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Bookshelf speakers that will fit and work well on a bookshelf.

Rega Kytes may be worth trying. Many find them better balanced up against a wall. I have a pair, but haven't tried them out in that position.
 
mandryka said:
Hello

I want a pair of speakers to sit on a bookshelf, no more than 12" high. They'll be like book ends! Right up against the wall. I intend to drive them with a Quad 303, and either a passive preamp or a Quad 33. I listen mostly to very small scale classical music, so I don't need a thumping bass.

I haven't thought about budget really, but something around the £500 mark would be fine.

Any suggestions?
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A bit low brow & cheap looking but you wouldn't go far wrong with a pair of Wharfedale diamond 8.1, sound their best when placed this way & have a sound quality far beyond their meagre price tag.

They measure 18cm deep, 30cm high & 20cm wide with a front firing port.
You can grab a pair for £30, nothing to lose really.
 
Rogers Studio 3 would fit your budget s/h. Will certainly work against a wall, but keep them out of corners. Same cabinet as LS3/5-A
 
Ragaman said:
A bit low brow & cheap looking but you wouldn't go far wrong with a pair of Wharfedale diamond 8.1, sound their best when placed this way & have a sound quality far beyond their meagre price tag.

They measure 18cm deep, 30cm high & 20cm wide with a front firing port.
You can grab a pair for £30, nothing to lose really.
Click to expand...
Good suggestion, they're even in London so I don't have to pay the delivery costs. And they'll at least tide me over until an affordable more desirable pair arrive on the market.
 
Sourced some speakers for a friend to this exact requirement. Got a pair of JPW Sonatas late 80s LS3/5A beaters cases made in Dartmoor prison woodwork shop.
They sound pretty good, rave reviews on the web, and cost under £80 including delivery
 
When I lived in Italy, I had my Kans on a large bookshelf, fully loaded with books : they worked surprisingly well (driven by my Onix OA21).
 
I'd second looking for a pair of Kans. I have an original pair of 1981 Mk 1 Kans, which I've owned from new. Over the years, they've been in many different rooms, mainly on the recommended stands, driven at times by all sorts of amps - at one point I had a Yamaha AS-3000 on loan, bigger and twice the weight of both the speakers together. I've never had them sounding so good as they are now, on enclosed Ikea shelves like the ones in this link: http://www.americanhwy.us/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/wall-desk-ikea-ainove.jpg. They are used to provide sound for the TV/DVD player, and are driven by an old Technics amp from the late 80's an SU-X301. At 303mm high they fit in as they have been designed for the shelves, and they work really well. They can almost be disconcerting at times as the classical music clips on quiz programmes like University Challenge are so room filling that you forget to try to answer the questions!
 
The Warfdale diamonds have arrived, they're set up with a good amp and good DAC. They sound slightly better than a decent transistor radio. You suddenly realise why you spend so much time and money and effort on decent hifi, I suspect the Warfdales won't be here for long.
 
Not sure a 303 will drive Kans, should you now consider that route... might need a bit more oomph...
 
JR149s tick all the boxes and can be found in decent condition for under £500 with a little patience, e.g. what look like a decent pair here (which have the cheek to use my measurements without asking permission!) and you are there under-budget.
 
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Ah, didn’t spot that bit! I susect there may be some Neats and Royds that would fit, though most are ported which likely won’t help.

Some speakers, e.g. ARs, Celestion Dittons etc were frequently used on their sides to fit on bookselves to the extent the grille logos actually rotate. As such I’d be inclined to shortlist a few of the 1970s sealed boxes, Ditton 11, 15, the smaller RAMs, AR 6, 7 etc, though the latter will need refoaming and make sure the tweeters work!
 
Yes, was thinking on their sides with the Ditton 11s, also I have seen mint pairs go for £50!
 
KEF C10s were specifically designed to work on a bookshelf and nowhere else iirc. Robust little boxes and, to my ears at least, delightful in their intended role. They are cheap as chips on eBay so, if something goes wrong, it is easy to find donors for parts.
 
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