[rajacat]

My suggestion, get a new amp and fire up the primary speakers. Music is an incredible and important development tool for kids. From 6 months old, my son has completely enjoyed all the music in the house. Now at 2 years two months, sits and plays, listening and occasionally getting into it. I can remember when I was very young, listening to the orchestral Peter and the Wolf, a memory that has stuck with me.

Just my $0.02

+1
 IMO you could get a reasonably good used SS amp for $400 that would sound fine. You could then save the tube amp for special adult listening sessions.

[JerryM]

These are out of you price range, but for other folks following this thread, I stumbled across these today on the local Craigslist, searching under "Alstine":





http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/ele/3963058058.html

Best of luck, nyc. Search obscure local places for used gear, you might be pleasantly surprised. 

[chargedmr2]

I think this might be the smallest of the custom Salk speakers, but I guess only Jim would know for sure:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=110045.msg1134865#msg1134865

[DMurphy]

I think this might be the smallest of the custom Salk speakers, but I guess only Jim would know for sure:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=110045.msg1134865#msg1134865

They're the sealed versions of the 1801--W18 woof, 0w1 tweet--that I designed with Dave Ellis.   I think they're one of Jim's earlier productions--I've never seen him do a side roundover with no top roundover as well.

[poseidonsvoice]

Just throwing this out there:

Try a TBI Millenia + Pioneer SP-BS22;





There are huge threads here on Audiocircle, both have coveted wide recognition, there are no tubes in sight, and the TBI unit can run on batteries if needed (32 watts with AC power and 8-10 watts if battery powered).

My bias is for the Pioneer speaker as it was designed by Andrew Jones who knows a thing or two about loudspeaker design 

Best,
Anand.

[chargedmr2]

They're the sealed versions of the 1801--W18 woof, 0w1 tweet--that I designed with Dave Ellis.   I think they're one of Jim's earlier productions--I've never seen him do a side roundover with no top roundover as well.

Hi Dennis,

I was referring to the speakers that I linked to, rather than the ones in the photos above.  I think Jim mentioned using them for his computers around the shop.  Must be nice to be a speaker manufacturer

[DMurphy]

Hi Dennis,

I was referring to the speakers that I linked to, rather than the ones in the photos above.  I think Jim mentioned using them for his computers around the shop.  Must be nice to be a speaker manufacturer

Oh I see.   Those are pretty much for near-field listening.  I'm sure there are lots of more cost-effective choices for general listening.  But you knew that.   

[DRSmith]

Oh I see.   Those are pretty much for near-field listening.  I'm sure there are lots of more cost-effective choices for general listening.  But you knew that.

Dennis, is the TB driver used in these (Salk workstation speakers) the same as in your slims?

[DMurphy]

Dennis, is the TB driver used in these (Salk workstation speakers) the same as in your slims?

Yes.  The original mini-monitor used the TB full arange--there was no little tweeter up in the corner--and it sounded fine if you were listening close-range on axis.  The TB has one of the widest useful
responses of any driver out there.  But obviously it starts to beam at high frequencies, and needs to be band-limited in a serious speaker.   The TB operates over a range of 600 Hz to about 4 kHz in
the Slims. 

[jsalk]

I think this might be the smallest of the custom Salk speakers, but I guess only Jim would know for sure:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=110045.msg1134865#msg1134865

Yes, this is the smallest speaker we build.  You won't find it on our web site because we can't make any money building them.  But I have a pair next to the monitor on all of my computers.  They are a nice little monitor.  They don't play very deep, but they are nice.

- Jim

[Mudslide]

NYC_P, is your max budget still 400 bucks?  Are you leaning any particular direction, yet?  Those Mini-Salks look mighty attractive.

[Mudslide]

........also, per your first post regarding a vintage Yamaha, this just showed up here on AC.....

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=119366.0

[nyc_paramedic]

NYC_P, is your max budget still 400 bucks?  Are you leaning any particular direction, yet?  Those Mini-Salks look mighty attractive.

The Mini-Salks *do* look interesting. So far, I've picked up a mint condition Yamaha RV-450 receiver from eBay for $35 bucks. It has a remote, too. But I think I'm going to pair that with the Music Hall Marimbas (paid for with Amex rewards points I never use) and put that system in the bedroom bookshelf.

Before I read about the Mini-Salks here I was scouting for a vintage harmon/kardon 330c or 630 receiver. It's a bit more modern looking than most vintage units of its time and it might pair nicely with the Mini-Salks in satin black thus keeping costs down. I've read really great things about the sound quality and tuner performance of these units.

So it looks like we'll soon have 2 book shelf systems in the house. Though, being a TV free household, it's all good to me. If I do stretch the budget and order the Mini-Salks I figure I could pass them down to one of the kids as their first pair of speakers when they're teens. Though, I hope they don't start asking my to pay for room treatments and bass traps in order to maximize the speaker's potential...

I'll keep you posted...

[ctviggen]

So it looks like we'll soon have 2 book shelf systems in the house. Though, being a TV free household, it's all good to me.

I'll keep you posted...

TV free household with a young one?  I'm not a huge fan of TV, but every once in a while, when you're exhausted, it's good to put on a show and take a nap while the young ones watch a show. We let our kids watch two 1/2 hour shows per day and one movie per week.  A show as I just described (where you take a nap) would be extra.  Plus, there are some great kids' shows:  Dinosaur Train (can you say "Pteranodon" and many other dinosaur names?  It also introduces children to the scientific method; my daughter stuns me with long names of dinosaurs that I can't pronounce); Word Girl (learn the definition of four words per half hour episode); Team Umizoomi (math); Little Einstein (art and music based), etc. 

[ctviggen]

I used to like Linn Tukans, which would be in that price range used.  It looks like Linn has changed their lineup, though.  These are above your price range by a bit but might be suitable and also made by Linn:

http://app.audiogon.com/listings/monitors-linn-kan-loudspeakers-2013-08-20-speakers-33020

I still use Linn 5140 AV speakers in my second system. 

[nyc_paramedic]

TV free household with a young one?  I'm not a huge fan of TV, but every once in a while, when you're exhausted, it's good to put on a show and take a nap while the young ones watch a show. We let our kids watch two 1/2 hour shows per day and one movie per week.  A show as I just described (where you take a nap) would be extra.  Plus, there are some great kids' shows:  Dinosaur Train (can you say "Pteranodon" and many other dinosaur names?  It also introduces children to the scientific method; my daughter stuns me with long names of dinosaurs that I can't pronounce); Word Girl (learn the definition of four words per half hour episode); Team Umizoomi (math); Little Einstein (art and music based), etc.

We'll do that on occasion with the laptop. He likes Curious George and Baby Einstein. I didn't know about the Dinosaur Train, so thank you. But when I'm active in the house with them I want to have some decent sounding classical on.

We have a small Tivoli single speaker on the kitchen. Reception on even good stations is terrible so I use the Android phone to stream. But the sound is awful at moderate volumes. The mid-range is bloated and warm.

[nyc_paramedic]

Yes, this is the smallest speaker we build.  You won't find it on our web site because we can't make any money building them.  But I have a pair next to the monitor on all of my computers.  They are a nice little monitor.  They don't play very deep, but they are nice.

- Jim

Jim,

How big was the Jordan single driver? Smaller than the Mini-Salks? I know you discontinued the speaker because of driver availability but EF Jordan has a new driver available.

[jsalk]

Jim,

How big was the Jordan single driver? Smaller than the Mini-Salks? I know you discontinued the speaker because of driver availability but EF Jordan has a new driver available.

The Jordan single driver was slightly larger - not much.  EF Jordan does have a new driver, but it is very expensive.  Mark Audio used to be a Jordan distributor and now manufactures some very similar drivers as well (including one that is reported to be a "drop-in" replacement).

- Jim

[markdmen]

I've had good luck with Quad 11L's - nice punch, smooth top end, nice cabinetry, traditional drivers, not too expensive.  Traded them for 'bigger' (better, right?) Quad 12L's and regretted it: the nice detail and presence disappeared. Quad 11L's - definitely a fun speaker.  Ended up with a pair of Aurum Cantus Leisure 2SE's from Kellsie Audio Video with the ribbon tweeter and really like them.  In a medium sized room no sub is needed and the finish is first class.  Excellent top end, realistic and full mids and satisfying (size defying) bass.  A music lovers speaker to be sure.  My following comment will be blasphemous to many, but I bought a pair of broken in Fritz Carbon 7's, based on 16 gushing reviews, and my wife and I listened for about 90 minutes before turning them off.  They were fine till we pushed the volume up to dancing sound levels and the upper end started to hurt our ears. Mike Farnsworth of Talon Audio (defunct) agreed to put the CMRC crossover in the Fritz Carbon 7's that he put in the final version of his Khorus X mk II floorstanders (my reference for the last 8 years) and the Fritz became a really good speaker.  Nothing against Fritz, great guy to deal with, but the stock version was a long ways away from the Khorus X mk II's.  The other monitor we had was the Talon Hawk with the ceramic drivers but I kept breaking them whenever we got in a dancing mode.  I don't like to 'baby' my equipment.  I am very intrigued by the Salk speakers.  I don't need speakers now, but everything reads very positively about them. 

[abd1]

These LSA .5's look interesting and in your budget. Never heard them however, but seem like a great deal at this price.

http://app.audiogon.com/listings/monitors-lsa-5-monitors-in-rosewood-delicate-accurate-2013-09-04-speakers-63901-poplar-bluff-mo