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Finally got my first Amp: now which speakers ?

H

hpm40

AK Subscriber
Subscriber
I'm new to high fidelity and my first amplifier arrived today... a second-hand NAD C316BEE. Been listening through A/V receivers and they are OK , but listening through this amp I'm hearing things in my CDs that I haven't noticed before.

Before the BEE arrived I was listening through an Onkyo Integra 6.4 A/V receiver , Klipsch Sub 6 subwoofer, and KLH Albany bookshelf speakers... all items that I've picked up locally for little money. The addition of the sub really helped the Albanys. I like the Albanys for their sparkle and decent midrange, but their bass can be lacking.

I've been reading and watching speaker reviews for a week and my head is swimming. I'm leaning towards some Elac Debut 2.0 6.2, or Wharfedale 12.1 or 12.2 I've always wanted to try some Polk Audio bookshelf speakers but reviews I've seen are mixed. Can anyone recommend some bookshelf speakers ( suspension or front-ported so I can put them on a cabinet shelf ) that would work well with this amp in a 14x14 room ? I listen mostly at low volume due to close neighbors. Something with decent bass as the 316BEE doesn't have a sub connection. Thanks.
 
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Speaker selection is extremely personal, and very room dependent. I'd urge you to listen to as many speakers as you can, including several that are way above the price range so you can get a feel for what things can and should sound like, then find something you love within budget that hopefully will work well with your room (and NAD amp). An in-home trial or good return policy are best. If buying used, you can at least put them back up for sale near or at the buying price if a particular pair doesn't pan out as hoped in your room.

Also, square rooms are very challenging. Do lots of position experimentation, and maybe consider some room treatment at some point.
 
You always buy your speakers first so other outside variables don't interfer with your selections.But you have so you want speakers with as close to 90 db efficiency as you can. I Don't like shrill speakers, but maybe you can't hear that issue. I prefer bass with very low distortion so that leaves out ported speakers, tuned labyrinth speakers and a lot of small speakers because the drivers, woofers in this case can't move enough air. I wouldn't dare by any speaker with out auditioning it with music I like to listen, too. I know its a challenge now days with there not being all that many brick and mortar stores for you to visit. So I wish you luck. Maybe there is a stereo club near by that you can join and get a chance to listen to different speakers. Wishing you good luck. The NAD is going to have a warmer non fatiguing sound, too. So you may find that as a great positive or maybe a hinderance depending on the speakers you choose. Stay away from speakers that dip below 4 ohms. The NAD maybe rated for 4 ohms but over its life if the speakers are below for ohms they will cause pre-mature failure of the amp which might cause damage to the speakers. Also when buying speakers make sure replacement parts are easily available now and will be 10 or 20 years in the future unless you plan on trading speakers quite often. Built in SS speaker protection is something else you might want for your speakers to have.
 
hpm40 said:
I'm new to high fidelity and my first amplifier arrived today... a second-hand NAD C316BEE. Been listening through A/V receivers and they are OK , but listening through this amp I'm hearing things in my CDs that I haven't noticed before.

Before the BEE arrived I was listening through an Onkyo Integra 6.4 A/V receiver , Klipsch Sub 6 subwoofer, and KLH Albany bookshelf speakers... all items that I've picked up locally for little money. The addition of the sub really helped the Albanys. I like the Albanys for their sparkle and decent midrange, but their bass can be lacking.

I've been reading and watching speaker reviews for a week and my head is swimming. I'm leaning towards some Elac Debut 2.0 6.2, or Wharfedale 12.1 or 12.2 I've always wanted to try some Polk Audio bookshelf speakers but reviews I've seen are mixed. Can anyone recommend some bookshelf speakers ( suspension or front-ported so I can put them on a cabinet shelf ) that would work well with this amp in a 14x14 room ? I listen mostly at low volume due to close neighbors. Something with decent bass as the 316BEE doesn't have a sub connection. Thanks.
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Hi there, and welcome... I had the Elac Debut 6.2 for a while. They were nice, but I think for me on the "darker" side with their sound. It would depend what type of music you are listening to, and how loud, but they are plenty for a 14x14 room! :)
 
hpm40 said:
I'm new to high fidelity and my first amplifier arrived today... a second-hand NAD C316BEE. Been listening through A/V receivers and they are OK , but listening through this amp I'm hearing things in my CDs that I haven't noticed before.

Before the BEE arrived I was listening through an Onkyo Integra 6.4 A/V receiver , Klipsch Sub 6 subwoofer, and KLH Albany bookshelf speakers... all items that I've picked up locally for little money. The addition of the sub really helped the Albanys. I like the Albanys for their sparkle and decent midrange, but their bass can be lacking.

I've been reading and watching speaker reviews for a week and my head is swimming. I'm leaning towards some Elac Debut 2.0 6.2, or Wharfedale 12.1 or 12.2 I've always wanted to try some Polk Audio bookshelf speakers but reviews I've seen are mixed. Can anyone recommend some bookshelf speakers ( suspension or front-ported so I can put them on a cabinet shelf ) that would work well with this amp in a 14x14 room ? I listen mostly at low volume due to close neighbors. Something with decent bass as the 316BEE doesn't have a sub connection. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Only looking for new speakers?

Thanks!
 
My wife has that same amp in her office and despite it's somewhat lower power rating it drives everything we've connected to it with ease. Currently it's pushing a pair of System Audio Rangers with excellent results. These are in a whole different price point than the NAD amp but you wouldn't know it by listening. It's a very nice sounding amplifier that you'll be able to build a great system around. Best advice: go to your local hi-fi shop and listen to as many as you can to get an idea of what you like. When you find something SUPPORT THE LOCAL STORE. Don't use their time and facility just to buy the same thing online. Build a rapport with the staff and a good shop will steer you in the right direction.
 
"Wharfes" and "Polk" are great "stand-bye's", both producing decent sound for your intended application.

What is your budget and what genre do you mostly listen to, as these factors may have a bearing on choice.

Q
 
Don't know what your budget is but you might consider NHT speakers. If you buy new, the C3 is brand new in October and should be quite special. The C1 is plentiful and can be had quite cheap used. Throw in a sub and you have killer sound.
 
I personally love KEF speakers with NAD amps, but as others have said, this is highly personal, so review things and see what you like

A local shop where you can listen to things is great, maybe even better a local shop that also sells nice vintage stuff might give you some great options as well
 
Thanks for all the replies. I listen mostly to classic rock, but I also enjoy pop, old country, and i'm getting a taste for female vocalists with background guitar, drums, violins. I also like Spanish guitar. How's that for all over the road ?! My listening level is mostly low... the volume knob on the 316BEE is pointed towards 8 on a clock and the highest I've had it for short periods is 9 o'clock. That's loud in my 14x14 room.

My budget would be $1,000 or less but preferably $600 or less. I'm not looking for the best best, but I would like to hear a little more bass and have it more defined if that makes sense. Perhaps tight is the word. I like to hear kick drums that are clear. I like the new mids I'm hearing... the voices are more clear and the guitars sound different... crisp or sharp for lack of better words. I also like sparkly highs if they are not harsh. I enjoy hearing cymbals and the hi-hat that sound like themselves. Is this asking too much for my budget ?
 
Welcome to the wonderful world audio gear. You will get a lot of advice here, and it will all be good, but it will be confusing.
My Advice...
Go slow.
I gave my son a pretty decent set up but with no speakers. I found some very mediocre floor standing Pioneer speakers for 30 bucks at a garage sale, and he LOVES them. I don't, but he and his wife don't have anything to compare them to. So for them, they work very well.
4 weeks back I bought a pair of Yamaha NS-670 3-way speakers from a fellow AK'er to give to them. I replaced the grill cloth and pegs that hold them in place. They sound so darn good; I'm having a hard time giving them to him. The Yamaha's do not give anything up to the Dentons sitting atop and as wonderful as they sound, they were 2.5 times the cost. If I could return them, I would.
Find something to get you by and scour the market for what you want.
Good luck, and again, Welcome!

Jeff
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If you tells us what part of the country you’re in maybe someone can recommend a local shop or even invite you over to hear something different.
 
hpm40 said:
I'm new to high fidelity and my first amplifier arrived today... a second-hand NAD C316BEE. Been listening through A/V receivers and they are OK , but listening through this amp I'm hearing things in my CDs that I haven't noticed before.

Before the BEE arrived I was listening through an Onkyo Integra 6.4 A/V receiver , Klipsch Sub 6 subwoofer, and KLH Albany bookshelf speakers... all items that I've picked up locally for little money. The addition of the sub really helped the Albanys. I like the Albanys for their sparkle and decent midrange, but their bass can be lacking.

I've been reading and watching speaker reviews for a week and my head is swimming. I'm leaning towards some Elac Debut 2.0 6.2, or Wharfedale 12.1 or 12.2 I've always wanted to try some Polk Audio bookshelf speakers but reviews I've seen are mixed. Can anyone recommend some bookshelf speakers ( suspension or front-ported so I can put them on a cabinet shelf ) that would work well with this amp in a 14x14 room ? I listen mostly at low volume due to close neighbors. Something with decent bass as the 316BEE doesn't have a sub connection. Thanks.
Click to expand...
You have a lot people agreeing, speakers drive the system. Choose the speakers, feed the speakers. The requirements for a pair of Dynaudios is completely different than a pair of Klipsch. The upside is that the NAD should be relatively speaker insensitive, within reason, and you are unlikely to find or afford really reactive speakers. They aren't really common.

The challenge is synergy. That one I can't answer. My stepson has a pair of Energy C3s with his NAD integrated. Good matching. Anything of that series
 
I think you chose well with your amplifier. I used to have the NAD C320BEE, in fact that was the amp I was using when I started getting interested in vintage. At the time, I chose vintage because of the bang for the buck factor. It is not so much like that now, but that may start changing again to being very favourable for buyers.

So the NAD, while only 40 watts, is a real 40 watts! That actually means something quite important. It is why they are good for Kef speakers. You don't need a lot of power to drive power hungry speakers like Kefs. You do need to have high current when needed. The NAD will also supply up to around 100 watts/channel for short spurts. I have a pair of Kef 103.2s being ably driven by my McIntosh MA-6200 and I see the NAD being able to do nearly as much control as the Mc. And healthy bass. I find that NAD supplies healthy bass. I think it is because of the instant power it supplies if needed. I've had quite a few NAD components and quite liked them. Other vintage bookshelf speakers I can recommend are EPI M100s, Paradigms, Celestion Ditton 15s, Camber 2.5s, ... There are so many. What you want are speakers with a proven track record of having good bass. The ones I've mentioned have that with an amp such as yours.
 
I really like the JBL Studio series speakers. The 530s would fulfill your needs in your price range.
 
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