Affordable bookshelf without harshness - disappointed after shopping

[doubleplay425]

Hi, I just searched the forums for the 'word' harsh to aid in my search for speakers that aren't and got threads about Trump, WWIII, and Ukraine.

So...I figured I'd start one.

I'm considering getting a hifi setup as a gift for someone.

I have heard great setups...klipsch with tubes can be outstanding, but I don't really want to gift a tube amp to someone because they require maintenance. I've heard Vandersteens but those would be way to rich for my blood.

Today, I listened to three setups and each had times of sounding great but other times of being harsh...oh the torments of going for hifi on a budget. The place had all wood floors which was good actually because that's the environment they will be in.

Coda W (active)
SVS Evolution (with SVS soundbase all in one steamer/amp)
Elac DBR 6.2 (with SVS soundbase all in one streamer/amp)

I wish my search was over but I just can't get any of these setups with glaring weaknesses. Are there any speakers in this price range that don't struggle with violins, female vocals, etc?

I'm really wondering about a Schitt Aegir with klipsch...can anyone comment on how the Aegir 2f compares to tube amps as far as taming the horns? Should a class A amp do that well? Or...since I did post this into the 'SPEAKERS' forum, is there a bookshelf for 1k that can sing beautifully with a cheap class D amp?

Thank you for any insight you may be able to provide!

P.S. Digging into the sub 50 hz region would be great to avoid having to add a sub.

 

[TLS Guy]

Hi, I just searched the forums for the 'word' harsh to aid in my search for speakers that aren't and got threads about Trump, WWIII, and Ukraine.

So...I figured I'd start one.

I'm considering getting a hifi setup as a gift for someone.

I have heard great setups...klipsch with tubes can be outstanding, but I don't really want to gift a tube amp to someone because they require maintenance. I've heard Vandersteens but those would be way to rich for my blood.

Today, I listened to three setups and each had times of sounding great but other times of being harsh...oh the torments of going for hifi on a budget. The place had all wood floors which was good actually because that's the environment they will be in.

Coda W (active)
SVS Evolution (with SVS soundbase all in one steamer/amp)
Elac DBR 6.2 (with SVS soundbase all in one streamer/amp)

I wish my search was over but I just can't get any of these setups with glaring weaknesses. Are there any speakers in this price range that don't struggle with violins, female vocals, etc?

I'm really wondering about a Schitt Aegir with klipsch...can anyone comment on how the Aegir 2f compares to tube amps as far as taming the horns? Should a class A amp do that well? Or...since I did post this into the 'SPEAKERS' forum, is there a bookshelf for 1k that can sing beautifully with a cheap class D amp?

Thank you for any insight you may be able to provide!

P.S. Digging into the sub 50 hz region would be great to avoid having to add a sub.

You are not going to get a bookshelf go to 50 Hz, 70 to 80 Hz may be.

Bookshelves will be power limited to some extent. The other issue is that they have small floor footprints. That is an issue as bass is lost on proportion to baffle width. The smaller the front baffle width, the higher the frequency at which BSC has to start. This is the baffle step loss. This always has to be compensated for in the crossover. This puts further demands on the small mid bass driver involved. So, if you are content with lower volume listening then book shelves can be quite pleasing, but you are not going to get concert levels, unless the room is very small.

The amp will make no difference. I would not get mixed up with tubes for sure.

I have a feeling you are expecting too much from a bookshelf speaker. It is the old adage: - Does a speaker have to be large? No, but it really, really helps!

My best recommendation for your situation is active speaker. Top of my list is the Active KEF Coda. Each speaker contains two amplifiers, and an electronic crossover, not passive. So you only need two speakers and no external amplifier, but you will need a preamp. This is a much better way to solve the problems created by small speakers, or any speaker for that matter.

 

[highfigh]

Hi, I just searched the forums for the 'word' harsh to aid in my search for speakers that aren't and got threads about Trump, WWIII, and Ukraine.

So...I figured I'd start one.

I'm considering getting a hifi setup as a gift for someone.

I have heard great setups...klipsch with tubes can be outstanding, but I don't really want to gift a tube amp to someone because they require maintenance. I've heard Vandersteens but those would be way to rich for my blood.

Today, I listened to three setups and each had times of sounding great but other times of being harsh...oh the torments of going for hifi on a budget. The place had all wood floors which was good actually because that's the environment they will be in.

Coda W (active)
SVS Evolution (with SVS soundbase all in one steamer/amp)
Elac DBR 6.2 (with SVS soundbase all in one streamer/amp)

I wish my search was over but I just can't get any of these setups with glaring weaknesses. Are there any speakers in this price range that don't struggle with violins, female vocals, etc?

I'm really wondering about a Schitt Aegir with klipsch...can anyone comment on how the Aegir 2f compares to tube amps as far as taming the horns? Should a class A amp do that well? Or...since I did post this into the 'SPEAKERS' forum, is there a bookshelf for 1k that can sing beautifully with a cheap class D amp?

Thank you for any insight you may be able to provide!

P.S. Digging into the sub 50 hz region would be great to avoid having to add a sub.

It's easy to find what you want if you use the correct search terms. Type in the search bar as if you were asking someone- 'loudspeakers without harsh sound' would be much better. These sites are called 'search engines' and that refers to the simplest program written to find the answers quickly, but again, the question needs to be specific and literal.

 

[kini]

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_336D122IBK/Wharfedale-Diamond-12-2i-All-Black.html?tp=186

 

[Mikado463]

I'm considering getting a hifi setup as a gift for someone.

In all seriousness , that could be tough. Do you know their tastes in music, what kind of environment the kit will be set up in ?

My advice give a gift certificate to a reputable brick & mortar store in their area or one from Crutchfield, Audio Advisor, to name but a couple.........

Good luck

 

[TLS Guy]

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_336D122IBK/Wharfedale-Diamond-12-2i-All-Black.html?tp=186

This is just the sort of FR he is trying to avoid.

https://www.alpha-audio.net/review/review-wharfedale-diamond-12-2-bright-like-a-diamond-en/4/

Not a good performer at all, and will definitely be harsh. The KEF I can recommend with confidence as I did actually hear a pair, and one of the best bookshelves I have heard, and better he does not have to buy a power amp.

 

[MrBoat]

Kali Audio IN-8 V
With modern speakers, you will likely need to implement basic EQ/tone controls to tame the highs, no matter what you choose. Modern speakers are much more accurate (and subsequently, revealing) because it is the correct way to make them. What you are likely hearing glaring is from the recordings themselves, especially if you listen to classic rock/pop music. I am sensitive to high frequencies and I tip the highs from say 8k-16k, down about 3db, as I always have, since the '70s.

 

[ski2xblack]

It's too bad that Dennis' Affordable Accuracy Monitors are no longer available, as they meet the OP's list of "not harsh" and respectably decent extension perfectly and an easy recommendation. What are the current equivalents? Carmody's Classix II kit speakers? The original Daytons with crossover mods?

How about Ascilabs and Audio First options?

 

[doubleplay425]

Thanks for the feedback. I also have another question...can shrill violins and female vocals be caused by using a compressed bluetooth connection. My prodding of google AI seemed to think so but I can't count on that.

They wouldn't let me connect via wifi to get the best quality through Tidal...the SVS all in one did support AptX at least but that's still a far cry from the FLAC and/or 24 bit content.

 

[doubleplay425]

Kali Audio IN-8 V
With modern speakers, you will likely need to implement basic EQ/tone controls to tame the highs, no matter what you choose. Modern speakers are much more accurate (and subsequently, revealing) because it is the correct way to make them. What you are likely hearing glaring is from the recordings themselves, especially if you listen to classic rock/pop music. I am sensitive to high frequencies and I tip the highs from say 8k-16k, down about 3db, as I always have, since the '70s.

Thanks for the recommendation...I don't believe Guitar Center has speakers out and set up for listening. It's been a few years since I've been in one. I really wouldn't want to buy without listening first.

 

[doubleplay425]

It's too bad that Dennis' Affordable Accuracy Monitors are no longer available, as they meet the OP's list of "not harsh" and respectably decent extension perfectly and an easy recommendation. What are the current equivalents? Carmody's Classix II kit speakers? The original Daytons with crossover mods?

How about Ascilabs and Audio First options?

Thanks, but I'm not looking for a kit speaker because of not being able to listen first. Also, I'm not the handy type.

 

[Eppie]

For under $1k, Erin posted a video of his 5 favorite speakers:

• KEF Q150
• Polk R200
• Klipsch RP-600M II
• Elac DBR62
• Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1 V2.

Not requiring a subwoofer at that price-point will be a challenge but that depends on personal preference. You could start without a sub and add one later, so look at streamers/amps with subwoofer out if possible. WiiM has some good options.

 

[TLS Guy]

For under $1k, Erin posted a video of his 5 favorite speakers:

• KEF Q150
• Polk R200
• Klipsch RP-600M II
• Elac DBR62
• Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1 V2.

Not requiring a subwoofer at that price-point will be a challenge but that depends on personal preference. You could start without a sub and add one later, so look at streamers/amps with subwoofer out if possible. WiiM has some good options.

If it is a small room, KEF is definitely the way to go, because of the coaxial design, which has huge advantages if listening position is close to the speaker. I think those KEF coaxial drivers are first class.

 

[doubleplay425]

Thanks for the input...can anyone comment on whether a compressed source can cause harshness in the highs?

 

[TLS Guy]

Thanks for the input...can anyone comment on whether a compressed source can cause harshness in the highs?

It won't as a rule, unless the digital compression is severe. Low bit rate streams can sound really awful.

 

[Eppie]

Thanks for the input...can anyone comment on whether a compressed source can cause harshness in the highs?

I think it is more the opposite with compression. With MP3 files, for example, really low bit rates (below 256k) tend to muffle the highs and you loose a lot of detail. Harshness usually indicates some issues in the treble range.

Needing to demo the speakers in person will make for more of a challenge. If you have certain brands available maybe list them and members can recommend models to try out.

Too bad Ascend Acoustics is internet direct. Judging by Amir's review on AudioScienceReview that is a speaker that should sound very neutral and work well in a smaller room.

Ascend Sierra-1 V2 Speaker Review

This is a review, listening tests, EQ and detailed measurements of the Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1 V2 bookshelf speaker. It is on kind loan from a member and costs US $998 for a pair ($948 on sale). The finish is nice enough. The cabinet feels quite heavy for its size and especially in the front...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Nondemo01]

Hi, I just searched the forums for the 'word' harsh to aid in my search for speakers that aren't and got threads about Trump, WWIII, and Ukraine.

So...I figured I'd start one.

I'm considering getting a hifi setup as a gift for someone.

I have heard great setups...klipsch with tubes can be outstanding, but I don't really want to gift a tube amp to someone because they require maintenance. I've heard Vandersteens but those would be way to rich for my blood.

Today, I listened to three setups and each had times of sounding great but other times of being harsh...oh the torments of going for hifi on a budget. The place had all wood floors which was good actually because that's the environment they will be in.

Coda W (active)
SVS Evolution (with SVS soundbase all in one steamer/amp)
Elac DBR 6.2 (with SVS soundbase all in one streamer/amp)

I wish my search was over but I just can't get any of these setups with glaring weaknesses. Are there any speakers in this price range that don't struggle with violins, female vocals, etc?

I'm really wondering about a Schitt Aegir with klipsch...can anyone comment on how the Aegir 2f compares to tube amps as far as taming the horns? Should a class A amp do that well? Or...since I did post this into the 'SPEAKERS' forum, is there a bookshelf for 1k that can sing beautifully with a cheap class D amp?

Thank you for any insight you may be able to provide!

P.S. Digging into the sub 50 hz region would be great to avoid having to add a sub.

Erin just dropped his review of the Cambridge Audio LRS and LRX. He said the LRX is at the top of his list for the class. I ordered the LRS for my desk and couldn't be happier for near-field.

 

[j_garcia]

Erin just dropped his review of the Cambridge Audio LRS and LRX. He said the LRX is at the top of his list for the class. I ordered the LRS for my desk and couldn't be happier for near-field.

LRX $2500 though, but sure seems to have a lot of flexibility.

 

[Nondemo01]

LRX $2500 though, but sure seems to have a lot of flexibility.

True but it's powered so no need for anything else. Just plug in an HDMI to the back and stream everything else. This is a cheaper, more compact solution to the KEF LS60s and according to Erin, sound great!

 

[Eppie]

@doubleplay425 I should probably mention the new Paradigm 220B V2 as there may be a dealer in your area. Significant improvement over the previous generation. Jacob Green posted a review recently and they should be in your price range.

Paradigm Premier 220B V2 Bookshelf Speaker Review: Best Under $1,100?

Our Paradigm Premier 220B V2 bookshelf speaker review examines sound quality, bass, imaging and soundstage, with direct SVS Ultra Evolution and Fyne Audio comparisons. Best under $1,100/pair?

www.audioholics.com