The best bookshelf speakers you have heard?
Can you please give your maximum budget and the brands you have access to eg. Musical Fidelity, Sugden, Leema, Electrocompaniet, Pathos, Kef, Sonus Faber, Opera, Proac, PMC etc etc
Audio Note Speakers and amplification
regards
The best bookshelf speakers I have heard are the Kef Reference 201/2, the B&W PM1's, and the Spendor SA1's (which I own and love). The Kefs were being run by Cyrus Pre Power, dunno with the B&W's, and I run my Spendors off a Cyrus DacXP+ and X Power.
I started another thread looking for bookshelf speaker and ampflifier recommendations, after demo'ing a number going up to the B&W 805D.
I'm wondering what are the best and which amp was driving them?
Hi delhk
The finest overall bookshelf speakers which i've heard are ATC's SCM19 monitors. I've used different amplification with SCM19's such as Naim NAP 250, Plinius Hiato, Krell FPB600, ATC SIA2-150 MK2, Anthem MRX 700, Chord Electronics SPM3005, Electrompaniet AW250, etc.
Fwiw, i also feel that SCM19 monitors are probably the finest VFM passive bookshelf speakers currently available on the market regardless of price.
All the best
Rick @ Musicraft
Musicraft (Derby), Specialist Hi-Fi/AV & Multimedia Dealer
good accurate audio monitoring and good sound reproduction to all 
The AL1s. Alternatively the baby Harbeths.
Audio Note Speakers and amplification
regards
Totally agree.....but this will take the OP on a very different journey (SET amps, NOS Dacs and "Classic Snell Design" speakers)....though it's well worth the effort, if he's intrepid enough.
I owned a pair of Spendor SA-1 and they are wonderful especially on vocals. The only drawback is lacking of low frequencies but you can always use a good quality subwoofer to boost up the loss in LF. Please also bear in mind that the HF of SA-1 is rolled off by a bit which makes the sound very warm and pleasant to your ears.
The best, that you can readily buy, that I have heard at length, given a suitable room and amplification were the ATC SCM10, with the SCM7's just behind.
As above but my favourite but I have not seen any other than my pair are the Keesonic Kolt. Sounded lovely with tube amps (Decware Zen, Radford STA-15, Audion Sterling and Audionote Oto) if you dont mind the lack of head-banging volumes.
Out of all the bookshelf speakers I've heard my absolute favourites are the B&W PM1 and the PMC DB1i. I probably wouldn't change my 685s for the PMCs now, but I'd certainly take a pair of PM1s without any hesitation if I could afford them. Wonderful speakers.
The best pound-for-pound standmounters I've heard are the PMC DB1i, but this is dependent on the OPs amp/budget.
I quite like Spendor SA-1s but the lack of bass is a problem to me. I wouldn't want to spend £1800 or so on speakers and stands and then fork out for a sub.
One of the best I've heard, at the silly end of the price scale, was a pair of Wilson Benesch speakers. Can't remember the model (probably about 5 years ago) but they retailed close on £3k. They were connected to a Roksan Caspian preamp and monoblocs and, seem to remember, Bryston CDP. Blew me away.
PMC DB1i
KEF LS50
Dynaudio Focus 160
Hi CnoEvil, My previous post is http://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/nad-c390dd-or-naim-supernait-and-which-bookshelf-speakers
Budget is around 4,000 new or used, right now I'm looking at Naim Supernait or Nad C390dd with Kef LS50, B&W PM1, B&W 805D or Monitor Audio PL100
Would prefer an amp with a DAC so i can stream or use a PS3 as a transport, but must be able to take a pre out from an AV Amp so volume can be controlled from my Onkyo 818
Speakers need to have a matching centre as this will be part of a 7.1 system
Movies vs Music 65/35% and Music taste covers everything from Rap to Rock to Opera
.......................................
But that being said, there is an amazing breadth and depth of knowledge on this board so interested to hear peoples experiences, as whilst trying the Nad C390 the distributor had a Danish brand with stand mounts selling for 13k. Floorstanders can be unlimited size, design and budget but stand mounters are inherently limited by form factor so its interesting to see peoples opinions......thanks all for your contribution 
I started another thread looking for bookshelf speaker and ampflifier recommendations, after demo'ing a number going up to the B&W 805D.
I'm wondering what are the best and which amp was driving them?
Hi delhk
The finest overall bookshelf speakers which i've heard are ATC's SCM19 monitors. I've used different amplification with SCM19's such as Naim NAP 250, Plinius Hiato, Krell FPB600, ATC SIA2-150 MK2, Anthem MRX 700, Chord Electronics SPM3005, Electrompaniet AW250, etc.
Fwiw, i also feel that SCM19 monitors are probably the finest VFM passive bookshelf speakers currently available on the market regardless of price.
All the best
Rick @ Musicraft
Hi Rick, thanks for the recommendation i will give them a demo
I started another thread looking for bookshelf speaker and ampflifier recommendations, after demo'ing a number going up to the B&W 805D.
I'm wondering what are the best and which amp was driving them?
Onkyo 818, MA BX2 Front, MA Bronze Centre, MA C265 FX Rear and back, Velodyne DD12+ Sub