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Bookshelf Speaker Shootout Anyone?

J

jorftown

New Member
Looking for advice on some bookshelf speakers. I've been researching speakers for 3 months now and can't seem to pull the trigger. It's taken this long because this is my first "real" speaker purchase and I'd like to make it a good one so I can build up my system. So most everything i know is from reading threads and reviews which usually seems to lead to more questions. I'd like to stay somewhere in the $500 or lower range.

Let the shootout begin! (in no particular order)
  1. Wharfedale Denton Anniversary ($500) - initially these caught my eye because of the old school look with updated hardware. Seem to get great reviews but are rarely featured in the head-to-heads which i'm assuming is because of they're an anniversary edition and were originally $1000. Can't listen to them locally which is a bummer. Usually lean toward walnut finishes but the mahogany isn't all bad.
  2. Dali Zensor 3 ($595) - I think these look great. I've heard the Zensor 1s locally and liked them, so i can only assume the 3s are going to be better. The red driver is a plus, super unique look.
  3. KEF Q100 ($550) - I really only started looking at these because they were the upgrade choice in the Wirecutter shootout. The Zensor 1s were the winner and but these were recommended as the hands down best if you wanted to spend more money. I'll be honest the looks of these aren't my favorite but would like to hear some opinions if possible. The inline tweeter/woofer combo is intriguing, though. They are also going for $300 on amazon right now if you go with the black finish (again walnut preferred). Or for $650 upgrade to the KEF Q300.
  4. Wharfedale Diamond 220s - Initially was leaning towards these, but wasn't thrilled about the looks. It is a piece of furniture after all and I'm an architect so it's important to me.
  5. Dali Zensor 1 - Or i could save some money and go with these.
As you can see I'm all over the boards here.
All the woofers in the above speakers are made of different materials so if anyone has any comments on that I'd be interested in hearing them

Current reciever is a Denon DR-395 from 10 years ago. Eventually may upgrade to something better but for now this it.
  • 80 watts x 2 (stereo) into 8 ohms (20-20,000 Hz) at 0.08% THD
  • 4-ohm capability allows use with a wide range of speakers
  • Signal Level Divided Construction chassis
  • 3-room/2-source capability (composite video and stereo preamp outputs for 2nd and 3rd rooms)
I will be playing vinyl from my Audio Technica AT-LP120 and also CDs from a old shitty sony 5 disc changer (pretty fancy).
The room is about 12'x15' so not huge.
Maybe in the future will also buy the additional speakers to go for surround sound which makes the Dentons less attractive as nothing will match.

Anyways, thanks for listening and I appreciate any advice!!
 
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Wharfadale Denton would be my choice. Besides the Denton, from the bunch I've heard the KEF and was not impressed.
 
PR Audio said:
Wharfadale Denton would be my choice. Besides the Denton, from the bunch I've heard the KEF and was not impressed.
Click to expand...
Thanks, man! My local hifi guy finally looked into them for me and he responded "They look very similar to the Harbeth P3ESR in spec." Which i would assume is a good thing since the Harbeths seem to be top notch. I don't know how accurate his statement is, though.
 
I'd go with the Wharfedale Denton, they really are some amazing speakers. I've always been a Wharfedale fan, or as the wife puts it 'Wharfedale horder'. My go to are there XP2, love the sound and the look.
 

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jorftown said:
Thanks, man! My local hifi guy finally looked into them for me and he responded "They look very similar to the Harbeth P3ESR in spec." Which i would assume is a good thing since the Harbeths seem to be top notch. I don't know how accurate his statement is, though.
Click to expand...

Harbeth in general is among my favorite brands...The Wharfedale have that signature warm British sound that I like so much, but that is my preference.
 
Where do you live that the choices seem to be Euro-centric?
For your budget, I'd put some JBL Studio or Control Monitors on a short list. They can be had with nice Walnut veneer and will probably "out-shoot" anything on your current list. If the sound isn't appealing to you. you could flip them quickly.
 
JoeESP9 said:
The only way to actually research speakers is to listen to them. Anything else is just speculation.
Click to expand...


So, the OP narrowed his choice of speakers down to five different models. How do you suggest he would
then go about listening to them?

What about the concept that speakers sound better when broken in?

Also, could we possibly come up with a term, possibly including non-violence, when speaking of comparisons?
 
CKDC said:
So, the OP narrowed his choice of speakers down to five different models. How do you suggest he would
then go about listening to them?

What about the concept that speakers sound better when broken in?

Also, could we possibly come up with a term, possibly including non-violence, when speaking of comparisons?
Click to expand...

The only way to listen to them is to make the effort and visit an audio dealer or two.

Speaker break in is mostly debatable with the exception of Magneplanars. They are widely acknowledged to need a +40 hour break in.

Comparing speakers is just that. The prospective buyer listens to a selection of speakers using his/her own material and decides which one he/she likes the best. No new term is necessary.
 
What if someone does not have access to an audio dealer or two?

Will the audio showroom sound like one's listening room?

I read a lot of comments hear from seemingly knowledgeable people who mention break-in as a fact.

I was referring to the term "shootout." Don't we have enough violence? Can we just call it a comparison?

In my opinion, when one asks for help choosing speakers, it is pretty much a shot in the dark. Hopefully there is someone out there that has spent time with a speaker in question and can provide some input. (I am somewhat amused when people ask the random question of "what speaker should I buy" without providing any further input. To me the answers are often sillier... like there is going to be the recommended speaker readily available on the local Craigslist.)

I have inquired with individual here about some audio gear for me. I did a search and found people here that mentioned having them. Those guys have no idea what my listening situation is but where happy to give their input... just what I was asking for. In both cases, it worked out well for me. I appreciate it when someone takes the time to help me out rather than blowing off a request.

IMO, in order to make the a good decision, one does have to listen to a speaker in one's own environment. But the cost of shipping makes this somewhat prohibitive. The cost of shipping on 5 sets of speakers would make the purchase of speakers even more daunting. It seems to me, asking for an informed opinion seems more viable than possibly traveling possibly some distance to an audio showroom or two. (If I were to drop five figures on audio gear, I would definitely hit the road. I would not do that for gear in the three figure range.) Asking for informed opinions also seems like a better way to find out about speakers than having multiple sets of speakers shipped to one's home.
 
My informed opinion might be drastically different from another opinion equally as well informed. There are people on AK whose opinion I can count on because I know their taste is similar to mine but there are others here whose opinion would make me run in another direction. And it takes a little time around here to get an idea of what's what and who's who.

Then in threads like this you have people who haven't heard the speakers specifically in question but who offer opinions anyway. And people who offer unsolicited opinions from left field ("What's the best small bookshelf speaker"---answer---"Buy Bozak Concert Grands").

Some people might be better off to simply buy the best speakers they have an opportunity to hear and not worry about what they can't hear. Or to buy online from companies with a liberal return policy.
 
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Tom Brennan said:
My informed opinion might be drastically different from another opinion equally as well informed. There are people on AK whose opinion I can count on because I know their taste is similar to mine but there are others here whose opinion would make me run in another direction. And it takes a little time around here to get an idea of what's what and who's who.

Then in threads like this you have people who haven't heard the speakers specifically in question but who offer opinions anyway. And people who offer unsolicited opinions from left field ("What's the best small bookshelf speaker"---answer---"Buy Bozak Concert Grands").

Some people might be better off to simply buy the best speakers they have an opportunity to hear and not worry about what they can't hear. Or to buy online from companies with a liberal return policy.
Click to expand...

I couldn't have said it better.

As someone who has ridden the train from Philadelphia to New Hope, Wilmington, New York and Washington DC to audition gear I don't buy the excuse that there are no accessible dealers. Sure, a dealer's room isn't your room. It is however, a good indicator as to whether a given piece of gear deserves an in home audition.
 
Hey guys,
I pulled the trigger (hope that wasn't too violent a phrase) on the Dentons today! Should get here in a few days.
To be honest, this was my initial gut choice so I'm excited to finally get to hear them.
From all the reviews I read and the comments about the "warm British sound" I think they're gonna be perfect.
I did listen to the Harbeths and was very impressed, so if they are similar in any way, I'm gonna love them.
Also, this will be replacing my mid-century Zenith console that we listen to the radio on, so maybe I can retain some of that warmth.

I'll post when I give them a listen.

Thanks again for all the comments!
 
Jerftown, it's now Februrary 4th 2016, I figure you have had enough listening to those Dentons to let us know what you think of them! So....what do you think?
 
Guys,
I'm loving these dentons!! They sound great and they look great!
I'm positive this was the way to go. They did well at the New Year's Eve party, too.
Been getting tons of compliments on them.
The bass is more than enough and the highs sound crisp too. I've been listening to range of music from rock, classical, hip hop, to classic country and they deliver great sound across the boards.
I have cmu walls with plaster, so lots of hard surface, and they fill the whole house.
I'd recommend these to anyone looking for an affordable but kickass set of bookshelf speakers!
Apologies for not having more technical descriptions, I just know I love em.
 
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