JBL Stage A130

Desktop: ifi zen dac v2, fiio e10k, smsl sa300, jbl stage a130 and Audio Technica ath-m40x. I´m very satisfied with the sound out of this, good amount of detail trought the speakers, and neutral on the headphones, the upgrade from the fiio dac adds a lot of body to the sound in general, the soundtage and image is clearer in this position as I tried to put them a little bit far from the wall as my little room allows.

Without a subwoofer, no bookshelf speakers are going to deliver impressive bass on their own. Even expensive models are usually out of steam by 60Hz. In terms of value, I think the JBL Stage A130 are some of the best right now. They are £200, but you get a fairly neutral frequency response, bass extension down to 60Hz, and low distortion.

If something a little smaller is better, switch the speakers to the Diamond 220, or maybe the JBL Stage A130 (especially if they go on sale for $180 a pair again). Or the Diamond 12.1, which is the current-generation version of the Diamond 220 (though unfortunately Wharfedale’s US pricing on their current models just went up). Don’t get entry level Klipsch for your desk. Those are super bright speakers with boosted energy from the upper mids through the highs.