Favorite Inexpensive Speaker

Letitroll98 · « **on:** 20 Apr 2011, 01:19 pm »

So what is your favorite inexpensive speaker, your bargain go to, and a short blurb as to why you picked it. There are no rules for this, floorstander, bookshelf, sub, anything with an enclosure. The price of what is inexpensive is set by you, if you think $1500 is inexpensive fine, if it has to be $300 to be inexpensive, fine too.

I'll start off with the PSB Alpha T, $600 retail. Two 5 1/4" woofers with a metal dome tweeter in D'Appolito configuration mounted in a small tower. Improved recently with the Alpha T1 release, better woofers. Beautiful sound, very neutral, goes down to 55hz so a sub is usually employed, although not mandatory. Sounds very much like a small monitor speaker, but you get a free stand with it built in.

jtwrace · « **Reply #1 on:** 20 Apr 2011, 01:29 pm »

GedLee Abbey

The best that I've heard overall.

rave959 · « **Reply #2 on:** 20 Apr 2011, 02:03 pm »

Paradigm Atom v2. It was selling for about 200-250 back then. Great sound for the money.

Axiom m22ti and monitor audio silver s2 are also very good speakers, IMHO.

Best,
Ian

cujobob · « **Reply #3 on:** 20 Apr 2011, 02:18 pm »

The Gedlee Abbeys are expensive but I agree they are my favorite inexpensive speaker because they stopped my lust for all other speakers out there.

On a smaller budget, I'd say the GR Research N2X which is a kit but can be built for around $500 in parts I believe...it will outperform speakers costing much much more and is truly high end in sound quality.

There are some nice low budget speakers I want to try...the old WAF-1 monitor TCA used to sell and the powered monitor speaker everyone has raved about...the A5, I believe.

eclein · « **Reply #4 on:** 20 Apr 2011, 02:32 pm »

My favorite of course are JBL and these days places like CL and other boards have some outstanding early models and if they are more than $50 I'm surprised. After the last two pair I picked up totaling $120 I realized I had to stop or I would just fill up my apartment and never use most. My closet already is a JBL vintage warehouse location.

My point is that whatever your favorite manufacturer is the used market is just a goldmine for finding stuff, for trying out ideas like "will floorstanders work" or "maybe a bookshelf speaker"....you can find just about any type of speaker these days as people are really downsizing and moving around so much.

Letitroll98 · « **Reply #5 on:** 20 Apr 2011, 02:55 pm »

Quote from: cujobob on 20 Apr 2011, 02:18 pm

The Gedlee Abbeys are expensive

Ok, one rule then, no Gedlee Abbeys, too expensive to be considered as inexpensive and they have their own thread thus are not allowed to infest this one.

dlaloum · « **Reply #6 on:** 20 Apr 2011, 03:10 pm »

I'm a fan of the little Gallo Nucleus micro's - with the matching Sub if some bass is needed... (which more than doubles the price for a stereo set...)

All their flaws are of ommission rather than commission -very smooth, sweet, never harsh.

I also have a pair of PSB Alphas that I sometimes set up using the same powered Gallo sub.

They have a bit more bass than the Micro's (they are about 3 times the size) - so can stand alone more effectively than the Micro's. (they also cost more)

More detail, more energy - but also more harshness - they are a great nearfield monitor for a PC too...

Bye for now

David

sts9fan · « **Reply #7 on:** 20 Apr 2011, 03:15 pm »

Quote from: jtwrace on 20 Apr 2011, 01:29 pm

GedLee Abbey

The best that I've heard overall.

You consider $2500 inexpensive? Don't worry Earl won't be mad if you say you like another speaker.

Right now mine would be the Solo103s that I built at ~$130 in parts. They do many things right.

alphaiii · « **Reply #8 on:** 20 Apr 2011, 03:23 pm »

Hmmm... Going by MSRP... I'd say the best inexpensive speaker I've heard is the Cambridge Audio S30 at $249, although the going price is $219.

ltr317 · « **Reply #9 on:** 20 Apr 2011, 03:31 pm »

Back in the 1990s I owned a pair of Celestion 3s which retailed for $200. I bought the 3s for my bedroom system after auditioning around 20 different bookshelf speakers from $100 to $400 and thought the Celestions had the best bang for the buck.

Phil A · « **Reply #10 on:** 20 Apr 2011, 04:53 pm »

Many moons ago, I bought Sequerra Pyramid Metronome 7s on close-out. I think it was a few dollars over $200. Enjoyed them while I owned them. I also always like the Radio Shack/Optimus LX-5s. Would get them at half price ($75 each). Probably about 10-11 years back I had them for bedroom speakers. I gave them to my brother.

mfsoa · « **Reply #11 on:** 20 Apr 2011, 05:00 pm »

I recently picked up some Episode 700 monitors for a small bedroom.
I think $600 msrp but street price should be lower.
I compared the smaller 500 series vs. some smaller B&W (686?) which sounded too closed in and lifeless. The Episodes have a nice presence to them w/out being obnoxious anywhere else.
So I of course bought the more expensive Episode 700 that I didn't even audition!

The 500s are really nice too, but I forget the $$

Still new but I like them a lot, for what they are.

http://www.snapav.com/snapav/DetailView.aspx?itemCode=ES-700-MON-6-BLK

milford3 · « **Reply #12 on:** 20 Apr 2011, 06:27 pm »

I bought a pair of Genesis 11's back in 1987 for $300.00. I still have them with a few tweeter replacements. Without a doubt one the most natural sounding speakers I've heard. Currently a own a pair of Axiom M22ti's.

soundbitten1 · « **Reply #13 on:** 20 Apr 2011, 06:28 pm »

Insignias NS-B211. The best $40 speakers I've heard. I like them best with higher powered amps (100 watts or more).

gnars · « **Reply #14 on:** 20 Apr 2011, 07:49 pm »

I'll go with the Met 7's too. Clean and imaged like a banchie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Phil A · « **Reply #15 on:** 20 Apr 2011, 09:03 pm »

Quote from: gnars on 20 Apr 2011, 07:49 pm

I'll go with the Met 7's too. Clean and imaged like a banchie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had a Dahlquist sub and the Dahlquist eletronic crossover at the time and a pair of Mirage SM-3s which 2-way floorstanders with a 10 inch woofer and probably about 3 feet high give or take. From time to time I would put the MET 7s on top of the other speakers and use the sub and electronic crossover. Not only did they image well but filtering out the low bass even made them sound better and I would get a kick when someone was over and I'd tell them those small black speakers are the ones playing. One of many things I might not sell again if I could do it over.

John Casler · « **Reply #16 on:** 20 Apr 2011, 11:18 pm »

Quote from: mfsoa on 20 Apr 2011, 05:00 pm

I recently picked up some Episode 700 monitors for a small bedroom.
I think $600 msrp but street price should be lower.

The 700's are $598 msrp pr.

Quote

I compared the smaller 500 series vs. some smaller B&W (686?) which sounded too closed in and lifeless. The Episodes have a nice presence to them w/out being obnoxious anywhere else.
So I of course bought the more expensive Episode 700 that I didn't even audition!

The 500s are really nice too, but I forget the $$

The 500's are $398 msrp pr.

Quote

Still new but I like them a lot, for what they are.

http://www.snapav.com/snapav/DetailView.aspx?itemCode=ES-700-MON-6-BLK

kevinh · « **Reply #17 on:** 20 Apr 2011, 11:25 pm »

Liked the little NHT Super Ones.

mfsoa · « **Reply #18 on:** 20 Apr 2011, 11:42 pm »

Are you familiar with them, John?

I hadn't heard of them till my brother had me pull these little palm-sized speakers (500s) out of a home theater cabinet and put them into a decent system. I think they'd be great computer desk-top speakers.

Won't replace sliced bread but nice anyway.

-Mike

John Casler · « **Reply #19 on:** 20 Apr 2011, 11:46 pm »

Quote from: mfsoa on 20 Apr 2011, 11:42 pm

Are you familiar with them, John?

I hadn't heard of them till my brother had me pull these little palm-sized speakers (500s) out of a home theater cabinet and put them into a decent system. I think they'd be great computer desk-top speakers.

Won't replace sliced bread but nice anyway.

-Mike

Yes, and they fit the thread criteria. Just sent a full HT set to NJ this morning.

I also liked some Linn Bookshelf Speakers that HiFi Tommy brought to a Bookshelf Shootout we had several years ago.