Bookshelf/Monitors with the deep bass of floorstanders?

Praetorian

Praetorian

Praetorian

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Heya,

I'm moving my listening room from my loft conversion into a new study downstairs and having a slight dilemma when it comes to sound setup.

What I'm after: Deep bass, clarity of elements/vocals, compact package.
Sources: Xonar DG output or some form of DAC (not looked at this yet) from either FLAC/320KBPS files
Usage: Music (primarily) but also gaming and movies - when I'm not working :D
Budget: Maximum of £500, therefore ruling out the JBL setup :(

Currently I've got a pair of Acoustic Solutions AV120 MK2 floorstanders that I absolutely adore, especially considering that they're 10 years old and a budget model, hooked into a Yamaha AV amp. This gives me enough to vibrate the floor with any house/trance tracks that I have in my collection (yes, I'm a bass head). Unfortunately the room I'm going to physically doesn't have the space to have those as well as a 2 meter desk in it so looking at new options.

So I've been going around and around looking at different options ... Active monitor speakers, active monitors including separate sub, bookshelf speakers etc. but can't seem to find something that's going to work for me.

Let me give you a few ideas of what I've been looking at:
2x JBL LSR305 Active monitors with/without sub (~£650)
2x RCF Ayra SIX's with Swissonic Sub10 (~£450)
2x Presonus Eris E5 with Presonus Temblor T8 sub (~£460)

So far it's looking like monitors (5" voice coil) with a subwoofer will give me exactly what I want of being able to let me "feel" the music including the subbass but also let me enjoy the clarity of music.

Anybody got any further thoughts on it? It's a lot of money to go shelling out on a system, especially considering what I currently having but it's worth it in the long run considering how much music I do actually listen to.

Cheers
 
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the Eirs 5 monitors are very good for the price point. I use them for my studio and they provide a very accurate sound reproduction without adding unnecessary colour. Have you considered KRK Rokit monitors and a sub ? The rokit series comes with 4, 5, 6, 8 or 10 inch woofers. They are alos the usual standard go to choice of monitor for a lot of producers. I think they might break your budget though especially if you go for say the 8 or 10 inch version plus a separate sub.
 
Good to hear a vote of confidence for the Eirs 5 :)

I did look at the Rokit's but I guess I've been "swayed" away from them after negative comments about them. Think that is mainly from the producers though, as they don't like the colourful response, whereas a casual listener I'd love them as their made for EDM/House etc.

Just the tough choice as always what to push the button on hehe.
 
Not a cats chance in hell a standmount would equal the bass response of a floorstander. If you had a speaker with a built in sub, perhaps but then you're looking at semi floorstanding speaker in size. And a subwoofer will help but IMO I would recommend floorstanders in a 2 channel system over a pair of standmounts and a subwoofer.

I'm using standmounts that give good bass performance (43hz +/-2dB, 6.5" woofer, ported) but no way on earth it's anything like the floorstander version (same range) which have 3 x 8" woofers and a 6.5", 36hz +/-2dB. it's simply more than just 10hz on paper, it's the whole presentation.

With the Eirs 5 you will definetly need a subwoofer
 
Presonus Eris speakers do look very good. I think if I were after some monitor speakers, it would either be those or the LSR305.

Eris E5 and T8 should be a good combination. T10 would be better being 10" rather than 8", but I guess the T10 will be maybe £100 more.
 
Thanks for all of the input!

I went back to the drawing board on this and managed to get a figure of 200mm either side of the space available. A quick look around and Richer Sounds had a set of open box Cambridge Audio SX80's which fit in exactly that space. All setup on the Yamaha AV amp and now the place is back to rocking with floor rocking bass :D
 
Praetorian said:
Thanks for all of the input!

I went back to the drawing board on this and managed to get a figure of 200mm either side of the space available. A quick look around and Richer Sounds had a set of open box Cambridge Audio SX80's which fit in exactly that space. All setup on the Yamaha AV amp and now the place is back to rocking with floor rocking bass :D
Click to expand...

Make sure you setup avr crossover, to small 40hz or small 60hz
 
Yep. Let it do an auto setup first using the optimiser mic and then adjusted the crossover as it'd been set to large. Glad I stuck with floor standers even though monitors/sub would have been an interesting experience. Thank you for the sanity check though, really appreciated
 
Praetorian said:
Thanks for all of the input!

I went back to the drawing board on this and managed to get a figure of 200mm either side of the space available. A quick look around and Richer Sounds had a set of open box Cambridge Audio SX80's which fit in exactly that space. All setup on the Yamaha AV amp and now the place is back to rocking with floor rocking bass :D
Click to expand...

Happy for you, as are your neighbors, I'm sure :D :D!!
 
HAHA, cheers! :D Thankfully it's in a newly renovated outbuilding (old coal shed converted), attached to the side of my house. Have done checks with me and other people and once you step into the house, you can hear the mid/top end but zero bass. Step back into the outbuilding and then the bass comes back.

Still need to do some treatment on the room, as the walls are bare and a lot of echo, but it's like it was built into a basstrap without realising it :D
 
Yes. Yes they are :) More affordable than you think though (only double the price of Cambridge Audio SX80)

You can get high end speakers for decent price. I've found Kef Reference to keep their price- but some other brands do plummet.
 
£500 for those?!? :o That's criminal! But good for us that don't have huge excessively bulging wallets ;)

I'm envious ... shall enjoy these and then may upgrade sooner than I thought! Will probably do an AMP upgrade at the same time if I ever do move upwards in the world
 
Speaker of which on that place.

272777933272

Great speakers. Those were about £1800 when new. The sound is a bit more mellow on the Kef's. Not relaxed, nice midrange and nice sound. The Celestion have more punch and attack.

btw those Celestions A3 were £3500 when new. They went for £1500 on clearance from a hifi shop classed as seconds (but typically mint condition) and because of that second hand prices fell through the floor, I remember someone selling them and disgusted Celestion dropped them in price so much. Great for buyers though. The matching Celestion A1 were £900 when new and you wouldn't believe the price I paid for them (or the matching A3c)
 
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