£100-£200 Bookshelf speakers for low volume

[RoseW]

Hi,

Thank you for your time reading my post, I've used the great advice of this forum many times but would like this time to ask a question specifically.

My situation:

I have moved into a new house with very thin walls and don't want to disturb my neighbours. We listen to predominantly electronic music like house, dnb and garage. We have a pair of Rokit 8s but I think they are very beefy sounding and don't help with sound leakage, and turned down a lot they lose their effectivenss.

I have been wanting an entry hifi for awhile and like the sound of the marantz pm6004 - I think it'll give me the flexibility to upgrade my speakers at a later date. It will be situated in the living room, a small square carpeted room of about 3mx3m (small I know).

I was wondering if anyone could advise which they would recommend out of the Dali Zensor 1, Tannoy Mercury V1, and Monitor Audio BX1? Will any of these play better at lower volumes and cause less sound leakage next door? Does sound leakage all depend on the bass level on the amp? Also will specific cabling reduce sound travelling so much (I'm a bit of sound newbie so don't know if this is possible). We have a pair of speaker stands and they will be positioned in the corners of the room a good few inches off the wall.

I have a Richer Sound close to me so will be trialling the speakers soon, but would like to hear some expert advice too.

Thanks

 

[GMK]

Bass penetrates walls, the upper frequencies not nearly so much. You'll want a warm sounding speaker that doesn't sound thin at low volume. I have the Tannoy V4 and they're very detailed, which should bode well at lower volumes, so the V1 might work well. As ever though, synergy with the rest of your equipment is the single most important thing.

 

[hoopsontoast]

Something like the Rega R1 sound ideal for that situation. They have nice tight and punchy bass which will help with the electronic music.

 

[GMK]

I'm going to stick my neck out and suggest Kef Coda 7's as a budget option. I have the SE version and I really enjoy them despite the bargain basement price. There are still enough on the second hand market to grab a mint pair too

 

[cheeseboy]

imho, if it's low volumes, you'd probably find that eq'ing does more for you than changing the speakers/

 

[Johnno2]

if you can get hold of a pair of the wharfedale damond 10 series they sound nice at low volumes imo , I have the 10.2 on a little denon sytem for the bedroom, or you could use the loudness switch on the marantz pm6004. but this might colour the sound too much.

 

[manicm]

Forget the BX1s, get the BX2s - they're sensitive and loud, positionally flexible, and should pair nicely with your smooth Marantz. Their list price is 250? Get a 2nd hand pair, or a discounted set. I've had a pair, and I'm sure will be a hit with your amp.

 

[matthewpiano]

I'm going to stick my neck out and suggest Kef Coda 7's as a budget option. I have the SE version and I really enjoy them despite the bargain basement price. There are still enough on the second hand market to grab a mint pair too

100% agree. The Coda 7s are a great little speaker and flexible at a wide range of volumes. Cheap to pick up too. Also consider Mission 760i or 760i SE.

 

[GMK]

Also consider Mission 760i or 760i SE.

I very nearly bought some the other day

 

[GMK]

For around £100 you can pick up a good set of Ruark Epilogue. I wrote them off due to their size when they arrived, but god was I wrong. Big room filling, detailed and exciting sound, with startlingly deep bass considering their diminutive stature. Tunable too if you plug the rear ports to reduce the bass when close to a wall. Great at any volume. Even at background listening levels, Massive Attack's Protection still sounded inviting, with Tracey Thorn's vocal perfectly placed to draw you in

 

[Ketan Bharadia]

Of the three speakers you mention I like the Tannoys the best. But also consider the Q Acoustics 2010is - they can go close to a wall, are small and will sound good at low volumes.

Bass is the part of the sound that tends to travel through a building's structure most. Any cable that is likely to reduce bass as much as you want will sound really unbalanced.

 

[BigH]

You can get Mission 780SEs for about £30, better han the 760s.

To reduce bass move them away from corners.

 

[dalwen]

I can second qacoustics 2010i for low listening level.

dear Ketan, what amp would you reccomend for low listening? Thank you for your reply

 

[dalwen]

Besides speakers for low listening......are there any amps that are better than others for low listening?

 

[alchemist 1]

Try acoustic energy,s Compact 1

 

[dalwen]

Is that an amplifier, i thought that are speakers