YamahaFreak
Super Member
They are warm to bright at first, but after a few hours of hard usage they settle down nicely. You really gotta give 'em the juice, though. My 65 WPC Yamaha almost couldn't do it. (I think it hates me now
)
The Best 50 Dollar A Pair Speakers Ever ??
- Thread starter ka7niq
- Start date
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jefe vt
lame generic statement
I think I looked at that setup on CL, I thought the price was per pair, not all three! Damn, I would have gone for that.
YamahaFreak
Super Member
YamahaFreak
Super Member
I'm glad they went to another AK'er
Me too :thmbsp:
2nickels1dime
New Member
Silverline SR-15's for $25!
Bought off Craisglist in Portland ~ a year ago from a guy whose brother reviewed audio equipment for a living. Perfect operational condition, a few hairline scratches on the beautiful rosewood finish and soft tweeters I restored with a vacuum cleaner. These speakers were built in Walnut Creek, CA and retailed for ~ $1400 until recently discontinued!
They sound amazing in my office paired with my Luxman L-480 integrated ($120 off ebay) and slightly modded Thorens td-166 mkII ($100 mint off Craigslist) with Denon DL-160 mc cartridge (the most expensive component on my rack!). Smooth and detailed highs, beautiful midrange and bass that would be surprising but for their sheer heft. Won't be changing anything in the speaker department until these (God forbid) get damaged.
If you don't believe me, here is the text from the ad:
Excellent backup speakers, nice bass response - $25
________________________________________
Reply to: sale-347433656@craigslist.org
Date: 2007-06-07, 10:20PM PDT
Excellent backup speakers, nice bass response
These speakers are unlabeled. They were test speakers from a manufacturer that were used for a product review. Sticker on back says they were from Silverline Audio Technology in Walnut Creek, CA.
I used them as a second set of A/V speakers for an extra system in the house.
Nice sound. Extremely well-made with heavy, solid wood cabinet.
In the pix, the tweeter looks squished--but it isn't. It's a flexible membrane that expands and contracts with the quality and volume of the audio signal.
12"d x 8"w x 13"h
$25 firm.
email or call cell 503-901-4503
Bought off Craisglist in Portland ~ a year ago from a guy whose brother reviewed audio equipment for a living. Perfect operational condition, a few hairline scratches on the beautiful rosewood finish and soft tweeters I restored with a vacuum cleaner. These speakers were built in Walnut Creek, CA and retailed for ~ $1400 until recently discontinued!
They sound amazing in my office paired with my Luxman L-480 integrated ($120 off ebay) and slightly modded Thorens td-166 mkII ($100 mint off Craigslist) with Denon DL-160 mc cartridge (the most expensive component on my rack!). Smooth and detailed highs, beautiful midrange and bass that would be surprising but for their sheer heft. Won't be changing anything in the speaker department until these (God forbid) get damaged.
If you don't believe me, here is the text from the ad:
Excellent backup speakers, nice bass response - $25
________________________________________
Reply to: sale-347433656@craigslist.org
Date: 2007-06-07, 10:20PM PDT
Excellent backup speakers, nice bass response
These speakers are unlabeled. They were test speakers from a manufacturer that were used for a product review. Sticker on back says they were from Silverline Audio Technology in Walnut Creek, CA.
I used them as a second set of A/V speakers for an extra system in the house.
Nice sound. Extremely well-made with heavy, solid wood cabinet.
In the pix, the tweeter looks squished--but it isn't. It's a flexible membrane that expands and contracts with the quality and volume of the audio signal.
12"d x 8"w x 13"h
$25 firm.
email or call cell 503-901-4503
80sKid
Who You Calling A Kid?
HOLY COW WHAT A SCORE!
So which model from silverline are they?
And back on the topic of the Insignias... I still haven't properly auditioned the ones I purchased. I have been busy with personal stuff, trying to sell some of the other speakers I have hanging around here, plus, acquiring even more speakers. My wife is going bananas with all the speakers around here. Me? I'm happy as a pig in sh...
2nickels1dime
New Member
The SR-15 -- here is a link to one review -- shows the retail at $1800 but my guess is that street price was lower.
http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/silverline_sr15.htm
http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/silverline_sr15.htm
I finally was able to stop by BestBuy today and give the Insignia speakers a good listen. They sounded great! I was impressed to say the least but at 87 bucks....ill pass until they go on sale. I sure wish they were as cheap as they were when they first started selling them at BB.
80sKid
Who You Calling A Kid?
OK, I finally had time to some serious auditioning of the NS-B2111. This is my mini-review.
I am very impressed and think they represent a strong value. As I mentioned in a previous posting, my initial impression was that they are bright. But that was on someone else's system, which I did no serious inspection of. I believe that person must have had the treble control turned up, because they did not strike me as bright in my system.
These impressions are based on the speakers being positioned on short pedestals (about 2 feet tall), and tilted up toward ear level. The speakers were broken in and being driven by a Denon receiver.
They have frequency response that strikes my ear as quite smooth, until you get down to the mid-bass. They have considerable tubbiness in this region. The result is that vocals and acoustic guitar are given excessive chestiness. One some recordings it really ruins the experience. Therefore, placement away from walls is essential to prevent this problem from being any worse. (I had them setup 3-4 feet away from the back wall.)
The enclosures are very handsome, but are undoubtedly responsible for these problems in the mid-bass. They resonate quite a bit, and I see why some folks have modded their cabinets. I have to wonder how much of a difference it really makes, though. Is the problem alleviated, or only made tolerable?
This enclosure problem means that the higher you crank the volume, the bigger the resonance. These speakers quickly go from hi-fi at low volumes, to more like mid-fi at high volumes. Can't say this is a surprise, though, when buying speakers in this cost category.
On most recordings, the impressive imaging allows you to forget about the overly-full mid-bass. In fact, I believe this is the best sound I could ever expect to hear for less than $100 (only counting brand new products). Someone asked earlier in this thread if the NS-B2111 is really that much better than the Minimus 7, that they should consider the upgrade. My answer is Yes, they are unquestionably a grade above the Minimus 7. Although I didn't A/B compare them to my own pair of Minimus, I can confidently say that. They play louder, are more dynamic, have better imaging and certainly look a lot better. But then they are at least twice the size of the Minimus, so think twice if space is a consideration for your needs. And while the Minimus' sound balance works fine mounted in a cabinet, the 2111 would likely not benefit from this placement.
Those of us who are hi-fi enthusiasts sometimes have a need for a basic, inexpensive set of speakers for listening in an office/work/common area environment -- something better than the average boom box or all-in-one system. I think these speakers would perfectly suit this low volume, background playback role. And because of their full mid-bass, they should sound warm at very low levels. And when it comes to after hours listening, when you're burning the midnight oil, they'll still stand up to a little bit of cranking. (Which you can't say about PC speakers that most people use all day long in offices.) And, if they were to grow legs and disappear, your wallet wouldn't be utterly devastated (there are all-in-one ipod speaker systems, that are more attractive theft targets, that cost more!).
If Best Buy/Insignia were to create a matching center channel unit for the NS-B2111, they would have a strong alternative to most mass market HTIB (home theater in a box) systems. I think they're making a mistake not capitalizing on this market. Although I must admit that I didn't actually audition them in this type of configuration, and it's possible that the chestiness would hamper the intelligibility of movie dialogue. It's also important to note that they aren't magnetically shielded, so they can only be used near plasma, LCD and DLP displays (not traditional CRT). Plus, if you position the chosen "center" speaker sideways, you'll have to improvise something to prevent this rounded enclosure from rolling away.
For stereo listening, this speaker is all that the "Average MP3-Listening Joe" would likely need. But anyone who values true bass will need a sub. And I suspect you'd need to spend twice as much on the sub, to get one that does the same justice to the bottom end as these Insignias due to the upper range. Plus, you're going to need some stands to hold them up where they belong.
Personally, I probably won't be keeping these, since I have plenty of other, better speakers. These simply don't do anything better than the other transducers in my collection. But if you're looking for a solution for adding sound to an occasional-use room that currently doesn't have speaks, these are perfect. Serious listeners on a budget, however, should look elsewhere for something of a higher caliber on the used market.
I am very impressed and think they represent a strong value. As I mentioned in a previous posting, my initial impression was that they are bright. But that was on someone else's system, which I did no serious inspection of. I believe that person must have had the treble control turned up, because they did not strike me as bright in my system.
These impressions are based on the speakers being positioned on short pedestals (about 2 feet tall), and tilted up toward ear level. The speakers were broken in and being driven by a Denon receiver.
They have frequency response that strikes my ear as quite smooth, until you get down to the mid-bass. They have considerable tubbiness in this region. The result is that vocals and acoustic guitar are given excessive chestiness. One some recordings it really ruins the experience. Therefore, placement away from walls is essential to prevent this problem from being any worse. (I had them setup 3-4 feet away from the back wall.)
The enclosures are very handsome, but are undoubtedly responsible for these problems in the mid-bass. They resonate quite a bit, and I see why some folks have modded their cabinets. I have to wonder how much of a difference it really makes, though. Is the problem alleviated, or only made tolerable?
This enclosure problem means that the higher you crank the volume, the bigger the resonance. These speakers quickly go from hi-fi at low volumes, to more like mid-fi at high volumes. Can't say this is a surprise, though, when buying speakers in this cost category.
On most recordings, the impressive imaging allows you to forget about the overly-full mid-bass. In fact, I believe this is the best sound I could ever expect to hear for less than $100 (only counting brand new products). Someone asked earlier in this thread if the NS-B2111 is really that much better than the Minimus 7, that they should consider the upgrade. My answer is Yes, they are unquestionably a grade above the Minimus 7. Although I didn't A/B compare them to my own pair of Minimus, I can confidently say that. They play louder, are more dynamic, have better imaging and certainly look a lot better. But then they are at least twice the size of the Minimus, so think twice if space is a consideration for your needs. And while the Minimus' sound balance works fine mounted in a cabinet, the 2111 would likely not benefit from this placement.
Those of us who are hi-fi enthusiasts sometimes have a need for a basic, inexpensive set of speakers for listening in an office/work/common area environment -- something better than the average boom box or all-in-one system. I think these speakers would perfectly suit this low volume, background playback role. And because of their full mid-bass, they should sound warm at very low levels. And when it comes to after hours listening, when you're burning the midnight oil, they'll still stand up to a little bit of cranking. (Which you can't say about PC speakers that most people use all day long in offices.) And, if they were to grow legs and disappear, your wallet wouldn't be utterly devastated (there are all-in-one ipod speaker systems, that are more attractive theft targets, that cost more!).
If Best Buy/Insignia were to create a matching center channel unit for the NS-B2111, they would have a strong alternative to most mass market HTIB (home theater in a box) systems. I think they're making a mistake not capitalizing on this market. Although I must admit that I didn't actually audition them in this type of configuration, and it's possible that the chestiness would hamper the intelligibility of movie dialogue. It's also important to note that they aren't magnetically shielded, so they can only be used near plasma, LCD and DLP displays (not traditional CRT). Plus, if you position the chosen "center" speaker sideways, you'll have to improvise something to prevent this rounded enclosure from rolling away.
For stereo listening, this speaker is all that the "Average MP3-Listening Joe" would likely need. But anyone who values true bass will need a sub. And I suspect you'd need to spend twice as much on the sub, to get one that does the same justice to the bottom end as these Insignias due to the upper range. Plus, you're going to need some stands to hold them up where they belong.
Personally, I probably won't be keeping these, since I have plenty of other, better speakers. These simply don't do anything better than the other transducers in my collection. But if you're looking for a solution for adding sound to an occasional-use room that currently doesn't have speaks, these are perfect. Serious listeners on a budget, however, should look elsewhere for something of a higher caliber on the used market.
80sKid
Who You Calling A Kid?
Holy Cow, I have to amend my review and take back some of the things I said.
I decided to stuff the Insignias full of insulation to see if it cleaned up the tubby mid-bass. So I made the modification and hooked them to the basement stereo -- the same that I auditioned them with before.
Except this time I noticed that the treble control was turned way down. Ya know why? My wife has some horrible old records that she listens to now and again (which can not be found anywhere) which are in horrendous condition and she turns down the high end, to minimize the scratchiness.
Shame on me for not checking the tone controls before doing my previous audition. This time I turned on "direct" mode and positioned the speakers at ear level (on bookshelves) instead of the low stands I used before.
Oh my gosh, these really are bright speakers. Way too bright. It provides for some prominent imaging, but man it's fatiguing. I definitely couldn't listen to these for an extended period.
The good news is that putting insulation behind the woofer greatly reduced the chestiness that ruined their sound before. But now they sound like they have no bottom end at all.
I decided to stuff the Insignias full of insulation to see if it cleaned up the tubby mid-bass. So I made the modification and hooked them to the basement stereo -- the same that I auditioned them with before.
Except this time I noticed that the treble control was turned way down. Ya know why? My wife has some horrible old records that she listens to now and again (which can not be found anywhere) which are in horrendous condition and she turns down the high end, to minimize the scratchiness.
Shame on me for not checking the tone controls before doing my previous audition. This time I turned on "direct" mode and positioned the speakers at ear level (on bookshelves) instead of the low stands I used before.
Oh my gosh, these really are bright speakers. Way too bright. It provides for some prominent imaging, but man it's fatiguing. I definitely couldn't listen to these for an extended period.
The good news is that putting insulation behind the woofer greatly reduced the chestiness that ruined their sound before. But now they sound like they have no bottom end at all.
johnda
Addicted Member
OK, time for an update: The Insignia NS-B2111's are in my study. Driven by the Sherwood RX-4108 receiver. The audio source is from the internet via my Imac computer headphone jack. The sound is clear as a bell. Right now I'm hearing a female vocal with string background and it is beautiful. Earlier I was listening to a trumpet concerto and you could sense the metal in the trumpet's bell. I listen at low to moderate volume. I have had these speakers for a decent length of time now, and am fully satisfied with them.
The living room system is now my Sony STR-6055 receiver coupled to those Presidian speakers that I got on sale from the Shack for $20 a pair. The sound is warmer and slightly less detailed, but very satisfying.
If I were to get anything to replace them, I think I would go for those Tannoy speakers. Tannoys have always been a favorite of mine and I think they would sound great. I have to find out how much they go for. By the way the Radiian site no longer has speakers, so it looks like they've been dropped. I wonder if that will affect the availability of the NS-B2111's.
The living room system is now my Sony STR-6055 receiver coupled to those Presidian speakers that I got on sale from the Shack for $20 a pair. The sound is warmer and slightly less detailed, but very satisfying.
If I were to get anything to replace them, I think I would go for those Tannoy speakers. Tannoys have always been a favorite of mine and I think they would sound great. I have to find out how much they go for. By the way the Radiian site no longer has speakers, so it looks like they've been dropped. I wonder if that will affect the availability of the NS-B2111's.
80sKid
Who You Calling A Kid?
John -- Tannoy has had a wide variety of models over the years, so you could mean any one of dozens of models. Although they are known for widely using coaxial design approach, that isn't limited to one model.
I'm sure the Insignias sound good at very low volumes, where the accentuated highs probably alleviate the need to turn up the volume to hear details of the music. They might even sound somewhat full if they are right up against a wall to provide some boundary reinforcement for the low end.
As someone who has so two pairs of vintage AR speakers, I'm surprised you don't find the 2111 too forward sounding. Because compared to ARs I have heard, they would be considered very bright.
I'm sure the Insignias sound good at very low volumes, where the accentuated highs probably alleviate the need to turn up the volume to hear details of the music. They might even sound somewhat full if they are right up against a wall to provide some boundary reinforcement for the low end.
As someone who has so two pairs of vintage AR speakers, I'm surprised you don't find the 2111 too forward sounding. Because compared to ARs I have heard, they would be considered very bright.
Tiver
Enjoy the music
After seeing raves about these speakers posted in as many places as they are (most of the excitement in the reviews was at a lower price point than the current one), I was kind of excited to go and have a listen.
So I went down to BB and had a listen.
They don't look cheap and they appear fairly solid. They were $78 and I had a 10% coupon. I knew why I was there. i wanted to maintain perspective. I definitely was there to listen to some <$100 speakers.
I had the blue shirt play a couple cd's. They were pushed by a Yamaha integrated (don't know which) They were on a shelf about chest high. I was able to stand centered about 15' away. I was really hoping these speakers would do something for me. They didn't.
I guess to each his own. I guess if they were $50 I might have taken them home for a demo, but not for $78. I compared them to other speakers in the room to see if I was missing something, but there was no revelation. To me they had no depth or presence.
Some inexpensive bookshelf speakers can be complemented nicely with a modest subwoofer. For me, this wasn't what these were missing. There just wasn't a well defined mid range.
So go have a listen if you like, maybe even take home a pair for a demo. There is probably something there for some of you, these speakers have impressed more than a few people.
I did take home some speakers that day and they were $90 out the door, but they weren't the Insignias.
So I went down to BB and had a listen.
They don't look cheap and they appear fairly solid. They were $78 and I had a 10% coupon. I knew why I was there. i wanted to maintain perspective. I definitely was there to listen to some <$100 speakers.
I had the blue shirt play a couple cd's. They were pushed by a Yamaha integrated (don't know which) They were on a shelf about chest high. I was able to stand centered about 15' away. I was really hoping these speakers would do something for me. They didn't.
I guess to each his own. I guess if they were $50 I might have taken them home for a demo, but not for $78. I compared them to other speakers in the room to see if I was missing something, but there was no revelation. To me they had no depth or presence.
Some inexpensive bookshelf speakers can be complemented nicely with a modest subwoofer. For me, this wasn't what these were missing. There just wasn't a well defined mid range.
So go have a listen if you like, maybe even take home a pair for a demo. There is probably something there for some of you, these speakers have impressed more than a few people.
I did take home some speakers that day and they were $90 out the door, but they weren't the Insignias.
80sKid
Who You Calling A Kid?
Tiver
Enjoy the music
Oh the S U S P E N S E !
Well, as I haven't taken them out of the box and actually listened to them at home, I chose not to reveal them as it might completely undermine my credibility (?)
pmsummer
simul justus et peccator
johnda
Addicted Member
Hi 80's kid, 60's kid here. That Tannoy was the one pictured in an earlier post in this thread. I checked around and they are WAY above this class of cost. By the way, I also have a pair of KLH 6's, still running fine, possibly could use a recap, but still nice.The Insignias don't sound bright to me, but I have to say that at my age. damage to my ears from being on the flight line with F-94's and F-86's blasting away has taken its toll on my ability to hear the high frequencies. Hey folks, are they too bright to you?
YamahaFreak
Super Member
If those are the SS-MB350H's, I own a pair. I like them.
(first NEW speaker I ever bought on my own budget)
Squonk07
Someday you'll understand
If those are the SS-MB350H's, I own a pair. I like them.
I wonder if these are any different than a slightly earlier model of Sony bookshelf speakers, the SSMB350H. They appear to be identical, except that the midrange driver and the tweeter in mine are both fronted by a rectangular-ish plastic plate with rounded edges. Let me see if I can find a picture.
Here we go:
To be honest, years on, I am no longer very impressed with mine. They don't age well. The tweeter smooths out so much that the high range became way too relaxed for me. Initially they sounded a lot better after a few day's worth of break-in. In the absence of adequate high range, the midrange sounds bloated. A XO mod might help out here, but I am none too skilled with working with circuitry. I posted about these a few weeks ago, having opened the cabinet and got a good laugh at just how little damping material was in them. Adding more didn't help very much, and ultimately I pulled it out and used it for other projects.
It yours are indeed similar to mine, depending on how long you've had them, you've got my experience to look forward to. A pair of Insignias jam-packed with batting blows the Sony's out of the water, IMHO. But to each his own. Just my two cents.