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point me in the right direction: bookshelves

F

Fisten

New Member
Hey team.

I have a vintage receiver (marantz 2325) pushing a couple of AR11's, which sound great.

I'd like a second set of speakers for a sansui 717, but might mix and match between receivers.

While I know the AR lineup pretty well when researching to purchase what I currently have, I'd like to look at other brands, Advent, Wharfedale, etc.

Ideally bookshelves smaller then the AR11's (13.94 inches wide x 25 inches high x 10.75 inches deep), 4 or 8 ohms, maybe around 60-80 watts, Resolving with a good soundstage. Vintage is fine as I dont mind refoaming/rebuilding crossovers, but Id also consider something newish. Really, Im looking for nice drivers to contrast with my AR11's. nothing too pricey, up to about $500.

Any suggestions?
 
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Don't know if they fit your size criteria, but the KLH 23 and 6 both are different sounding than the 11s though of the same mindset. And delightful.
And there are always the Dynaco A25. I can't explain why they always sound so welcome when they show up - their faults aren't hard to hear, but those flaws are hard to care about - they just sound so right.
If you want smaller speakers, the problem is that there are so many valid alternatives.
 
ADS L400s?

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It occurs to me that, given that many of the suggestions you will get will be for vintage speakers, it might be helpful to suggest that just going a head andtrying a few might be the best bet. But that assumes that you are 1.) willing to poke around to find some - craigslist and facebook market place, church sales, the side of the road, the dump, and letting people know you like old stereo equipment - after a while, it follows you home, and 2.) not willing to blow the budget on the first pair of speakers someone has loudly praised - tastes differ, and often there is a pecuniary motivation for that enthusiasm.
I'd avoid buying speakers that require shipping - it has gotten very expensive, and it has always been a bit risky. Local is always better, unless you live in an area devoid of audio equipment, and those are rare.
And I believe that no audio equipment is so perfect that cost considerations shouldn't be front and center. And for fun, more is better, even if possibly not as good.
 
I really like the 3D Acoustic Cubes. Really accurate speakers. How do they sound on an AU 717. Funny you should ask.
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They sound amazing. Cubes are overlooked and underrated. I listen to them more than any other speakers I own. And for what they’re going for, I don’t think you can beat them.
 
You have to have the subwoofer to hear them at their best. Otherwise they are small speakers.
(Edit: This comment was specifically about the 3D Acoustics system, which is a remarkably good and coherent sounding sub/sat system (though I've heard it with the slightly larger more conventional bookshelf satellites. But it's also true about most very small speakers.)
 
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I keep saying this after getting a restored pair about a year ago. Best "little" speakers are JBL 4301b. Going smaller I am blown away at how crazy good Bowers and Wilkins DM 302 speakers sound. The spec on the bass responce is very deceiving, those little dudes kick ass for as small as they are.
 
It's not cheap, and it's a bit of a convoluted way of having to get them- but, it's hard to think of many better speakers in that mid-size bookshelf zone, than the Tannoy Saturn 8 C (a.k.a. Saturn S8LCR). They were commonly used as center channel speakers, but they're amazing in a stereo pair. Here's two singles of the same color, for sale in two different places- both available RIGHT NOW:


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Genuine Tannoy Saturn S8c Center Channel Speaker MADE IN ENGLAND

Shop usaauctionhouse's closet or find the perfect look from millions of stylists. Fast shipping and buyer protection. Genuine Tannoy Saturn S8c Center Channel Speaker MADE IN ENGLAND
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I actually sold this type speakers when they were new. They just do every thing well. All musical types sound good, and they're easy to place for good sound, too.

Regards,
Gordon.
 
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