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Vintage speakers for a modest phono setup?

Lancer X

Lancer X

Member
My wife was excited to purchase a turntable for our new home. She's not very particular about audio, but I wanted to put together a system that did the vinyl some justice, but at a budget.

I purchased an inexpensive Chinese tube phone preamp and amp (Fosi Audio Box X2 Phono Preamp and BT30D 2.1 Channel Power Amplifier). I'm sure some of you already have a nosebleed, but I'm trying to keep this setup cheap and limit the footprint... The amp is 50W per channel with a separate 100w sub channel.

Cheap modern amp aside, my wife and I like the look of vintage speakers - think 1970 era Sansui and Pioneers with wood grille covers, etc.

I'd love to hear your recommendations about:
  • what might sound decent with this system, as well as
  • what you'd pay for a pair of speakers in good cosmetic shape
  • which options might not need re-foaming (Sansuis with cloth surrounds, etc.)

Here are some options that are available locally via FB and CL.
  • Sansui SP-1700
  • Kenwood KL-3080
  • Marantz SP 2052
  • Sansui SP-200
  • Ohm Model E
  • Pioneer CS-33A
  • Sansui SP-1500 (these seem to be in-the-box, untouched mint)

Thanks in advance!
 
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Of the one's you've mentioned, only Ohm is known for making quality speakers (and that one's not highly regarded). The others make good electronics, but for the most part, weren't the best speaker manufactures. That being said, many do like the sound of them. Do a google search for each of the one's mentioned. It will bring up any AK threads on them.

Personally, I'd look for some ADS speakers. Most have very nice wood veneer, and quality components (shouldn't have to do any rebuilding). Very efficient, so you don't need gobs of power to make them sound good. They vary in size, price and sound quality, but even the smaller one's sound great. Another one to look for would be Norman Labs. They're more regional (made in Norman OK), but can sometimes be found elsewhere. (I found mine in CO.) EPI is another inexpensive, good sounding brand.

I'm sure others will chime in as to their favorites/recommendations. Were it me, I'd pass on the ones listed and do a little more research.

Good luck, and happy hunting.
 
I'm not so sure I would go the vintage route. I don't have personal experience with anything you've listed but judging by your components, I would be looking at something like the Elac Debut series or even the Fluance Signature series - both bookshelfs. I don't know if that little amp, regardless of it rating will do any justice, or bring them out.
 
HiFi in WYO said:
I'm not so sure I would go the vintage route. I don't have personal experience with anything you've listed but judging by your components, I would be looking at something like the Elac Debut series or even the Fluance Signature series - both bookshelfs. I don't know if that little amp, regardless of it rating will do any justice, or bring them out.
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Thanks. We started with a set of Polk T15, but we were pretty underwhelmed due to the lack of bass coverage (no big surprise given the 5" woofers). I plan to return those, although adding a sub would probably solve the problem completely. They were honestly otherwise fine for our purpose.
 
I'm not a big fan of subs in general but in this instance with small speakers it would be in order, especially given you'll be spinning vinyl. I think I had an older pair of those for the TV room and was kind of underwhelmed by them too - ended up with a pair of Klipsch passives (R-15M I believe) and those were a lot better at the lows (and everything else for that matter). However I came across a pair of Bose Interaudio 2000s and now those are my go-to for the 2 channel entertainment system. If you can find a pair of those, they might work well too with your setup.
 
Original Advents have a nice clean visual design IMHO, plenty of bass capability and are easy to find. You should check whether problems with the woofer surrounds are common on the speakers you consider. The "smaller" Advents might be a good fit. This presumes you aren't looking to rock the house with 50 watts. Lots of KLH speakers from that period are compact and have a classic vintage look.
 
Lancer X said:
I purchased an inexpensive Chinese tube phone preamp and amp (Fosi Audio Box X2 Phono Preamp and BT30D 2.1 Channel Power Amplifier). I'm sure some of you already have a nosebleed, but I'm trying to keep this setup cheap and limit the footprint... The amp is 50W per channel with a separate 100w sub channel.
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I'm using a very similar Nobsound 2.1 amp on our deck to power 2 Polk mains and an in-ground passive sub, and it is an absolutely great-sounding amp, so I think you will be very happy with yours (assuming they are similar).

For speakers, it would be helpful for you provide more info about what size of speakers are you looking for, where will they be placed, what type of music you will be playing, and of course what your budget is.

None of the speakers you have listed are particularly known for great sound I don't think (Ohm a possible exception). It would probably be better to stick with speaker brands known for great sound. My recommendation would be Allison 6's, tiny but sound great and can be bought affordably if you look -- the Allison 6's are one of the few small speakers that sound excellent without a sub (make sure surrounds have been replaced because they will need it if not done already). I have never tried ADS, but seems like a brand you can't miss with if you look at the ADS threads to choose the best models.

I do like the modern Polks (much to my surprise when I was in an audio store), so using modern Poks supplemented with a sub would be good. Polks are bright, which I personally like -- if you prefer a warmer sound, something like a modern Wharfedale might be more to your liking.

There are probably more options for active subs than the passive that your amp would normally drive. You'd want an active sub with speaker-level inputs since you (I'm presuming) don't have a preamp out on the 2.1 amp. If you do get a passive sub to use your internal sub amp channel, you should still be able to get a good main/sub blend using the amp controls if the Fosi is anything like my Nobsound 2.1.
 
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I would go with new or renewed Klipsch, there are several models to choose from.
Amazon has the amazing for the money renewed RP600M for $399 a pair or brand new for $577.
I picked up a used pair of R-15M for $150 to use as rear surrounds.
 
Appreciate all the advice! Per @peterp1 , we mostly listen to 70s-90s rock, classic to modern blues, and some vintage jazz. Also, this little Fosi amp does indeed have an output for a powered sub (in addition to the 100W output for a passive sub).

Will keep my eye on the used lists for some ADS action!
 
A 3rd for the ADS, I love their two way designs. I currently own a pair of L720’s and think they would be perfect. If not those then most any efficient quality speaker would work well I think.
 
Any idea what's going on here - this pair looks otherwise pristine. Seems like corrosion to me, but the seller refers to it as "staining". The cabinet exteriors look pristine, so it doesn't seem like water damage??

s-l1600.jpg
 
Lancer X said:
Any idea what's going on here - this pair looks otherwise pristine. Seems like corrosion to me, but the seller refers to it as "staining". The cabinet exteriors look pristine, so it doesn't seem like water damage??

s-l1600.jpg
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It does look like corrosion, but if the cabinets are in nice shape and they sound OK, I would make an offer.
 
Lancer X said:
Any idea what's going on here - this pair looks otherwise pristine. Seems like corrosion to me, but the seller refers to it as "staining". The cabinet exteriors look pristine, so it doesn't seem like water damage??

s-l1600.jpg
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That is corrosion from the original glue. Not a problem if the surrounds are still stuck in place.

If you’re in the area, I’d offer $150 as a start.
 
I bought a pair of L780's that looked like that for $100. I cleaned them and used a two part epoxy. Sound awesome!
 
Yep, nothing wrong with using those amps if they serve your purpose.
If you ever run into noise and quality control issues later, consider looking into a budget vintage system. At least you'll be able to repair and upgrade easily whereas with those little amps, you can't.
There are many underrated low powered receivers and integrated out there with built-in phono section for well under $100 if you look for them. Nikko, yamaha, toshiba, sony and etc. Even in a worst case scenario, after a quick power supply upgrade, dc offset and bias adjustments, 15wpc Nikko may sound much better than those 50/100 watts rated tiny amps. I'd also recommend older and smaller ADS, Advent, KLH, and such. Good luck with your system building.
 
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