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First post ever, need help with speaker selection!

A

Aaronoswald

New Member
Just upgraded(?) from a 1972 Fisher 40 all-in-one unit, to a optonica rp-4705.. I got a Toshiba sa-420 receiver in great shape for $20, So that is what I am currently using. If I need to upgrade from the receiver, I am willing, but I would love some advice on a pair of speakers that would sound great with what I have… i’m really not trying to spend more than $700 total, either on upgrading the receiver and getting new speakers, or just putting that whole money into speakers if I could still work with the receiver… It will be located in a bedroom, I don’t need a ton of volume, just hoping for more warmth and clarity. I mostly listen to 60s 70s rock, soul, classic country, and classical, with some metal and punk/hard-core.. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
 
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Are you looking for new or vintage? If vintage, take a look at what speakers are for sale in your area, either via Facebook or Craigslist or whatever your favorite marketplace is. Find some speakers that look good, then do some Google searches for the make and model numbers (you'll find many results will lead you right back here). Read the threads or reviews; if you've found one that you think will work well, start a new thread here with the details and we can advise you further. There have literally been thousands and thousands of different models of speakers made that would work for you, so it makes more sense to buy based on what's available rather than looking for a specific model.

If you're looking for new, that's going to be a whole other discussion. Your receiver is capable of 25 watts/channel, which will probably be fine for most speakers with your described usage.

And welcome to AK.
 
As they will be in a bedroom may we surmise the speakers should be of moderate size? Might they be moved to a larger room in the future? How important is bass response to you? There are many very good speakers available in your price range both vintage and new, but some smaller ones may not be as good if at some point they need to move into a larger room and at that point may need to be supplemented with a subwoofer. Take your time. When I've bought brand new speakers I generally shopped for months, though I haven't been in that market for a couple of decades.
 
I really appreciate the responses! Some of the music that I listen to would certainly sound great with good bass response, however I don’t really need to FEEL the bass when I listen to my records.. I have an average sized bedroom, maybe 14’ x 14’ probably not going to change... I don’t have a preference over vintage or new, Mostly warmth, sound, and clarity.. The current best speaker that I have for my system, (I know it is not ideal to have two different speakers) is an advent legacy II. Should I attempt to get another one of those for $55 on eBay? The price is certainly EASY, and then I could invest my money in a sick tube amplifier.. I know there are so many options, and so many speakers that you could suggest. I apologize for the obvious lack of experience and knowledge, and the slow reply. Today is my day off work! I do have connections to someone who can repair speakers, so if you’ve noticed a killer deal on some speakers that need repair but our incredible bang for the buck, let me know! Thanks again!
 
swechsler said:
Are you looking for new or vintage? If vintage, take a look at what speakers are for sale in your area, either via Facebook or Craigslist or whatever your favorite marketplace is. Find some speakers that look good, then do some Google searches for the make and model numbers (you'll find many results will lead you right back here). Read the threads or reviews; if you've found one that you think will work well, start a new thread here with the details and we can advise you further. There have literally been thousands and thousands of different models of speakers made that would work for you, so it makes more sense to buy based on what's available rather than looking for a specific model.

If you're looking for new, that's going to be a whole other discussion. Your receiver is capable of 25 watts/channel, which will probably be fine for most speakers with your described usage.

And welcome to AK.
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Since I don’t drive, I was hoping it could just be something that is shipped to my house… if the speakers aren’t in a 10 mile radius, it’s going to cost me an arm and a leg to take an Uber or Lyft to pick them up. I realize the shipping can also be an arm and a leg, but i’m willing to pay for the convenience. Perhaps new is the way I should go? While it is true that it seems like products made in this modern age are not built to last, I really don’t see myself blowing out a modern good quality speaker, or not being able to enjoy it for quite a few years to come… thank you so much for responding!
 
The fact that you don't drive makes a significant difference, and that's going to make purchasing vintage speakers a bit more difficult. If you have Amazon prime, there are some pretty good deals on new speakers there, and you can return them for free if they don't sound right in your room.

The entry level Polks get very good reviews and prices are pretty decent:

Monitor 40 ($179/pr)
T50 ($240/pr)
Monitor 60 ($340/pr)

I believe this are actually the MSRPs, so if you're in no hurry, they'll probably go on sale at some point (for example, until about 3 months ago, the Monitor 60s were selling for $140/each or less).

Another possibility would be to purchase a good used pair of small speakers (such as the NHT SuperOne) from eBay for $100 or so, then supplement them with a new powered subwoofer. Placement would be a little easier than with floor standing speakers.
 
For the available wattage you have to drive a speaker you will want something easy to drive,for the type of music you listen to ,and your available wattage i can think of no better used speaker than a Cerwin Vega floor standing model ,they are always on craigslist and within your budget,because you dont drive simply tell a seller you dont drive & id bet money most audio sellers will help you out & deliever ,my work truck was getting motor work done when i found my Klipsch Lascallas about 30 miles away,i sure as hell wasnt loading them in my smaller Colorado because its insanely stiff suspension would of beat em to death,seller brought them to my door,you can also use the Nearest 1st feature on Ebay & Audiogon to find speakers near you,most people in our hobby are helpful.
 
It would be a big help if the OP revealed where he lives. Just the city is sufficient.
 
PanheadXR290 said:
For the available wattage you have to drive a speaker you will want something easy to drive,for the type of music you listen to ,and your available wattage i can think of no better used speaker than a Cerwin Vega floor standing model ,they are always on craigslist and within your budget,because you dont drive simply tell a seller you dont drive & id bet money most audio sellers will help you out & deliever ,
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Yeah, but that doesn't give you the opportunity to listen before you make the final decision. It's a rare seller that will bring a pair of speakers over for a potential buyer just to listen to, with no commitment to buy.
 
trinhsman said:
True, but if he could stretch it a bit, he might be happy for a very long time. IMHO.
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I could stretch a bit, but even with a rearrangement of my room, floor space is somewhat limited.. Currently I have both of my speakers about 8 feet off the ground on top of my record cabinets at 45° angles towards where I’m listening. Again, thank you all for your responses.. I understand it would be ideal to listen to the speakers first, but truly, with the mismatched pair I’m working with, I’m sure all the brands/models suggested would be an upgrade!
 
For a setup like that you might want to try the speakers upside down.
BTW, looks like you've got a lot of stuff crammed in there.
 
Getting another Advent is a good option if you like the one you have. The soft dome probably gives good dispersion from the top of the record stacks. Turn it upside down to get the woofer away from the ceiling and clear up the bass boom.
Most new bookshelf speakers have soft dome tweeters and will work for you. I don't think cone tweeters will.
The question to ask is not "what" speaker should I get, but should I get "this" speaker.
I myself suggest a simple 2 driver speaker. Probably an 8 inch woofer and soft dome tweeter.
Then there is always the old one size fits all Dynaco A25.
 
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