[00dimitri00]

Hey folks

I finally took my first step into hi-fi when I found a NAD 3020e amp and a Marantz CD-80 last week. I paid ZAR900 for it (~US$150) and they're both in great condition, so I'm really happy.

All that's missing now is a decent pair of speakers. I'm using a pair of mass-produced JVC bookshelfs for now but need to upgrade asap.

Can I please have some recommendations for speakers - they don't have to be new models ... and I reckon my limit would be around US$500.

I listen to a variety of music but tend to dwell more on Bass-ey genres such as HipHop, Drum&Bass, Dub, Reggae, etc. I also enjoy listening to Jazz and vocal stuff quite a lot though. I guess I'm looking for an all-rounder type of speaker that can do well with almost anything.

The room I'm using is medium to large and is in the center of the house, so I think floorstanders would probably suit me best, but some stand-mounted speakers might also do the job.

Thanks in advance.

[vpolineni]

the athena as-f2 speakers may work well for you... they can be purchased for 400 dollars and sometimes less.

[PhilNYC]

I used to own a pair of Phase Tech PC-80 monitors that I thought were excellent for the money.  They've since been replaced by the PC3.1 and PC1.1, which are right on either side of your price range ($600 for the PC3.1, $400 for the PC1.1).  

Coincidentally, I used to use them with a NAD receiver with great results...

[dave_c]

Hip-Hop, D&B, Dub and Reggae huh?  Well you are going to need solid midbass as well as sub bass.  You just can't enjoy them without it!  Depending on how big your room is, I suggest getting a 10" or 12" sub.  You can get a 10" Yamaha on eBay for around $200.  This would leave you with around $300 for a decent set of stand mounts or floorstanders.  Just remember that stands will cost in the $70-$100 range for a nice sturdy set.

I've had great results with Axiom, Triangle and NHT.  If you go for any of those, I suggest getting versions with 6.5" woofers (Axiom M3Ti or Triangle Comete or Zephyr) because it will make it easier to integrate with your sub.  I've had good results with the Triangle Titus on NAD gear, but found that the woofer was just too small to integrate will with my sub.  I've heard the Comete's in a showroom and they had really nice midbass attack and the same midrange clarity of the Titus.  The Athena's that vpolineni suggests are supposed to be great as well and more in your price range.

These suggestions may go over your budget, but you could get the monitor or floorstanders first and sub later.

[alotaklipsch]

Klipsch heresy   Klipsch Cornwall are SMOKING speakers for the money, add on Chorus, and Chorus II's.  Strech a couple hundo baby and be in sonic heaven.

[jackman]

You may want to look at these from AV123.com;

http://www.av123.com/products_product.php?section=speakers&product=32

Mark S. and company are cool guys and these cabinets are real wood.  For $129, I don't know how they do it!  It has the same woofer as the Rocket (at least it looks the same) and a tweeter that looks like the one in the little rocket speaker.   I'm sure they are at least as good as Athena's and they have a nicer cabinet made of wood.  

Also, Brian from Rutledge Audio was working on a new version of his micros with an added tweeter (micro was a full range).  Brian is a good guy who makes very solid cabinets.

Another inexpensive speaker that sounds good with the Sharp system is the Polk R15.  They are compact and fairly efficient.  You can usually get them for around $100 at Circuit City or Frey's.  Not the last word in refinement but they hang with the other speakers in this category.

I also hear the little Infinity speakers on Audioadvisor are pretty good.  For the money, don't expect miracles.  I'd probably get one of the offerings from one of the internet direct guys like Brian or AV123.  They provide excellent values, plus, if you don't like the product you can always call the owner of the company!  Try doing that with Bo$e!

J

[dave_c]

You may want to look at these from AV123.com;

http://www.av123.com/products_product.php?section=speakers&product=32

Mark S. and company are cool guys and these cabinets are real wood.  For $129

wow that's cheap!  I may have to turn a friend on to those as well!

[RichWenzel]

and at upscaleaudio.com and audioshopper.com/audiowaves or audiogon.com you can get some of the older models still brand new (they just changed lines) for under $500.....really amazing speakers...

since the music you like has a strong bass component, i would consider b&W and kef as well...

in the budget area, PSB is very good...

for a little less than $300, you can get the epos which are really good...

i wont recommend speakers i have not heard, so i wont recommend that av123 speakers, but i will say that the people who have them seem to really love them...they are almost like a cult....also i would buy their new cd player when the 88 one, when you get a chance...its a steal...

Rich

[RichWenzel]

i have heard the odyssey speakers, the cheapest ones, they awesome as well...

Rich

[jackman]

For the money, it's hard to pass up $129 for real wood speakers with nice looking components from a reputable company like AV123.   You don't get much for $129 on the new market.   I don't know if you can buy wooden cabinets for this much, let alone finished speakers that are new with warrantee.  

Another speaker that may be an option is the Paradigm Atom.  I have heard them but not on the Sharp system, and, for the money, they are pretty good sounding.  Metal domes but they might be a good match for one of those smooth sounding digital amps.  They can't match the AV123 cabinets but they may be a bit smaller and fit some applications well.

[pbash]

An excellent all-around speaker is the Paradigm Reference Studio/20. They list in the US for, I think, around $800/pair but I found a pair in excellent shape used on eBay for $450. Really, it's a great speaker for just about any type of music although you may want to add a sub if you listen to lots of rock.

[00dimitri00]

Wow, lots of useful replies. Thanks all.
I'll do some research on your suggestions - they give me a great idea where to start and what to look for.

I have a feeling that I'll probably go for a second-hand pair. That way I can get the most bang for my buck, and speakers are probably the best component to buy 2nd hand as  they can last quite long (with responsible use, of course) ... arguably they may even sound  better than brand new.

I am also considering holding out for a while for my budget to grow - I reckon that if I can get slightly better boxes, I might hold on to them while I eventually upgrade my other components...

[Tonto Yoder]

...I have a feeling that I'll probably go for a second-hand pair. That way I can get the most bang for my buck, and speakers are probably the best component to buy 2nd hand as  they can last quite long (with responsible use, of course) ... arguably they may even sound  better than brand new.

I am also considering holding out for a while for my budget to grow ...

A good example of this fact is on eBay now:  some second-hand Allison speakers are currently at a $325 bid. They may go higher, but they probably won't be dumb-expensive(they ended up selling for $455).
On the other hand, the revamped Allison offers the "same" model Four new for much higher.   The two speakers don't seem IDENTICAL, but I'd guess the second-hand pair is a better bang for your buck.

[Dan Driscoll]

A used pair of Vandersteen Model 2 or 2C's can be found for under $500. These are full range floorstanders with superb sound quality. There may be no better price:quality ratio available in a used speaker.

Of course, if you don't like how Vandersteens sound, please disregard the above.  

[milesbeyondjazz]

yOU MIGHT WANT TO CHECK OUT bOSTON ACOUSTICS,THEIR CR 75'S GO FOR ABOUT 300 A PAIR.NICE CLEAN SOUND.

[Woodsea]

I have a pair Ascend Acoustic CBM-170.  They have quite a nice sound.
http://www.ascendacoustics.com/