Pioneer SP-BS41-LR 2 CH Bookshelf Loudspeakers Pair

Pros: I'm a budget audiophile, and had read some professional reviews of these. So when I saw them for such a low price, I bought a pair for the garage. But first, I set them up properly in my listening room on stands, broke them in for a day, then gave them a listen. While they don't really compare to my reference speakers (they'd better not at that price!), they come unreasonably close. Here's my review: Imaging is generally good, but not pinpoint precise. But certainly better than in most mass-market bookshelf speakers. Frequency response is also good, and the bass is both well-defined and deep. Pretty solid response down to ~35hz in my setup. Vocals tend to be a bit forward (which I like), but not harsh or brash. Tweets are nice; not overly analytical, very listenable. My overall impression is one of vastly higher competence than can be explained at this price. Physical appearance, fit/finish and feel are nice. They're not exactly stylish or stunning, but there is a certain beauty to be seen in the engineering and design of such an affordable, yet functional and , loudspeaker.

Cons: Ummmmm...Hmmmm...trying hard to think of any serious criticism. I can't come up with anything at all that would be fair. I could nitpick them on insignificant details, but I can't think of anything bad to say, really. So styling. Yup. That's what's wrong with these. They don't look like thousand-dollar speakers.

Overall Review: It's not that these are perfect. It's just that the imperfections and design/engineering compromises are completely livable, listenable, and inconsequential. Most people will never need more speaker than this, and even most audiophiles will be able to listen to these without cringing. I currently own similar size bookshelf speakers from several niche audiophile brands which cost me from a few hundred to about a grand, and these mass-produced, plain-looking Pioneer (!) speakers are not only competitive, they're my favorites! Almost makes me cry thinking about how much I've spent on all the others. The value here is simply astounding.

Pros: The best feature is that they have incredible pitch definition and excellent separation of individual instruments and vocals without being overly analytic. They respond very well to amplifier control and don't easily lose their composure when pushed hard and despite their bookshelf speaker status, there's some usable sound down at 31.5Hz so put on that Saint-Saens Organ Symphony #3 and have at it!

Cons: Their presentation is bit laid back (a nice way of saying that the transients can often be a bit slow) but they present without being dull so this isn't really a con.... however, there is a chance that despite their ability to play loudly, they are not the best when it comes to dynamic range (although this will likely change over time as they break in).

Overall Review: Every once in a great while, a speaker company does everything right. There was the Radio Shack Minimus 7, the NHT Super Zero, the Infinity Primus 150 and now, the Pioneer SP-BS41-LR. Despite only having had them for several hours, they came alive after about only 20 minutes and have just become better and better. In comparison, to my Infinity Primus 150's, the SP-BS41-LR has superior overall musicality (with symphonic material) and didn't need subwoofer but the Primus 150 has far better vocals. In comparison to my Infinity P152's, the SP-BS41-LR is far superior in every category. In comparison to my Insignia NS-B2111's, the SP-BS41-LR easily bests them in every category except for dynamic range. The 41 sounds very much like is the B&W DM302 but unlike the B&W, it NEVER gets screechy or congested when played to it's limit. And now the bad... If you're looking for soundstage, you won't get it with these speakers. They also have a tiny sweet spot so placement can be an issue (my listening room is 12x16). I found them best at a listening distance of around 7 feet. I don't recommend this speaker for critical listening but if you want to just sit down and enjoy many hours of non-fatiguing music, this is one of the best ever. (It should be noted that since speakers are mechanical like the engine of a car, I expect that these speakers will become better over time and will likely become far better than they are as of this writing.)

Pros: I own the SP-BS21-LR series also, the little brothers. Figured I would get these for my garage with the $70 sale and all. They are pulling duty in another room with a vintage Pioneer receiver at the moment. These have the incredible clarity and separation plus reach lower frequencies thanks to the larger woofer and the rear port design. Movie goers might want the sub to fill in the bottom end a bit but these get almost all of the low end done. They would make a killer 2.1 setup. The 21's could use more bottom end, but for me, the 41's just get it done. I'm rethinking about putting these in the garage, they are that nice. Maybe I'll just get another set!

Cons: Pretty good sized for book shelves. If you want to wall mount, might have to get creative.

Overall Review: More than happy with these.

Pros: They sound fantastic in stereo. Nice big binding posts. There are several favorable professional reviews available on the net. MP3 and streaming are all the rage but if you still load CD's or spin vinyl records these will do your collection musical justice.

Cons: You have got to be kidding. 150 dollar speakers that sound like this do not have cons.

Overall Review: I have these paired with an Onkyo stereo receiver which is patched to a notebook computer to listen to my old CD collection. The detail and smoothness blows me away at all volume levels. I am comparing these to Polks 30's and 40's and a Klipsch bookshelf speaker set, all purchased here. I have four setups in my house, two stereo and two 5.1 and for music I actually prefer the sound of these Pioneers. If you have the space and budget to buy a cheap receiver or stereo amp and use these as your computer speakers you will throw your old computer speakers in the trash.

Pros: I replace the sp-bs21 for these and they make the system sound a little more balanced. I definitely can hear a consistent sound as I listen to game audio while rotating the camera. There was a small but noticeable difference in the sound texture with the other speakers doing the same thing.

Cons: I wanted to mount these speakers and the speakers don't have a thing to mount them. I ended up having to screw into the cabinet. Which I did not want to do.

Pros: Excellent Solid Build Quality, Good imaging and smooth overall sound. Also great bass for its size.

Cons: None

Overall Review: Im using these in my 2.1 HT system.

Pros: Clean, smooth sound Nice cabinet finish and hardware Real crossover Great value

Cons: Weak highs Low efficiency

Overall Review: I bought these for a dual purpose near/far field application where I wanted to save some money. I have them running full range with the signal split to a Jamo SUB800 (800W 6-1/2" tiny cube) and running a 50wx2 tripath amp on them. They get the job done, but after dialing in the crossover on some tiny bookshelves I'm building or listening to my Focal towers it's the treble that makes me sad. Everything sounds wonderful until you listen for the cymbals. Listen to something with some really high frequencies (Korn's Evolution, Deadmau5 Creep, anything with a clean recording of Christmas bells, etc.) and all that detail is just gone. It's not that they can't manage the detail, it's that they just don't produce it with enough authority to care. With that said, I got them on sale and for the money I paid I'm well beyond pleased. Their application doesn't have me focused on the details of the sound, and they fit it well. I could not see paying retail for them, however.

Pros: These speakers sound way better (obviously) than the cheap wally world bought stereo-set bookshelf speakers that I was using before. They are incredibly crisp and the bottom speaker provide wonderful lows. I have this running with a Sony subwoofer, and as unfortunate as it is that I live in an apartment, I cannot use this setup as loud as I want to, but sounds excellent at lower volumes. Price. Bought for $79.99 on a shell shocker. This is a no-brainer. I would probably even spend up to $100 on these based on the insane reviews for this. Read any review on here or on the site that names itself after a river in South America, and unending praise will be evident. If you are looking for higher quality speakers and don't want to give up your first born for studio quality, these are what you want. The flawless finish of the way mine were pulled out of the box makes my desk look amazing.

Cons: None. I do not have a professional ear when it comes to sound, but I do hear enough to know these speakers do not disappoint.

Overall Review: My PC runs an optical cord out to a receiver which uses 4 feet of 18 gauge wire to connect to these speakers. Listen to some Dream Theater on these and you will hear more than you have before.