Offers or Suggestions for bookshelf speakers £200-£300

[Jimbo]

Along with the Rega RP1 turntable and maybe one of the amps recommended by folk I am now needing some bookshelf speakers for my friend to complete his budget hifi system. He was trying to get it all for £600 so I recon that leaves £200-£300 for some speakers?

Any suggestions would be great. Thanks

[walpurgis]

Hi James. If you want offers of speakers, please edit your thread to say this. If you are just after suggestions, this thread belongs in the Blank Canvas area and I can move it for you. Thanks, Geoff.

(by the way, I'd suggest looking for a pair of Usher S520 speakers, they are small and excellent :))

[Jimbo]

Hi James. If you want offers of speakers, please edit your thread to say this. If you are just after suggestions, this thread belongs in the Blank Canvas area and I can move it for you. Thanks, Geoff.

(by the way, I'd suggest looking for a pair of Usher S520 speakers, they are small and excellent :))

Thanks Geoff, I wanted suggestions and offers so wasn't sure where to put this post. Thanks for the Usher recommendation, I will look into these and see if any going on ebay.

[jollyfix]

Some usher s520 went for £106.00 last wk on the bay. Cherry wood. great condition etc. Good speakers.

[jollyfix]

Triangle speakers.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Triangle-Speakers/282182489513?_trksid=p2047675.c100010.m2109&_trkparms=aid%3D555012%26algo%3DPW.MBE%26ao%3D2%26 asc%3D39219%26meid%3D8c38b5d3aacb42488e0fb29fedf44 eea%26pid%3D100010%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D23%26sd%3D3616 52622022

http://hifipig.com/triangle-titus-ez-loudspeakers/#more-16292

Keep an eye on these, may go for a good price...

[Jimbo]

Triangle speakers.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Triangle-Speakers/282182489513?_trksid=p2047675.c100010.m2109&_trkparms=aid%3D555012%26algo%3DPW.MBE%26ao%3D2%26 asc%3D39219%26meid%3D8c38b5d3aacb42488e0fb29fedf44 eea%26pid%3D100010%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D23%26sd%3D3616 52622022

http://hifipig.com/ttriangle-titus-ez-loudspeakers/#more-16292

Keep an eye on these, may go for a good price...

Thanks Dave.

[walpurgis]

James. I've edited your title to be more in keeping with the Private Exhibitions section. Hope you don't mind.

[Jimbo]

James. I've edited your title to be more in keeping with the Private Exhibitions section. Hope you don't mind.

Not at all Geoff, thanks.

[hifilover]

Something new would be the Q Acoustics 3020s; lovely speakers and with a superb sound!

2nd hand; how about some MA RX1s or QUAD 12L2s?

[alcarmichael]

There are some mint B&W 601's over on PFM for a bargain £100.

[Ninanina]

How about the Rega RS1's

I have the RS3's and the drivers are the same, apart from the extra side firing bass unit

Easy to drive as well; I drive mine with just 10w

[Jimbo]

Thanks for the suggestions chaps - please keep them coming as I will look at all possibilties. Not really an area I have much knowledge in apart from LS3/5A's and KEF LS50's which I have had on the other end of my system and i know they are fabulous speakers but unfortunately outside my friends budget which is £200-£300.

Anyone got any thoughts on the ELAC Debut B6 or Dali Zensor 1 speakers as these both come in budget and get rave reviews?

[montesquieu]

I use Tannoy 603s in the study, they are well capable and run very sweetly off an old 25w Cyrus One (which has a lovely MM phonostage).

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/tannoy-603-/322258270987?hash=item4b0816fb0b:g:ShQAAOSwvzRX1SK b

Never buy new speakers, speaker design has barely moved in two decades and they are the most long-lived of all hifi components .. tons of really great stuff out there for peanuts.

[Macca]

I think down at the budget end of speakers you do get more for your money than 30 years ago. The little Q Acoustics are a world away from such '80s abominations like the AR Red Box or the Wharfedale Delta 30, although the new price is similar if you adjust for inflation.

I'd have a look for some JPW AP2 or AP3, they have a lot of strengths for a small speaker. Or something from the JBL LX range, always a few on eBay.

EDIT also the RAM speakers are a cut above, any model of those takes some beating for the price.

[hifilover]

The Dali Zensor 1s are lovely little speakers; but IMO the Q Acoustic 3020s do it better!

As above, the Rega RS1s would be worth looking at, lovely speakers too!

Are floorstanders an option at all?

AE 109s would be my vote, get an excellent pair and their hard to beat without spending close to £1k IMO!

Decent pairs usually go for around £100, but its finding them locally to collect (unless the seller has decent/original boxes and packaging)!

[Jimbo]

I agree with you Martin you do get more for your money with smaller speakers.

Unfortunately my friend cannot accommodate large speakers do bookshelf size are his only option.

I have seen some good reviews the Q acoustics and the small Regas look good. Plenty of choice for my mate, it will come down to availability second hand or if he wants to spend a few hundred he can have something nice and new although I tend to agree with an earlier post that suggested there has not been much advancement in speaker sound quality although I think there has been a lot of advancement in different technologies. For me some of the new technology has not been good!

[hifilover]

No, you're right. Some 'new' speakers I've listened to recently have been bloody 'orrible!

I've got my AE109s from 1996 and haven't yet found a pair of floorstanders that are as good as them or as well made! The Rega RS3s I had were lovely, but they didn't suit the Arcam Alpha 10 amp, the KEF R100s just do it better and their standmount!

Rega RS5s were just 'louder RS3s' IMO, B&W 684 S2s were awful, KEF Q500s - bleurgh...!

For me and Q Acoustics, they just do it on a simple level IMO and that's why they do so well... The older 2020i speakers are still belters and can be had for c£85 upwards 2nd hand, IIRC Richer Sounds are still selling them new!

[Macca]

although I tend to agree with an earlier post that suggested there has not been much advancement in speaker sound quality although I think there has been a lot of advancement in different technologies. For me some of the new technology has not been good!

When you listen to some properly sorted Tannoy DC speakers, 60 years old driver design, paper cones, it does make you think. Or proper JBL with a paper fifteen doing most of the work. Speakers are so personal, though. Did you say what your mate wants in terms of the presentation of the sound, and what sort of music does he mostly play?

[Jimbo]

When you listen to some properly sorted Tannoy DC speakers, 60 years old driver design, paper cones, it does make you think. Or proper JBL with a paper fifteen doing most of the work. Speakers are so personal, though. Did you say what your mate wants in terms of the presentation of the sound, and what sort of music does he mostly play?

He likes an eclectic mix of music and he is a young chap who has never had a turntable or indeed a HIFI system so almost anything will sound fantastic to him. :lol: No but seriously I want to put the best system together I can for him for under£600. Trouble is there are so many options so trying to go down middle of the road. I think the Rega RP1 will be a good place to start for a turntable. It would be nice to get a good integrated and a nice phono stage but a MM integrated maybe be simpler. Maybe a NAD 3020 or Denon but If you want to sell something reasonably decent Martin his budget is about £150-£200.

Speakers are as you say personal but he will not be able to hear any so on the list so far are

Elac Debut B6
Dali Zensor 1
Q acoustics 2020i
Rega RS1

However I will look around for some vintage JBL,s and Tannoys but not sure if this is what he wants as they may not look modern enough?

[ReggieB]

One of my best buys was a pair of Heybrook HB1 for a fiver. I had to put new drives in them (which cost me about £150), but were and still are (in my study system) lovely. They're worth a look at as you can pick them up pretty cheaply (For example on the bay of e (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HEYBROOK-HB1-SPEAKERS-RARE-BI-WIRED-VERSION-2-WAY-SEALED-ENCLOSURE-RE-FOAMED-/322241361662?hash=item4b0714f6fe:g:q9sAAOSwWZ9XoPy u)). That might free up some cash to use on a better amp or source.