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Hopelessly lost: Speakers for my Marantz 2225

E

E30FTW

New Member
Hey guys,

I didn't want it to come to this, but after several days and many hours of searching craigslist, eBay, and the forum here to find some decent budget speaker options for my little 25W 2225, I have decided to break down and ask for some help.

I have realized that the combination of a staggering number of speaker models, so few other people with the same amp as me, and my admittedly very limited knowledge on speakers (especially vintage), all conspire to make my search for some good budget speakers for my bedroom 2225 system seemingly insurmountable. Will the system sound best if the speaker power more closely matches my receiver output (i.e. 25W speakers with my 25W receiver)? Should I be looking most for frequency response (I am under the impression that 90dB+ is decent while 99dB + is very good, no?), or crossover frequency? I am lost :sigh:

So here is what I am looking for:

Versatile bookshelf or floor speakers that I could reasonably find used for $100 or less. My system is equally divided between NPR talk radio and vinyl of everything from classical to rock to hip-hop to electronic. Clearly I am more concerned about my music coming through well, as NPR is mainly for keeping me up on current events and maybe even learning a thing or two.

I understand this is a very newb-ish question, and the requirements are probably like looking for my dream car when my main criterion are wheels and an engine, but I am overwhelmed by the possibilities! Let the schooling begin, I am a sponge in waiting :D.


-Matthew
 
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You emphatically don't need to match the 25w figure you mentioned. The 90db figure doesn't refer to speaker frequency, but to speaker sensitivity. You don't need to get stuck too much on that either, though you wouldn't want that figure excessively low for a 25wpc amp (less than about 88db in an anechoic chamber may be a bit low, to give you an idea). For the money you consider spending, your choices probably will be fairly efficient.

How loud do you want it? Bookshelf speakers? For a 100 bucks, your best bet is obviously used speakers. Old Advents and AR's are popular choices, BUT be aware that they may need repair, which adds to cost. Specifically, if I were looking in that price range, I'd be on the lookout for speakers that have non-foam surrounds on the woofers, so you won't need to refoam. Look for dome rather than cone tweeters.

Brands such as Paradigm, PSB, NHT, ADS, Klipsch, Energy, Pioneer HPM series, come to mind. Good luck hunting.
 
used speakers in your price range:

Paradigm Atom or Titan
Polk Monitor 7
Dynaco A25

Large Advent
Smaller Advent
(make sure Advents are restored)
Cambridge Soundworks Model 6
KLH, AR
 
I'd second Advents. I have Advent/1 (the replacement for The Smaller Advent). Or the New Large Advent (replacemnt for The Advent Loudspeaker). Refoaming these is probably easier than the older versions as you don't have to deal with the masonite ring and gluing the surronds to the back of it. Also the newer versions did not have the HF control switch on the crossover which may be less trouble-prone?

I have run the Advents on my Harman Kardon 430 and my Sansui AU-4400 (both 25wpc with out any issue at all). Remember vintage watts do not necessarilly equal current-day watts.

Anyway I found my "vinyl utility cabinet" Advent/1s for $30 at a thrift shop. The foams were intact but I plan on re-doing those soon. But I think you could get a set with new foams easily for $100.

There are some other nice Advent models out there as well. Lots of resources here on Advent and AR http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/

That being said, I understand Marantz made some pretty decent speakers as well, like the Imperial 5. Set of those selling locally here for $75.

I have also always like Polk and Paradigm (go Canada!). Polk Monitor 7, 5 or 5jr (of various marks) and Paradigm 5se (of various marks) are I think physically all in same size range as the Advents - about 20 to 24-in tall speakers with 8-inch LF drivers that you would probably want to mount on a stand. You might be pushing it to get a set under $100. Energy also made some decent speakers (go Canada again!), like the Energy22. Their tweaters I understand were not very robust. All these speakers I think are more early to late 80's vintage than the Advents / ARs which would be mid to late 70s.

Most of these speaker lines morphed over the years. Advent got sold a couple of times and now is a re-badge of cheap chinese TVs, etc. I think it is safe to say that later Polk, Paradigm, Energy, etc. have concentrated on the home theater market. I think you would be happiest if you match the vintage of the speaker fairly closely to the vintage of the receiver.
 
I just read this thread about advents with the 2225. I have being trying to figure what speakers to use with the 2225. I have been using Wharfedale Modus Eights, switched to KEF Cantor's, which improved the midrange, but not the high's, After reading this I remembered I had a pr of Cambridge Soundworks Ensemble speakers by Henry Kloss. So I just hooked them up and it was not an improvement at all.:no: Isn't Henry Kloss the one that started Advent many years ago? The Cambridge "Ensemble" most have been in the years after the quality went or maybe it just doesn't match up well with this receiver. It is tough to get a speaker to match up with this receiver and hear any detail at all.:no: I'm going to try the HPM 100's next.:scratch2:
 
My $10 Polk Monitor 7's sound amazing with my $20 Marantz 2220B. No doubt, the Karma Indignia speakers will be as good if not better!
 
I just helped out a buddy with his converted bedroom/mancave.He bought
a Marantz 2220b receiver.I had an old pair of pioneer cs g403 speakers
in my garage and we hooked them up to test the receiver.They are big
3 way 15" 80's speakers I think.This match up sounded terrific.:thmbsp:They
were not bright or boomy and the music just sounded so good.If you can
find a set,pick them up.I dont think they will be very expensive but they
are large.
 
Matthew...thats what this hobby is all about....finding gear that matches other components in your system soundwise.
Its all up to your own taste.....so enjoy the trip!

Cant go far wrong sticking to the well known speaker brands

Kef
Celestion
B&W
Mission
Rogers
Tannoy

Well i live in Europe....US market may be little different.
 
If you need something a little louder you will need something fairly sensitive.

Pinnacle AC 650's are a small bookshelf speaker that has received rave reviews. They are more sensitive than most at 91db. You should be able to find a pair at an auction site for between 1 and 2 hundred. They are very neutral and image very well. With a small sub they should Rock nicely.
 
It is not clear from your post the size of your room. $100 is not much to work with, but on the used market you should find something. Use the advice you get here along with some common sense and you should be fine.

The 2225 is not a real high powered receiver, so stay away from demanding loads of 4 ohms. Most nominal 6 or 8 ohm speakers will be fine.

If you go with vintage speakers, but make sure the foam hasn't rotted and look for signs of abuse, such as crunched corners, damaged binding posts, dented or pushed in cones on the drivers, or badly beaten up veneers. Speakers such as these have led a hard life, and you don't need the headache of restoring them.
My vintage recommendation is the EPI 70 or EPI 100. I owned a pair of 100s for 15 years and in the last 5, had it paired up with a Marantz 2238b. Vintage Polk is not bad, but the Monitor 7 and 10 might be too much speaker for your room.

If you go with modern speakers, anything 10 years old or less, you will probably get more sound in a narrower cabinet with modern style binding posts. Only you can decide whether these have the sound you like.

Two that I have heard are
Tannoy Mercury M1 or M2 - I have listened to the M1 for 7 years in a bedroom system, using everything from a Sony Amp, a vintage Kenwood, and Arcam and while it sounded better with better electronics, it never sounded bad, even with the Sony.
Acoustic Energy Aegis - I helped my mother pick these out 7 years ago and she has it hooked up to a modern Nakamichi receiver, although we had originally auditioned it with a somewhat vintage NAD receiver. We both agreed that the Acoustic Energy sounded much better than competing products from Mission and Paradigm.
 
Your ears must help you decide. It would benefit you & your decision making process if you went out and listened to speakers with various types of tweeters & midranges. Once you figure out which type below your ears prefer, it would eliminate many speakers from your selection list.

Soft dome
Hard dome (titanium, beryllium, etc)
Cones
Horns
Piezos
 
I don't think you could go wrong with either original Advents or Jensen-era Advents (my preference, generally). Also, look into any of the Monitor series Polks, easy to drive with small amplification and very nice sounding. Plentiful, and easy to get parts for, to boot.
 
I've been using a pair of recapped and refurbished KLH 17 speakers, with my Marantz 2230 receiver.
Pretty nice sounding combo, in my book.

Steve
 
I appreciate all of the suggestions, and I definitely have a few things to look into. But are there technical things I should avoid/look for to make sure I don't hurt my receiver and can actually drive the speakers properly?

I expected this thread to be full of opinions, which is one thing I was looking for, but being an engineer, I also like to have a technical framework to work with so I don't buy a great pair of speakers that I just simply can't drive due to my equipment.

I have grabbed so far that I should stick with the 6-8 ohm speakers as the 4 ohm speakers can place an undue burden on my receiver. Are there other "hard limits" that I need to be aware of?

Thanks for all of your help so far! It really is giving me an idea of what to look for.

*heads over to read 240 Volt's post on why 4 ohm loads stress your amplifier*

EDIT: Oh yeah, for further reference, the size of my room is roughly 14' x 17', but the area I care about for these speakers is only about 11' x 8'. That is the designated lounge space, while the other half of the room is living and study space.
 
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