I just stumbled upon this thread this afternoon and read it from beginning to end. I'm happy exile_Ken found the speakers of his dream, but disappointed that we won't get to read about the results of his auditions.
I'm especially disappointed because I'm also in the hunt for comparably priced bookshelves for a similar multi-purpose room: a 13' x 10' home office.
My work-in-progress list includes:
- B&W 685
- Energy RC10
- Ascend Sierra 1
- Usher S-520
- Onix Reference 1
- Paradigm Atom V5
- Dynaudio's Focus 140
- Aperion Intimus 6B
Any speaker I chose should outperform Boston Acoustics discontinued VR-M50, since I have a pair that currently are being used as surrounds but could be replaced by an idle pair of B&W LM-1s.
I also share exile_Ken's concerns about rear-ported designs, because my speakers will have to live with their backs (pretty much) to the wall.
Speakers especially fussy about placement aren't welcome here.
If any audioholics haven't gotten their fill of offering advice on sub-$1000 bookshelves for a 2-channel setup in a small room, I'm all ears.
Of the speakers on your list, I own the RC-10s and have listened to the 685s and the Atom V5s. In that small group, I consider the RC-10s to be the best performers, followed by the 685s, then the Atoms. The RC-10s have the best build quality and stand up better at higher SPLs. The actual difference in SQ is harder to judge, as I never heard them all in the same room, at the same time. But, my
subjective opinion is that they follow the same order. And no, I did not make that decision after buying the Energy's.
I bought them
after coming to that conclusion.
The Atoms are fine speakers in their price range. But the RC-10s can be had at a good discount if you keep your eyes open. The 685s are not worth the asking price, IMHO.
The RC-10s are rear-ported though and it will probably be an issue if you have to place them against a wall. If you have at least a few inches of room behind them, there might not be much difference between front and rear-ported designs.
Having said all that, I recently upgraded to Paradigm Studio 20 V5s. I'm not sure if you can find them for less than $1000, but it's worth looking. The improvement from the RC-10s wasn't drastic, but audioholism is a disease and
some improvement was worth the cost.
The cabinets are more inert and there is deeper bass extension. Plus, they look the bees knees, from my perspective. They are front-ported as well. But, as I mentioned above, that may not make a huge difference.
Why do I say that? Well, I have a placement problem similar to yours, in that they must be close to a wall. I have about 6" of space between the back of the speakers and the wall. I have a test tone CD and an SPL metre and took FR readings of both pairs of speakers in the same position. Although the standing wave was less severe with the Studios, the difference wasn't drastic.
If you would like to mitigate the bass problems, you will probably have to employ electronic room correction. If your speakers have to be close to the wall, you probably don't have space for room treatments, such as bass traps. I plan to buy a DCX2496 quite soon to deal with mine.
