Need bookshelf speakers!?

Question

I have a Onkyo stereo receiver TX-8011 and Paradigm Atoms. Setup is okay but I'm not happy with the sound sometimes.
It is great with certain tracks but lacks clarity in others. I understand that Atoms are used as rear speakers in their home theater kits. Thats the mistake i did. It has very good bass and brings out more in vocals.

The music isn't very detailed. Treble is bright and little harsh when volume is cranked up beyond 40%. Drums and guitars sound good but it lacks that final details.

I just want a better pair of speakers for music.

Will Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 or the Polk RTi4 be better?

Answer 1

Hi. Generally speaking most British loudspeakers are fairly neutral sounding meaning they don't emphasise any of the frequency range they are capable of reproducing. They are able to faithfully reproduce the sound of all musical instruments and all types of music from jazz to classical which is the sign of a good speaker..I am still using a pair of Rogers Loudspeakers i purchased in 1984 because i have not heard anything better.They were made in England.

The Warfedale Diamond 9.1 are very good speakers.They got a very good review in Stereophile. KEF also make accurate bookshelf speakers.Other British manufacturers are Harbeth,Linn,Lowther,Martin Audio,Mission,Mordaunt-Short
Naim,Proac,Spendor and Tannoy.
Try to listen to a few of them in case you hear something better than the Wharfedale unless of course you like the warfedale sound.

The Polk RTi4 surprisingly also was given a good review in Stereophile.

It appears both speakers excell in sound quality for a modest price.So it comes down to you. You have to decide which sound you prefer.They are both excellent bookshelf speakers but they will both have their 'sonic signature"that tells them apart. So choose the one that sounds best to your ears.

I can tell you are a serious listener. I don't come across many in this section who understand the rules of high fidelity sound reproduction. A lot of them break all the rules when it comes to putting their sound system together.

Answer 2

Look into NHT, Dynaudio, and pricier Paradigms for better sound quality. The advantage of sticking with Paradigm is that you can move the Atoms to the rear, and use the better front and center speakers for the bulk of the sound reproduction.