never heard anything in their small size at that price point that sounds as nearly as great. It seems they've become popular lately, because the price has been raised from $299 to $329.
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post #6 of 13
1/28/06 at 3:09am
You may find this group review useful:
http://www.avreview.co.uk/news/artic...AN/474/v/5/sp/
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post #7 of 13
1/28/06 at 8:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BradJudy
This is what I have on my desk here at the office: http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages...00/htm200.html
Aren't they quite price-inefficient as far as Ascends go? http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages...70/cbm170.html are FAR better for the money, I think ($300 vs. $370, shipping included).

To the OP: unless you really need something small, I'd advise CBM-170SE (BTW, they are on the smaller side as far as bookshelves go)--see if you can go over the $300 mark. I am not sure how much LF sound a typical jazz song has, but I think that w/o a sub, the HTM-200 would be a bit lacking.
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post #8 of 13
1/28/06 at 9:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ahriman4891
Aren't they quite price-inefficient as far as Ascends go? http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages...70/cbm170.html are FAR better for the money, I think ($300 vs. $370, shipping included).
I gave this recommendation since the poster specifically wanted small bookshelf speakers. The 170 is much bigger than the HTM-200.

I do agree that the 170 is a better speaker, but for this situation, I think the HTM-200 is the best option.
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post #9 of 13
1/28/06 at 10:52pm
Thread Starter 
Although I'd like to listen to the other suggestions listed here, I am quite happy with these Monitor Audio Bronze B1's I picked up from Magnolia Audio/Video. They are warm and non-fatigueing and really can rock for being so small. They are the perfect size, too. I don't really see a reason to look any further, as I am quite happy with these. Right now I'm using them with an X-fi, a Yamaha mini-component amp from 1991 and Audioquest type 4 speaker wire, which seems to work just fine. I don't want to spend a lot more $$ so I don't plan to change anything for a while. Thanks for all the suggestions.
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post #10 of 13
1/29/06 at 2:52am
Thread Starter 
The rear bass port is turning out to be a problem... its close to the wall and the bass reverberates with the wall disturbing the neighbors... I am thinking of getting the Omega Mini-Me which is a full-range driver with a front bass port (stretching the budget a bit - $380.) I will just have to make the space for it...
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post #11 of 13
1/29/06 at 3:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jbucla2005
The rear bass port is turning out to be a problem... its close to the wall and the bass reverberates with the wall disturbing the neighbors... I am thinking of getting the Omega Mini-Me which is a full-range driver with a front bass port (stretching the budget a bit - $380.) I will just have to make the space for it...
Don't do it unless you have a chance to personally audition the Omegas beforehand. In my experience, single driver crossoverless speakers (particularly ones using cheap drivers like the Mini-Me) are highly overrated. Any of the recommendations people made earlier in this thread are likely better than the Omegas.

The location of the port doesn't change the amount of bass anyway, not for speakers this small. Bass wavelengths are longer than the width of the front/back of the speaker, so they wrap around the speaker. If the amount of bass your current speakers generate disturbs your neighbors, stuff the ports with tightly rolled up socks. As a bonus, you'll improve the transient performance of the speaker.
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post #12 of 13
1/29/06 at 3:29am
Try putting a sock or two in the rear ports. It'll reduce bass extension some, but if you already like the speakers it's worth a shot.

I wouldn't go with the Omega Mini-Me's though. The other products in Omega's lineup are decent if you need the sensitivity to go with a low powered amp and don't want a horn configuration. But the Mini-Me's, with their rather average sensitivity, really don't stand up to the competition, unless you must have a well finished single driver mini-monitor speaker and don't want to DIY.

If you need small, bookshelf, and front ported speaker, I'd recommend trying the Infinity Primus bookshelf line up and picking the largest one you have space for. The 140 is slightly smaller than the speakers you have now, while the 150 is slighly larger. Pricing should be < $200 for either. They're excellent speakers as long as you can live with their low end response limitations, and hey, being widely available means they're easy to audition and return if you don't like them.
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post #13 of 13
1/29/06 at 10:14pm
Thread Starter 

Omega speakers

I own a pair of Omega Minuets and really enjoy them, also they do not produce much of a bassy sound which I think the neighbors appreciate. They are more about the mids and highs. The Mini-Mes use the same driver as the Minuets I noticed, only 1 of them instead of 2 per speaker. I really like these Tangband drivers, and although they may be cheap to buy alone, the end product with speakers built using these simply sounds great (to me.) I find the sound to be very alive and energetic, but still smooth and non-fatigueing. The only things they don't do well, I think, are very low bass and dealing with complex instrumentation. While the Monitor Audio Bronze B1's sound good, they have a bit of a heavy mid-bassy kind of sound which is a bit muddy sounding in comparison. Also, I have tried stuffing up the bass ports with provided foam inserts. It probably helped some to reduce the bass, and is the right thing to do anyway since they are up against a wall, but I think I would be better off with a front bass port speaker. The Mini-Me's are actually the right size, I just realized they are only 7" deep which is the same as the Bronze B1's. So my tentative plan is to return these and place an order for the Mini-Me's. If I remember correctly Louis includes shipping in the total cost so I would be set back an additional $89, which I can deal with.
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