Good speaker options abound at $300

Q I'm building a sound system to listen exclusively to classical music and opera. I already own an 8-inch Polk subwoofer and need some advice on which $300 bookshelf speakers to use with them. Do you think replacing my small satellite speakers with bookshelf speakers will yield a higher quality listening experience?

MATTHEW FINKE, STATE COLLEGE, PA.

A You are definitely on the right track. Bookshelf speakers are the best compromise between size and sound, delivering a full midrange that tiny speakers lack while taking up less space than tower speakers. Paired with your subwoofer, such speakers will give you full-range sound, and even without a subwoofer good bookshelf units still sound satisfying. For best results, put them on speaker stands.

Start your search with the $298-a-pair Axiom Audio M2v2. The M2v2 has clear, full, dynamic sound that works well with all kinds of music. Based in Canada, Axiom (www.axiomaudio.com) sells directly to consumers and has become legendary for top quality, great service and one of the best websites in the business.

Paradigm (www.paradigm.com), another Canadian manufacturer, sells only through audio specialty shops, so you can hear them before you buy -- a rarity these days. The $250-a-pair Paradigm Atom Monitor has long been the darling of the audio press and is often considered the place to start if you want high-end sound. The Atoms sound warmer than the Axioms, so if a warm, pleasing sound is what you are after, these are a great choice.

I have recommended Acculine speakers from the Audio Insider enthusiastically for years, but recently they were discontinued. Acculine speakers used an exotic leaf tweeter usually found only in speakers costing several thousand dollars or more. The clarity, detail and purity of their sound must be heard to be appreciated. At the original $249 per pair asking price, the Acculine A1 bookshelf speakers were an incredible value. The cabinets were plain looking, but the sound certainly was not.

The Acculine concept of exotic technology at affordable prices will soon return under a new name. Sometime early next year, the Audio Insider (www.theaudioinsider.com) will introduce Arx speakers, which use leaf tweeter technology combined with, as the company puts it, "bass technology just as radical as its treble technology." I was told prices will hold the line, which means the Arx bookshelf speaker will sell for around $249 a pair, the towers and center channel a bit more. If you do not need speakers right away, you might want to learn more about these before you buy.

If some readers find these recommendations too pricey, there is still hope. One of the most cost-effective product recommendations is the Insignia NS-B2111 bookshelf speaker, available at Best Buy for only $90 a pair. They are attractively styled and finished. At normal listening volumes, they sound just great.

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