Hey guys, so I've learned the error of my ways and am going to get rid of the Logitech Z2300s I'm currently rolling with. For headphones, I have a pair of Audio Technica ES7s and some Etymotic ER6is.

I'm using an Asus M2N-E motherboard with onboard audio. It has s/pdif but I've never used it.

Basically, as a college student, I sit at my desk quite a bit and I need speakers+a receiver that'll be good at a distance of ~3 feet. Room isn't much of an issue; I'm pretty creative and will build shelves if I need to. I've done a lot of digging on craigslist and found the following receivers:

Obviously, I can probably haggle these prices down.

Sony STR-DE485 $85
Onkyo TX-DS555 ???
Technics SA-AX610 $75
Yamaha RX-V659 $100
Sherwood S-7450 $20
RCA STAV-3860 $55
Marantz TA-100 $99
Marantz SR2000 $60
Marantz 2100 $99
Marantz 2015 $75
Pioneer R50 100 $75
Pioneer VSX-D711 $70
Pioneer VSX-401 $40
Pioneer VSX-D409 $50
Pioneer VSX-9300 $35
Pioneer SX 780 $20
Pioneer VSX-9500S $25
Pioneer QX-949 $75
Pioneer VSX-D701 $55
Pioneer VSX D411 $75
Pioneer VSX-415 $100
Pioneer VSX D5035 $75
Pioneer SX535 $90
Pioneer SA5500 II $60
Pioneer VSX 4509S $100
Pioneer VSX-D503S $100

As for speakers:

Klipsch Synergy B2 $150
Denon USC-20F $85
Pioneer S-H153-B-K $45
B&W DM110 $100


I'm not against buying online although it seems like I should be able to do pretty well (at least in the receiver aspect) locally.

I was hoping you guys could tell me what the best deal was? I'm looking to spend <=$200 total including speakers.

I play games occasionally but primarily listen to music and watch online TV. I listen mostly to classical, lo-fi, trance, progressive, and a little rock now and then. I don't particularly care for booming bass or crave massive volume. I'm in a dorm building and want something that sounds great when I'm studying or working on stuff. I never listen to pop, country, or rap so don't worry about that :-) I don't need to worry about how or if it handles video either.


Thanks again!

Somebody should answer your question with authority, but it certainly can't be me

Without having more time to think about this, some rules of thumb to keep in mind are that amp power rating should always exceed speaker power rating, impedances must match (duh), getting optimal specs on speakers is usually far more important than getting optimal specs on sources, etc. But you probably already knew all that.

Another thing: Personally I don't think the sound quality will differ much on different amps/receivers, so I wouldn't be afraid of buying such online... However, when it comes to speakers (and especially cheap ones!) I really think you should try to get a chance to listen to them BEFORE you buy. Sound quality is really subjective, so what sounds great to me might not sound great to you.

I just got a few tips from a colleague.

B&W is usually really good (but the pair you've listed seems kinda old? - Are all your items/prices 2nd hand?)
Klipsch is not bad at all, but also seem a little more expensive overall.
Pioneer speakers are said not to be very impressive lately according to my colleague and what's up with a Denon speaker ?????

Personally I really like the danish Dali, e.g. Concept 2 speakers should be really good and a great deal as well.
Generally, the woofer size should at least be 6,5", otherwise you might need to pair them with a subwoofer.

If anyone knows of a small amplifier (just stereo) that can drive speakers in this range, I'd be very interested.

Actually, I had no idea.


Yeah haha. I was told that I was best off going for an inexpensive old school receiver and a good set of new speakers. I wasn't really set on any of the speakers I posted; I just posted them in case any of them were a particularly good deal.

Thanks for the replies.


Any other thoughts?

Well generally it might be a good time right now to buy 2nd hand stuff, but I would be careful about 2nd hand speakers. You don't know how they have been played, if they are weird in some way or just has a long mileage. It's pretty much like cars - If you get a really old one, you might get disappointed.

Another thing I noticed while browsing 2nd hand amps: Many people thinks their old crap is worth more than gold... You shouldn't get something too old though. Try to get something with at least a digital volume-controller (old analogue ones may give a scratchy sound if dust has collected in it).

Why is this?

I love google... Why do powerful speakers blow on an underpowered amp

Edit: This thread also seems to have some nice info.

Can't understand why anybody isn't recommending better active monitors. ~3 feet is a perfect use case and you automatically get perfectly matched amps. $200 is not much for a decent receiver+speaker combo - an active solution looks much more attractive in that price range. Have a look at the Mackie lineup. They have an excellent quality/$ ratio.

Basically because I don't have any experience with such. I'm generally surprised nobody really recommends anything in this thread...

I took a look at the HR624 MK2 - They still seem a bit expensive to me, but may be perfect for OP. I'd like something with a remote

I actually owned the DM110 or at least a pair that looks exactly the same, but that was when I was 10 or so, so I think it is safe to assume that those speakers are 20-25 years old
He probably should be giving them away. But they sounded okay back in the day. Some info: http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/display.aspx...73&pid=1865

However, I think you can get something slightly newer for your 200USD

Do you recommend any of the Mackies specifically?


Also, any opinions on that Yamaha? I've read some reviews and there's quite a bit of good buzz about it.

With the help from here and a few other places, I've pretty much decided on the Pioneer SX780 and (most likely) B&W speakers.


I've got ~$150 to spend on speakers, so what do you guys recommend? I'm not set on B&W and if you can convince me, I'll consider other receivers.

I am curious about what arguments you found persuasive to go for old hi-fi equipment. Do you have experience of the issues with decades old equipment? Or do you expect it to work in the way it did decades ago?

I am also curious why, as mentioned earlier, you are not simply replacing your speakers with something similar but of higher quality. At new prices, this would seem to offer the highest sound quality in the smallest neatest package without any obvious disadvantages but I may well be misunderstanding your requirements. There would seem to be a fairly wide range of suitable competitively priced monitors in music store catalogues (computer store catalogues are probably best avoided if you have an interest in flatter rather than an enhanced frequency response).

The Mackie HR824 is an industry standard active monitor for near field monitoring. Excellent dynamic range and lack of coloration. You'll pay them, too.

The Behringer 2031P is a good low-priced alternative.

Also it's passive. Are there no volume control on active studio monitors and how well is a studio monitor suited for music playback in a small room (e.g. a bedroom)?

The Behringer 2031A is the active version of the 2031P. Both, A & P, are also a good recommendation if your are on a budget.* The 2031A is suited excellently for small rooms, it has several switches to adjust the speakers' sound to their specific placement (in relation to walls, corners etc.). Also their sweet spot is much more suited for small rooms than large rooms and reaches several meters from right in front of them to the back.

Volume adjustment can be an issue of your sound hardware doesn't have an analog gain control. If it is able to digitally output at 24 bit, which applies to about all sound cards sold today, then you have 20-40db of headroom to adjust digitally without quality loss for 16 bit source material. If you match the 2031A's input sensitivity control to this range, you shouldn't be missing a thing.


* Probably even better than Mackie, which doesn't start to get exciting <$300.

Somebody else recommended the Behringer 2031p as well. You recommend it over similarly priced B&W?

I have the B2030Ps and while I won't comment on audio quality (as they are different speakers) I can tell you that build quality appears to be top notch.

B&W is a premium brand. They cannot sell premium gear for low prices without hurting their own portfolio. The Behringer brand is built upon a reputation of value for money. So for your comparatively low budget, Behringer should be the better choice. For another budget B&W could be a better recommendation.

Troll the thrift stores too. Find out when the big guys like Salvation Army or Value Village put out the new stuff, and go that day or the day after. Well under $100 should get you decent speakers and a receiver or integrated amp. Also check any "free stores" and recycling centers; I scored a nice NAD receiver ($200 Craigslist value) out of the scrap metal bin. Do a visual check on woofers, because foam surrounds (the rubbery ring around the edge of the cone) can rot: they may be cracked or crumbled to dust. Replacing costs about $30 a pair if you DIY. This may be worth doing for exceptional or otherwise free speakers.

Vintage stuff varies in usability. I've got about 3 Japanese receivers from the '70s, and they all have noisy pots and intermittent switches. Most of the '80s & '90s gear I have still works fine.

Befriending homeless dumpster divers may pay off; some great vintage audio gears goes into dumpsters because people don't know any better or don't care.

[edit]
Pioneer SX-535? $90? I'm pretty sure that's what I rescued from a trash pile. It was beat up... cracked glass and bent tuning shaft, but it worked. It sits on the floor sideways next to the computer tower.