Bookshelf Speakers for Classical Music

[siudai8888]

Hi All

I have been on the look out for a new Hi Fi speakers. I mainly listen to classical music, with the occasional pop/jazz etc. I do not yet have a system so I will have to buy amp (preferably integrated) and a source CD player too.

My current shortlist, after trying a few demos, are the following:-

1. Neat Petite SX

2. Sonus Faber Venere 1.5

3. B&W PM1 (there is a deal from B&W offering the PM1, with Rotel RA1570 amp / RCD 1570 CD player all for just under GBP3,000).

Would appreciate any comments on the above if you don't mind sharing your own experience. If you have other suggestions they are also welcome. Many thanks!

 

[Pedro2]

Hi ,

Not sure what your room size or its acoustics might be but the new ATCs are worth a listen. We listen to a mix of genres with a fair proportion being classical. Just bought the ATC scm11s which perform brilliantly in a small/medium size room with difficult acoustics.

They sound uncoloured and open without any bass boom (it's there and tuneful but doesn't muddy the mid range). Not heard the others in the same range but the smaller 7s and larger 19s are all getting great reviews.

Not sure that you would class either the 11s or 19s as 'bookshelf' though; they need good quality stands to perform properly. The 7s would probably sit on a shelf although stands would still be advisable.

ps Had a friend over recently who is a classical musician by profession and he thought the sound was excellent. He also spotted that I had wired left and right speakers the wrong way round as the instruments were positioned incorrectly in the orchestra. They are now in the correct locations!

All the best,

Pedro

 

[drummerman]

A system is rarely genre specific. Even within genres, recording quality and diversity is normally great enough to not make this an issue.

What is more of a problem is the room and your personal preferences.

I like my sound full bodied and fast ie. no bass overhang. Imaging, though important to some extent (otherwise I'd be listening to mono all the time), ranks somewhat down the list.

I too listen to a fair bit of classical (mostly on vinyl) and have a sizeable jazz collection.

I use cyrus/mission/Usher which gives me what I want but I could happily live with say Naim/Neat and for speaker brands Spendor and perhaps Harbeth (if I could afford them)

Good luck

regards

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Hi siudai8888

I think that you should also consider ATC's curved SCM7 and curved SCM11 monitors. Whether it's classical, rock, jazz or any other genre the ATC's reproduce sountracks in a clear, precise, uncoloured, natural and powerful manner.

An excellent partner for the curved SCM7's and curved SCM11's is their SIACD (amp, cd, dac, headphone amp). You might also be interested to know that ATC have a package offer on a combination of SIACD + curved SCM7's and SIACD + curved SCM11's.

Btw, what is the size of your room?

Placement of speakers in the room in relation walls?

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[steve_1979]

Put the AVI DM5 speakers on your list. Outrageously good speakers for the price.

 

[CnoEvil]

IMO. You should see Amp and Speakers as a synergistic pairing, and should be demoed as such (even if you buy them at different times).

IME. Brands that sound well for Classical Music need to get Violins, Piano, Soprano and Brass "right"....so I would have the following brands on your radar:

- Vienna Acoustics

- Harbeth

- Spendor (especially Classic Series)

- Kef R Series / LS50s

- Sonus Faber

- Opera

- Proac (with Class A or Valves)

On the amplifier front, I wouldn't rule out Valves or Hybrid....so look at brands like Icon Audio, Unison Research, Pathos, Croft, Sugden, Musical Fidelity, Audio Analogue, Arcam and Electrcompaniet.

The secret to getting this right is taking your time, opening your horizons and doing a lot of demoing.

You haven't mentioned the Source, which can be Vinyl, CDP or Streamer.

 

[rainsoothe]

Sugden and Simaudio Moon sound great with classical. Marantz do as well methinks.

 

[siudai8888]

Out of interest, which amp do you use to drive your SCM11? Thanks!

 

[marou]

I really think this needs to be challenged: the AVI DM9s are pisspoor speakers with some cheap electronic gubbins built-in so possibly good vfm but probably not. Highly rated by people with not very much money and cloth ears. I don't expect the DM5s to be much different.

 

[chebby]

I really think this needs to be challenged: the AVI DM9s are pisspoor speakers with some cheap electronic gubbins built-in so possibly good vfm but probably not. Highly rated by people with not very much money and cloth ears. I don't expect the DM5s to be much different.

What needs to be challenged?

(a ) No-one mentioned ADM9s so why rant about them?

(b ) The DM5s were recommended by someone who has bought them and likes them. Your comment ("I don't expect the DM5s to be much different") tells us you haven't even heard them.

Why not just make a positive suggestion to the OP about what you think he should try out rather than damning a product you've never heard?

 

[Craig M.]

I really think this needs to be challenged: the AVI DM9s are pisspoor speakers with some cheap electronic gubbins built-in so possibly good vfm but probably not. Highly rated by people with not very much money and cloth ears. I don't expect the DM5s to be much different.

Hahahaha. Although I've just swapped mine for ADM40s, I love the ADM9rs and bought them 100% because of their sound - the price was just a bonus. The last passive system I had cost around 5x what the ADMs did. The chap I swapped systems with also has the DM5s and he reckons they are astonishing.

 

[marou]

Describing opinions you don't share as 'rants' is cheap, Chebby, and unworthy of you. I haven't tested every speaker on the market but I have heard the DM9s and wouldn't expect the DM5s to be significantly different. The OP is asking for advice on speakers for a system of seperates. The wearying intrusion of AVI fanboys into threads where their opinion is otiose is on a par with being told by the man of whom you've asked the way not to start from here.

 

[lpv]

if passive I would go for ATC SCM 11 ( great speakers) but these plus appropriate amp will cost you 4k.

as a alternative I would check mentioned AVI speakers or other actives ( Adam A7X?, just an idea)

 

[Craig M.]

Describing opinions you don't share as 'rants' is cheap, Chebby, and unworthy of you. I haven't tested every speaker on the market but I have heard the DM9s and wouldn't expect the DM5s to be significantly different. The OP is asking for advice on speakers for a system of seperates. The wearying intrusion of AVI fanboys into threads where their opinion is otiose is on a par with being told by the man of whom you've asked the way not to start from here.

"If you have other suggestions they are also welcome."

It was right there in the original post. Maybe you missed it while you were spitting your dummy out.

 

[Vladimir]

B&W PM1 new, second hand B&W 805s or Sonus Faber Electa Amator. The Venere's are good for plucking wires, but not for orchestral congestion.

If you are looking for speakers for the next 20 years, don't rush, aim high, not limiting yourself to new only.

 

[tinkywinkydipsylalapo]

Hi siudai8888

I think that you should also consider ATC's curved SCM7 and curved SCM11 monitors. Whether it's classical, rock, jazz or any other genre the ATC's reproduce sountracks in a clear, precise, uncoloured, natural and powerful manner.

An excellent partner for the curved SCM7's and curved SCM11's is their SIACD (amp, cd, dac, headphone amp). You might also be interested to know that ATC have a package offer on a combination of SIACD + curved SCM7's and SIACD + curved SCM11's.

Btw, what is the size of your room?

Placement of speakers in the room in relation walls?

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

Don't you love a retailer who tells you what speakers to buy then asks the size of the room in which they're to be used and where they'll be positioned?

 

[steve_1979]

if passive I would go for ATC SCM 11 ( great speakers) but these plus appropriate amp will cost you 4k.

as a alternative I would check mentioned AVI speakers or other actives ( Adam A7X?, just an idea)

Adam and Genelec make some fine speakers.

Quested speakers are well worth considering too. Not the prettiest in the world but very clear and easy to listen to. If I wasn't such an AVI fanboi I'd probably own a pair of Quested monitors.

 

[Overdose]

Would appreciate any comments on the above if you don't mind sharing your own experience. If you have other suggestions they are also welcome. Many thanks!

I would echo a couple of the earlier suggestions and recommend that you add AVI ADM9s or DM5s to your list.

For a disc player, maybe the Oppo 103.

An alternative might be Genelecs 8040/50. Less traditional in looks, but performance would be fine for your needs.

As an aside, if you are going to get a disc player, it is probably better to get something that is less of a one trick pony. A dedicated CD player is all well and good, but won't improve much if anything on a universal player and if you look around, you might find networking/streaming ability included as well.

 

[shkumar4963]

IMO. You should see Amp and Speakers as a synergistic pairing, and should be demoed as such (even if you buy them at different times).

IME. Brands that sound well for Classical Music need to get Violins, Piano, Soprano and Brass "right"....so I would have the following brands on your radar:

- Vienna Acoustics

- Harbeth

- Spendor (especially Classic Series)

- Kef R Series / LS50s

- Sonus Faber

- Opera

- Proac (with Class A or Valves)

On the amplifier front, I wouldn't rule out Valves or Hybrid....so look at brands like Icon Audio, Unison Research, Pathos, Croft, Sugden, Musical Fidelity, Audio Analogue, Arcam and Electrcompaniet.

The secret to getting this right is taking your time, opening your horizons and doing a lot of demoing.

You haven't mentioned the Source, which can be Vinyl, CDP or Streamer.

I have not auditioned the rest of them but KEF R300, R700 and LS50 are great for violin (my favorie instrument) and flute. You can just reach out and touch them. I auditioned using Chesky's ultimate demostration CD.

 

[mond]

The B&W PM1 sound great with all sorts of music (as so they should at the price)

I had a long demo in a dealer once and was very tempted, the only reason I didn't is they were double by budget (I had gone in to Listen to the Linn Majik 109 and the B&Ws were just sat there, as the dealer was not busy he let me sit and listen to them instead for a while and I was very impressed)

Personally I use Audionote speakers which will also sound great with classical. I have previously owned Sonus Faber speakers and am sure they would also fit the bill (although I have not heard that particular model I would be surprised if they did not sound great with classical)

Mond

 

[mond]

The B&W PM1 sound great with all sorts of music (as so they should at the price)

I had a long demo in a dealer once and was very tempted, the only reason I didn't is they were double by budget (I had gone in to Listen to the Linn Majik 109 and the B&Ws were just sat there, as the dealer was not busy he let me sit and listen to them instead for a while and I was very impressed)

Personally I use Audionote speakers which will also sound great with classical. I have previously owned Sonus Faber speakers and am sure they would also fit the bill (although I have not heard that particular model I would be surprised if they did not sound great with classical)

Mond

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_930948680302034]

ATC will need high end (expensive) solid state amp (Ayre, Krell etc) Even with 150W into 8 Ohm amp ,ATC will never sound good at low sound volumes (they wiill sound chocked and closed in). ATC iherintely near-field monitors for sound mastering. Despite ATC efforts to produce consumer speakers they all still have their inherent character: They need to be played above average loudness to sound open and show their capabilities. If you use LPs as source , my experience with high output mving coil carts is bad. I used Graham Slee for Phono and into Ayre7 , I had chocked sound, the moment I would switch to CD player the sound would open up into full range.

Aside from these caveats ATC makes the most accurate speakers with 3 dimentional sound to behold.

 

[newworld]

Hi All

I have been on the look out for a new Hi Fi speakers. I mainly listen to classical music, with the occasional pop/jazz etc. I do not yet have a system so I will have to buy amp (preferably integrated) and a source CD player too.

My current shortlist, after trying a few demos, are the following:-

1. Neat Petite SX

2. Sonus Faber Venere 1.5

3. B&W PM1 (there is a deal from B&W offering the PM1, with Rotel RA1570 amp / RCD 1570 CD player all for just under GBP3,000).

Would appreciate any comments on the above if you don't mind sharing your own experience. If you have other suggestions they are also welcome. Many thanks!

I also listen to mostly classical with a bit of jazz and pop. I currently have Proac and Naim. I've listened to a lot of gear and am really happy with what I have.

A major classical recording producer told me that he has a pair of B&W PM1's at home and likes them very much. He was using the 805's for his on-site recording at the time.

As far as I know, no system should be genre-specific. Just listen and enjoy. (and don't go crazy on cables!)

 

[lovetchaikovsky]

Hello All

I am new to this forum and would also dearly appreciate your advice. I am a classical musician and would like a new music system (I need everything - speakers/amp/cd player etc). 90% of my listening will be classical. Happy to spend around £1.5-£2k.

The advice I've received so far is for:

Focal Aria 906 (+Cambridge Audio Amp + Arcam streamer)

B&W (various products)

Many thanks,

Liv

 

[lovetchaikovsky]

I should say that I've read all the posts so far in this thread and would be willing to increase the budget to buy ATC SCM 11 if people think they are worth it!

Thank you!