Pioneer SP-BS22-LR Andrew Jones Designed Bookshelf Loudspeakers and Amazon Basics 16-Gauge Speaker Wire - 100 Feet Bundle

My initial experience with the SB22's did not go well. The first shipment arrived in a box that had clearly been dropped by FedEx. Cosmetically, the speakers were okay, but after hooking them up, it was clear something was wrong with one (the one, it so happens, that was on the side of the smashed box corner). So I took a flashlight and looked through the port hole in the back of the offending speaker and, lo and behold, a piece of insulation was dangling there, along with a wire. That explained the noise issue. So, I generated and RMA, and Amazon dispatched a replacement pair, along with a prepaid return label. (Long story short: "Boo, FedEx. Yay, Amazon!")Luckily, the ever-dependable UPS delivered the replacements in an immaculate box. I pulled out the new pair and everything was in order. Now I had a chance to listen to them properly.Wow. I was thrilled. For less than $100 a pair (when Amazon has them on sale, which is frequently), you simply cannot buy a better bookshelf speaker. (Okay, I've read that the Micca MB42Xs are great, too. But I haven't heard them, and the indications are that the Miccas are, at best, equal to the Pioneers.)These Pioneer's are definitely not studio monitors. If you want the most neutral speaker, that might not be ideal. But for everyday listening, that's probably a good thing. (All speakers have their own character, after all.) In the BS22s, there's a subtle bit of upper-high roll-off, as noted in some reviews, but that makes the speaker sound a bit "warmer" and makes them less fatiguing for long listening. The midrange is excellent. To a certain extent, I could hear the subtle "boxiness" in some male vocals on these speakers that a few reviewers have dinged the BS22s for. But it's very subtle, and paired with an amp or receiver that reproduces mids well, this (very minor) "boxiness" disappears. The bass is incredibly tight and robust for bookshelf speakers. Stunning, really. Using them in nearfield listening, I had to debate if I really wanted a sub. (Eventually, I did go for it, picking up the matching SW-8MK2 when it was on sale for $95 on Amazon. It's an excellent addition.)In short, these are excellent bookshelf speakers for the price.***Update 8/22/14***The BS22/SW8-MKII combination has broken in nicely over weeks of intensive listening. In fact, I was so thrilled with them that I snatched up another SW8-MKII and the Pioneer FS52s when they went on sale on Amazon. Once again, I have no regrets on the purchase. They are fantastic speakers for the price.Reading through the more skeptical reviews, I think there are two genuine criticisms worth addressing, and one general point to be noted:1.) As I mentioned in my first review, the highs in both the BS22s and the FS52 (perhaps moreso in the FS52s, though I haven't listened to them enough to break them in yet) sound a bit "rolled off." Now, they don't sound muffled, and it's not clear to me that they're actually "rolled off." (Frequency response graphs that accompany several online reviews seem to indicate the high end is fairly accurate in these speakers.) The highs on these Pioneer's are very, very smooth, which is notable if you're used to a very bright speaker. At first, a bright speaker might sound better, because it grabs you more. But on long listening, you're going to prefer the one with the smoother high end. This is particularly true if you're listening to MP3s, even high birate ones. The "digital harshness" people talk about when it comes to "lossy" formats like MP3s is usually most easily heard in things like acoustic guitar string plucks or symbol crashes. The DAC you use (in your receiver, amp, or external box) will, of course, affect the extent of this harshness, but, all else equal, I find that the Pioneer speakers are very, very forgiving on digital music (even as, like all good speakers, they reveal limitations in poorly recorded albums, regardless of bitrate or format). The Pioneers eliminate much of the digital harshness, in part, because the highs on these speakers are so smooth. So, while these speakers might not satisfy those who prefer a very bright speaker, if you don't have strong feelings on the issue, you won't be sorry buying the Pioneers.2.) Many call the sub the "weak link" in this system. Don't believe it. Or, if you do, realize that it comes with a very big asterisk. This is a great sub for the price. Very tight and musical. (It's not bloated or flabby like a lot of -- actually, nearly all -- budget subs.) Now, if you're looking for a deep-reaching sub to use for movies -- one that will rattle the fillings out of your teeth during explosions -- this sub will definitely disappoint you. However, if you want a nice musical sub that will blend in with these speakers, you're going to love it.3.) Finally, it's worth remembering that a lot of the "these speakers are overrated" reviews on Amazon are coming from audiophiles who are used to $1k+ speakers. This is actually a compliment. Why? Because these are the people who would normally not even consider rating sub-$100 speakers. These Pioneer's are astounding in that they've received glowing reviews from publications that rarely pay attention to "budget" equipment, let along fawn over said budget equipment. (And, as mentioned above, you can look at the frequency response graphs in many of these audiophile magazine reviews to see that, despite some Amazon reviewers' protests, these are very well-balanced and accurate speakers.) I have no doubt, though, that the audiophiles used to McIntosh equipment and the like who bought these Pioneers as a throwaway whim might not think they live up to the highest of high end speakers. But isn't that actually a compliment that these Pioneers are even being evaluated alongside such expensive gear?!? I think so. Quite simply, many speakers that cost hundreds of dollars (let alone those that can be had for less than $100) sound awful. Just go into a local big-box electronics store and sample some. Their limitations are apparent very, very quickly. That's not the case with these Pioneers. Are they perfect? Of course not. But they're amazing for the money, and for the vast majority of people -- even budget audiophiles -- these are speakers that you're going to be very, very happy with.

Had a much more expensive pair of Andrew Jones speakers -- the (as of March 2019) fairly new Elac Debut 2.0 6.5" mids speakers which usually run $250-300 outside of sales. Researching one of these pairs often leads to the other and you wonder whether the price difference is worthwhile. I sold the Elacs and got these instead... Why?The Elacs sounded good in the sense of being extremely clear, with tiny details audible and a sense that you weren't missing a single thing except subwoofer-level bass. However, the Elacs were, to my ears, "neutral" to a fault. They didn't engage or excite me... regardless of volume or material, the hairs on my arms didn't stand up like when I listen to my big standing speakers (I have the 8" RP-280F Klipsch Reference Premier towers on a nice amp in another room). Though impressed in my head with the Elac's sound, after testing a variety of music I didn't find myself eager to keep playing more. I also tried some music and games and, once again, they were detailed, complete, and competent. A little bass, blended in almost so you had to think to notice it. Especially on sale, they'd probably be good hobby-level studio monitors... "Clinical" might be the right word, not meant in a negative way. Just not what my ears were seeking.The Pioneers, in contrast, were surprisingly warm and engaging. Not trying to exaggerate -- to be clear they were far short of, say, my big towers (or my tower's bookshelf-sized brothers which are also at a much higher price than the Pioneers). But this is one of the most reasonably priced speaker sets to ever give me goosebumps. They made my wife and I turn and smile at each other and we had to turn up the volume and try more songs. I also found the Pioneers to be more flexible. For my application, the speakers would be only a few feet from my ears at moderate volume and I found these to sound much more "natural" (not like an artificial speaker), and with a wider sweet spot, than the bulkier Elacs. Always found myself angling and moving my head level to get center-stage on the Elacs.My real hangup with the Elacs was something most of you won't care about, but led me to something you might care about in the Pioneer. Packaging. The drivers in the Elacs have a MUCH nicer and more complicated mounting system and in general a much more premium fit/finish/look than the Pioneers -- on cabinet alone, the Elacs make the Pioneers look like garage sale home-mades. The Elac's drivers are not perfect circles but are custom-fitted shapes with finished trim and premium small hex head screws, and fancy hard metal mesh over the tweeters. I wanted to port the drivers, bass ports, and internal crossovers/fill to a home-made enclosure and the Elacs would have required woodworking beyond my skill. So I saw the Pioneers with their basic circular mounts and easy, exposed screws and made the switch. My Elacs were a $150 sale buy and the Pioneers were $95.Luckily for me, not only were the Pioneers perfect for my custom project with their more old-fashioned cabinet design, I was pleased and surprised how much better they suited my taste. No knock on the Elacs which no doubt many people might prefer or have better ears to appreciate subtle qualities, but if words like "warm", "energetic," and "engaging" describe what you enjoy in a speaker, I would recommend trying a pair of these before you invest in the more expensive Elacs which are closer to $300 outside a sale... or before you try just about anything over $100!------CONTEXT since sound is so subjective:- Elacs and Pioneers tested with same music, powered by same amp (Audio Engine N22, class AB amp) with same fat-gauge cables- Both tested at desktop listening range and across the room (Pioneers also later tested once drivers/crossover circuits ported into a home-made enclosure above a bed, in which they still sound awesome playing ocean noise at night and music as a morning alarm!)- Both tested with CD-quality lossless audio and a few 96/24 lossless tracks, plus random Blurays and PC games. PC >> USB 96/24 DAC set to full quality with no software enhancements >> 3.5mm cable >> N22 amp >> 12ga home-made wiring >> speakers- My favorite home speakers are Klipsch Reference Premier, I've had a variety of cheaper theater and car audio from brands like Harmon Kardon, AudioEngine, Sennheiser, etc. On most systems, I find myself leaving crossovers and bass adjustments at neutral (or bumped just enough to hear the sub kick in) and treble neutral or just a notch above neutral. I have a variety but my favorite test tracks are mostly classic rock.- Tested both speakers with and without various subs I have around the house- Included a photo of my custom overhead enclosure in case you were curious but my observations were made with the original cabinets.------SUMMARY:- Elacs: much nicer looking/built, heavy and serious looking, crystal clear, neutral and 100% competent. Don't notice highs or lows, subtle and blended. No fatigue except sometimes forget they're playing. Very oddly-shaped (though nicely-made) driver enclosures if you are the .00001% of people wanting to steal hardware for a home design.- Pioneers: warmer, hairs on arms stood up, wanted to listen to more! Bass has a little more "presence," more noticeable than Elacs, still well blended/balanced. No fatigue from tweeters. Acceptable looking, curve case is eye-catching, but definitely lower-tier fit and finish and not space efficient though smaller/lighter than Elacs. Vinyl wrap about on par with way more expensive Klipsch Reference Premiers, both are subpar vs. Elac's tight finish. Easy to steal Pioneer's guts for another cabinet.-----END. WHAT I SOLD / KEPT:I wouldn't have complained owning the Elacs at $150 sale/pair but got lucky to get the $95 Pioneers... To my surprise, the Pioneers are my kind of speaker! Even vs. my steal on the Elacs, these are STILL a steal.

Bom produto e entrega no prazo informado. O inconveniente é ter sido faturado duas vezes por má informação no site no momento da compra e ter sido entregue em duplicidade, o que gerou transtorno, ainda sem solução no momento deste comentário.

Good build and finish on this price point.Sound is good, bass is strong and good high..Expected little more open sound, hope it will open up more after sometime.

Produto muito bom. Excelente acabamento e som.

Bocinas de Repisa SP-BS22-LRCarácter: Neutro, sin enfatizar en particular ningún rango de frecuencias.Sonido general: Sonido natural, con buen balance y rango de frecuencias muy amplio, excelente para escuchar cualquier tipo de música.Agudos: Presentes y bien definidos pero suaves, no hay cansancio al escucharlos por horas.Medios: Impresionantemente naturales y fieles, los mejores que he oído en productos de cualquier rango de precio.Graves: Muy buenos sin ser excelentes, aunque debo decir que difícilmente encontrarás mejores graves en bocinas de este tamaño.Crossover: A los 3kHz impecable integración del woofer y el tweeter, imperceptible transición entre graves y agudos.Respuesta de frecuencia: Plana, una de las mejores gráficas de respuesta de frecuencia que he visto, desde abajo de los 60Hz hasta casi los 20kHz se mantiene prácticamente horizontal, esto difícilmente lo encontrarás en cualquier otra bocina sin importar su precio.Sensibilidad: 85dB/2.83V/m. Baja eficiencia pero se compensa subiendo un poco más el volumen.Potencia: 80watts, suficientes para llenar de sonido un ambiente 20m2Calidad: Excelente calidad en acabados, gabinete, componentes y por supuesto sonido.Valor precio: El mejor valor por tu dinero, no encontrarás otro producto que te dé más por tu dinero.Información útil antes de comprarSubwoofer SW-8MK2Carácter: Más enfocado a aplicación musical que para efectos sonoros de un teatro en casa.Sonido general: Sonido suave bajos agradables y naturales, no es muy explosivo ni ruidoso, es más bien afinado, preciso y natural.Tamaño de bocina: 8 pulgadas.Rango de Frecuencias: De 38Hz a 150HzCrossover: Ajustable de 40Hz a 150kHz.Control de fase: De 0° y 180°.Potencia: 100watts máximo, suficientes para llenar de sonido un ambiente 20m2Calidad: Muy buena calidad en acabados, gabinete, componentes y por supuesto sonido.Valor precio: El mejor valor por tu dinero si lo que ponderas es el sonido natural, por encima del ruido y las explosiones.

Yes, I've read a million reviews - all glowing - of these speakers. One thing I was expecting, from many comments, was that they were larger and ugly. Well, they're smaller than I expected and certainly not ugly - although they are larger than and not as pretty as my Mordaunt-Short Carnaval Ones which were three times the price. The curvy box is attractive in fact. Sure, they're not finished in piano lacquer but I like that. I hate paying for ridiculously expensive finishing for products that are not improved by it (a common issue with the hi-fi industry) - speakers don't sound better when they're prettier. Well, maybe our eyes tell you they do! I do have the advantage of not having to please a finicky wife which, from what I've read, can be frustrating for many audiophiles! :) Anyway, these are very impressive, I've been breaking them in and they've mellowed a bit already. They are a bass shy so they need some backup from a woofer for a better movie experience. Seems redundant to go on after all the press these speakers have received from more experienced listeners than myself so if you're space-challenged and looking for good, affordable speakers you can use with you TV, music system or even with your computer (with the affordable Lepy/Lepai amp for example - this would make a great dorm system), just Google them and you'll get all the info you need. They are everything you'll read about.