15 watt per channel speaker suggestions

Gowler

New Member
Hi all,
Putting together a Marantz 112 tuner powered by a Marantz 1030 amp and wondered what speaker recommendations you might suggest. Price range, under $200.00 & being used in a detached 1 car garage man cave kind of thing with sheetrock walls & open rafters to a peaked roof. I'm not trying to fill the garage or have the neighbors call the cops on 15 watts per channel setup (;^) but a corner area I work to make small piles of sawdust and wipe oil spills from under my MGB. I like some what crisp highs, like warm mid range and moderate but not punchy bass. Music style is 65 to 75 rock, Beatles, Stones Moody Blues & Muddy Waters, Allman Bro's with Astrud Gilberto & Larry Carlton thrown in to round out the mix. Yes I know I'm asking for a lot. Last question, coul they power a pair of JBL LX-44's?
Any or all info is appreciated.
Thanks
 
I run a pair of Marantz Imperial 6s with a 2220B and they sound superb.....from detailed jazz to the same rock music you like. They will shake the house. If you can find a pair they go for usually around your price range. If you cant find some, look for a pair of 90DB and above and you will be fine.
 
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You can more than you think with 15wpc. I have run some acoustic suspension speakers like AR4x, and even large Advents to decent volumes with a Marantz 2215.

The small Marantz receivers and integrateds, are some of their best sounding IMO
 
You can more than you think with 15wpc. I have run some acoustic suspension speakers like AR4x, and even large Advents to decent volumes with a Marantz 2215.

The small Marantz receivers and integrateds, are some of their best sounding IMO

Every time I turn my 2220 up a bit I never fail to be amazed that it is rated at "only" 20 watts. I have a Realistic APM on it now and when I turn it up to where I dont like it any louder, it is peaking at just about one watt. The 2220 sounded really good driving a pair of Nova 7s but it really, really sings with the Imperials.
 
The Imperial 6's I have sounded great with my 1030 and 1060. Imperial 5's can usually be found pretty cheap also. The 6's are sensitive enough for lower watt amps. I have a 10wpc tube amp that can drive them pretty loud, not earth shaking, but still loud.
 
Hey
I used to listen to KLH 23's with a pair of Heathkit ua-1/2's.(13-14watts) Very nice sounding but I was listening to country/western and setting pretty close.(6-8feet) Eric
 
I'd recommend a set of KLH 17's. They match well with lower powered systems such as yours and they sound sweet! The KLH 23's might work, but the 17's would be easier to drive for such a small amp.
 
Last question, could they power a pair of JBL LX-44's?
Yes.
The recommended amp for those is 10-150wpc,they're 8ohm speakers & they have a 91db sensitivity rating.
So should you already have access to a pair of the LX-44,you might as well go ahead and give 'em a try.
And it's JMHO that the LX-44's sound great with the sorta listening material mentioned.

Full disclosure: I'm a fan of the LX series JBL's,currently I have 2pr. LX-22 as well as 2pr. LX-44 and 1 pr, LXE-330.

Bret P.
 
Look for sensitivity ratings above 90 db, the higher the better.

There are lots of speakers out there good for putting on shelves in the garage. I use Genesis 20 (aka Genesis II or 2) which are 89 db but probably fine...EPI M100 is another from that 70s-80s era...I also have a pair of Infinity Monitor Jr. and Infinity Qb that are outstanding speakers for their size.

Actually, for $200 you might find Klipsch Kg series (3, 4 or 4.2) which are really nice to my ears and very efficient.
 
I ran KLH 23s with a 1030 for a loooong time. obviously, I thought it a very nice combo.
But then, the amp was bought new and the 23s were only a few years old at the time.
 
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I would recommend against acoustic suspension speakers for 15 wpc. I have a 15 wpc tube amp and the only speakers I have that I have been happy with are my Klipsch Heresy IIs. I know that is above your price point but you really need an efficient speaker IMHO. I have tried KLH 6s, 23s, 17s. Also AR 2ax and B&O S75s. The Klipsch sound really good at moderate volumes.
 
While the acoustic suspension design is often less sensitive than ported designs, I wouldn't discount them. The acoustic suspension speaker was invented and sold in great numbers by Acoustic Research during the age of low powered tube amps. They sold well and worked very very well with the low power amps of that time. You just need to be selective about your choice. I would be careful and do extra research about more modern acoustic suspension designs which are sold in an age where higher power is more common. My concern would be that more modern speakers might be on average less sensitive than their vintage brothers. I'm just saying - do your homework, but don't discount acoustic suspension outright. There are so many great acoustic suspension designs that might fit your needs.

I will say too that all of my receivers and amps are low powered by today's standards. That's because I stick with vintage stuff and I don't look for TOTL vintage because that's not my bag. My daily driver is a Marantz 2220B which is about 20 watts. I have Superscope, Heathkit, Kenwood - all in the same power range. I've got a couple of Fisher tube amps and a Dynaco from that era. They easily drive the speakers that I have from the same era. I wouldn't shy away from matching a good 15W amp with selected acoustic suspension speakers of the period. There are combos sold in that era that were low powered and sounded good. I.e. KLH is an example. It all depends on what are your listening preferences and how you intend to use it.

Also a consideration is how much sound pressure you want. Back in the 70's I damaged my hearing listening to "The Who" and other hard rock. Today, I don't crank it anymore. I want to hear the details and I rarely get near a level where I can't talk while it's playing. So many things to consider.....

P.S. I've got close to 30 pairs of speakers right now, but in my life I've never heard Klipsch. I'd like to someday. I'm sure they are good choices too.
 
While the acoustic suspension design is often less sensitive than ported designs, I wouldn't discount them. The acoustic suspension speaker was invented and sold in great numbers by Acoustic Research during the age of low powered tube amps. They sold well and worked very very well with the low power amps of that time. You just need to be selective about your choice. I would be careful and do extra research about more modern acoustic suspension designs which are sold in an age where higher power is more common. My concern would be that more modern speakers might be on average less sensitive than their vintage brothers. I'm just saying - do your homework, but don't discount acoustic suspension outright. There are so many great acoustic suspension designs that might fit your needs.

I will say too that all of my receivers and amps are low powered by today's standards. That's because I stick with vintage stuff and I don't look for TOTL vintage because that's not my bag. My daily driver is a Marantz 2220B which is about 20 watts. I have Superscope, Heathkit, Kenwood - all in the same power range. I've got a couple of Fisher tube amps and a Dynaco from that era. They easily drive the speakers that I have from the same era. I wouldn't shy away from matching a good 15W amp with selected acoustic suspension speakers of the period. There are combos sold in that era that were low powered and sounded good. I.e. KLH is an example. It all depends on what are your listening preferences and how you intend to use it.

Also a consideration is how much sound pressure you want. Back in the 70's I damaged my hearing listening to "The Who" and other hard rock. Today, I don't crank it anymore. I want to hear the details and I rarely get near a level where I can't talk while it's playing. So many things to consider.....

P.S. I've got close to 30 pairs of speakers right now, but in my life I've never heard Klipsch. I'd like to someday. I'm sure they are good choices too.
While the acoustic suspension design is often less sensitive than ported designs, I wouldn't discount them. The acoustic suspension speaker was invented and sold in great numbers by Acoustic Research during the age of low powered tube amps. They sold well and worked very very well with the low power amps of that time. You just need to be selective about your choice. I would be careful and do extra research about more modern acoustic suspension designs which are sold in an age where higher power is more common. My concern would be that more modern speakers might be on average less sensitive than their vintage brothers. I'm just saying - do your homework, but don't discount acoustic suspension outright. There are so many great acoustic suspension designs that might fit your needs.

I will say too that all of my receivers and amps are low powered by today's standards. That's because I stick with vintage stuff and I don't look for TOTL vintage because that's not my bag. My daily driver is a Marantz 2220B which is about 20 watts. I have Superscope, Heathkit, Kenwood - all in the same power range. I've got a couple of Fisher tube amps and a Dynaco from that era. They easily drive the speakers that I have from the same era. I wouldn't shy away from matching a good 15W amp with selected acoustic suspension speakers of the period. There are combos sold in that era that were low powered and sounded good. I.e. KLH is an example. It all depends on what are your listening preferences and how you intend to use it.

Also a consideration is how much sound pressure you want. Back in the 70's I damaged my hearing listening to "The Who" and other hard rock. Today, I don't crank it anymore. I want to hear the details and I rarely get near a level where I can't talk while it's playing. So many things to consider.....

P.S. I've got close to 30 pairs of speakers right now, but in my life I've never heard Klipsch. I'd like to someday. I'm sure they are good choices too.

I certainly don't disagree and I am a big KLH fan which I run on a higher power amp (23 wpc ). The Klipsch just do better with the small amp which is a HK Ballad. It could be that the output on this amp is a little lower than advertised. It's a small sample size I realize.
 
Lots of good suggestions, so far--the most important factor being the 90+ dB sensitivity. I am assuming (and it is just an assumption) being that they are intended for a garage system, that perfect cosmetics are not required. There are lots of speakers out there that would typically be well above your intended budget (in excellent cosmetic condition), but if you can live with a little "patina", that opens the door to a whole new group of speakers--just a thought.
 
The r15m Klipsch are new, but have some of the old heritage,with a horn and are 94db sensitive, they are usually $249 a pair , may be able to find them close to $200.
 

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Wharfedale w60 or w70. Love the imperial 6 too.

Interesting about the Wharfedales. I have an early pair of W70's (ported). Can't remember if they have the Alnico magnets or not. I'll have to see if there is data on how sensitive are they. Mine need a complete cabinet restoration. I've got plans to put them in the livingroom. They'd look beautiful. I'd probably drive them with my Fisher 500B which also needs a complete restoration. That's all down the road.
 
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