Affordable bookshelf without harshness - disappointed after shopping

[doubleplay425]

@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

The review said the SVS Ultra Evolutions had smooth treble while the Paradigms sounded bright on the highs at times...then he says he was convinced it was the recordings! I don't know what to make of that...Ideally you listen to the same source and tracks across the different speakers for an apples to apples comparison.

 

[j_garcia]

Paradigm has always tended toward the brighter side, so the comment that they lean toward bright would not surprise me. That brightness will sound hot on harsh recordings. I demoed some Studio 40s years ago and I really liked them at first, but after listening to a lot of material, I found them fatiguing in the highs. And with that said, the old flagship Paradigm Signature series were crisp without harshness. They also cost about ~3x the cost of the Studios.

If you are going to tend to listen to music that has a hot top end, you definitely don't want speakers that would be reviewed as bright. To me, that means you probably want to first audition speakers with either soft domes or good ribbon tweeters.

If it were me, I'd probably hold out for these: https://philharmonicaudio.com/products/ceramic-mini-monitor I have not even heard them, but I can all but guarantee they will check all the boxes. There's a reason I own 3 sets of speakers from this man (and that is only because I sold the 4th pair).

I put my CAOW1s, that had been just sitting there for a few years after I picked up the Philharmonitors, into the second system and listened to them for a few months. I was reminded why I bought them. They have an excellent soft dome with a great woofer in an oversized cabinet. It produces good bass on its own for that reason, but it it the clean, lush vocals that really are the reason I never sold them. The Philharmonitors have the same mids, but the RAAL tweeter takes their detail to the next level.

I have the straight, ported version of these:

https://www.audioholics.com/bookshelf-speaker-reviews/mini-philharmonitor

 

[doubleplay425]

They have a very low sensitivity it seems. How do you think these ceramic minis would do with a cheap class D amp like the Wiim stream/amp combo. It's 120 wpc into 4 ohms. Thanks very much again.

P.S. They don't offer stands for them?

 

[dolynick]

I hadn't seen that review of the new Premier V2s yet. It looks like they have a lot of trickle-down tech from the Founders line in the new refresh. I have a pair of Founder 100s and while I don't think I'd call them "bright", they definitely do not roll off in the highs as much as commonly preferred slope would. Much of this non-slope is above the range of most treble content in music anyways though (15k+, which a lot of older people can't even hear much past anyways).

The 220 V2 review uses the term "dry" though. Which, now that I think of it, is kind of fitting if they follow the sound of the Founders. They do tend to come off with a very clear sound which I think lends itself to that type of subjective description. I wouldn't call it a real flaw, more that all that clarity and detail is kind of the opposite of what some might call a more syrupy sweet midrange - so if you're trying to assign a comparative descriptor to it that makes sense.

So yeah, maybe not what you want if you're after a really "sweet" or "soft" sounding speaker, but I do think you should give them a listen if you are able to.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

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.

I second the recommendation for Kali. They definitely punch above their price point. You could buy them on Amazon and return them by mail or to a nearby Whole Foods store, even without bothering with packaging.
It's a better option too, as these will sound different in your room vs. a large room at your local music store.

 

[ski2xblack]

They have a very low sensitivity it seems. How do you think these ceramic minis would do with a cheap class D amp like the Wiim stream/amp combo. It's 120 wpc into 4 ohms. Thanks very much again.

P.S. They don't offer stands for them?

The low sensitivity and respectable bass extension is Hoffman's Iron Law in action. Since they're not wide dynamic range bangers, 120w should be enough for most circumstances. It is futile to flog them too hard, their limits will reveal themselves if you try and push them above 96db or so.

Other than the limited dynamic range, they're quite excellent little speakers with Dennis' easy-on-the-ears neutrality and low distortion, a solid recommend for your list of contenders.