[Subhunter]

I will give the Klipsch RB-61 II 's a second vote.
Vann's just had them on sale for $399 pr shipped to your house.
Crutch has them on sale now and then too.

[cnmberryman]

I would vote for the Wayne Parnham's 1pi speakers. They are 93db/watt and in my opinion voiced much better than the Klipsch. 

[Poultrygeist]

These Tekton 4.5 bookshelf speakers are 93dbs and work well with only a few watts. I believe they cost around $300 but they can be found for much less used.

[wushuliu]

These Tekton 4.5 bookshelf speakers are 93dbs and work well with only a few watts. I believe they cost around $300 but they can be found for much less used.

but do they still sell those? I don't see any 'buy now' buttons for it on the website...

[guest1632]

I'm purchasing a graduation gift for a young audiophile. I already acquired a Shanling MC-30 Music Center which is only 3 watts, so I need a nice pair of new or used high sensitivity bookshelf speakers to go with it. My budget is around $400. I'm not familiar with shopping for high sensitivity speakers, so any help will be greatly appreciated.

How about Ascend acoustics.

http://www.ascendacoustics.com/

I've heard some good stuff about them too.

Ray Bronk

[Poultrygeist]

Eric Alexander at Tekton is a great guy. If you call him I'm sure he will come up with a pair or something comparable.

[planet10]

These Tekton 4.5 bookshelf speakers are 93dbs

If they are 93 dB, then they have to be using an FE126e or FE126En... that driver in a BR that large (similar to factory design, the design the comment was aimed at) has been described, to quote "as a cruel joke". Response (bottom curve) starts falling below 200 Hz,and any EQ to bring the bass level runs into the samll xMax of the driver. FE126 really needs to be in a horn if you want any bass.



dave

[Poultrygeist]

Well Dave it seems you like nothing I have to offer. You posted that my OB Tang Band W8-1808's are not good ( all three pair you tried you hated ) and you called my Realistic super tweeters a POS. You dissed my suggestion of using a tube for a phase plug and now Eric's Tektons are a cruel joke? Why the need for negativity toward things others might enjoy?

[wushuliu]

Well Dave it seems you like nothing I have to offer. You posted that my OB Tang Band W8-1808's are not good ( all three pair you tried you hated ) and you called my Realistic super tweeters a POS. You dissed my suggestion of using a tube for a phase plug and now Eric's Tektons are a cruel joke? Why the need for negativity toward things others might enjoy?

Hmmm, begs an important question: is he really Canadian? 

[planet10]

You posted that my OB Tang Band W8-1808's are not good ( all three pair you tried you hated ) and you called my Realistic super tweeters a POS.

You must be confusing me with someone else. I have said that i prefer the 1808 over the 1772, and with the latest price increases I question their value for the dollar. I have never said i hated them.

The RS pod tweeters i rather like (made by Foster, and a step up from FT17 IMHO), i have some 5 or 6 pair.. i did have a confrontation with someone selling some (for a very steep price) who claimed his plastic horned ones were aluminum. Myself, and others, have harped on the low quality of the built-in XO.

now Eric's Tektons are a cruel joke? Why the need for negativity toward things others might enjoy?

Not my quote (althou i agree) and not about Eric's but the similar size factory box -- there is no tuning for that size box that gives reasonable bass.

dave

[Poultrygeist]

Dave, would you like for me to posts all the links to these negative comments ( some from other forums ) or can you try and be a little more respectful of others?

[Letitroll98]

Whether planet10 has it in for Poultrygeist is an issue that will not be discussed further as absolutely no good can come of it and it's completely OT on this thread.  Just a place gentlemen don't want to go, and I know you're all gentlemen.   

[Poultrygeist]

I agree and apologize for saying anything but I had no more cheeks to turn.

[Letitroll98]

However we can argue about the speakers, as pointless as it is since Eric has a new model with two drivers that alleviates some of the bass power deficiencies of the original Tekton 4.5.  I seem to remember some lively debates about whether it had enough bass power or not within the bandpass that it operated in.  I don't see any available on eBay presently, so perhaps it's a mute issue. 

I of course have no opinion not being in the single driver fold yet, but would note it's amazing how much bass you can quite comfortably live without and then notice how much you missed it when it's returned to your system.  And that bass reproduction is the evil Darth Vader of small room (re. all of our setups) acoustics.     

[Poultrygeist]

Are you referring to these 4.5OB Tektons? I actually prefer by a slight margin the standard 4.5 Tektons to these. They both need bass augmentation as do the Frugal Horn Mk3 I built which use the same driver.

[JLM]

How about Ascend acoustics.

http://www.ascendacoustics.com/

I've heard some good stuff about them too.

Ray Bronk

I love my Ascend Acoustics CBM-170's, but they are only average efficiency.

I've heard Wayne's 2Pi bookshelfs and thought they were a great value in kit form.

As I'm sure the OP knows: cheap, small, and efficient is a tough combination.  Bass will be the first thing to go.

What about those cheap Best Buy Insignia speakers that were well respected at under $100/pair?  As I recall they consisted of a 1 inch/6 inch bass reflext design.

[Letitroll98]

Are you referring to these 4.5OB Tektons? I actually prefer by a slight margin the standard 4.5 Tektons to these. They both need bass augmentation as do the Frugal Horn Mk3 I built which use the same driver.

Yes, the very ones.  The web site says 45hz for the low end, no -db spec attached to that FR, I suppose you would be best qualified to speak on the LF extension of either speaker.  And to answer why the original model is better and why the change if it is.  I'm sure I read somewhere the newer model was for, among other things, enhanced bass power response, if not any lower FR.

[Poultrygeist]

The open baffle Tektons were very finicky to set up and I don't think I ever got them right. I finally decided on near field in a very squatty triangle where my ears were almost even with the front baffle ( trying to get the most from the rear waves ). Needless to say that was not so practical and after lots of A/B-ing with the standard 4.5 I let them go. They have had some very good reviews and had I not already had the standards I would have kept them. Eric even admits they need more bass and he sells paired subs for them to sit on. I've heard the larger version ( 6.5?) but the smaller 4.5s are better. The highs and mids of the small Fostex drivers are impressive. I drove the OB Tektons with 2a3 SET of 3.5 watts and had plenty of headroom.