"fan" wrote in message
...
What are the best bookshelf speakers for under $400? The speakers are
to be used in a home environment for stereo and TV.

I have heard good things about Bose speakers, and I know that Yamaha
NS-10M's are the standard for studio mix-downs. However, I don't know
whether either the Bose or the NS-10M's are the best for under $400.

As for the Bose- I don't believe that any Bose is a bad speaker, as any
speaker today sounds OK if you are not particular or critical. It's just
that if you wish to get the most value for the money the Bose brand is not
one I would consider. In my experience over 24 years in the stereo business
all of the good things you hear about Bose are from Bose ads or from people
who have believed Bose ads. As for Yamaha, I haven't heard or heard about
the NS-10M, so have no opinion.
Hers's the deal - for any price speaker you get a choice of a mix of
colorations and/or limitations, and you must choose which ones please you
most on average for what you listen to and how you listen. $400 is not a
lot of money for a pair of good speakers so you will have to accept more
colorations/limitations. If what you are you at willing to accept is
limited SPL and limited deep bass there are very positive things said about
the Monitor Audio Bronze 2's and the Quad 11L. But there are many other fine
speakers that might suit you as well or better than these. The problem I
see is that you seem to be trying to make a choice based on words on a
computer monitor screen instead of which ones have a sound quality that
suits your tastes. You seem likely to do one of two things: pick a speaker
based on positive words on your screen, or give up and pick a speaker based
on a large online discount.
May I suggest a third way? Find a local audio store with a selection
of better brands and use a combination of their advice and your ears to
choose a speaker that does the things well that you value, and forget about
finding the "best". You may have to pay retail price, but in my opinion its
better to pay more for something you will enjoy for years than to get a
great deal on something that does not satisfy.

Wylie Williams
The Speaker and StereoStore

P.S.- Yes, I am in the stereo business but I am not soliciting your
business. I sell only in my local market, Saint Louis Missouri. I just
enjoy 2 channel and sometimes I try to give advice. ww