Cambridge Audio S30 Bookshelf Speakers - Black Pair

jham1496

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Amazing bass for bookshelves, very nice musical tone, forgiving, decent soundstage, great imaging
Cons: rear ported- not a con but just something to be aware of, they will need room, somewhat rolled off highs, not overly detailed, bookshelf shortcomings
These are one of the best budget bookshelf speakers around.  Compared to similar priced offerings from Polk, Ascend Acoustics, these speakers just sound more enjoyable.  They are not amazingly detailed but for just enjoying the music they are amazing at the price. 
 
The bass on these is way more than i expected out of small bookshelves.  Obviously, that is improved with a good sub, but it is ok without.
 
These speakers can be described as slightly warm, which i like (im a sennheiser fan).  They will not bring out every detail in the sound, so if you like AKG these might not be for you.  However, they are more detailed than most speakers around this price.  
 
These speakers are best used in a nearfield setup.  When i put these in my home theater, a large room, they sounded small.  However, in my bedroom, in a nearfield setup, these really don't sound like bookshelves.  The soundstage does not really extent beyond the speakers like some higher end speakers seem to do, however the soundstage between the speakers is accurate.  
 
Bottom line:  For around $200, these are a bargain.  They beat out any i have heard at this price point.  They are not overly detailed, but allow the listener to really enjoy the music.  
Highly Recomended
 
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wrathzombie
wrathzombie
Hell Yeah!!!. I have them for past six months and love em!!!!

Audiolad

New Head-Fier
Pros: Unbelieveable for their size, excellent detail, don't tire you to listen for a long time
Cons: I would have preferred a taller box without so much depth.
As I said on the summary, they will be gone from North America soon because Cambridge Audio realizes the buyers aren't sophisticated enough to realize this smaller box is a totally excellent speaker.  They are replacing them with the typical coated woofers and dome tweeters that don't have the sophistication of the S30.  However, they will be more competitive against the array of metal component speakers that impress most buyers.
wrathzombie
wrathzombie
Agreed !!!! These are really awesome..
gelocks
gelocks
I like CA... but I expected a review, with maybe some comparison against similarly priced speakers. This is more or less a rant... oh well.
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