So right at the $100.00 mark....I picked up a decent pair of Bose 901 Series IV with Chrome pedestals and working EQ
This Bose Score got even better last week when they sold for $450
Best speaker score under $100
- Thread starter VINTAGEO
- Start date
This Bose Score got even better last week when they sold for $450
Good morning AK, decided I can't lurk forever.
This past summer I picked up two pairs of speakers from a rural seller for $10 per pair. Pair of nice condition Heathkit AS-10 and a pair of Celestion A-1. All speakers were waiting for me in the bucket of an old Ford front end loader. Without many words I handed the man his $20, loaded the speakers and headed back west in the direction of the hernia I drove through to reach the pickup location.
I kept the AS-10's so far but traded the Celestions for a pair of JBL J216A and three pairs of A/R's - two of them AR4X's and the third AR7. Need some caps, a few surrounds and one complete woofer but all tweeters intact and working, 4/6 grilles are in good shape and the 4x cabinets are restorable. The 7's are naked.
Now sold the pair of J216A for $130 so I have cash and a bunch of old speakers that smell like old speakers.
This past summer I picked up two pairs of speakers from a rural seller for $10 per pair. Pair of nice condition Heathkit AS-10 and a pair of Celestion A-1. All speakers were waiting for me in the bucket of an old Ford front end loader. Without many words I handed the man his $20, loaded the speakers and headed back west in the direction of the hernia I drove through to reach the pickup location.
I kept the AS-10's so far but traded the Celestions for a pair of JBL J216A and three pairs of A/R's - two of them AR4X's and the third AR7. Need some caps, a few surrounds and one complete woofer but all tweeters intact and working, 4/6 grilles are in good shape and the 4x cabinets are restorable. The 7's are naked.
Now sold the pair of J216A for $130 so I have cash and a bunch of old speakers that smell like old speakers.
Hard to beat those already listed in this long thread. But I'm not trying to beat them, just add something very worthy — if you find them very cheap like I did. Lucky me. $40.
The Event Project Studio 6. They're amplified home studio monitors for ambitious wannabe producers, mostly of Hip Hop, House, etc — modern genres in general. Monitors had a rep for being cold, but these aren't, and I use them for Rock, Jazz, Classical etc. They're self-self amplified, but class AB, and fully bi-amped — each speaker has one amp for very good 6" woofer, and a separate amp for a surprisingly good silk dome tweeter. I put them on stands out from all walls just to give them a good test. I thought I'd go back to my LS3/5A's and "superior" amps.
But no, they're staying where the are, and I listen to them with all genres. They're that good.
Though they sell for $800 MSRP — bib bucks for amateurs — they sell used for $600. They hold their value, another sign of their quality.
I use Two Subs for bass, and those too are cheap-cheap, and though only "8-inch" they go fairly deep, 27HZ. And match tonally any Polyprop 6" mid-range/upper-bass Woofer. I highly recommend those too — Energy XL8-ES (I think). Also fairly cheap online, even a pair — like $80 or something low.
Sure, 27Hz won't shake the walls, but it shakes the windows. More important, it shakes my legs and I feel it in my gut. And a pair online IMHO, is a true score for any system.
I don't know yet they'll work as well in a big space — I live in a fairly large 1-bedroom nr H'wood, where I make my living as a screenwriter — but it doesn't have the space to test. Nor do I know if they'll have the long-terms satisfaction as the Meridians — but for now killer and they're staying just where they are, on stands with tweeters at ear-height and in an Audophile set-up.
The Event Project Studio 6. They're amplified home studio monitors for ambitious wannabe producers, mostly of Hip Hop, House, etc — modern genres in general. Monitors had a rep for being cold, but these aren't, and I use them for Rock, Jazz, Classical etc. They're self-self amplified, but class AB, and fully bi-amped — each speaker has one amp for very good 6" woofer, and a separate amp for a surprisingly good silk dome tweeter. I put them on stands out from all walls just to give them a good test. I thought I'd go back to my LS3/5A's and "superior" amps.
But no, they're staying where the are, and I listen to them with all genres. They're that good.
Though they sell for $800 MSRP — bib bucks for amateurs — they sell used for $600. They hold their value, another sign of their quality.
I use Two Subs for bass, and those too are cheap-cheap, and though only "8-inch" they go fairly deep, 27HZ. And match tonally any Polyprop 6" mid-range/upper-bass Woofer. I highly recommend those too — Energy XL8-ES (I think). Also fairly cheap online, even a pair — like $80 or something low.
Sure, 27Hz won't shake the walls, but it shakes the windows. More important, it shakes my legs and I feel it in my gut. And a pair online IMHO, is a true score for any system.
I don't know yet they'll work as well in a big space — I live in a fairly large 1-bedroom nr H'wood, where I make my living as a screenwriter — but it doesn't have the space to test. Nor do I know if they'll have the long-terms satisfaction as the Meridians — but for now killer and they're staying just where they are, on stands with tweeters at ear-height and in an Audophile set-up.
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BTW PS re the Event Studio Project Sperkers above.
I once owed the Meridian active "mini -monitors" as Brits called them. I even paid budget, 400 bucks with great solid welded stands already filled with lead shot. A true score —I mean Meridian! UK High End. For cheap here in US — only 400 with stands worth more than that. Everything was the same — class AB, sep elec xover full-biamped, the whole nine yards.
They even filled a room where I could stage small concerts and did and recorded them right. And in that huge space they still had pin-point imaging and soundstage.
But the retail US MSRP was a meager 3K without stands. Today they'd be 5-6K easy, but Merid doesn't even offer them.
And they used better Drivers — two count 'em two — LS3/5A driverx to boost bass output and better electronics all around.
But they only rated deep Bass down to 35Hz flat full range so I used a sub anyway, whereas the humble Events go to 45Hz flat — so easy to xover, bit still not deep enough for my humble 8" subwoofers to go to stygian depths — but enough to give an extra half-octave at least, IMHO, which matters a lot with other genres.
I don't that big a space to test them, nor to kow they'll provide the long-term satisfaction of the Meridians — but for now they're sublime and will stay where they are. On stands with tweeters at ear height in an Audiophlle set-up, though it limits space a bit in a slightly large apartment.
I once owed the Meridian active "mini -monitors" as Brits called them. I even paid budget, 400 bucks with great solid welded stands already filled with lead shot. A true score —I mean Meridian! UK High End. For cheap here in US — only 400 with stands worth more than that. Everything was the same — class AB, sep elec xover full-biamped, the whole nine yards.
They even filled a room where I could stage small concerts and did and recorded them right. And in that huge space they still had pin-point imaging and soundstage.
But the retail US MSRP was a meager 3K without stands. Today they'd be 5-6K easy, but Merid doesn't even offer them.
And they used better Drivers — two count 'em two — LS3/5A driverx to boost bass output and better electronics all around.
But they only rated deep Bass down to 35Hz flat full range so I used a sub anyway, whereas the humble Events go to 45Hz flat — so easy to xover, bit still not deep enough for my humble 8" subwoofers to go to stygian depths — but enough to give an extra half-octave at least, IMHO, which matters a lot with other genres.
I don't that big a space to test them, nor to kow they'll provide the long-term satisfaction of the Meridians — but for now they're sublime and will stay where they are. On stands with tweeters at ear height in an Audiophlle set-up, though it limits space a bit in a slightly large apartment.
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rick88
Old School
For me it has to be the JBL S38's I picked up a couple of months ago for $100. They are in excellent condition for their age.
I have been familiar with the S38 since they were first released and I've read all the positive comments on them over the years, and I've always wanted to give a pair a try.
They can sound a bit bright on some recordings (maybe 10% of what I have played through them so far), but on well recorded music they really put a smile on my face. They are very clear and open sounding and have excellent imaging. While I do use a JBL 550P sub with them, in my small room they really don't need one.
I am not a huge fan of the light beech color, but I do love the copper drivers.
I have been familiar with the S38 since they were first released and I've read all the positive comments on them over the years, and I've always wanted to give a pair a try.
They can sound a bit bright on some recordings (maybe 10% of what I have played through them so far), but on well recorded music they really put a smile on my face. They are very clear and open sounding and have excellent imaging. While I do use a JBL 550P sub with them, in my small room they really don't need one.
I am not a huge fan of the light beech color, but I do love the copper drivers.
Now that is one hell of a deal. If you can't figure out what to do with the Heresy's I've got a spot for them!
Ibemiked
Active Member
Paradigm Studio 80’s
AR4xa’s
Cerwin Vega 217r’s
Cerwin Vega 211r’s
Cerwin Vega VS-80’s
Boston Acoustics CR9’s
Bose 501 series II’s
TDL RTL3’s
NHT 1.3a’s
Electro Voice The Princess
Altec Lansing 824a Iconic
Epicure Model 14’s
Pioneer CS-77’s
Pioneer CS-66’s
Pioneer CS-a30’s
AR4xa’s
Cerwin Vega 217r’s
Cerwin Vega 211r’s
Cerwin Vega VS-80’s
Boston Acoustics CR9’s
Bose 501 series II’s
TDL RTL3’s
NHT 1.3a’s
Electro Voice The Princess
Altec Lansing 824a Iconic
Epicure Model 14’s
Pioneer CS-77’s
Pioneer CS-66’s
Pioneer CS-a30’s
RTally
Speaker addict
Polk Monitor 5B for $15 from the ReStore (just needed to be recapped)
KLH early style Model Six for $25 from CL (just need to be recapped)
AR-2ax for $80 from CL (needed to replace 1 woofer, which I found in a donor speaker for $30, and a recap)
Genesis II for $45 from FB Marketplace
I've bought many others for under $100, including OLA, KG 1.5, EPI 70 & 100, Optimus 7, Sansui SP-100, Dynaco A25, and Rectilinear Lowboys, but the above I think are the best of the lot considering the price.
KLH early style Model Six for $25 from CL (just need to be recapped)
AR-2ax for $80 from CL (needed to replace 1 woofer, which I found in a donor speaker for $30, and a recap)
Genesis II for $45 from FB Marketplace
I've bought many others for under $100, including OLA, KG 1.5, EPI 70 & 100, Optimus 7, Sansui SP-100, Dynaco A25, and Rectilinear Lowboys, but the above I think are the best of the lot considering the price.
1950 JBL 1001 system including D130 woofer, and an early h1000 tweeter, and multicell horn. I saw it on craigslist at a junk sale for $75. I knew it was from the tube era, but when i peeled back the grill and saw the paper dustcap,i knew it wasnt JBL. I paid the nice lady $75 (tag said $125) Feigning concern anout the lack of another speaker.
She was glad i was taking it.
I stuffed it in my worn out subaru, and headed for home.
As you can imagine i was elated to find out just how wrong i was.
She was glad i was taking it.
I stuffed it in my worn out subaru, and headed for home.
As you can imagine i was elated to find out just how wrong i was.
Another year later, and it has been busy. Boston A200 for $30, come and gone. Altec 4, $40, come and gone as-is. Altec Model 1 have been sidelined, by a pair of JBL L40, $30, needing refoam on the A127 cast woofers, done, so $60 all-in, and going nowhere. My first JBL experience and I cannot believe the overall sound, especially at low volumes. Paradigm 11se for $50, needing love, got it, and gone for $160. Some Polk Audio RTA 8TL for free, and I am not a Polk fan. Currently on the block. Been through a pair of KLH 17 I got for $20, thought they had been molested but realized that is how they came, with the zinc plated tweeters. Liked them, but they are gone. The grilles were stained but I found a couple of times now that oatmeal cloth can be touched-up with craft paints and a coarse brush, may have to do two different shades of beige paint. Two pairs of Boston A40, needing refoam, $15 and $9. JBL MR38 and J520? from an auction, $33 total, need refoam, surrounds are here. Four Realistic Minimus-7 in a box for $10, gone to Montreal; Minimus-7 speakers follow me home! Sold another pair of those orphans today for $55. These jewels rock!
Luckyorleans
Super Member
Holy snit, that was a great gift. Those are early ones with the red tack and threaded connectors, which makes them more collectable. I bought the exact same ones in 1980 off the floor of a shop for $550 CDN back then. By the time I got through school, many moves and various storage and setups the cabinets were about a 5, one woofer had a crack that was "repaired" by a hack from the outside and I didn't know better then. I don't have them now, as I had gotten out of 2 channel and was more into family stuff but they still got a good buck.
How is the NOS woofer marked on the back? I would appreciate pictures if you can. Replacements are available but that NOS unit is also worth a nice penny.
Running Totem Rainmakers now that fit into this thread as I got them, a Dreamcatcher center and a pair of small Definitive Audio speakers for $100. Kept the Totems, sold the others so they ended up being $0. I do really like the Rainmakers, very open, honest speakers. They are in a small room and I have a small subwoofer I don't bother with. I would still take the Chartwells, that midrange is magical to me.
