Used soft dome bookshelf high on detail

Ja55

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Hey guys

Following on from this thread and looking into speakers and room acoustics I'd appreciate some recommendations for bookshelf / standmount speakers that

1. Incorporate a soft / silk tweeter (I don't have any soft furnishings in room)
2. Have fast / punchy mid bass (will be used with subwoofer so don't need to go low)
3. Provide good detail (I'd like to hear instrument separation) but not overly analytical (not looking for studio monitors)
4. Work close to a wall (will be placed on cabinets that would allow a max distance of 50cm from front baffle to wall)

Probably a big ask given my budget is £300 max used or new. Will be used with a NAD 320bee amp and 521bee cd player, REL Strata sub mostly. Also have a Technics turntable and Cambridge phono stage / preamp.

Thanks
Jas
 
As far as I'm aware there is only one speaker that meets your requirements well under your max budget, unless anyone else knows of a better speaker with better build quality, better sound quality for less money new. These can be bought for £229 new with warranty delivered whilst stocks last.


I have the floorstanding versions and the build quality is superb, match or better than speakers costing much more. The cabinets are solid and the 9 layers of lacquer is luxurious and super smooth and shiny.

IMG_20200704_083838.jpg


Another fine choice are the excellent Mission QX 2 slightly more at £275.


The smaller version, the QX1's are £199 new.
 
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I've read several reviews on the concept 20's suggesting the stands are needed to get them to perform. Anyone tried them with and without stands?
 
i dont understand why the concept stands will sound much better than other decent quality stands, such as partington dreadnaughts or similar well made decent quality well damped heavy stands.
 
do you listen to quality recordings.. the concepts are very detailed and transparent speakers which will show up poor quality recordings if yoy have a quality amp and source.

cheaper or lesser speakers will help mask/hide some of the sounds and can therefore sound better with mp3 or poor records
 
Dali Oberon 1 (slightly above budget) These definitely work well near a wall, they actually have keyholes to hang on wall. Don't need toe-ing in, wide separation, less of a sweet spot needed.
 
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1st choice for me too: the Q acoustics concept 20 fits your preferred specs.
Strangely, I had a pair that sounded brilliant sitting on a glass table, sandwiching a Denon RCD N-9! Now, I have a pair of B&W 606s sitting on Q A Concept 20 stands. They do sound tight, detailed and expansive.
 
Typically, for done tweeters, listening off axis will reduce the treble content of the speakers, so try firing then straight ahead.
 
Thanks all. I'm asking about the stands as I cant actually use stands at all. The speakers will be placed on the top shelf of a shelving unit (metal frame with wooden shelves).
 
I guess I have to say that the positioning doesn’t seem ideal but obviously I don’t know distance from back wall, height of unit etc. etc.
Having said that, if you could get a pair of Q Acoustics Concept 20s or similar with port bungs inserted or speakers with front ports, this might overcome some of the inherent positioning problems you might experience. Ideally, if you could also place them on your unit with the tweeters at about ear level (in seated position), that might help to give you reasonable sonic satisfaction.

Hopefully food for thought...
 
I’d recommend you keep a look out for a pair of Quad 10L. Designed and built for Quad by Spendor in England. These were £699 on release in 1996 but appear - very rarely - for £200-£300. They’re designed with internal infinite baffle so there’s no rear port; hence positioning is relatively forgiving. 25mm soft dome tweeter. Don’t worry about the relatively small driver: bass is deep and, more importantly, realistic. After you’ve listened to them, you’ll realise how coloured modern speakers are. A proper left/right, forwards/backwards soundstage and proper separation. These are simply the most natural sounding speaker I’ve heard. They’re a little unforgiving of bad recordings but so they should be. They are outstanding speakers and not to be confused with the inferior but better-known Quad 11L. The 11Ls were made in China and bare no similarity with the 10L. Just google the 10L and you’ll find universal acclaim. This just makes them very rare. It took me 3 years to find a pair. I appreciate that‘s not a terribly useful comment to finish on.
 
If you want a pair of serious and grown up speaker sound that sound superb and are small and can be placed on a shelf then I’d suggest you cannot do better than these,

 
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