~$4k Passive Large Bookshelf

[concorde]

My first post - but I've been a viewer of the YT channel for a long time.

I've been with the JBL Studio 530's for several years, and they are quite great. I want to upgrade and spend considerably more.

Criteria:
• Bookshelf speakers, but LARGE!
• Passive
• High power handling
• Excellent measurements

My room is about: 13 ft * 15 ft * 11 ft (l*w*h) - maybe considered as a Medium to Large room

Speakers will be complemented with two subs. Bass extension of the speakers therefore doesn't matter.

The two speakers I've found that I'm keen on are:

• Arendal Sound 1723 Monitor THX
• JBL LSR6332

I'm excluding KEF (don't like looks), Perlisten S5m (way too expensive), Revel Gem2 (silly stands required), Philharmonitor BMR (not enough power handling), JBL 708i (too high THD), March Sointuva.

Question: what other top tier speakers are worth considering in this somewhat rare to find form factor?
Question: how might I choose between the 1723 and LSR6332? I slightly prefer look of the 1723 but that's not necessarily the only factor.

Thanks

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

JTR Noelis would have the extreme output you crave, but what about using a pair of Ascent Sierra Horizon centers for L/Rs?

SIERRA HORIZON

Our Flagship Center Speaker! Combining exceptionally wide and linear dispersion, massive dynamics, high levels of detail and a smooth and musical presentation, the Sierra Horizon has been designed to transport you into the concert venue, recording studio or movie theater. Equally adept at music...

ascendacoustics.com

 

[shadyJ]

My first post - but I've been a viewer of the YT channel for a long time.

I've been with the JBL Studio 530's for several years, and they are quite great. I want to upgrade and spend considerably more.

Criteria:
• Bookshelf speakers, but LARGE!
• Passive
• High power handling
• Excellent measurements

My room is about: 13 ft * 15 ft * 11 ft (l*w*h) - maybe considered as a Medium to Large room

Speakers will be complemented with two subs. Bass extension of the speakers therefore doesn't matter.

The two speakers I've found that I'm keen on are:

• Arendal Sound 1723 Monitor THX
• JBL LSR6332

I'm excluding KEF (don't like looks), Perlisten S5m (way too expensive), Revel Gem2 (silly stands required), Philharmonitor BMR (not enough power handling), JBL 708i (too high THD), March Sointuva.

Question: what other top tier speakers are worth considering in this somewhat rare to find form factor?
Question: how might I choose between the 1723 and LSR6332? I slightly prefer look of the 1723 but that's not necessarily the only factor.

Thanks

The JBL LSR6332 are a fantastic speaker, but they have been discontinued for a long time now. Used ones will probably be in pretty beat up shape. If you can, by some miracle, find a unopened one, go for it. Otherwise, forget it. Also I think it is strange that you have ruled out the KEF speakers for looks but have included the LSR6332s as potential candidates! Everyone has their own taste, certainly.

You might try the new JBL L100s. They don't measure perfectly, but they are a lot of fun and really do sound very good. They have tons of headroom.

It's a shame you have ruled active speakers out, because the RBH PM8s would have fit the bill nicely otherwise.

You can not go wrong with the Arendal 1723 monitors.

As BoredSysAdmin said, there are some center channel speakers that are good enough to do what you want here. I would also look at the Polk Legend L400s, those are good enough that a set could be used as left and rights, and it would sound killer. I bet some Revel Performa2 C208s would make for a great front stage as well. Same thing with the Paradigm Premier centers.

 

[MalVeauX]

Hi,

With this budget I would be looking at Salks and Philharmonics maybe?

Very best,

 

[NINaudio]

What kind of power handling are you looking for and why is that an important criteria for you? Most people rarely use more than a few watts/speaker especially when there's a sub or two thrown in the mix.

 

[TLS Guy]

My first post - but I've been a viewer of the YT channel for a long time.

I've been with the JBL Studio 530's for several years, and they are quite great. I want to upgrade and spend considerably more.

Criteria:
• Bookshelf speakers, but LARGE!
• Passive
• High power handling
• Excellent measurements

My room is about: 13 ft * 15 ft * 11 ft (l*w*h) - maybe considered as a Medium to Large room

Speakers will be complemented with two subs. Bass extension of the speakers therefore doesn't matter.

The two speakers I've found that I'm keen on are:

• Arendal Sound 1723 Monitor THX
• JBL LSR6332

I'm excluding KEF (don't like looks), Perlisten S5m (way too expensive), Revel Gem2 (silly stands required), Philharmonitor BMR (not enough power handling), JBL 708i (too high THD), March Sointuva.

Question: what other top tier speakers are worth considering in this somewhat rare to find form factor?
Question: how might I choose between the 1723 and LSR6332? I slightly prefer look of the 1723 but that's not necessarily the only factor.

Thanks

In that price range, the Dynaudio 20i would be a good bet.

 

[Pogre]

I don't know if it's quite "large", but the Sierra LX has been making some noise and can handle a ton of power.

SIERRA-LX PAIR

Our Latest And Greatest Bookshelf Monitor Class-leading bass extension, massive dynamics and midbass punch, high power handling, exceptionally wide and linear dispersion combined with some of the best measurements in the industry, our new LX is truly something quite unique and special. This is...

ascendacoustics.com

It's the first speaker to my knowledge designed around and using the most advanced Klippel measurement system in the world to produce one of the most accurate speakers out there right now, both on and off axis. It can handle gobs of power too. In fact big power is even recommended with these. I really wanna check these out.

 

[shadyJ]

I don't know if it's quite "large", but the Sierra LX has been making some noise and can handle a ton of power.

SIERRA-LX PAIR

Our Latest And Greatest Bookshelf Monitor Class-leading bass extension, massive dynamics and midbass punch, high power handling, exceptionally wide and linear dispersion combined with some of the best measurements in the industry, our new LX is truly something quite unique and special. This is...

ascendacoustics.com

It's the first speaker to my knowledge designed around and using the most advanced Klippel measurement system in the world to produce one of the most accurate speakers out there right now, both on and off axis. It can handle gobs of power too. In fact big power is even recommended with these. I really wanna check these out.

I'll be honest, 350-watt power handling from a 2-way bookshelf with the standard 6" woofer and 1" dome tweeter is kind of hard to believe.

 

[Pogre]

I'll be honest, 350-watt power handling from a 2-way bookshelf with the standard 6" woofer and 1" dome tweeter is kind of hard to believe.

They are low sensitivity at 83 dB so there's that. I'd say that's probably the biggest ding. I believe that's the trade off for bass extension and power handling.

Dave designed these speakers knowing they're going to eventually be put through a battery of tests over at ASR so I'm pretty confident he's not going to make any claims that can't be confirmed. He does own a Klippel now and put it to good use for these. I'm sure you looked over all the measurements he provided. They look pretty amazing and score very high on the Harman preference scale. I'd love to see you get your hands on a pair of these for review.

 

[TLS Guy]

They are low sensitivity at 83 dB so there's that. I'd say that's probably the biggest ding. I believe that's the trade off for bass extension and power handling.

Dave designed these speakers knowing they're going to eventually be put through a battery of tests over at ASR so I'm pretty confident he's not going to make any claims that can't be confirmed. He does own a Klippel now and put it to good use for these. I'm sure you looked over all the measurements he provided. They look pretty amazing and score very high on the Harman preference scale. I'd love to see you get your hands on a pair of these for review.

If he has a driver that small that will handle 350 watts, then he knows something the rest of us don't. That power will fry the VCs. You can go to the bank with that.

 

[shadyJ]

If he has a driver that small that will handle 350 watts, then he knows something the rest of us don't. That power will fry the VCs. You can go to the bank with that.

I could buy that figure it was something like instantaneous, but the product page lists that spec as continuous and also lists instantaneous at 500 watts. I don't get it. There are a lot of subwoofer drivers that couldn't handle 350 watts but that 6" driver can?

 

[Pogre]

I dunno, maybe I'll ask him.

Power spec aside they look like some very good speakers.

 

[j_garcia]

Not too many bookshelf speakers bigger than the BMR Not sure that big is really a selling point with most bookshelf speakers, but these sound amazing.

If it were my funds, it would probably be the Joseph Audio Prism or Pulsar 2 Graphene.

Pulsar2 Graphene — Joseph Audio

The World's Best Compact Loudspeaker

www.josephaudio.net

Prism — Joseph Audio

Big News For Small Spaces

www.josephaudio.net

 

[Verdinut]

Not too many bookshelf speakers bigger than the BMR Not sure that big is really a selling point with most bookshelf speakers, but these sound amazing.

If it were my funds, it would probably be the Joseph Audio Prism or Pulsar 2 Graphene.

Pulsar2 Graphene — Joseph Audio

The World's Best Compact Loudspeaker

www.josephaudio.net

The Pulsar 2 Graphene is most likely using a Seas woofer which is an excellent driver and which brand of woofer TLS Guy also uses.

Several years ago, I had the opportunity of hearing Joseph speakers at the Montreal AV show. Mr Joseph was actually presenting his new bookshelf speakers. They sounded amazing, until the time he drove them with a heavy bass pipe organ recording. He was over driving them which resulted in some distorted sound. I don't know if he was deaf but I didn't find his action as very favorable to more sales. His loudspeakers deserved a better treatment.

 

[TLS Guy]

I could buy that figure it was something like instantaneous, but the product page lists that spec as continuous and also lists instantaneous at 500 watts. I don't get it. There are a lot of subwoofer drivers that couldn't handle 350 watts but that 6" driver can?

That's the point, the claim is BS. 350 watts of power heats fast. If the wire was of sufficient gauge to handle that much power AND transfer it to the woofer magnet, the gauge would be so heavy, it would be a lousy woofer. You can not defy the laws of physics, only advertising copy claims that.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

RBH SV-831R, 100-500W, 4.72" x 1" AMT Tweeter, 8" Woofers x 3.

 

[TLS Guy]

RBH SV-831R, 100-500W.

That is a more plausible claim as the power band is spread between three drivers. That is 160 watts to each driver in the power band. That is a big reduction as heat in the VC goes up by the square of the current. 350 watts to one small driver is totally implausible. It is NOT possible. In addition a metal coned speaker removes heat from the VC faster than other cone materials.

 

[lovinthehd]

I'd sure like to see Dave's graphs of that speaker with a 350w continuous signal (assume he doesn't mean test tone type, but....)

 

[concorde]

What kind of power handling are you looking for and why is that an important criteria for you?

Power handling 200W+, because my amp I built (using Neurochrome Modulus-686) can output ~300W. I know I won't be turning it up that loud continuous, but (a) the dynamics/peaks may be better and (b) my Studio 530's don't get loud enough for me, even close up. Unless I got a very efficient bookshelf, I have to go for more power handling instead maybe. Hope that makes some sense. (c) The amp won't damage the speakers if I accidentally turn it up a bit too much (unlikely but possible).

....

Thanks for some great ideas.

RBH SV-831R, 100-500W.

Wow I've never seen these, they are beautiful. I was amazed just by the picture. Except $8k not $4k I believe. However, if I can get them somehow here in New Zealand, I might consider saving longer to acquire them, having read the review of the tower version.

EDIT: I just think 8k USD is too much. But I still want them.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Wow I've never seen these, they are beautiful. I was amazed just by the picture. Except $8k not $4k I believe. However, if I can get them somehow here in New Zealand, I might consider saving longer to acquire them, having read the review of the tower version.

EDIT: I just think 8k USD is too much. But I still want them.

Definitely talk to your dealer about any deals.

One thing about brick and mortar store brands - depending on the lines, you can usually get big discounts.