Should we just post a list of speakers that we like?
The request is for speakers that pair well with the SX-1250. Speakers should be recommended that sound great (implicit in the request) and pair well with the SX-1250 (specifically asked in the question). The reference to fond memories of Advents 30 or 40 years ago does not, and should not, restrict what is recommended. He could always go with the Advents, but then he wouldn't have had to post the thread at all if he had already decided that. There are far better speakers than Advent that were price prohibitive in period and are not at all price prohibitive now. It would be a irresponsible not to mention those speakers now since the pricing dynamics of speakers from that era has totally changed. If you have experience with the DQ-10's and the Advents, would love to hear your thoughts about how they compare.
As far as pairing with the SX-1250, Advents will work, but the 1250 will be idling. Nothing wrong with the 1250 idling, but the advantage of the 1250 is that its power allows the luxury of selecting speakers based upon sound quality alone without any concern for efficiency (not many receivers have so much flexibility regarding ignoring efficiency).
The right speakers are those the OP prefers, not what I prefer or what anyone else prefers. If he doesn't have a preference it then behooves a person who has (or desires) audio as a hobby to get out there and listen to things so he can decide what he likes. As the OP is in New York I assume he can hit some audio shops.
I'm pretty sure the OP didn't post the thread to be recommended only Advents -- and I'm pretty sure he didn't post the thread to be told "go out and listen to the 10,000 speakers brands and models that have been released since the Advents came out 40+ years ago to find what sounds best". Everyone can suggest speakers they think will work best -- that doesn't replace the importance of the OP listening to several options to pick what is best in his environment -- but there is a lot of value in AKers narrowing the list a LOT with what they think would be best (and the OP can ignore them all if he wishes).
All of the above said, the OP should have clarified a target budget, music types, room, volume levels and other things to help us provide recommendations. The budget is really a
total unknown -- if he's owned the 1250 forever, the investment was essentially free + recap cost -- however, if he bought the SX-1250 at today's pricing, he probably has $2k+ invested in it. It's impossible to infer budget from those two starkly different possibilities. 30 or 40 year old fond memories of Advents doesn't really provide any guideline at all. I have very fond memories of my Advents from 30 or 40 years ago, and I used them for more than a decade, but I couldn't begin to describe how they sound today in any accurate detail.
, but with all that power, I would go with something that can use it and yield rewards, like the Dalquist DQ-20. Not very efficient but should sound amazing (sadly have not had a chance to try them myself):
