Lonely Arcam A85 seeks speakers with shared interest in classic & prog rock...

[scene]

Must be accommodating and happy to live in a smallish room, speaker stands are not an option, so unfortunately speakers will have to get used to life on the shelf. Good timing and detail required, but extended listening at low volumes a must due to circumstances. Budget up to £350, secondhand considered. Serious offers only. [W]

 

[plastic penguin]

scene:Must be accommodating and happy to live in a smallish room, speaker stands are not an option, so unfortunately speakers will have to get used to life on the shelf. Good timing and detail required, but extended listening at low volumes a must due to circumstances. Budget up to £350, secondhand considered. Serious offers only.

These are wonderful sounding speakers, great with Arcam - unsure whether they'll sound the 'bees knees' plonked on shelves though.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Dali-Ikon-2-Bookshelf-Speakers-Wenge-Finish-NEW-/170604849626?pt=UK_AudioVideoElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_HiFiSpeakers&hash=item27b8d769da

Other than that ProAc Tablettes...

 

[Dan Turner]

See if you can find some second hand Acoustic Energy AE1 Classics (or original AE1s). Mate of mine has these on the end of an A90 and they sound really lovely.

 

[Anonymous]

I agree with both recommendations above; the AE1 classics are superb speakers but so are the Dali's

Have a noset for some new or ex-demo M/A RX1's though; they'd really work well with your Arcam amp and they're only just over budget new anyways!

 

[scene]

plastic penguin:
scene:Must be accommodating and happy to live in a smallish room, speaker stands are not an option, so unfortunately speakers will have to get used to life on the shelf. Good timing and detail required, but extended listening at low volumes a must due to circumstances. Budget up to £350, secondhand considered. Serious offers only.

These are wonderful sounding speakers, great with Arcam - unsure whether they'll sound the 'bees knees' plonked on shelves though.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Dali-Ikon-2-Bookshelf-Speakers-Wenge-Finish-NEW-/170604849626?pt=UK_AudioVideoElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_HiFiSpeakers&hash=item27b8d769da

Other than that ProAc Tablettes...

Thanks pp. The Ikons look interesting, and I may have to given them serious consideration.

Yes , the plonking on shelves is an issue, but pretty much unavoidable as these are speakers for my office, which is all shelving and no space for stands. The tablettes also look an interesting proposition, but reviews I've read mention that they sound best 3' off a wall, which is a non-starter...

 

[scene]

Dan Turner:See if you can find some second hand Acoustic Energy AE1 Classics (or original AE1s). Mate of mine has these on the end of an A90 and they sound really lovely.
Look good, but could be a little too much out of budget. Hmm. Maybe I need to review the cash situation

Do you know how wall friendly they are?

 

[scene]

hifilover1979:
I agree with both recommendations above; the AE1 classics are superb speakers but so are the Dali's

Have a noset for some new or ex-demo M/A RX1's though; they'd really work well with your Arcam amp and they're only just over budget new anyways!

Yes I was wondering about something from Monitor Audio, as I'm a big fan. The thing that worried me about the rx1's was their rear port. Think that might cause issues. Assume it can be bunged, but not sure how that will impact their performance. This is one for the demo, methinks, but I fear the search continues...

[EDIT] demolish for demo? Safari autocorrect at its best

 

[Dan Turner]

scene:Dan Turner:See if you can find some second hand Acoustic Energy AE1 Classics (or original AE1s). Mate of mine has these on the end of an A90 and they sound really lovely.Look good, but could be a little too much out of budget. Hmm. Maybe I need to review the cash situation

Do you know how wall friendly they are?

They don't have the lowest bass output and are front ported so I don't think that they ought to be a problem used close to a wall. One of the good things about them is that the bass is so well handled and the rest of the frequency range so sweet that you don't really notice the lack of real low bass too much.

However I know that my mate experimented and settled on a position about 1.5' away from the rear wall as that gave the best soundstaging. In all honestly using them right near a wall isn't going to be ideal - there aren't many speakers out there that will give of their best under those circumstances, so I think you really must audition at home. I definitely think the AE1s are worth a go though if the budget can stretch.

 

[jiggyjoe]

Have a look at monitor audio's Radius range. They would work well given your intended positioning.

 

[scene]

jiggyjoe:Have a look at monitor audio's Radius range. They would work well given your intended positioning.
I suppose I've always thought of the radius range as a primarily aimed at home cinema, with the possibility of a 2.1 sub+sat set up a possibility. As a straight 2.0 setup? Hmm, I assume you're thinking of the R90HD. These only go down to 80Hz, which means they're missing a lot of bottom end, so without a sub would they really suit the rock I'm looking to use them for. There's also the bigger R180HD, which does go down to 60Hz, which is better, but at the expense of their larger size. I need to think about this, any thoughts anyone?

 

[Anonymous]

Personally I wouldnt go with the Radius speakers; they unfortunately lack a lot until the sub is partnered with them and then they come to life; in a stereo set-up; I'd deffo say no.

I know what youre saying re the M/A RX1's; they're rear firing would cause issues if they're right up against a wall.

The Acoustic Energy AE100's or the classic AE1's would work superbly; both forward firing and with a superb soundstage as well.

What about some B&W 601 S3's? Still great little speakers; forward firing and will come to life with the Arcam behind them

 

[Dan Turner]

I've got Radius 180s as the main 5 in my 7.1 home cinema set-up (the other 2 being R90s for the back L&R and the sub is a REL Quake). I have never tried them with my hifi as a stereo pair, and although they sound great with films, I'm not sure they are up to the task for main stereo duties, even with a sub.

Music bits in films sound good, but not a patch on my hifi and if i'm ever watching predominantly music based material then i'll listen via hifi instead of HC system.

That said i'll repeat that I've never tried them in stereo duties, and the difference between my hifi and HC for music is down to more than just the speakers, so I won't encourage you to dismiss them out of hand, but it's not where I'd be looking.

 

[plastic penguin]

scene:Must be accommodating and happy to live in a smallish room, speaker stands are not an option, so unfortunately speakers will have to get used to life on the shelf. Good timing and detail required, but extended listening at low volumes a must due to circumstances. Budget up to £350, secondhand considered. Serious offers only.

Have thought about ATC SCM7: they're a couple of caveats though: A) not sure about the synergy with Arcam and B) they'll probably pull the wall down.

 

[scene]

hifilover1979:
Personally I wouldnt go with the Radius speakers; they unfortunately lack a lot until the sub is partnered with them and then they come to life; in a stereo set-up; I'd deffo say no.

This is what I was thinking

I know what youre saying re the M/A RX1's; they're rear firing would cause issues if they're right up against a wall.

Exactly.

The Acoustic Energy AE100's or the classic AE1's would work superbly; both forward firing and with a superb soundstage as well.

On the shortlist, subject to budgetary constraints - not seen any below £400...

What about some B&W 601 S3's? Still great little speakers; forward firing and will come to life with the Arcam behind them

Yes, these do look interesting, and will put them on the shortlist. Wonder if I can find any way to demo them (not demolish - as earlier - good old safari!)

Thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

scene. i got my dynaudio dm 2/7s here in ireland for 600 euros, that's about £500.

i could have got the 2/6s for 500 euros, that's £420. and they have been designed to be placed close to walls or on bookshelfs.

your arcam would have no problem driving them either.

and they're whfis best speaker £300-£600

. that's some accolade..

 

[scene]

maxflinn:
scene. i got my dynaudio dm 2/7s here in ireland for 600 euros, that's about £500.

i could have got the 2/6s for 500 euros, that's £420. and they have been designed to be placed close to walls or on bookshelfs.

your arcam would have no problem driving them either.

and they're whfis best speaker £300-£600

. that's some accolade..

Thanks for that - they're a little out of the (current) budget, but I'll add them to the demo shortlist, in case I can find them cheaper, or the budget gets revised

 

[scene]

plastic penguin:
scene:Must be accommodating and happy to live in a smallish room, speaker stands are not an option, so unfortunately speakers will have to get used to life on the shelf. Good timing and detail required, but extended listening at low volumes a must due to circumstances. Budget up to £350, secondhand considered. Serious offers only.

Have thought about ATC SCM7: they're a couple of caveats though: A) not sure about the synergy with Arcam and B) they'll probably pull the wall down.

Thanks about that pp. I'll take these under advisement. The weight may not be an issue, as I'm talking about a proper bookshelf, that's supported on the floor, rather than wall-mounted shelves. So (B) isn't an issue

. (A) is something I'll have to look into....

 

[plastic penguin]

scene:plastic penguin:

scene:Must be accommodating and happy to live in a smallish room, speaker stands are not an option, so unfortunately speakers will have to get used to life on the shelf. Good timing and detail required, but extended listening at low volumes a must due to circumstances. Budget up to £350, secondhand considered. Serious offers only.

Have thought about ATC SCM7: they're a couple of caveats though: A) not sure about the synergy with Arcam and B) they'll probably pull the wall down.

Thanks about that pp. I'll take these under advisement. The weight may not be an issue, as I'm talking about a proper bookshelf, that's supported on the floor, rather than wall-mounted shelves. So (B) isn't an issue

. (A) is something I'll have to look into....

...and C) you'll need to hire a crane to hoist it into place...

 

[scene]

plastic penguin:scene:plastic penguin:

scene:Must be accommodating and happy to live in a smallish room, speaker stands are not an option, so unfortunately speakers will have to get used to life on the shelf. Good timing and detail required, but extended listening at low volumes a must due to circumstances. Budget up to £350, secondhand considered. Serious offers only.

Have thought about ATC SCM7: they're a couple of caveats though: A) not sure about the synergy with Arcam and B) they'll probably pull the wall down.

Thanks about that pp. I'll take these under advisement. The weight may not be an issue, as I'm talking about a proper bookshelf, that's supported on the floor, rather than wall-mounted shelves. So (B) isn't an issue

. (A) is something I'll have to look into....

...and C) you'll need to hire a crane to hoist it into place...

Naah, I think I can just about lift a 7kg speaker, even with my currently dodgy finger...