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Small speaker pairing question

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emeryroolz

New Member
I'm putting together a cheap vintage system (Dual 622 turntable for $12, Pioneer SX-434 receiver for $35) and I'm looking for some speakers. I currently have a pair of Technics SB-S407s that I got for $15, but the space for the system is limited, and the Technics speakers are pretty big (it's a bedroom system - each speaker is about the size of a nightstand).

I'm looking for some small speakers, something like the Realistic Minimus 7s, which can be acquired fairly cheaply and receive generally good reviews, especially for the tweeter performance. I've heard the bass is not great on the Min 7s though, so I was wondering if there were any other small, relatively cheap speakers that are a little more bass-y that would pair well as a "speaker b" set in a "speaker a + b" setup. I'm not looking for something to blow out the doors and windows, just something that will sound decent from low to high and in between.

I think the alternative is to shell out $160 for some new, small Klipsch speakers. Let me know what you think (even if you think I'm crazy to try to run two sets of small speakers).

Thanks! This community is great
 
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BOUXY said:
Minimus 7's have decent Bass:)
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Oh really?! Mine don't (Model # 40-2034, bought new). They never have. Even heavily equalized the bass from them is anemic.

The dedicated receiver Radio Shack made for them had an equalization curve specifically for Minimus 7's. It definitely makes them sound better. However I wouldn't consider it to be "decent" bass.

FWIW: They used to reside on the rear deck of a Camaro augmented by a subwoofer in the trunk. Currently they're in my audio spares closet.
 
JoeESP9 said:
Oh really?! Mine don't (Model # 40-2034, bought new). They never have. Even heavily equalized the bass from them is anemic.

The dedicated receiver Radio Shack made for them had an equalization curve specifically for Minimus 7's. It definitely makes them sound better. However I wouldn't consider it to be "decent" bass.

FWIW: They used to reside on the rear deck of a Camaro augmented by a subwoofer in the trunk. Currently they're in my audio spares closet.
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Yes really!!! I have 3 sets of the originals and they all have decent Bass!:)
The Minimus 7 is little only in size, not in performance - it's a real giant in concert hall sound.

The high compliance woofer element gives astounding bass and the dome tweeter produces crisp, clean highs.

Careful acoustic design matches the two dynamic elements with the enclosure and damping materials - resulting in amazingly smooth, broad frequency response.
 
BOUXY said:
Yes really!!! I have 3 sets of the originals and they all have decent Bass!:)
The Minimus 7 is little only in size, not in performance - it's a real giant in concert hall sound.

The high compliance woofer element gives astounding bass and the dome tweeter produces crisp, clean highs.

Careful acoustic design matches the two dynamic elements with the enclosure and damping materials - resulting in amazingly smooth, broad frequency response.
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Are you sure you're not a shill for Radio Shack?:rolleyes:

I guess we have different definitions and expectations as to what "decent" bass is. The Pioneer SP BS-22's in my bedroom have bass an order of magnitude better than Minimus 7's. Even so, IMO/E they need and have a subwoofer for bass. The Mini Advents that are the surround speakers in my bedroom have better bass than Minimus 7's.

I freely admit Minimus 7's sound pretty good especially when considering the size. As for them having decent bass; not according to my ears or measurements made via REW and a calibrated mic.
 
Stuart Pedaso said:
One can't expect any small bookshelf speaker to compete for bass output with those Technics' 10" woofers. If you go a little bigger than Minimus-7 though, fuller frequency response can be had.

Probably the most budget friendly option to be found is Dayton Audio B652 from Parts Express.
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I bought a pair of the B652's for one of my sons. I bought a pair of the BR-1
Kits for myself. For the extra money the BR-1's sound so much better. And are simple to assemble.
 
JoeESP9 said:
Are you sure you're not a shill for Radio Shack?:rolleyes:

I guess we have different definitions and expectations as to what "decent" bass is. The Pioneer SP BS-22's in my bedroom have bass an order of magnitude better than Minimus 7's. Even so, IMO/E they need and have a subwoofer for bass. The Mini Advents that are the surround speakers in my bedroom have better bass than Minimus 7's.

I freely admit Minimus 7's sound pretty good especially when considering the size. As for them having decent bass; not according to my ears or measurements made via REW and a calibrated mic.
Click to expand...

That okay if we agree to differ!
I usually listen to Stereo with 18" Woofers so maybe that's it! Too much of a good thing:)
 
Stuart Pedaso said:
One can't expect any small bookshelf speaker to compete for bass output with those Technics' 10" woofers.
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Maybe not in quantity, but in terms of quality, I'd definitely expect a good set of bookshelf speakers to outperform those Technics in practically all areas. I think you'll find speakers like that lack in high frequency extension, definition, and coherent bass. What you will get from them is lots of boom, as that's pretty much what they were engineered to do (although I'm not sure much engineering went into their design). There were a few decent Technics speakers made, but the models mentioned in the OP were targeted at the type of people that bought stereos for their kids at department stores.
 
I'm more of an opportunist & would look for any quality pair of 2-way speakers from a major speaker manufacturer at a good price. Fortunately, small 2-way speakers were usually sold in entry level systems & there seems to be lots & lots of them out there on the used market for a song.

IIRC the SX-434 is a very low-powered receiver (10-15 w/ch.?) from about 1972-'74. I personally own a 1970 vintage SX-626 receiver, which was my 1st piece of HiFi gear, & am very familiar with their sound. Your SX-434 is the next generation beyond my SX-626, but I would expect its sound to be pretty similar. Generally speaking, they are a warm sounding amplifier that sound a bit slow & lacking in detail, but they can sound pretty good when matched up with the right 2-way speaker. A 2-way speaker is a good match to get the most from the limited amplifier power available.

My Pioneer 3-way speakers of that era (CS-R600) use metal diaphragms in the tweeters & midranges to add detail & sizzle to the systems of the times, as did the 2-way CS-R500. Having said all that, I would suggest you look for a budget 2-way system that preferredly uses a metal tweeter & either a 6 inch or 8 inch woofer if possible. There are lots of them out there & half the fun will be looking for the right ones. Garage sales, thrift stores, estate sales, & craigslist will be your friend, but I expect you'll also find lots & lots of other cool things too. Best of luck!
 
If you can find a pair, the Canton Plus S is a little speaker, not far from the size of the Minimus 7's. They have very respectable bass.

However, and this is a big deal, they are a 4 ohm load speaker, and I'm not sure your SX-434 handles 4 ohm loads. I have a SX-550 and a SX-780, and you have to be careful what you use for speakers. That's especially true if you're going to use more than one pair.
 
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