I am looking for the best bookshelf speakers in the $200-$300 range. $300 is a hard cutoff and I would prefer to limit myself to $250. I am new to the "audiophile" scene and have been doing quite a bit of research on subwoofers recently, as I already have a pair of Infinity Primus P153BKs that I managed to snag for $50 from a friend. Compared to the old Bose 301 Series IV that my roommate had hooked up previously, I can already notice a significant difference in clarity and detail. Although the Infinity speakers seem to be much more sensitive to listening position and speaker placement than the Bose speakers and the Bose speakers also seem to have reasonable LF extension, I am still planning on purchasing a sealed subwoofer for around $350-$500. Nevertheless, it seems like there are significantly better bookshelf pairs to be had for $200-$300 (I can easily relegate the Infinity pair to my livingroom).
Here is my setup so far:
Harmon/Kardan HK3490 receiver
eD A3s-250 (assuming eD is still willing to fulfill my order after streamlining their product list.)
Uses:
I will use my system heavily for music, probably around 85%-90% of its use, while the rest would be for the occasional movie. I listen to everything, ranging from classic rock and hippie country, to metal and punk, to drum & bass and electro-house, to the occasional jazz or classical piece. I usually enjoy listening to music at a moderate level, but sometimes enjoy cranking up the volume and would prefer speakers that maintain their dynamics when pushed. While good looks could be nice, I am looking for best musical bang-for-the-buck, and so wouldn't care for one speaker over another based on looks.
Room requirements:
I have a small room, but will be moving to a larger apartment when I (hopefully) get in to graduate school for the fall. Currently, my room is about 11'x11', but the speakers may also be place in my open (no closing doors) living room, which is about 15'x21'.
What I've heard:
I've heard good things about the Behringer B2030Ps and can get them for $200 shipped (although I heard they used to be a steal around $110 some time back). I can also find the larger brother of my Infinitys, the P162, for about $160. The P163 seems to be overpriced compared to the Behringers... I have also looked at the SVS SBS-01 and -02; I have heard that the SBS-01 sounds a bit muddy compared to speakers in its price range, but have not heard the same things about the SBS-02. I can find the SBS-01 used for around $150 shipped and in decent used condition.
I have also looked at some options from PSB's Image series, as well as the Paradigm Atom v.6 for $280 shipped, or the v.5 (pretty used) for about $140 shipped. I have heard good things about all of these, but it seems like the PSBs are slightly out of my price range, unless someone knows where I can land a nice deal.
Conclusion:
I am content with my Primus P153s, but want a significant upgrade for under $300, closer to $250. I have no qualms with purchasing older model speakers if it saves significant money and has a tiny drop in performance. If someone has any experience or anecdotal evidence in being able to draw up a pretty ordered list in terms of performance, that'd be awesome!
Thanks!
seylermoon
