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Best (Good-Looking) Speakers for around $300

S

sua sponte

New Member
I'm new to this game. I want to get the best sound quality as possible in a good looking package for around $300.

I like the look of vintage wood cabinets, especially teak and walnut (Midcentury modern). I hate the look of black cabinets and black speaker cloth.

Any suggestions on what speakers to buy would be greatly appreciated.
 
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sua sponte said:
I'm new to this game. I want to get the best sound quality as possible in a good looking package for around $300.

I like the look of vintage wood cabinets, especially teak and walnut (Midcentury modern). I hate the look of black cabinets and black speaker cloth.

Any suggestions on what speakers to buy would be greatly appreciated.
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Welcome to the party! You're going to want to offer up some more information so people can narrow the possibilities.

What receiver, amplifier are you running? What type of music do you mostly listen to? What is the size of your listening area?

I would suggest leafing through your local Craigslist ads and seeing what's available in your price range. Get a manufacturer, get a model number and hit a search engine. Read up, look at images. Make notes and move on to the next one. Go!

Biggles
 
Typically, MCM means Danish or Scandinavian design so, I'll recommend speakers from that area as well; if nothing else but for great looks and sound. I'm sure you could get classic JBL and similar with same requirements but I'm not familiar with those and will leave to others to recommend some.

So, have a look at Sonab OA14 and OA12 for example. Those are kind of rear but my OA14 sound great (refoamed) and look great in (I think) rosewood finish. Those are quite unique by design as well and have almost kult following in EU. More info is on: http://www.carlssonplanet.com/

Other I'd look at are B&O speakers from 70,80-is like RL140, 2000, Beovox S45-75-80 or maybe MC120.
Buying older speakers would require re-foaming them if not already done and some TLC.
Good luck.
 
I would look for a really nice pair of restored Dynaco A25's. They sound really great and look the part. Here's a pic from Flickr, but I think these are an AK members.

- Woody

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Yep, the Dynacos would be a great choice, but the Original Large Advents might be easier to find. Also AR-2ax or Avid 102's, or even Polk Monitor 10's would be good choices in that price range.
 
Yeah those A25's have got "the look" for sure, efficient too so you don't need a lot of power. If your're tight on space those would be a solid choice. If you have a bit more room however, I'd try and track down a pair of Wharfedale W90's - a bit larger footprint but also very efficient and fantastic sounding. Very Danish modern looking with their oiled walnut cabinets and cream fabric grill, with a bit more "flair" than the Dynaco's:

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:thmbsp:

I'd add KLH 17, 6, 23 and Rectilinear 3's too.
 
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There's always the Wharfedale W70, of which there are several variations... The early W70's (the first picture I posted) have that British EL84 sound (like the old Vox guitar amps that the Beatles used to play). The bottom ones have different tweeters and sealed (instead of ported) cabs, so the sound is a bit more "east coast", but still very-much Wharfedale. Either can be found within that $300 price range.
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Uh Oh... Looks like Crestwood beat me to it (I figured I'd start him off with something smaller... If he went straight for the W90's right off the bat, he'd need to set aside money for a helmet... so it don't make a mess when they BLOW HIS MIND).
 
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Those wharfedales are nice looking, haven't found any yet. Try out some realistic mach one 40-4024s....just sayin, walnut veneer nice bass.
 
Metal head said:
Those wharfedales are nice looking, haven't found any yet. Try out some realistic mach one 40-4024s....just sayin, walnut veneer nice bass.
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Yeah, and check out the Optimus 7's I just posted in the Rat Shack thread. Those have a late '60's furniture speaker vibe and are one of the best-looking I've ever seen.
 
Jeez, don't we look like a couple of fanboys today. :D

It does fit the thread topic though. To a T.

For me, if you're talking about a speaker tbat gives you chills, I see it as the "breath of life" sound. Wharfedale had it. University. Goodmans, I think Magico fits as well, if you're talking about a truly-engaging speaker that soothes the soul as well as the ears. Altec had it. Jensen. Fisher in the XP days when Avery was running things... Who else? Oh, Bozak as well. The big ones.

Whoops... Looks like I'm getting this thread confused with the "Speakers That Give You Chills" thread that's also currently in play. The suggestions still apply though.
 
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Lot's of speakers out there.

Do like the Polk Monitor 10's...Here are my 10B's. Not hard to find as Polk sold alot of them.



 
Great responses. Thanks for the help. I don't have a receiver/amp yet, so I could also use advice on that. (I am thinking about spending around $200 on the reciever).

I really like the look of those wharfedale's. Any advice on how to track a pair of those down?
 
sua sponte said:
Great responses. Thanks for the help. I don't have a receiver/amp yet, so I could also use advice on that. (I am thinking about spending around $200 on the reciever).

I really like the look of those wharfedale's. Any advice on how to track a pair of those down?
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CL, FLEABAY, and Bartertown. Start reading through the various vintage Wharfedale threads on AK. I've put many a variation history for the W90, W70, and W60 models, and you're likely to see a few in those threads. And consider what speakers that receiver will be paired with (when you shop).
 
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sua sponte said:
Great responses. Thanks for the help. I don't have a receiver/amp yet, so I could also use advice on that. (I am thinking about spending around $200 on the reciever).

I really like the look of those wharfedale's. Any advice on how to track a pair of those down?
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Try and match up the sound of the speakers and the receiver. Synergy is the word. Like Gang-Twanger's The Fisher 800c and Wharfedale W70's. It's a match made in heaven. I don't know how many times I've seen The Fisher and right there will be a pair of Wharfedales. Listen to the fellas here in what worked and what didn't.
I was sitting around with one fella on Friday listening to his The Fisher 500c and Heathkit triaxials. The source was a Otari MX-5050. Amazing. :music:
 
Don't like black cones, eh?

Try the ones from Parts express. Find some good looking old cabinets and build your own aluminum cone speakers. They sound excellent when done right.

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These bamboo Audioengine P4's are small, great looking and sound amazing, they rate very high on wife acceptance factor in my place.


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