Help Bookshelfs with solid Mids for Apt Living

[JRN]

Great website and helpful!

We are looking for bookshelf speakers with good mids at lower volumes and no booming bass at higher volumes. 3.1. eventually 5.1 w no sub. Up to$2500 for the pair. We listen to music, TV with the occasional movie. Maybe more if it sounds great.

We're moving to a co-op apt
and a booming bass would be an issue.

I'm thinking of the Kef r3's but are they too thin if I EQ the mids? Plan to use stands w isolation feet. Amp is a Denon 2800.

Any suggestions for speakers or input would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

 

[tineared]

Welcome to ASR. The R3 would be a fine choice. You may also want to consider a pair of BMR Monitors

 

[staticV3]

We are looking for bookshelf speakers with good mids at lower volumes and no booming bass at higher volumes.

We're moving to a co-op apt
and a booming bass would be an issue.

The Denon has configurable high-pass for the Main speakers, so you can control bass output with the remote, without having to choose a kneecapped speaker just to guarantee there won't be bass issues when playing louder.

3.1. eventually 5.1 w no sub.

What's the .1 if not a sub? Or did you mean 3.0 eventually 5.0?

 

[kemmler3D]

Welcome to ASR! As @staticV3 notes, the ".1" stands for a sub. So a 2.1 system is two speakers and a sub, a 5.4 system is 5 speakers and 4 subs, etc.

I think the suggestion to use the HP filter on the Denon is a good one.

I have 4 subs in my house, which is effectively a townhouse. I don't get any complaints from my neighbors because I turn on a "no sub" (highpass) setting after dark.

Kef R3 is a good speaker, for the money you might also look at Ascilab stuff (if it's in stock) Ascend Acoustics, maybe Mofi sourcepoint 8 if you like that kind of look.

 

[YouDontHaveEnoughBass]

avoiding boomy bass is more about using a calibrated mic + REW to find the frequency of the bass peak in your room and trimming that specific frequency down with an eq; its the room that makes it boomy not the speaker (your avr might have room correction built in too, something to explore)

agree with the above posts, R3 is good, ascilabs stuff is good

 

[staticV3]

For the speakers, I'd shortlist these:

-Ascend Sierra (2 EX V2 / LX / 1 V2)
-Philharmonic BMR Monitor
-Ascilab F6B/C6B
-KEF R3 Meta
-Wharfedale Aura 2 / (Super) Linton

Not the shortest of shortlists, but there are just many great options with not one clear standout.

 

[Rick63]

One of the Ascend Sierra models.

 

[Power Pop 23]

A lot of excellent suggestions for loudspeakers....

Consider a floor-standing loudspeaker IF it has a similar-sized footprint to the stands you plan to use.

The floor-standing KEF Q11 Meta lists for $2,500/pair and received a strong recommendation in a review at Erin's Audio Corner.

 

[JRN]

Great info! Thanks!
Yea my brain was on autopilot when I wrote .1

 

[BobbyTimmons]

I have a pair of KEF R3. They are nice, but they might need bass management because of how deep they play.

 

[JRN]

Thanks for that.
Its interesting that some say they are thin and need a sub and others say they have plenty of bass.
I will try and find a place locally to hear them in person

 

[staticV3]

Its interesting that some say they are thin and need a sub and others say they have plenty of bass.
I will try and find a place locally to hear them in person

That's because it's largely the room which determines bass qualities.

Hence, hearing them in a store or showroom will unfortunately not tell you much about how they will sound in your own room.

 

[DatSpeakerTho]

Its interesting that some say they are thin and need a sub and others say they have plenty of bass.

That's what rooms do to bass, in one persons room they've got more than they need, in another room it's all nulls. That's why it's advisable to EQ the bass on any speaker when it's in room.

 

[BobbyTimmons]

It's depending on the speakers you're comparing them to and also to the room modes in your space. The R3s have a lot of bass extension and that could bring out the room modes in your space. If you're comparing them to other bookshelf speakers.